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Six people were shot, one fatally, Wednesday in Chicago including a man who was shot and killed after leaving a funeral service in East Garfield Park, according to Chicago police.

A group of people had gotten into an argument in the 3000 block of West Warren Boulevard, and one of them fired into the crowd leaving the service about 12:05 p.m., Chicago police said. A 29-year-old man was shot and pronounced dead at the scene. The men fled into a nearby alley and left in a car.

In non-fatal shootings, one person is in custody after a man was shot during a fight with a neighbor in Hegewisch on the Far South Side. A 53-year-old man was consuming alcohol when he got into a fight with a neighbor about 4:45 p.m. in the 13000 block of South Avenue O, and the man fired shots at him, police said. The 53-year-old was struck in the upper right leg and transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition. The man who fired shots had a valid conceal carry license, according to police. He was placed in custody and charges are pending.

Minutes prior, a 15-year-old boy was critically hurt in a drive-by shooting in the Englewood near an elementary school, his family said. The boy was walking home from a friend’s house about 4 p.m. when a car drove by and shot at him in an alley in the 6600 block of South May Street, police and his mother said. The teen heard four to five shots and was shot once in the lower back. The boy was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in grave condition. He was awake and talking as of 5:30 p.m.

A 46-year-old man was shot in Austin on the West Side. The man was standing outside about 3:05 p.m. in the 600 block of North Leamington Avenue, when four suspects approached him and began firing shots, police said. He was struck in the hand and self-transported to West Suburban Medical Center in good condition.

Moments prior a 20-year-old was critically wounded in a drive-by in Little Village. He was standing on a sidewalk about 2:45 p.m. in the 2400 block of South Albany Street when someone fired shots from a passing vehicle, police said. He was struck in the abdomen and transported to Mount Sinai Hospital in critical condition.

In the day’s first reported shooting, a 28-year-old man was wounded in a drive-by in West Englewood on the South Side. The man was standing in the porch of a home about 2:40 p.m. in the 7100 block of South Honore Street, when a black Jeep drove by and someone from inside began firing shots, police said. He was shot in the body and was taken to a local hospital in good condition.

Two people were killed and seven wounded in shootings Tuesday citywide.

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About 12:35 a.m., the pair, 25 and 24, were standing on the sidewalk in the 4800 block of West Quincy Street, when a male they knew walked up and fired shots.

Two women were shot Thursday morning in Austin on the West Side.

About 12:35 a.m., the pair, 25 and 24, were standing on the sidewalk in the 4800 block of West Quincy Street, when a male they knew walked up and fired shots, Chicago police said. The 24-year-old, a concealed carry card owner, returned fire but did not strike the man.

The 25-year-old was struck in the right buttocks and taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital in serious condition, police said. The younger woman was struck in the right leg and taken to the same hospital in good condition.

Area Four detectives are investigating the shooting.

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Is Chicago’s beer scene back to normal? A full weekend of food, pairing, and Elmhurst has a beerfest!Read More

Shoppers visiting the Andersonville Farmers Market can now bring furry friends and touch products before making their purchases. Masks, social distancing and the use of sanitizer are still required though.

Lively violin music played as dozens of shoppers strolled in the sunlight between two rows of tents, taking in the sights and smells of street food, soups, spices, sweet treats like donuts and baklava, and fresh produce.

On Wednesday, the Andersonville Farmers Market opened for its 12th season and its second year operating during the pandemic.

Kayla Taylor, an employee at First Slice Pie Cafe, said she is excited to be selling pastries now that conditions are less frightening.

“People feel safer outside and everyone can come together and talk and feel good,” Taylor said.

Joan Oberndorf, the manager of Andersonville Farmers Market, said this year the city is allowing up to 135 customers to enter the market at one time, an increase of 40% from 2020’s capacity. Also, dogs are now allowed back in the market space and shoppers will able to touch the products they plan to purchase.

She said everyone at the market is required to wear a mask and social distance, and hand sanitizer is located at booths and entrances for visitors to use. Despite the slightly loosened restrictions, Oberndorf said there is still no eating or drinking allowed inside the market.

Oberndorf said the farmers market has a total of 26 vendors, with several shops selling at the market every other week. The market will also have a weekly spotlight space for local merchants and artisans.

Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

Melinda Subido and her daughter Kristine, the co-owners of Pecking Order, a Filipino cuisine catering brand, said they have been selling at farmers markets for the past eight years, relying heavily on the sales from the Logan Square and Andersonville markets.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Melinda Subido said the duo have lost 80% of their annual revenue to a drop off in sales and added expenses.

Pecking Order used to serve its food hot, but due to safety guidelines, Subido said everything is now sold frozen or chilled in microwavable containers.

“Before, most of the time people [would] go around and eat,” Subido said. “It’s more fun. The sense of smell makes it more exciting.”

Jasmine Sheth, founder and chef at Tasting India, a weekly meal delivery service focusing on different Indian regional cuisines, began the business a year ago after she was laid off from work due to the pandemic.

Sheth said the brand is POC and female-owned and aims to break stereotypes by shining light on lesser known Indian cuisines. Tasting India also creates its own spice mixes, including masala chai, cardamom coffee, goda masala and East Indian masala.

“There’s so many people that order my menus every week that I don’t get to meet because of COVID-19,” Sheth said. “This is a nice opportunity to showcase the breadth of what we do beyond the weekly menus, talking about the spices and influences from India.”

Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

Virgil Roundtree, founder of Downstate Donuts, which sells donuts made from potatoes and organic ingredients from local farms, said the company was essentially launched though farmers markets more than 2 years ago.

He said although business has been tough during the pandemic, the business was able to quickly pivot to an online delivery system and selling using carts.

“Events, catering, things of that nature—which were a huge driver for the business—evaporated pretty quickly,” Roundtree said. “So we had to get very intuitive in figuring out ways to reach our customers directly.”

Located on Catalpa Avenue between Clark Street and Ashland Avenue the Andersonville Farmers Market will be open from 3 to 7 p.m. every Wednesday until October 20. Entry from 3 to 3:30 p.m. will be reserved for visitors over age 60 or who are at increased risk for contracting COVID-19.

The farmers market still offers a hybrid shopping experience, with the option to visit the market in person, or order from vendors online for pick-up on Wednesdays. Customers can pre-order items from Thursdays at noon through Mondays at 11 p.m. using the WhatsGood app or website.

Mari Devereaux/Sun-Times

Elizabeth Ewing, an Andersonville resident who came to the farmers market with her four-year-old son Van III, said she shops there every year “no matter what” to support small businesses with sustainable practices.

While dodging her son’s pleas for more of his chocolate potato donut, Ewing said she feels safe going to the market because guidelines are in place.

“You get the freshest vegetables that haven’t been on trucks or gone across the world,” Ewing said. “You never know when you might really need to have options other than traditional stores for food, so it’s good to have these connections and relationships.”

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Though Bulls are still alive, guard likely will continue his seven-season streak of never getting to the postseason.

Zach LaVine wants something bigger.

The Bulls guard always has.

He has made that very clear the last few seasons, first wanting individual recognition as an All-Star, but more importantly, he has wanted to show that he can be the face of an organization that is playing meaningful basketball well past the regular season.

One box was checked.

The other, however, is close to eluding LaVine yet again. The Bulls did avoid elimination Wednesday night thanks to the Hawks beating the Wizards 120-116, but they remain on the brink. One more loss by the Bulls over the final three games or one win by the Wizards over that same time, and LaVine can kiss the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference goodbye.

That would make it seven seasons (four with the Bulls) in the NBA without a playoff appearance for LaVine.

“I’ve been making strides each and every year,’’ LaVine said. “I’m going to continue to do that. But it’s not about me. I would love to have just the opportunity to go out there and play and compete and showcase what I can do on a bigger stage. I’m going to get there. But we just have to work for it.’’

A comment from the heart, but also one that at least opened a back door on the possibility that LaVine might have to find that bigger stage elsewhere.

LaVine will be entering the final year of his contract and is due a pay raise.

The Sun-Times, as well as several other media outlets, reported at the start of the 2020-21 campaign that it was important for LaVine to be given max money moving forward. However, there are several sources who said that might not be the case any longer, as adding key role players around him could persuade LaVine to give the Bulls a slight discount.

But there’s also the other side to this, and that’s the unknown. Could executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas look to move LaVine this summer, feeling like they need to go in another direction?

Nikola Vucevic is a top-tier center in the East, so they have a versatile big to build around through the 2022-23 season, while the hope is that rookie forward Patrick Williams takes a huge jump in Year 2, especially having an offseason and full training camp to work on his game.

