What’s New

Dezhawn Seargent, 26, drove a borrowed SUV in the Aug. 15 shooting, prosecutors said. The gunmen targeted a rival gang member but instead shot and killed a 19-year-old woman, prosecutors said.

The alleged getaway driver in a deadly shooting on the Eisenhower Expressway has been charged with murder.

Dezhawn Seargent had been driving a borrowed SUV alongside a car a rival gang member was traveling in when two gunman inside Seargent’s SUV opened fire on the morning of Aug. 15, Assistant Cook County State’s Attorney Kevin DeBoni said Thursday.

The rival gang member was not injured.

Instead, the gunmen struck 19-year-old Lakasia Gregory in the head and leg on the Interstate 290 near Central Avenue, DeBoni said.

The driver — the girlfriend of the man the uncharged gunmen were targeting — was also struck in the arm, DeBoni said. That victim survived.

Seargent, 26, had borrowed the SUV used in the shooting hours earlier and drove the gunmen to the block where the victims were hanging out to conduct surveillance, DeBoni said.

When Gregory and the others got into their car and drove away, Seargent followed them onto the expressway and then sped up alongside them, DeBoni said.

ShotSpotter gunshot detectors recorded a barrage of gunfire from two different guns. Sixteen shell casings were collected and the victims’ car was struck 10 times, DeBoni said.

After the shooting, Seargent dropped the SUV back to the individual he borrowed it from, DeBoni said.

That woman later found a shell casing on her driveway near the front door of her SUV. The shell casing, later recovered by Illinois State Police investigators, matched the caliber and make of the casings found at the crime scene, DeBoni said.

Seargent was identified through surveillance videos and phone records, which showed he he and one of the gunmen had communicated before and after the shooting, DeBoni said. Geo-tracking features on Seargent’s cellphone phone also allegedly matched the movements of the car before the murder.

Seargent grew up in the west suburbs, where he still has family, and graduated from Lyons Township High School, an assistant public defender said. Seargent was laid off during the pandemic and is currently unemployed, the defense attorney added.

Judge Mary Marubio ordered Seargent held without bail.

He is expected back in court July 8.

Read More

The team’s bid signals it’s legitimately considering leaving Soldier Field, home of the Bears since 1971.

The possibility of the Bears leaving Soldier Field for a new stadium in Arlington Heights became significantly more realistic once they put in a bid to buy the Arlington International Racecourse property.

The potential relocation had been little more than speculation until team president Ted Phillips announced the bid Thursday. Phillips couched it as the Bears exploring “every possible option” and allows them to “further evaluate the property and its potential” if their bid is accepted, and it’s obvious that means relocating is legitimately under consideration.

Arlington Heights mayor Thomas Hayes has campaigned for the Bears to move to his city and called them “a great fit.” He said Wednesday he had met with fewer than 10 potential bidders for the site.

The property covers 326 acres about six miles north of the Northwest Tollway. That’s far more space than they have at Soldier Field, it’s an advantageous location based on internal research that shows the majority of their fan base is in the north and northwest suburbs and it’s about half the trek from Halas Hall in Lake Forest.

The Arlington Heights property would be exclusively for a stadium. The team poured more than $100 million into renovating Halas Hall in 2019 and will hold training camp there for the foreseeable future.

The Bears have played at Soldier Field since 1971 and have a lease running through 2033. The organization doesn’t consider that lease to be a barrier, a source said, because it could negotiate a buyout and construction on a new facility would take years anyway.

Recently built NFL stadiums have been extravagant in design and enormous in price. The newly opened stadiums in Los Angeles and Las Vegas cost $5 billion-$6 billion and $1.9 billion, respectively. The others in the last seven years are for the Falcons ($1.6 billion), Vikings ($1.1 billion) and 49ers ($1.3 billion).

In terms of price and aesthetics, the Bears are likely to give U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis a long look as they imagine their new home. It has a 73,000-person capacity, a glass roof and glass on much of the stadium walls in order to allow as much daylight as possible.

