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Cook County, state will stop administering J&J vaccine after US recommends ‘pause’ over clot reports

Archivo de AP

Use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine came to a grinding halt across Illinois Tuesday after federal health authorities recommended a “pause” on its use while it investigates reports of potentially dangerous blood clots.

“IDPH has notified all Illinois COVID-19 providers throughout the state to discontinue use of the J&J vaccine at this time. In order to keep appointments, IDPH is strongly advising providers to use Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines,” the Illinois Department of Public Health said Tuesday.

“Moderna and Pfizer make up the vast majority of doses on hand in the state of Illinois. This week, the state’s allocation of J&J was 17,000 doses. For the week of April 18, 2021, the expected allocation for the state is 483,720 total doses. Of that total allocation, 5,800 doses were expected to be J&J.

More than 6.8 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been administered in the U.S., the vast majority with no or mild side effects.

U.S. federal distribution channels, including mass vaccination sites, will suspend the use of the J&J shot, and states and other providers are expected to follow. The other two authorized vaccines, from Moderna and Pfizer, make up the vast share of COVID-19 shots administered in the U.S. and are not affected by the pause.

The mass vaccination site at the United Center had been scheduled to begin administering J&J shots Monday but that plan is on hold, according to a Federal Emergency Management Agency spokesman.

Read the full story from Mitch Dudek here.

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News

7:03 p.m. Pritzker ‘does not have concerns’ 20 days after getting his shot of Johnson & Johnson vaccine

Federal health officials who recommended shelving the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday did so just under three weeks after the one-and-done shot went into Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s left arm.

That means the chief executive of the state’s pandemic response is still within the three-week window experts have spotlighted since six vaccinated women suffered severe complications from blood clots within that time frame.

But like the overwhelming majority of the other 6.8 million Americans who have gotten the J&J jab, J.B. hasn’t had any problems, according to his office.

“The Governor does not have concerns after receiving the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, nor has he experienced any health issues since receiving his shot,” Pritzker’s press secretary Jordan Abudayyeh said in an email.

Reporter Mitch Armentrout has the full story.

4:53 p.m. Aldermen move to protect workers who take time off for COVID-19 vaccination

Chicago employees who take time off to get the coronavirus vaccine would be shielded from all forms of retaliation and compensated for the time it takes, under a mayoral protection plan advanced Tuesday.

During the early days of the pandemic, the City Council moved to protect employees from retaliation for absences tied to the coronavirus.

The earlier anti-retaliation ordinance prevented employers from firing, suspending, transferring or reducing the pay of workers who stay home because they have COVID-19 symptoms, have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for the virus, or their business is deemed nonessential by statewide stay-at-home order.

On Tuesday, the City Council’s Workforce Development Committee broadened the protective umbrella to include the vaccination process.

Reporter Fran Spielman has the full story.

3:15 p.m. FEMA accepting applications for funeral expense reimbursement to families who lost someone to COVID-19

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is offering up to $9,000 per burial to help families cover the funeral expenses of loved ones who died of COVID-19.

The application process can be started by calling 844-684-6333.

There’s currently no deadline for the program, which launched Monday and was quickly overwhelmed by callers.

“There was an extraordinarily high call volume Monday,” FEMA spokesman Dan Shulman told the Chicago Sun-Times on Tuesday.

There were close to 20,000 calls that got through Monday. We knew going in we were going to experience an extremely high call volume on the first day because of the number of people who’ve passed in the last year and some people experienced extended busy signals,” he said.

Read Mitch Dudek’s full story here.

1:37 p.m. Poll: 15% of Americans worse off a year into pandemic

While most Americans have weathered the pandemic financially, about 38 million say they are worse off now than before the outbreak began in the U.S.

Overall, 55% of Americans say their financial circumstances are about the same now as a year ago, and 30% say their finances have improved, according to a new poll from Impact Genome and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. But 15% say they are worse off.

The problem is more pronounced at lower-income levels: 29% of Americans living below the federal poverty line say their personal finances worsened in the past year. Roughly that many also find themselves in a deepening financial hole, saying they struggled to pay bills in the past three months.

Read the full story here.

11:27 a.m. Loretto CEO should be fired after COVID vaccine controversy, community petition states

Some community organizers in Austin are calling for the firing of The Loretto Hospital President and Chief Executive George Miller over his handling of COVID-19 vaccines.

As of Monday, an online petition had almost 250 signatures and the lead organizers say they are asking for a video-conference meeting with the hospital board members, a request the directors so far are not granting.

“The documented inappropriate use of our vaccines, the lack of accountability/respect of our vaccines by President Miller and his team during the pandemic have and continue to disgrace Loretto Hospital and the community it serves,” said an April 5 letter from organizer Mary Russell Gardner and a dozen other women.

Miller is being disciplined by his board, receiving a two-week suspension, following vaccine events at the Trump Tower, the CEO’s South Suburban church and elsewhere that led Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Administration to cut off vaccine supplies until the hospital can show that it has a plan to make sure shots are going to the Austin community.

The hospital is conducting an inquiry and audit to present to the city. The hospital’s No. 2 executive, former Chief Operating Officer Anosh Ahmed, resigned last month in the wake of the controversy.

Brett Chase and Mary Mitchell have the full story here.

9:05 a.m. Pritzker office staffer tests positive for COVID-19

An employee in Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s office tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday, a spokeswoman for the governor said.

The staff member was not in close contact with Pritzker Monday, or in previous days, and all staff who were identified as having been so will follow U.S. Centers for Disease Control protocol, Jordan Abudayyeh, a spokeswoman for Pritzker’s office, said in a statement.

“The Governor’s Office continues to follow COVID-19 safety protocols including testing staff multiple times per week, weekly deep cleaning procedures, mask wearing, social distancing, and limiting the number of staff reporting to the office for in person work,” Abudayyeh said in the statement.

Since Pritzker had no direct contact with the staffer, he will not be self-isolating, his office said.

Rachel Hinton has the full story here.

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New cases and vaccination numbers

• Officials on Monday announced that Illinois’ coronavirus test positivity rate has reached its highest point since late January, when a previous surge in cases was tapering off. The seven-day positivity rate jumped to 4.4% and continued an incremental upward trend that could lead officials to again place stronger restrictions on businesses. The statewide positivity rate had dipped to 2.1% on March 13.
• The city’s positivity rate now sits at 5.6% — up from 5.1% just a week earlier, the city said Monday.
• The state also announced 2,433 new cases of COVID-19 diagnosed from 53,115 tests. Eighteen additional deaths were also reported.
• Nearly 2,000 people diagnosed with the virus were hospitalized Sunday, according to Illinois Department of Health data. That’s the highest number of statewide hospitalizations since Feb. 10.
• The number of inoculations administered Sunday dropped to 64,772 after five straight six-figure vaccination days, state health officials reported. So far, more than 7.2 million vaccine doses have gone into arms.