It would be hard for Karnisovas to find 27.5 points, 4.9 assists and five rebounds per game anywhere on the trade market, but his exact vision for this team has only been painted in vague terms with the phrase “building a winning culture.’’

LaVine is about to complete his fourth season in Chicago, and hasn’t even cracked the .500 mark. Fortunately, he’s not into the excuse game.

Sure, the Bulls have had frequent injuries in LaVine’s time, and even harder on the guard has been three coaching changes. Mix in Lauri Markkanen never reaching the potential that was expected when the rebuild was launched in 2017, and that’s led to a lot of evenings in which LaVine has been looking for help and getting very little.

That was supposed to change in late March when Karnisovas acquired Vucevic, giving LaVine his first fellow All-Star to work with, but the transition was clunky with almost no practice time, and then LaVine tested positive for the coronavirus, missing a key three-week stretch in April and into May.

A stretch that had a price.

That’s why LaVine was tired of talking about games this season they “should’ve won,’’ a better record that they “should’ve had.’’

“It’s always what we should’ve did,’’ LaVine said. “Yada, yada, yada. We put ourselves in this boat. Obviously, I’m riding along in it. So it’s upsetting and you gotta be accountable. It sucks, though. Obviously, I want to be in the playoffs and be on that stage.’’

What needs to be answered is will that stage be with the Bulls?

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We’ve known who for a while. Now we know when the Bears will play their 2021 opponents.

Team Sun-Times breaks down the Bears’ 2021 schedule and debates when we’ll see quarterback Justin Fields for the first time.

New episodes of “Halas Intrigue” will be published regularly with accompanying stories collected on the podcast’s hub page. You can also listen to “Halas Intrigue” wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Luminary, Spotify, and Stitcher.

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Just about 90-minutes from downtown Chicago, you’ll find an epic Wisconsin getaway waiting for you. Grand Geneva Resort & Spa and Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark share the same exquisite grounds on more than 1,300 acres of rolling hills, hiking trails and blooming daffodils. Check out the award-winning, AAA Four-Diamond all-seasons resort, ideal for a weekend or couples getaway. In this idyllic Lake Geneva setting, you’ll find the WELL Spa + Salon with treatments as well as fitness classes, two challenging championship 18-hole golf courses, three excellent restaurants and The Mountain Top, a ski and snowboard facility.

Get Soaked!

If you’re more into relaxing in a Lazy River, head to the Timber Ridge Lodge with its 50,000 square foot Moose Mountain Falls Waterpark. Dare you navigate the two 35-foot slides that create an epic 300-foot adventure full of twists and turns? For a little calmer ride, take a tube and meander through the Lazy River. Younger guests can splash around on the swings, slides, spouts and a playful new water table.

All-Suite Accommodations

At Timber Ridge, we stayed in a one-bedroom suite that featured queen size sofa beds, fireplace, LCD TVs and a full-size kitchen with fridge, stovetop and microwave. Other amenities included complimentary wireless Internet, bathrooms with shower/tub combinations and jetted bathtubs. Timber Ridge’s one-bedroom suites can accommodate four people with four waterpark admissions. The two-story, two-bedroom suites can accommodate six people with six waterpark admissions. Additional passes can be purchased separately.

Dining Options or Just Poolside

Head on over to Smokey’s Bar-B-Que House, currently open for breakfast or dinner. We started with the Wisconsin Cheese Curds, rich and flavorful and you can only get ’em once you cross the border, the Wisconsin border that is.  I ordered the “When BBG Met Burger” that was juicy and delicious with a tangy sauce. For lunch, we carried out pizza from the Hungry Moose Café and ate around the pool. Private cabanas for rental are also available. The Hungry Moose also offers a great selection of cocktails and local beer.  Want to indulge in something a little more upscale? Head on over to Grand Geneva via the complimentary trolley and enjoy fine dining at one of their many chef-inspired restaurants.

Activities Add Up to Tons of Fun

Go horseback riding along the pristine trails from Dan Patch Stables, right on the premises. For other challenges, try Laser Tag or mini-golf.

New Ways to Have More Fun

Starting Memorial Day through Labor Day, Grand Geneva will once again shoot off a grand display of fireworks every Sunday night, adding to the excitement of your stay. How about zipping around the rustic roads on a scooter? Or renting a classic American car from the 1940s to the 70s? Grand Geneva can take care of it all.