Read More

The animated projections of the famous Obama Portraits created by Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald will light up at 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. every night through Sept. 16.

You can see the Obamas’ larger-than-life portraits glow along the side of the Merchandise Mart building starting Thursday night.

The animated projections of the famous Obama Portraits created by Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald will light up at 9 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. as part of the Art On TheMART’s summer program.

The projections can be seen from Wacker Drive and along the Chicago Riverwalk. A musical score will accompany the piece.

If you miss it this Thursday, don’t worry, the projections aren’t just a one-and-done. You can see them every night at that time until Sept. 16. Check out some displays from last year’s “Nutcracker”-themed presentation here.

The original paintings that inspire the projections will start their stay at the Art Institute of Chicago from June 18 until August 15. Tickets are free, with regular museum admission.

You can learn more about available times to get tickets here.

The program’s content rotates seasonally, and along with the Obamas, Chicagoans can get a glimpse of the Frida Kahlo: Timeless exhibition, which is currently being shown at the Cleve Carney Museum of Art and the McAninch Arts Center at the College of DuPage until Sept. 6.

The projections will feature several of Kahlo’s works including Self Portrait with Small Monkey (1945) and Self Portrait in a Velvet Dress (1926).

Like the Obamas’ portraits, Kahlo’s works will be accompanied by music with an orchestral score from Mexican composer Arturo Márquez, recorded by New Philharmonic.

Read More

Devontay Anderson, 21, may have fled to Florida after the shooting. The FBI said Anderson also has links in Indiana.

The FBI has increased a reward to $25,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the second gunman in the murder of 7-year-old Jaslyn Adams at a West Side McDonald’s.

An arrest warrant was issued for Devontay Anderson, 21, on April 26 after he was charged with first-degree murder in Cook County Circuit Court, according to a criminal complaint filed in April in U.S District Court.

The FBI announced an initial reward of $10,000 for information on his whereabouts last month. GPS notifications have last tracked Anderson to Miami, Florida. The FBI said Anderson also has links in Indiana.

FBI

On April 18, Jaslyn and her father, Jontae Adams, were in an Infiniti at a McDonald’s in the 3200 block of West Roosevelt Road when two gunmen got out of an Audi and fired into their car about 4:20 p.m., authorities have said. Jaslyn was killed and her father was wounded.

According to the federal complaint, surveillance video which captured the shooting was viewed by the Chicago Police Department. The complaint said three people were inside the Audi when it pulled behind the Infinti.

Demond Goudy and Marion Lewis have also been charged in connection with the shooting. Lewis was the getaway driver and did not fire any of the shots, prosecutors have said. Lewis and Goudy are being held without bail in Cook County Jail.

Anderson is described as 5-foot-6, 150 to 160 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He has a small tattoo of capital letters written in script over his right eyebrow, the FBI said.

Anyone with information can call the FBI’s Chicago office at 312-421-6700.

Read More

The Chicago non-profit ensemble creates theater and film for, with and by individuals with Down syndrome and other developmental disabilities.

When COVID-19 forced Chicago theater to go dark, the A.B.L.E. Ensemble was one of the first to forge forward into the brave new world of digital programming. Not only did the plucky theater survive, in the face of the pandemic — their artistry thrived.

“You know I feel really humbled honestly because I think it’s been one of our strongest years and kind of our strongest seasons. Especially working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, any sort of social outlet is so important, especially for adults,” said A.B.L.E. executive director Katie Yohe, of Artists Breaking Limits & Expectations (A.B.L.E.). The Chicago non-profit ensemble founded in 2016 that “creates theater and film for, with, and by individuals with Down syndrome and other developmental disabilities,” according to its website.

“The mental health toll of the pandemic was really strong for them so we saw a huge demand for programs and services, so we’ve been able to add workshops, add ensembles, and kind of keep pushing ourselves to do more just to make sure there was a place for our community to go.”