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Brown trout and coho are going on southern Lake Michigan, big smallmouth bass are active on Lake Michigan and area rivers, largemouth bass are moving shallower on inland waters and crappie are going all around Chicago fishing for this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report.

Brown trout and coho are going on southern Lake Michigan, largemouth bass are moving shallower on inland, big smallmouth bass are active on Lake Michigan and Chicago-area rivers and crappie are going inland, too, for this sprawling raw-file Midwest Fishing Report.

Andy Mikos emailed on Sunday:

Hi Dale. I hope your recovery is going well and you are enjoying the spring weather. Saw your video on Facebook powerlining which was cool. My friend Chizel got this 13 pound brown yesterday on my boat out of Diversy. It was part of a 6 for 10 outing with 3 browns, 2 Lakers and a coho landed. Lost another sweet brown at the net and a screamer king the straightened out a peanut fly during a 450’ run. Take care -Andy. Ps- I know you like fishing pictures with the city in the background.

My recovery is going and I not just like, I love, fishing photos with the Chicago skyline in the background.

ILLINOIS SPRING TROUT SEASON

Still some around, but they are getting scarce.

Provided by Bob France

On Wednesday, Bob France messaged the photo above and this:

I met Fraser Semple and Willie Kopke at Axehead this morning. We were there at the opening. There was a lot of fish movement all around. We were on the east side by the circle where it is deeper. I started casting a Mepps spinner right away hoping to get on them right away. They didn’t hit the Mepps so I switched to a night crawler on the bottom with a floating jig on one pole and wax worms/floating jig on the bottom with another pole. Fraser got a tiny trout on a minnow under a bobber about 30 feet out. I switched to wax worms under a bobber nearby Fraser. One other guy caught one on a bobber near us. I got my first fish on the waxies. It was small too. Then I got another small one as it got light out. It was barely 10 inches. Fraser ended up catching 3 and I caught two. There seem to be only a few people catching fish and most of the fish were small. Fraser gave me two of his fish and I brought them home to clean and cook. The small one that I caught just as it was getting light out was a very busy fish as it’s belly was loaded with power bait. Kind of surprising. I did enjoy all the water fowl. There was wood ducks, merganzers, loons, Canadian geese, comorants, ducks [mallards and gulls].

Regulations are same: daily bag of five, those 16 and older needed a license and a stamp. Nearby sites: Wolf Lake, Axehead, Belleau, Green, Horsetail, Sag Quarry East (Cook County); Silver, Pickerel and Grove (DuPage); Bird Park Quarry and Rock Creek (Kankakee); Big Lake (Kendall); Sand (Lake); Piscasaw Creek and Atwood (McHnery); Milliken (Will). Click here for general information on Illinois’ spring trout season.

SMELT

Season runs through April 30 in Chicago. Chicago Park District regulations: nets may go in at 7 p.m., must be out of the parks by 1 a.m., no open fires, no closed tents, no parking on grass or sidewalks, dispose of coals in appropriate trash receptacles. Click here for the preview of smelt prospects.

LAKEFRONT PARKING

Chicago Park District’s parking passes for the fisherman’s parking lots at DuSable and Burnham harbors are on sale at Henry’s Sports and Bait in Bridgeport and Park Bait at Montrose Harbor.

Readers suggest SpotHero app downtown. Otherwise, here are some basics: Foster (free street parking or pay lot); Montrose (free street parking); Belmont (pay lots on north and south sides); Diversey (pay lot or street parking); DuSable Harbor (pay lot or fisherman’s lot); Northerly Island/Burnham Harbor (meters, pay lot or fisherman’s lot); 31st/Burnham (meter parking between McCormick Place and 31st Street Harbor); Oakwood/39th (meters); 63rd Street/Casino Pier (pay lot); Steelworkers Park (free street parking at east end of 87th); Cal Park (free parking).

AREA LAKES

Provided by Mike Trinka

Mike Trinka emailed the photo above and this last week:

Hi Dale,

Caught this 21 1/2” bass on a black and blue jig on a private lake in wilmington, IL. It hit like a tank to say the least biggest bass so far this year. It will be hard to top this one I think but they are on the move in the shallows.

Tight lines!

Mike Trinka

That last sentence is fair warning.

Andy Hansen emailed the photo below and this on Monday:

Hey Dale, Got a beauty at a city park today, 21”, think she was about #5. Tight lines, happy spring! Andy H

Provided

Justin Lederer usually emails from McQuoids Inn in Isle, Minn., this is from Illinois:

. , , Saturday we [he and his son went to Pratt Wayne Woods and fished the big lake for Crappie there we used 1/64 oz pink jigs with clear micro twister tails set under a float 2’6” feet. Caught quite a few mostly 8-9”. . . .

Pete Lamar emailed:

Hi Dale,

I’d say things are improving at least on the smaller bodies of water. I found the first 60 degree water of the year last week. It didn’t last long-it was back in the mid-to upper-50s by the weekend when I fished. Bluegills and a few bass were active. I was targeting bluegills, using a tiny wet fly, but there were enough bass to keep things interesting. Fish came in all sizes, up to a decent largemouth and another huge bluegill. I found the bigger fish on the warmer north ends of the ponds; south sides produced only small fish.

Pete

Provided

Ken “Husker” O’Malley emailed the photo above and the nature photo below:

Hey Dale,

Here is a recap of this past weeks fishing.

Area lakes-the crappie bite has been excellent. So much so that the bass rods have not left the truck.

Crappie are starting to stage for the spawn with the past weeks warmup. Crappie are up shallow and the males are turning black. Best presentation has been slowly twitching a powerbait wiggle worm under a slip float. A few nice bluegill can be taken as well. The east shorelines have held the most active fish as those shorelines have been wind blown for the past week.

Here is this weeks nature pic. These guys are enjoying the warm temps as much as the rest of us.

TTYL

—

Ken “Husker” O’Malley

Husker Outdoors
Waterwerks fishing team

Provided by Ken “Husker” O’Malley

Steve Palmisano at Henry’s Sports and Bait texted:

. . . Crappie interest continues w mixed results at the usual locations. Take care

Sent by Dicky’s Bait Shop

Dicky’s Bait Shop in Montgomery reported:

Good morning Dale..

. . .

Reports are varied from lake to lake in the area. The smaller shallow lakes have already seen fish moving into the shallow areas. Whereas, in the bigger deeper lakes, they are still suspending in the closest deep water where they typically spawn.

BRAIDWOOD LAKE

Open daily 6 a.m. to sunset. Click here for the preview.