In the Area
You’ll find historic downtown Lake Geneva the quintessential town filled with charming shops, elegant boutiques, great eats and of course, the beach. Cruise on Geneva Lake and ooh and aah at the marvelous homes of Chicago’s industrial millionaires.

Both Timber Ridge Lodge and Grand Geneva offer a variety of special packages including accommodations, dining, golf and more.

The post Escape to Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark in Lake Geneva appeared first on UrbanMatter.

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Those were among the measures contained in bills passed by the state House or Senate on Wednesday, a little less than three weeks before the current legislative session is scheduled to end.

Black and Brown students would be protected against discrimination related to their hairstyles, new mothers could get some additional care after giving birth, and those seeking to temporarily take firearms away from gunowners who pose a risk would be better informed of their legal options.

Those were among the measures contained in bills passed by the state House or Senate on Wednesday, a little less than three weeks before the current legislative session is scheduled to end.

State Sen. Mike Simmons, D-Chicago, said the bill he sponsored “prohibits discrimination against hairstyles traditionally associated with race and ethnicity in our schools” and will “mean a lot to many of our students.”

During debate on the bill, state Sen. Sue Rezin, R-Morris, said that while “religious schools or private schools” shouldn’t be under such a government mandate, she would “still be happy to support the bill” and urged her Republican colleagues to do the same.

Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times file

The bill, which would require the Illinois Board of Education to ensure schools don’t apply their uniform or other dress code policies to hairstyles, passed in a mostly partisan 40 to 13 vote and now moves to the House.

The Senate also passed a bill that aims to help Illinois mothers receive adequate care after giving birth and to stop unnecessary complications that could lead to death.

The bill “expands the [Department of Human Services] mandate to treat any pregnant or postpartum individual determined to be high risk and aims to reduce racial disparities in maternal health outcomes” said sponsor state Sen. Cristina Castro, D-Elgin.

It also requires private insurers to reimburse immediate postpartum contraceptives and cover postpartum complications such as “infection, depression or hemorrhaging” for at least a year after giving birth.

Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times file

That legislation passed unanimously and also advances to the House.

The House passed a bill that seeks to strengthen the state’s Firearms Restraining Order Act, which went into effect in early 2019. The original law allows people to seek court orders to “temporarily remove firearms from individuals who pose a significant risk to themselves or others,” according to a news release on the bill.

Strengthening that law is “critical” to reducing future firearm tragedies, said the bill’s sponsor, state Rep. Denyse Wang Stoneback, D-Skokie.

“When tragedies occur, it is our responsibility to re-examine the status quo and determine how we can improve state laws to prevent another tragedy,” Stoneback said. “This law has been in effect for over two years and four months, it has not been implemented correctly because of a lack of awareness, it has not protected people. … It’s time to correct these flaws.”

Justin L. Fowler/The State Journal-Register via AP file

The new legislation includes provisions that would require the Illinois Department of Public Health to promote awareness of firearms restraining orders to the general public, create a commission on the implementation of the original law and require the creation of a standard curriculum for training law enforcement officers on the restraining orders.

State Rep. Tony McCombie, R-Savanna, said the bill won’t stop the rise in violence and disagreed that the original law was underutilized, but she did agree with the education portion of the bill. She urged members to vote no.

Despite the division, the bill passed 69 to 43 with six members not voting. It now goes to the state Senate.

Rachel Hinton reported from Chicago, Andrew Sullender from Springfield

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Grieving family members want justice.

I was never at ease with my children visiting their friends’ homes.

I blame my mother.

The worst thing we could do in her eyes was to play at a girlfriend’s house. God forbid we should confess to eating something.

So you can imagine how cautious I am when it comes to my 13-year-old granddaughter. I want to hear every detail about the friend’s family that I can squeeze out of her mother.

Still, there’s one question I’ve never thought to ask until now.

“Is there a gun in the home?”

The tragic gun death of 12-year-old Erica Gibson should be a wake-up call for every parent — especially gun owners.

“We are heartbroken,” Erica’s aunt, Tywauna McDonald, told me in a phone interview.

“I don’t want any other parent to go through what we have to go through,” she said.

Erica stayed at a friend’s house in South Suburban Hazel Crest on Saturday when the tragic shooting accident occurred. Details are sketchy because no charges have been filed, and minors are involved.

Because a firearm fell into the wrong hands, Erica’s promising young life was snuffed out.

“It could have been avoided by locking the gun up. There is no way a 14-year-old should have access,” said the grieving aunt.