Though some theatermakers have groused over the limitations of Zoom, A.B.L.E. stepped up to the challenge. “I think for the folks in the creative arts, it was sort of the ultimate test of all of our theatermaking skills, you know,” Yohe said. “It’s all of the improvisation skills that you’ve acquired, and your willingness to be adaptable, and say yes and keep trying, and work with your team and work with your community.”

And with that embrace of change came unexpected rewards for the actors. “I think having a little more control over their environment, being able to control the volume of class, the lighting in their room, and being in a comfortable familiar space, I think has helped some of our actors to become a lot stronger working virtually than they may have done in person.”

Their talents will be showcased in “Romeo and Juliet Remix,” a new take on the Shakespeare classic that combines the original work with original monologues and songs created by the cast.

“The team working on ‘Romeo and Juliet Remix’ is Zooming in from about 10 different states… we have many actors with Down syndrome, we also have actors who are autistic, we have some participants with cerebral palsy, and then some with a general developmental delay,” Yohe said. “So currently in our ensembles, or at least those folks working on ‘Romeo and Juliet Remix,’ that’s 38 actors ranging in age from ages 15 up to 37.”

A.B.L.E. Ensemble allows actors a large measure of agency in their roles. Yohe delves into the classical adaptation creative process, facilitated in conjunction with their longtime partner, Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

“It’s a way to give our ensemble ownership over some classical pieces that they maybe would have been excluded from, in traditional situations. It’s certainly rare to see even one actor with a disability in a Shakespeare show, let alone the entire cast,” she said.

Courtesy A.B.L.E.

“We currently have four separate ensembles and each one has up to 10 actors with varying disabilities and varying ages. We spent the first three or four weeks or so really digging into the story and the characters… A lot of people came in obviously already knowing this story, it’s such a part of the zeitgeist in that way even though it’s 400 years old. … We asked each actor what they most wanted to do, if there was a character or moment in the story they felt really connected to; if there was a special skill that they wanted to show off. Did they want to sing? Did they want to dance? Did they want to really do some good meaty acting work or comedic work? And then, if they wanted to focus on Shakespearean text, or if they wanted to devise something new.”

The end result is “Romeo and Juliet” like you’ve never seen it before, with 11 different Juliettes and 9 different Romeos, broken down into 22 different scenes. With the support of teaching artists and volunteers, 70 people are onscreen total, and everything is filmed in the actors’ homes and edited together for one epic tale.

And speaking of film, A.B.L.E. Ensemble also offers referrals for those seeking disabled film and theater actors for hire, as well as professional development classes for those seeking to learn how to work creatively and respectfully with the disabled community.

“I mean if you look at the We See You White American Theater movement, as well as all the changes that we’re trying to talk about, [they] are ultimately going to cost these producers more money, and they have to just pony up. You know you can’t just pay lip service to the cause; you’ve got to actually accept that is going to be part of your budget. It’s got to be a commitment. It’s got to be a financial commitment and not just an emotional commitment.”

Read More

Patricia McCloskey pleaded guilty to misdemeanor harassment and was fined $2,000. Her husband, Mark McCloskey, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor fourth-degree assault and was fined $750.

ST. LOUIS — A St. Louis couple who gained notoriety for pointing guns at social justice demonstrators last year pleaded guilty Thursday to misdemeanor charges and agreed to give up the weapons they used during the confrontation.

Patricia McCloskey pleaded guilty to misdemeanor harassment and was fined $2,000. Her husband, Mark McCloskey, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor fourth-degree assault and was fined $750.

When several hundred demonstrators marched past their home in June of 2020, the couple waved weapons at them. They claimed the protesters were trespassing and that they feared for their safety.

The McCloskeys, both of them lawyers in their 60s, wore blue blazers and spoke calmly in answering questions from Judge David Mason during Thursday’s hearing. Mason asked Mark McCloskey if he acknowledged that his actions put people at risk of personal injury. He replied, “I sure did your honor.”

Mark McCloskey, who announced in May that he was running for a U.S. Senate seat in Missouri, was unapologetic after the hearing.