CHAIN O’LAKES AREA

Arden Katz said water is up and crappie (up to 13 inches) are stacked in the channels with some bluegill mixed in; minnows are the bait. “It is prime time now,” he said. “Find the right channel and keep moving around.”

Proprietor Greg Dickson at Triangle Sports and Marine in Antioch said water is up some; crappie are good in deeper channels; walleye are shallower, try deeper creeks or main lake points on Pistakee or Marie; also one of his young workers caught a 7-pound largemouth bass.

NOTE: Check updates on water conditions at foxwaterway.com or (847) 587-8540.

NOTE 2: The Stratton Lock and Dam reopens on May 1.

CHICAGO RIVER

Provided

Jeffrey Williams messaged the photos above and below and this:

River has been hit and miss the past couple times i been here, but managed to set my PB Carp for 2021, 17 pounds 32 in, also finally hit on sum crappies and decent size bluegills

Provided

DOWNSTATE

CLINTON LAKE: Thomas Jones sent this and the photo below Monday night:

33 lb 38 inch blue cat on cut blue gills at Clinton lake Monday April 12

Provided

POWERTON: Shore and boat fishing is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

SPRING: Open for fishing.

EMIQUON: Basically, go to the launch. General information at http://experienceemiquon.com/sites/default/files/LakeAccessRules.pdf.

HENNEPIN-HOPPER: Closed for the season.

SHELBYVILLE: Check with Ken Wilson of Lithia Guide Service. SOUTHERN ILLINOIS: Check with Jason Johns of Boneyard Fishing.

FOX RIVER

Provided

Justin Lederer usually emails from McQuoids Inn in Isle, Minn., this is from Illinois:

Justin Lederer checking in from McQuoids Inn Lake Mille Lacs. Got away for a bit and came down to Illinois and went out fishing a few different place with my son. Friday we went to the Elgin Dam were Anthony was able to land this beautiful 20” 5lb smallmouth working a yellow mister twister on a 1/8 oz. pink jig straight retrieved along the bottom. Switch it up some by running the same setup under a float set at a foot deep and started picking up crappie and a large mouth. Water level was starting to come up some as we were leaving. . . .

Dicky’s Bait Shop in Montgomery reported:

Good morning Dale.

Fox River fishing is slow. The water level is extremely low. The current temperature is 55 degrees taken in a shallow area of the river.

GREEN LAKE AREA, WISCONSIN

Guide Mike Norris emailed:

Fishing Report 4/12/2021

Mike Norris

Big Green – Surface temp is only 41 degrees, but I am locating and catching smallmouth bass up to 4 lbs. on live bait from the same areas I found them in last fall and winter. We had a bit of a cool off last weekend, so I do not expect to see movements of gamefish into the shallows this week. The lake trout bite continues to be good on hair jigs in 40 to 60 feet of water.

Fox Lake – With warm weather in the early part of last week, largemouth bass were starting to move to the bank. Keep your presentation slow though. Try shallow diving crankbaits near and around bullrushes. Bring leaders to avoid bite offs from the northern pike. None of the buoys have been place in the lake yet, so be careful around rocky areas. Fish Tales Bait and Liquor in Fox lake can help steer you around the danger areas.

For information on guide trips reach out to me via my Facebook page at mike.norris.7773 or email me through my website at www.comecatchsmallmouth.com

GREEN/STURGEON BAYS, WISCONSIN

Click here for the Wisconsin DNR weekly report.

HEIDECKE LAKE

Provided

Bob Johnson sent the photo above and this:

Hi Dale – This Musky and 1 more were caught casting for Bass Sunday. They were active in the bays falling for jerk baits. Musky population seems to be growing on this lake however Bass still a bit slow. Warm days will help.

Open 6 a.m. (6:30 bank fishing) to sunset. Click here for the promising preview.

KANKAKEE RIVER

Provided

Bob Johnson emailed the photo above and this last week:

Hi Dale –

Made it out again today for a couple hours before the river gets slammed with rains and stains up later this week?

Fished the same patterns casting up stream with Rapala og slim and Rapala DT 10 bringing lures slowly through slight mud lines in depths from 3’ Down to 10’

Special treat today was a Bald Eagle flying directly above putting on a spectacular nature show. Anyway I did well was able to land a few nice Smallies and a surprise Walleye weighing about 3.5 or possibly 4. 22.5” all fish were released after video. River temps were 60 and clarity was a bit stained. Enjoy your day sir.

Bob Johnson

LAKE ERIE

Click here for the Ohio DNR Report.

LAKEFRONT

Provided

Victor Blackful emailed a week ago:

Hey Dale

Well the coho bite was very slow on the south end but if you want to have some fun get a rattle trap and hold on. These 3 to 5lb smallmouth bass are really aggressive and the brown trout seem to be following them.

Steve Palmisano at Henry’s Sports and Bait texted:

Small mouth picking up in the their spawning areas. Coho starting to taper as they are moving off shore. Inland trout still being caught in select lakes. Crappie interest continues w mixed results at the usual locations. Take care

Provided by Tom Platt

Tom Platt texted the photos above and below and this on Saturday:

Bobby Cannatello [with brown trout] and with the smallie today

Flicker Shad from Henry’s Sports of course ha

Provided by Tom Platt

Lori Ralph at the Salmon Stop in Waukegan texted:

A few cohos are starting to show up, along with browns and steelies. Power lines and rods and reels with spoons and bait

Capt. Scott Wolfe emailed:

waukegan

4/12

Hi Dale.

The coho are starting to arrive in some numbers with the best coho fishing very shallow, 10-20 feet and south from Great Lakes all the way down to Wilmette. The further South the better. Some are coming in body baits but like clockwork, the 00 red dodger and Jimmy Fly and Lake Michigan Angler flies are best. Mid-April is usually when the fly bite takes over. There are some huge Browns and shallow Lakers in there too, giving anglers a nice change up. Boats should try Warrior Flutter and Flutter XL spoons, with Steelhead Candy and Coho Candy seeing lots of action this past week. Waters closer to the harbor have Lakers, browns and a few coho on 40 to 60 feet. Those same spoons and also blue/green combos are taking more than the flies or traditional laker rigs and are taking multiple species. 2 to 5 color leadcores and dipsey divers have been best.

My boat is still finishing up off-season upgrades, but should have my first trips in on April 24 (finally). Have a great week.

Capt. Scott Wolfe

schooloffishcharters.com

630-341-0550

LaSALLE LAKE

Open daily 6 a.m. to sunset. Click here for the preview of prospects.

MADISON LAKES, WISCONSIN

Click here for the update from D&S Bait.

MAZONIA

Both units are open for open-water fishing or ice fishing.