Here are some shocking stats, compiled by the American Academy of Pediatrics, about children killed in this country by firearms:

“There were at least 241 unintended shootings by children in 2019, causing more than 100 deaths and nearly 150 injuries;

“About one-third of the homes with children in the U.S. have a gun, and many are stored loaded and/or unlocked;

“More than a third of all unintentional shootings of children take place in the homes of their friends, neighbors or relatives.”

Given the times we live in and the violence many of us have witnessed, it’s pointless to ask people to give up their guns.

But can’t we at least lock them up?

Child advocates urge parents to make sure all guns in the home are locked and unloaded, with ammunition locked separately.

And “Illinois law prohibits any person from storing or leaving his or her firearm unlocked and accessible to a minor under the age of 14.”

Besides grieving the loss of her niece, McDonald is concerned about how law enforcement is handling this homicide.

Police Chief Mitchell Davis called Erica’s death a “tragic accident involving children playing with a gun,” the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

While a spokesman for the Cook County state’s attorney’s office said “details of the shooting had not been ‘formally presented’ to the office on whether charges should be filed,” according to the Sun-Times.

”I don’t think it’s been handled correctly. I think they really should make the parents be accountable for it,” McDonald said.

“That gun should have been locked up. I don’t think (law enforcement) is pursuing it like they should. They are slow in pursuing justice,” she said.

On Wednesday, a spokesman for the Cook County state’s attorney’s office did not confirm that charges have not been filed in this case.

For those of you who still think it’s enough to hide your gun, think about how many hiding places you were able to uncover when your parents weren’t around.

Erica Gibson’s death is a tragedy that would not have happened had adults followed some simple gun rules.

Sophie Sherry, a CST Wire Reporter, contributed to this column.

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The campaign highlights the “fun and beauty” of the state’s diverse communities, as well as its natural assets and man-made ones, through a $6 million media campaign soundtracked by a play on Champaign, IL band REO Speedwagon’s “Time for Me to Fly.”

Days before Illinois enters the “bridge” phase of his reopening plan, Gov. J.B. Pritzker encouraged the state’s residents and tourists to get out and drive this summer with the Wednesday launch of a tourism campaign focused on seeing “all of Illinois.”

“After an incredibly difficult year in which the pandemic kept us all close to home and staying apart, life-saving vaccines are bringing us back to life and heading toward a summer of fun and venturing out,” Pritzker said at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield.

“I’m proud to launch the ‘Time for Me to Drive Campaign,’ inviting people to see all of Illinois, showing off adventures of all kinds — historic sites and winery tours, state parks and rock climbing, hiking and zip lining, hundreds of craft breweries and thousands of excellent restaurants across the entire state,” Pritzker said.

The campaign highlights the “fun and beauty” of the state’s diverse communities, as well as its natural assets and man-made ones, through a $6 million media campaign sound tracked by a play on Downstate Champaign band REO Speedwagon’s “Time for Me to Fly.”

“If you want to see the sights, if you want to change your scenery, if you want to travel safely, come to Illinois,” Pritzker said.

Blue Room Stream

Those interested in seeing what the state has to offer can go to enjoyillinois.com for trip ideas and proposed itineraries for visits that range from romantic getaways to Galena in northwestern Illinois to a dose of nature in DuPage County.

The ad campaign is marketed toward state residents and those in border states. The ad will appear in seven states and 18 markets, Sylvia Garcia, the acting director of the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, said, adding that the campaign is part of the state’s “ongoing work toward a strong recovery for the tourism industry over the long term.”

The push to see Illinois’ sites comes as recent surveys show about half of Americans plan to travel this summer — half of that number plan to do so via car, the governor said.

Pointing to coronavirus case numbers trending in a more positive direction, Pritzker said nearly a week ago that he’d ease more COVID-19 business restrictions across the state starting this Friday. Barring another surge of infections, or a downturn in other reopening metrics, he’ll let the state fully reopen June 11.

Entering the “bridge” stage, which is a 28-day period between Phases 4 and 5 of his original reopening plan, means museums, amusement parks and zoos will be able to increase capacity from 25% to 60%, while festivals and other general admission outdoor events will be able to seat 30 people per 1,000 square feet.

Meetings, conferences and conventions will also see their capacity limit increase to either 1,000 people or 60% — whichever is less — with the same applying to theaters and performing arts venues.

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