“I’d do it again,” he said from the courthouse steps in downtown St. Louis. “Any time the mob approaches me, I’ll do what I can to put them in imminent threat of physical injury because that’s what kept them from destroying my house and my family.”

The McCloskeys’ defense lawyer, Joel Schwartz, said after the hearing the couple had hoped to raise money by donating Mark’s rifle to charity, but acknowledged that it was an unusual request.

Because the charges are misdemeanors, the McCloskeys do not face the possibility of losing their law licenses and can continue to own firearms.

“This particular resolution of these two cases represents my best judgment of an appropriate and fair disposition for the parties involved as well as the public good,” special prosecutor Richard Callahan said after the hearing

The protesters, Callahan said, “were a racially mixed and peaceful group, including women and children, who simply made a wrong turn on their way to protest in front of the mayor’s house. There was no evidence that any of them had a weapon and no one I interviewed realized they had ventured onto a private enclave.”

The June 28, 2020, protests came weeks after George Floyd’s death under a Minneapolis police officer’s knee. Mark McCloskey emerged with an AR-15-style rifle, and Patricia McCloskey waved a semiautomatic pistol, according to the indictment. Cellphone video captured the confrontation. No shots were fired and no one was hurt.

The McCloskeys were indicted by a grand jury in October on felony charges of unlawful use of a weapon and evidence tampering. Callahan later amended the charges to give jurors the alternative of convictions of misdemeanor harassment instead of the weapons charge. Under that alternative, the evidence tampering count would be dropped.

An investigation by St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner’s office led to the initial indictments — and harsh backlash from several Republican leaders. Then-President Donald Trump spoke out in defense of the couple, whose newfound celebrity earned them an appearance via video at the Republican National Convention.

Republican Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has said that if the McCloskeys are convicted, he’d pardon them. A spokeswoman for Parson didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment after the hearing.

Callahan, a longtime judge and former U.S. attorney, was appointed special prosecutor after a judge in December ruled that Gardner created an appearance of impropriety by mentioning the McCloskey case in fundraising emails before the August Democratic primary. Gardner went on to win reelection.

Read More

Read More

Amin, who calls the Bulls on NBC Sports Chicago and Bears preseason games for Fox-32, will call the White Sox-Astros game Saturday for Fox with A.J. Pierzynski.

Broadcaster Adam Amin is only a year into his tenure with Fox after almost 10 years at ESPN, but that has been more than enough time to notice a philosophical difference between the networks’ game broadcasts.

“Each assignment that we get is very game-centric,” said Amin, who calls MLB, NFL and college basketball games. “It’s very much focused on the minutia and the overarching storylines of just that game. And if there are storylines that branch out into more of a big picture, we’ll talk about them. But they always take a back seat to what’s happening in front of us.”

“It’s not an indictment of ESPN, but it’s a little bit different calling games at Fox. As a play-by-play announcer, I prefer it this way.”

Amin’s words ring true to those who have been frustrated by ESPN’s insistence on turning “Sunday Night Baseball” into a talk show starring Alex Rodriguez rather than focusing on the game it chose to air.

That isn’t a problem for those watching Fox’s “Baseball Night in America,” which will feature the White Sox on Saturday. Amin will call the game against the Astros from Minute Maid Park in Houston alongside former Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski. It’s the first of three Sox appearances on Fox this season, equaling the team’s total from 2014 to 2020.

It isn’t easy for national announcers to drop in and take over for local announcers, particularly in the eyes and ears of fans. But Amin, who also calls Bulls games for NBC Sports Chicago and Bears preseason games for Fox-32, lives in Chicago and hears all about the Sox. And he certainly has done his homework for the Astros.

“The way I prep for these games, I’m trying to be a local broadcaster,” Amin said. “I’m trying to be as dialed in to the Astros as [Astros TV voice] Todd Kalas, and I’m trying to be as dialed in to the White Sox as [Sox TV voice] Jason Benetti is. That’s the goal.”

That meshes with Fox’s approach to game broadcasts. The network has been a great steward of MLB’s traditional Saturday game of the week, which always has been special to Amin. Growing up in west suburban Addison, he spent Saturdays with his brother and father watching “This Week in Baseball” and whatever game followed on NBC.