MILLE LACS LAKE, MINNESOTA

Justin Lederer emailed from McQuoids Inn in Isle, Minn., well normally he does, this is mostly from Illinois:

Justin Lederer checking in from McQuoids Inn Lake Mille Lacs. Got away for a bit and came down to Illinois and went out fishing a few different place with my son.. . . Our lake opens back up for fishing game fish on May 15th.

NORTHERN WISCONSIN

Kurt Justice at Kurt’s Island Sport Shop in Minocqua emailed:

Weather more typical of April, has moved in! Following a week of unseasonably warm weather, when temps peaked at 80 degrees, cooler weather has arrived. Temps forecasted to hit upper 40’s to low 50’s (still not bad for April). Water temps that shot into upper 50’s on some bodies are now back into low-mid 40’s.

The good panfish bite also slowed, though maybe more from lack of participation than from weather. Some of those warm day patterns from last week changed as the shallows cooled.

Crappie: Good-Fair – Still the most targeted panfish in our area at this time. Most indications have them moved out to 10-12’ depths with the cool weather. While working fyke nets this past week we are seeing a lot of Crappies that are moving to the shallows after dark!

Yellow Perch: Good-Fair – Perch up in pre-spawn and spawning mode. Very shallow, 2-5’, small minnows, worms and tiny jigs working.

Bluegill: Fair – Anglers catching some big Gills on Flowages in wood along channels. Lakes were seeing some shallow, sunning fish, gone with rain.

As our chapter of Walleye for Tomorrow has been working with GLIFWC to get a population estimate on Minocqua and Kawaguesaga Lakes, it’s been very interesting to see the process as the location and timing of the spawn varies from night to night and lake to lake (even on these two connected lakes).

Spawning Walleyes, while starting early due to the warm early April, are now seen dragging things out a bit as the water cooled down and fewer fish are coming in to spawn. While this is not unusual, continue to prep for a post spawn opener. Still 2½ weeks away.

Kurt Justice

Kurt’s Island Sport Shop
Like us on FaceBook

NORTHWEST INDIANA

Provided by Mike Skwira

Reminder, there is a derby on Saturday, April 17.

Fishing Derby

April 17th -Hammond Marina 22nd Annual Fishing Derby (Saturday, April 17th, 2021 7AM-5PM):

Everyone, Great News! Hammond Marina is reinstating their annual Fishing Derby. As always, It is FREE to enter, & it will be VERY Family-Friendly & an excellent time had by all. Prizes, trophies, & free refreshments will be available for everyone, with separate categories for children & adults. The prize categories will be for largest Salmon, largest Trout, & largest Bass. We will be selling live & frozen bait, tackle, & licenses/stamps both in-store bright & early at 5AM that morning as well as on site at the Marina itself at 6AM, an hour before the competition begins. Also, remember that Hammond Marina has BOTH a large main pier & MANY small, individual piers so that everyone can easily maintain as much distance from others as they feel comfortable with. It was decided last minute to have it this year with everything going on, & they want as many people to be aware & participate as possible. Thank you.

Hammond Marina
701 Casino Center Drive
Hammond, IN 46320
(The marina that the Horseshoe Casino is docked in.)

Capt. Rich Sleziak at Slez’s Bait in Lake Station texted:

Lake trout action around the gong fishing close to the bottom with dodgers and spin n glows and mag spoons

Coho action from east Chicago to burns ditch day to day some days really slow some days very solid small spoons and brads thinfish fishing top 15ft of water

Willow slough good for boat fisherman moving around gills and crappie jigs tipped with waxworms being best but some crappie on minnows

Christina Petrites at Stan’s Bait & Tackle Center in Hammond emailed:

Hi, Dale. I hope you’re doing well. Here’s what we’ve heard for this week:

Trolling has continued to be steady on Lake Michigan; Trollers are catching Coho, Kings, & Lake Trout. Best action is 30-45 FOW, in the southernmost harbors. Anglers have been successful getting Brown Trout at the warmwater discharge. Inland lakes are heating up with great numbers of nice-sized Crappie & Bluegill. At Cedar Lake in particular, nighttime anglers have been getting large Crappie on light-colored Twisters & Mini-Mites & grubworms. Stripers being caught sporadically at Cedar & Monroe Lakes. Anglers are catching Catfish on cut shad & nightcrawlers on the rivers. Willow Slough showing some nice Bass catches, mostly from anglers fishing topwater or close to the surface. The The Hammond Marina Derby is also this Saturday.

ROOT RIVER, WISCONSIN

Click here for the Wisconsin DNR’s report, usually on Tuesday or Wednesday.

SOUTHWEST MICHIGAN

Staff at Tackle Haven in Benton Harbor said coho slowed for boaters, especially with the lake rough on Tuesday; pier is slow, too.

Paddle and Pole hosts the Berrien Springs Fish Ladder Camera.

SHABBONA LAKE

Site hours through Oct. 31 are 6 a.m.-10 p.m. daily

As of now, the reopening of the concessions is on hold after the initial sale fell through.

SOUTHEAST WISCONSIN LAKEFRONT

Click here for the southern Lake Michigan reports from the Wisconsin DNR.

WISCONSIN RIVER

Provided by Rob Abouchar

Rob Abouchar emailed the photo above and this:

Hi Dale

Hearing the reports of low water, and not believing them, I hit the Wisconsin River from shore on Saturday morning with Joe “The Grasseater” Schatz. We hit a few spots and found the river with high and cold water after the rains last week. The fish were not very active. As always in the Spring weather will dictate the fish activity. Joe had a pike swipe at a white grub on a pinky jig head, and I hooked a couple fish on a Shadow Rap Jerk Bait. Both of the fish were quickly lost before any visual confirmation of the species could be made. A few other boats were out fishing walleye. We stopped by the old campsite and found Harley the duck; a pop art piece created by Danny Taylor, our former landlord there… pure genius. Plenty of eagles on the wing and many other migrating water birds, including Golden Eye Duck and Sandhill Cranes. It really was just nice to see the house was still standing and no broken pipes after not being there since November. Next up may be some outings to Busse Woods for practice with the High School Team and Sectionals May 2nd on the Busse South Pool. Or possibly a quick sneak trip to the center Dike at Heidecke.

Tight lines and Good Health

Rob

OK, I truly enjoy Rob’s reports, even when they wander far afield.

WOLF RIVER, WISCONSIN

Guide Bill Stoeger in Fremont texted:

Walleye action has slowed a bit, but most anglers are still finding fish. White bass are in the river but not feeding in big numbers yet. Water temp was 56, and dropping with cooler rain and night temperatures

Gary Bloom messaged on Sunday:

Morning Dale. Lost another good lakefront fisher, my dad ( Casey ) passed on to the happy hunting grounds last night. He will surely be missed. Had to go Winneconne Saturday. Boat to dealer. Fish were biting well lots of 15-18 inches, few larger too. Water is low due to bridge work in that system. Dams we’re left open. They just closed them last week, so water should rise. 1/2 inch rain there last night. We left early after late call on dad passing. My fishing partner will be missed. God bless him.

Mr. Bloom is a notable fisherman

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He suffered a gunshot wound to the left arm and was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition, Chicago police said.

A 17-year-old boy was shot Tuesday evening in Gresham on the South Side.

The boy was on the sidewalk about 6:50 p.m. in the 7700 block of South Aberdeen Street when a person approached and fired shots, Chicago police.

He suffered a gunshot wound to the left arm and was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center in good condition, police said.

Area Two detectives are investigating the incident

Read More

Jose Abreu has two grand slams but he hasn’t found his rhythm yet. “I usually don’t start the season super hot,” he said. “I’m going to keep getting better.”

Jose Abreu described receiving his American League Most Valuable Player award from White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf before the home opener Thursday as real, as if to say it was a striking, profound moment. And surreal, as if to say he couldn’t believe it was happening to him.

Abreu won it in November after carrying the Sox to their first postseason appearance in 12 years, and he was able to reflect on it and embrace it for the entire offseason, but the Sox slugger who is hearing “MVP” chants during every at-bat of the Sox’ current home stand is still letting it sink in.

“It was a magnificent moment,” Abreu said through translator Billy Russo. “Just being there and receiving the award from Jerry, it was real. I’m forever blessed to be part of the White Sox organization and forever blessed to call myself Jerry’s friend. It was a surreal moment, and I really appreciate having the experience and especially him handing the award to me.”

Reinsdorf once handed a ring to Abreu after he hit for the cycle in 2017. He handed him $50 million for 2020, ‘21 and ‘22 last winter after handing him $68 million for his first six seasons on the South Side.

It has been money well spent. Abreu has produced consistently big numbers, led by example with a work ethic unsurpassed and has improved defensively.

If there is to be another MVP caliber season from Abreu, it has yet to lift off, his pair of grand slams notwithstanding. Abreu will have you know he usually doesn’t find a rhythm in early April, so you’ll have to take his word that a .200/.298/.375 slash line going into the Sox game against the Indians Tuesday at Guaranteed Rate Field will improve.

Abreu does have nine RBI, with only one produced by something other than a slam.

“It’s just who I am as a baseball player,” he said. “I usually don’t start the season super hot. I’m going to keep getting better. You know me, I’m going to keep working hard. I’m not concerned about my offense.”

The Sox, who entered Thursday leading the majors with 54 walks and ranking third with a .349 on-base percentage, are showing signs early on of being more patient at the plate.

“If we sustain that when our offense clicks, we’re going to be a very dangerous team,” Abreu said, but getting it clicking against an Indians pitching staff that threw Shane Bieber at them Tuesday and was following up with Zach Plesac and Aaron Civale to finish out a four-game series presents a challenge.

“That’s the good thing about this, we’re not in sync yet as an offense but we still have good things to show like the walks [and on-base numbers],” Abreu said. “It’s definitely an encouraging stat.”

The Sox are not featuring the full lineup that was expected to strike fear into opposing pitchers with Eloy Jimenez (torn pectoral) out for most or all of the season, Tim Anderson limited to six games because of a hamstring strain, Andrew Vaughn starting just five of the first 10 games and cleanup hitter Yoan Moncada struggling early.

Yermin Mercedes has made up for some of that with his phenomenal start.

And the offense will come together, Abreu said, perhaps sooner than later. He is telling teammates to block out outside noise in the meantime.

“Just believe in yourself. Trust yourself. Work hard and live in peace,” he said.

“If you do that, it doesn’t matter what people say about you or about the team. What matters is what you believe. That’s what I’m all about.”

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One month after postponing the vote at the request of the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, Ald. Gilbert Villegas pushed a substitute ordinance through the Committee on Economic and Capital Development.

Chicago has “north of 30,000” home businesses after an explosion-by-necessity during the stay-at-home shutdown triggered by the coronavirus.

Only 4,000 of those home businesses are licensed by the city — partly because Chicago’s home-business ordinance is more restrictive than any other major city.

On Tuesday, Chicago aldermen agreed to give home businesses the wiggle room they need to survive, thrive — and maybe even come out of the shadows.

A month after postponing the vote at the request of the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, Ald. Gilbert Villegas (36th) pushed a substitute ordinance through the Committee on Economic and Capital Development, which he chairs.

“It’s vital because it helps move Chicago forward towards a more robust and accessible economic recovery by giving all Chicagoans the wiggle room they need to make ends meet — even when that room is at home,” Villegas said.

Business Affairs and Consumer Protection Commissioner Rosa Escareno pointed with pride to the extra space provided to home businesses. If the full Council approves, it’ll increase from 10% of the home to either 25% or 300 square feet — whichever is greater.

“For many entrepreneurs, this will be more than double their available business space, making it easier than ever to start a business out of their home … at this critical time,” Escareno said.

“The ordinance will also provide other benefits by expanding options for home sales and clarifying restrictions on storage within accessory structures.”

Escareno said the revised ordinance “strikes the right balance” by protecting consumers and prioritizing safety.

“We want to encourage entrepreneurship. But we don’t want the residential areas turning into commercial districts or our homes to turn into dangerous work environments,” she said.

“This ordinance keeps in place all of those limitations on certain business activities that could lead to safety or fraud concerns. It also limits activity that would be allowed in garages and other accessory units that may be unsafe for business.”

The COVID-19 pandemic forced offices to close and thousands of Chicagoans to work from home. The trend is likely to endure — at least in hybrid form — long after downtown employees return to their offices.

With that in mind, Villegas proposed the most fundamental rewrite in the decades-long history of Chicago’s home-business ordinance.

The new rules would: let home businesses expand to “accessory structures” as well as dwelling units; dramatically increase the square footage allowed inside the home; lift the ban on construction or landscaping businesses and allow them to store goods and materials on site; and expand the hours during which home businesses can accept shipments or deliveries.

The ordinance approved Tuesday includes most of those provisions, with a few notable exceptions made to accommodate the Lightfoot administration’s demand for consumer protections:

• Instead of 35% of floor area, Villegas and the mayor’s office settled on “300 square feet or 25 percent of the total floor area” of the home.

• Use of a garage for incidental storage by a home business “shall not displace any off-street parking required” by the city’s zoning ordinance.

• Home businesses would be prohibited from obstructing the public way or engaging in the “direct sale of any product on display shelves or racks.”