“That was a huge deal,” Amin said before singing some of the “TWIB” theme song. “You hear that every single week, and you’re like, ‘I know exactly what time of the day it is, and I know what the next five hours is gonna be.”

In his formative years of becoming a baseball fan, he watched Vin Scully and Joe Garagiola, as well as Bob Costas and Tony Kubek, call the action and focus on the game. That doesn’t mean what happens during the game Saturday won’t lead to a topical discussion, such as MLB’s new ban on foreign substances, which has drawn the ire of many pitchers.

Sox starter Carlos Rodon, who will face the Astros on Friday, is sure to come up. He expressed his frustration with the mandate, telling NBCSCH, “It’s hard to see this when you’re giving out 10-game suspensions for cheating but you give the Astros no suspensions at all [for stealing signs in 2017].”

Plus, Dallas Keuchel is back in Houston, where he spent his first seven seasons and won the Cy Young Award in 2015. He’ll start for the Sox on Sunday, and Amin said Fox requested an in-game interview with him, though there was no guarantee it would happen.

“So we’re going to discuss some national things, obviously,” Amin said, “but I think all of that takes a back seat to, by the way, we’re watching the best team in the American League Central and we’re watching one of the best teams in the AL West and these might be two of the best offenses in baseball.”

Amin will call these teams again for Fox when the Astros visit Guaranteed Rate Field on July 17. The Sox’ third Fox appearance is the “Field of Dreams” game Aug. 12 in Dyersville, Iowa, which figures to be called by the network’s top crew of Joe Buck, John Smoltz and Ken Rosenthal.

No matter who’s playing, Amin is thoroughly enjoying himself at Fox. He has decreased his portfolio and increased his profile, cutting down from numerous sports to three big ones.

“It’s what I had hoped for, to be able to cover these sports at what many would consider to be the highest level,” he said. “It’s broadcast television. The largest audiences for regular-season broadcasts in general, particularly the NFL. I wanted to be a part of that.”

Read More

The White Sox’ entire projected starting outfield for 2021 is on the IL.

HOUSTON — The White Sox lost another outfielder to the injured list Thursday Adam Eaton landed on the 10-day injured list with a strained right hamstring.

Right-hander Zack Burdi was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte to join the team in Houston, where the Sox open a four-game series Thursday night.

Burdi, 26, is 0-2 with a 5.59 ERA and 13 strikeouts over 9 ²⁄₃ relief innings this season at Charlotte. Burdi made one appearance with the Sox on April 19, allowing two runs over three innings against the Red Sox in Boston.

Eaton, 32, has been struggling at the plate after a good start in April, hitting .147 with two homers his last 34 games. He has been dealing with leg issues for much of the season, and missed missed a four-game series against the Orioles in late May with right hamstring tightness.

“I know Adam Eaton is still fighting some soreness in his leg,” manager Tony La Russa said Wednesday.

Signed to one-year, $7 million contract in the offseason, Eaton is batting .195 with five home runs and 14 extra base hits, 27 RBI and 30 runs scored.

“He’s had that [soreness on] and off,” La Russa said Wednesday. “He’s had some leg miseries. He’s a vet, he knows the difference between sore and hurt. He’s played through it, there’s some times we’ve had to back him off. … So when it gets sore you pay attention to it and try to be as careful as you can.”

Eaton’s injury means the entire projected starting outfield coming out of spring training is on the IL, with Eloy Jimenez and and Luis Robert out for at least another month. Billy Hamilton is also on the IL with an oblique strain. Adam Engel, the projected fourth outfielder, injured his hamstring during spring training and didn’t return until this month.

The Sox enter their game Thursday with the best record in baseball, 43-25.

Read More

Make sure to subscribe to Good Guys Talk Back on Spotify, iTunes,  Stitcher, Spreaker, as well as the ChiCitySports YouTube. Also make sure to visit our White Sox forum for the latest talk on the team.

Read More