• The term “home occupation” would not apply to “any cottage food operation or home kitchen properly registered by a state or county agency or the city.”

• An unlimited number of bulk deliveries would be allowed from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., instead of being limited to one per day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. But those bulk deliveries would have to adhere to all other city requirements “including ordinances relating to fire prevention and governing special types of vehicles on city streets.” Obstructing the public way would be prohibited.

Beth Kregor, director of the Institute for Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago Law School, said the ordinance restricting home-based businesses to a “tiny slice of their homes” desperately needed a re-write.

“There are lots of creative and resilient Chicagoans who are … developing new products to sell online. They’re finding a way to make a living to support themselves and their families. They build on the skills and talents they have in the space that they have,” Kregor said.

“If they’re low-income entrepreneurs, it is often impossible to locate in commercial space from Day One. That’s what brings us here today. Chicago needs to honor and welcome these creative entrepreneurs who are hard at work at dining room tables all over the city.”

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We must face the fact that the police are a reflection of society. They are not some separate reality. They are America.

As a society, we watch the horrific video of that police officer killing Daunte Wright, an unarmed black man, during a traffic stop in suburban Minnesota and tell ourselves — once again —this is not who we are.

But those words are a lie. This is exactly who we are, and it is what this country has allowed law enforcement to become, as evidenced by the endless, stomach-turning routine of police harassing, wounding or killing unarmed Black and Brown people.

If we’re going to halt this cycle of violence at the hands of the state — and not just give lip service to the idea — we must finally face the fact that the police are a reflection of this society. They are not some separate reality. They are America.

Policing sea change needed

There was a time just over a century ago when workers routinely were killed or maimed in the meat packing process. Workers getting ground up in machinery or falling into vats — that was just the cost of doing business.

“And when they were fished out, there was never enough of them left to be worth exhibiting,” Upton Sinclair wrote in his 1905 expose of Chicago’s stockyards, “The Jungle.” “Sometimes they would be overlooked for days, till all but the bones of them had gone out to the world as Durham’s Pure Leaf Lard.”

But American society finally came to an understanding, in part thanks to Sinclair’s work, that it was unacceptable to allow the sacrifice of lives this way. It was morally wrong. Congress and federal and state regulators stepped in and instituted safety measures that no doubt have saved the lives of thousands of workers. An entire industry was substantially changed for the better from coast to coast.

American policing needs a sea-change of this magnitude and greater. But we as a society have to force it. We have to make it happen.

We certainly can no longer leave it to police to do it themselves. Kim Potter, the Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, police officer who killed Daunte Wright last Sunday is proof enough of that.

Potter, who resigned Tuesday, claims she meant to use her taser to subdue Wright but accidentally shot the 20-year-old man in the chest with her Glock service weapon.

It’s an abomination that a 26-year police veteran would mistake a bright yellow taser, which she wore on her left side, with a much heavier Glock, which she held in her right hand and pointed at Wright, according to a police video.

Potter, amazingly, even yells “taser” three times before firing her gun.

A system as broken as this needs more than a little patchwork. It begs for a total reconstruction.

Daunte Wright was shot just north of Minneapolis, the city where former police officer Derek Chauvin is on trial at this moment for killing George Floyd, another unarmed Black man, last summer.

And calls for more narrow approaches to reform — a little better training, perhaps, or a tweak in this or that policy — strike us as ridiculous. Particularly in this instance. Potter was a field training officer. At the moment she killed Wright, she was actually breaking in a new cop.

Not just rotten apples

An equally absurd and reflexive response to the police violence that took Wright’s life is to brand the offending cops as mere “bad apples” — outliers. How tired we are of that line.

Let’s be honest: What cops do deadly wrong is often part and parcel of a culture in police departments — Chicago’s included — especially when it comes to encounters with Black and Brown people.

From no-knock warrants, which overwhelmingly are served in minority neighborhoods for low-level offenses, to suppressive, military tactics and gear, police too frequently cast themselves as occupiers, rather than peacekeepers.

All of which makes it ripe for traffic stops to escalate into violence.

In another police video making the rounds now, police officers in Windsor, Virginia, are seen drawing their guns and pepper spraying a U.S. Army 2nd lieutenant, Caron Nazario, after stopping him for allegedly having a missing license plate on his new SUV.

“What’s going on?” Nazario, who is Black and Latino and was wearing fatigues, asked the cops. “I’m honestly afraid to get out.”

“Yeah, you should be, get out now!” one of the officers, Joe Gutierrez, said.

Gutierrez was fired after the video of the December traffic stop became public this week.

Yes, fire the bad cops. Of course. But does anybody honestly believe anymore that’s the real heart of the solution? Can we please stop kidding ourselves?

And can we finally put an end to how cops like Chauvin, Potter and Gutierrez come to be?

Apples go bad faster in rotting barrels.

Send letters to [email protected].

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President Joe Biden also told Putin the U.S. would “act firmly in defense of its national interests” regarding Russian cyber intrusions and election interference, according to the White House.

BRUSSELS — President Joe Biden urged Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday to “de-escalate tensions” following a Russian military buildup on Ukraine’s border in their second tense call of Biden’s young presidency.

Biden also told Putin the U.S. would “act firmly in defense of its national interests” regarding Russian cyber intrusions and election interference, according to the White House. Biden proposed a summit in a third country “in the coming months” to discuss the full range of U.S.-Russia issues, the White House said.

The Biden-Putin relationship has been rocky in the early going of the new U.S. administration. Biden is weighing action against Russia for the SolarWinds hacking campaign, Russian interference in the 2020 presidential election, reports of Russian bounties on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan and the poisoning and jailing of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

There is growing concern in the West about a surge of cease-fire violations in eastern Ukraine, where Russia-baсked separatists and Ukrainian forces have been locked in a conflict since Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula. Biden’s call with Putin came as the top U.S. diplomat and the leader of NATO condemned the recent massing of thousands of Russian troops.

“President Biden emphasized the United States’ unwavering commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the White House said in a statement. The White House added that Biden made clear that Russia must “de-escalate tensions.”

More than 14,000 people have died in fighting in eastern Ukraine, and efforts to negotiate a political settlement have stalled. Over the past week, there have been daily reports of Ukrainian military casualties and rebels also have reported losses.

Ukraine has said Russia has 41,000 troops at its border with eastern Ukraine and 42,000 more in Crimea. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Tuesday the military buildup of the past three weeks was part of readiness drills in response to what he described as threats from NATO. He added the maneuvers in western Russia would last for two more weeks.

“The troops have shown their full readiness to fulfill tasks to ensure the country’s security,” Shoigu said.

The Kremlin in a statement said “during an exchange of opinions on Ukraine’s internal political crisis,” Putin told Biden about “approaches to a political settlement” based on the 2015 peace deal brokered by France and Germany and signed in Minsk, Belarus.

The White House provided no details on the timing or location of Biden’s proposed summit.

Shortly after talking to Biden, Putin called Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, according to the Kremlin.

Finland was the venue for several meetings of Russian and U.S. leaders. It hosted a summit between Leonid Brezhnev and Gerald Ford in 1975, a meeting of Mikhail Gorbachev and George H.W. Bush in 1990, talks between Boris Yeltsin and Bill Clinton in 1997, and, most recently, a summit between Trump and Putin in July 2018.

Austria also is ready to serve as a summit venue, according to a spokesperson for the Austrian Foreign Ministry quoted by Russian news agencies.

Putin has repeatedly brushed off calls by U.S. officials to cease provocations on Ukraine’s border and on other issues. Still, the White House said that holding talks can be useful.

“When it comes to diplomacy you don’t stop calling for what are the right actions and the appropriate actions and the actions the global community believes are right just because you see a hesitation,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.

Earlier Tuesday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was in Brussels for meetings with NATO allies and Ukraine’s foreign minister, accused Russia of taking “very provocative” actions with the massing of troops.

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg also called the Russian movements “unjustified, unexplained and deeply concerning.” He said the Russian deployment was the largest concentration of troops near the Ukrainian border since 2014.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba urged Western countries to make clear to Moscow that it would pay a price for its “aggression.”

“The U.S. stands firmly behind the sovereignty and the territorial integrity of Ukraine,” Blinken told Kuleba at the start of their meeting at the residence of the U.S. ambassador to Belgium, a post once held by Blinken’s uncle. “That’s particularly important at a time when we’re seeing, unfortunately, Russia take very provocative actions when it comes to Ukraine.”

Kuleba replied that Ukraine was grateful for the support of the U.S. and NATO, an alliance that Kyiv is looking to join over fierce Russian objections.

Leonid Slutsky, a senior Russian lawmaker who chairs the foreign affairs committee in the lower house of parliament, said Biden’s call marked “a step away from confrontation to dialogue.”

“Such a position meets not only mutual interests, but also the interests of international security,” Slutsky said in remarks carried by Russian news agencies. “The good news is that the leaders of the two largest nuclear powers have confirmed their readiness for interaction on issues of strategic stability and arms control.”

Although Biden agreed to extend a major arms control deal with Russia, he has been notably cool toward Moscow and highly critical of many of its activities.

Last month in an interview with ABC News, Biden agreed with the description of Putin as a “killer” and he has criticized the jailing of Navalny, the opposition figure. U.S. intelligence released a report last month finding that Putin authorized influence operations to help former President Donald Trump’s reelection bid.

Putin in response to Biden’s killer comment recalled his ambassador to the U.S. and pointed at the U.S. history of slavery and slaughtering Native Americans and the atomic bombing of Japan in World War II.

In his first call with Putin as president in late January, Biden raised concerns about the arrest of Navalny, Russia’s cyberespionage targeting the U.S., and thereports of Russian bounties on American troops in Afghanistan. The Kremlin, meanwhile, focused on Putin’s response to Biden’s proposal to extend the last remaining U.S.-Russia arms control treaty.

After that call, Biden said in a speech before State Department officials that the days of the U.S. “rolling over” to Putin were over.

—

Associated Press writers Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed reporting.

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Vaisakhi, which falls April 13 or 14 depending on which of two dueling calendars one follows, marks the day in 1699 when Sikhism took its current form.

LIBERTY, Missouri — Sikhs across the United States are holding toned-down Vaisakhi celebrations this week, joining people of other faiths in observing major holidays cautiously this spring as COVID-19 keeps an uneven hold on the country.

Vaisakhi, which falls April 13 or 14 depending on which of two dueling calendars one follows, marks the day in 1699 when Sikhism took its current form. Communities typically celebrate by gathering at gurdwaras, or places of worship, for prayer and the reading of hymns, and there are often processions, parades, other activities and food.

While the ongoing pandemic has many people celebrating remotely this year just as in 2020, some, especially in the United States, are joining in masked, socially distant Vaisakhi gatherings.

“Sikh community members, especially those who faced hardships and loss during the pandemic, view Vaisakhi as a fresh start and a sign of hope that things will be better once again,” said Sahej Preet Singh, community development manager at the Sikh Coalition, a national organization based in New York. “The Sikh worldview embraces resilience and Chardi Kala (relentless optimism).”

For the second year in a row, outdoor festivities at the Midwest Sikh Gurdwara and the traditional parade in the city of Shawnee, a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, have been canceled. But in an improvement over 2020, some events will be held at the temple and via social media.

Komalpreet Kaul, a 16-year-old high school student in nearby Olathe, Kansas, said the parade is “the one big event of the year where everyone gets together, and we welcome other members of the community to participate. … This is like our Christmas, and it’s something we look forward to so much.”

“But we are going to find alternatives this year to celebrate,” she added.

Kaul has been lobbying officials in several area cities trying to get them to declare April Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month, so far winning one such proclamation from Lenexa, Kansas. Kaul, who was raised in New York City before moving with her family to Kansas in 2017, said she wants to make others more familiar with her faith.

“Increasing awareness can combat the negativity and hate,” she said.

In California’s San Joaquin Valley, the Stockton Gurdwara Sahib organized a Tuesday evening service of prayers, readings from the Guru Granth Sahib scripture and music, held in-person while following health guidelines, said Tejpaul Singh Bainwal, a temple member and student of early Sikh American history. A more involved celebration including a vaccination clinic will be held this weekend, also under masking and social distancing rules.

In a normal year there would be a parade that attracts thousands, but it has been called off this year. Bainwal expects attendance at the events to be much lower as people focus instead on selfless service.

“People are practicing their faith in a different way since COVID,” he said.

At Guru Nanak Darbar of Long Island, in Hicksville, New York, normally there’s a giant tent set up in the parking lot to accommodate crowds of up to 2,000 people at a time coming for festivities and treats. This year the celebrations were marked by temperature monitors, social distancing and bagged meals to take home. Temple members set a more restrictive attendance level than required, allowing about 150 into prayer services that can normally accommodate 600.

“In a normal year we have a lot of stalls, a lot of food,” said Harcharan Singh Gulati, the general secretary. “But this year we don’t want to take any risk. We want people to take it home.”

After all Vaisakhi celebrations were shut down in 2020, this year people were allowed inside the gurdwara in small groups for prayer, readings and religious songs.

“It’s not like two or three years ago,” Gulati said, “but it is better than what we had last year.”

——

Fields reported from Silver Spring, Maryland

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through The Conversation U.S. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

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Connolly and Hinostroza, former teammates in Florida, have recorded a combined three points in five games so far with the Hawks.

Brett Connolly was frustrated how poorly things went for him this season in Florida.

When the 28-year-old forward finally got his first chance for a new team — with the Blackhawks on Monday against the Blue Jackets — he took out that frustration in a productive way, scoring an important third-period go-ahead goal.

“It wasn’t working, but that’s in the past,” Connolly said. “I knew I was going to go somewhere else and I’ve been working hard to be ready for that opportunity. Here I am. I’m ready to be a big factor on this team, as I know I can. I’ve proven it in the past. I’ve won before.”

Connolly and defenseman Riley Stillman both made their Hawks debuts Monday while forward Vinnie Hinostroza played the fourth game of his second career stint with the Hawks.

All three were technically teammates earlier this season, too, but played only 38 games combined for the Panthers. They’re all hoping for bigger roles with the Hawks, and so far are earning those. Coach Jeremy Colliton has been pleased.

“[Connolly] gave us some good shifts,” Colliton said Monday. “[He’s a] big body who is comfortable on the puck and not afraid to go into traffic. He has a heavy shot. It’s easy to see why he’s produced in the past.”

“Stillman was very physical. He was active. He got stops for us. He was jumping in the play. I asked him to pull back a little bit, but he did some good stuff out there.”

Hinostroza, who is now into his second week practicing and playing with the Hawks — making him the elder statesman of the three acquisitions from Florida — has slid in seamlessly onto a line with Philipp Kurashev and Dominik Kubalik.

AP Photo/Jeff Haynes

The Chicago native has tallied two assists in his four games, seen his usage rise from nine to 11 to 13 minutes and made his elite speed and skating ability noticeable.

He has generated strong underlying possession numbers: shot attempts favor the Hawks 49-35 and scoring chances favor the Hawks 23-19 during his five-on-five ice time.

“Sometimes with chemistry, it takes a while to get it, [but] with some guys, your games match up well together and you happen to find each other and think the same way,” Hinostroza said. “With Phil and ‘Kuby,’ we’ve been working hard. Our main focus has been trying to get pucks back and win battles, because some of our chances have been off turnovers from their ‘D.’”

Connolly was also well above average analytically Monday, leading the team with a 5-1 on-ice scoring chance ratio (shot attempts were 11-6) in addition to his goal during 13:05 of ice time.

The Hawks acquired Connolly as a negative-value contract — he has a $3.5 million cap hit through 2023 — that allowed them to also receive prospect Henrik Borgstrom, but they’d love if he could reestablish himself a positive-value player.

“He has a great shot,” general manager Stan Bowman said. “He’s a goal scorer. He’s one of those guys that doesn’t need a lot of opportunities.”

Connolly had scored at least 15 goals each of the past four seasons, including a career-high 22 with the Capitals in 2018-19, before falling off this year. His career 14.2% shooting percentage ranks 11th among all active players with at least 500 NHL appearances.

And so far with the Hawks, he’s shooting 50%.

“I’ve played 500-plus games now; it’s been a journey,” he said. “If I can get my game going like it was the start of last year and in Washington, when I was playing my best hockey, I feel like I can help out. [I’m] just looking to help the depth and score some timely goals.”

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Federal prosecutors have charged an ex-Melrose Park police officer for his role in a gambling ring run by a bookie with mob ties who was sentenced last week to more than two years in prison.

John Amabile, 33, is charged with running an illegal sports bookmaking operation. The charge stems from the same investigation that led to last week’s sentencing of Gregory Paloian, of Elmwood Park, a source confirmed.

Reached earlier this year after abruptly resigning from the Melrose Park Police Department amid rumors that he was in trouble with federal investigators, Amabile declined to speak in detail with a reporter.

“I have no comment at all,” he said. Asked whether he had an attorney, he said, “No, not at the moment.”

Amabile also declined to comment after he was charged Tuesday. His attorney could not immediately be reached for comment.

Prosecutors have previously said a “veteran police officer from a local police department” was among the “most prolific agents” of Paloian, who admitted in January he ran the ring from 2015 until 2019 in Chicago, Elmwood Park and Melrose Park.

But the feds say they “know now that Paloian was running a bookmaking operation as early as 2012 and continuing until shut down by the FBI.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Terry Kinney wrote in a recent court filing that the ring involved 60 gamblers.

U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow last week gave Paloian two-and-a-half years in prison, a sentence Paloian compared to a possible death sentence due to his medical issues.

Amabile’s father Joseph is a former Melrose Park police lieutenant. Amabile’s uncle James is a former Melrose Park fire lieutenant who was convicted in a mob-related extortion case in 2015, sentenced to six months in prison and released from custody in 2016, according to interviews and records.

Amabile’s brother Joe became a minor celebrity after appearing on “The Bachelorette” and, subsequently, other reality shows.

Chicago Sun-Times archive

Amabile’s late grandfather, also named Joseph, was a reputed “crime kingpin in the western suburbs,” and acolyte of high-ranking hoodlum Sam Battaglia, before his death in 1976, according to interviews and published accounts. The grandfather was convicted of extortion in 1967 and sent to prison, according to his Chicago Sun-Times obituary.

Over the years, members of the family have donated to political campaigns benefitting Melrose Park Mayor Ronald Serpico — who has presided after a number of scandals and embarrassments within his police department during his years in office.

“This young kid, I don’t know what he was doing,” Serpico said Tuesday about Amabile. “I can’t control people. . . . Am I responsible for the world? I think the only thing we can be is responsible for ourselves.”

Asked about Amabile, Sam Pitassi, who runs the police department, said: “He doesn’t work here any more . . . I’m not going to get into all the particulars about a guy who left.”

In 2017, former Melrose Park police Detective Greg Salvi was sent to prison for a drug-dealing scheme that included stealing narcotics from his department’s evidence room.

In 2013, a motorcycle club started by Melrose Park cops disbanded after a reporter discovered members were wearing patches pledging support for the Outlaws, a notorious biker gang that’s been described as a criminal enterprise by federal authorities.

In 2009, former Melrose Park Police Chief Vito Scavo was convicted in a racketeering and extortion scheme and sent to prison.

Paloian also has ties to organized crime, having previously been sentenced in 2002 to 41 months in prison for running a mob-connected bookmaking operation. Last week, federal prosecutors also revealed that his name is on the prison contact list for imprisoned Cicero mob boss Michael “The Large Guy” Sarno, who has been arguing for compassionate release.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Amarjeet Bhachu wrote in a court filing that “Paloian has regularly sent money to Sarno’s prison account since he was imprisoned; these are no doubt the proceeds of his illegal gambling business.”

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