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Fiction’s newest genre: up liton March 29, 2021 at 3:49 pm

Retired in Chicago

Fiction’s newest genre: up lit

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Fiction’s newest genre: up liton March 29, 2021 at 3:49 pm Read More »

Opening statements begin in trial of Derek Chauvin, ex-cop charged in George Floyd’s deathon March 29, 2021 at 2:40 pm

MINNEAPOLIS — A former Minneapolis police officer went on trial Monday in the death of George Floyd, which sparked outrage across the U.S. and beyond after bystander video showed Derek Chauvin press his knee on Floyd’s neck for about nine minutes as the Black man went limp.

The judge began by instructing the jury about its duties and about courtroom procedures ahead of opening statements.

A jury of 14 people will hear the case — eight who are white and six who are Black or multiracial, according to the court. Two of the 14 will be alternates. The judge has not said which ones will be alternates and which ones will deliberate the case.

Legal experts said they expected prosecutors to play the video to the jury early on.

“If you’re a prosecutor you want to start off strong. You want to frame the argument — and nothing frames the argument in this case as much as that video,” said Jeffrey Cramer, a former federal prosecutor and managing director of Berkeley Research Group in Chicago.

Floyd, 46, was declared dead after Chauvin, who is white, pressed his knee against Floyd’s neck for about nine minutes. He held his position even as Floyd’s “I can’t breathe” cries faded and he went limp as he was handcuffed and lying on his stomach on the pavement. Chauvin, 45, is charged with unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder and manslaughter.

Almost all of the jurors selected during more than two weeks of questioning said they had seen at least parts of the video, and several acknowledged it gave them at least a somewhat negative view of Chauvin. But they said they could set that aside.

Outside the courthouse Monday ahead of opening statements, Floyd family attorney Ben Crump said the trial would be a test of “whether America is going to live up to the Declaration of Independence.” And he blasted the idea that it would be a tough test for jurors.

“For all those people that continue to say that this is such a difficult trial, that this is a hard trial, we refute that,” he said. “We know that if George Floyd was a white American citizen, and he suffered this painful, tortuous death with a police officer’s knee on his neck, nobody, nobody, would be saying this is a hard case.”

The trial is expected to last about four weeks at the courthouse in downtown Minneapolis, which has been fortified with concrete barriers, fencing, and barbed and razor wire. City and state leaders are determined to prevent a repeat of damaging riots that followed Floyd’s death, and National Guard troops have already been mobilized.

The key questions at trial will be whether Chauvin caused Floyd’s death and whether his actions were reasonable.

For the unintentional second-degree murder charge, prosecutors have to prove Chauvin’s conduct was a “substantial causal factor” in Floyd’s death, and that Chauvin was committing felony assault at the time. For third-degree murder, they must prove that Chauvin’s actions caused Floyd’s death, and were reckless and without regard for human life. The manslaughter charge requires proof that Chauvin caused Floyd’s death through negligence that created an unreasonable risk.

Unintentional second-degree murder is punishable by up to 40 years in prison in Minnesota, with up to 25 years for third-degree murder, but sentencing guidelines suggest that Chauvin would face 12 1/2 years in prison if convicted on either charge. Manslaughter has a maximum 10-year sentence.

Chauvin’s attorney, Eric Nelson, was expected to use his opening statement tell jurors that medical testimony and use of force experts will show a different view. Nelson has made clear that the defense will make an issue of Floyd swallowing drugs before his arrest, seeking to convince the jury that he was at least partially responsible for his death.

The county medical examiner’s autopsy noted fentanyl and methamphetamine in Floyd’s system, but listed his cause of death as “cardiopulmonary arrest, complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint, and neck compression.”

“This case to us is a slam dunk, because we know the video is the proof, it’s all you need,” Floyd’s brother Philonise said Monday on NBC’s “Today” show. “The guy was kneeling on my brother’s neck … a guy who was sworn in to protect. He killed my brother in broad daylight. That was a modern-day lynching.”

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Opening statements begin in trial of Derek Chauvin, ex-cop charged in George Floyd’s deathon March 29, 2021 at 2:40 pm Read More »

High school football schedule: Week 3on March 29, 2021 at 2:30 pm

Please send corrections and additions to [email protected]

Thursday, April 1

CHICAGO LAKE STREET

Bowen vs. Corliss at Eckersall

Butler vs. South Shore at Gately

King vs. Fenger at Gately

CHICAGO MADISON STREET

Senn at Chicago Academy

Marine vs. Foreman at Lane

Pritzker at Taft B

CHICAGO MICHIGAN AVENUE

Dyett vs. Gage Park at Stagg

CHICAGO STATE STREET

North Lawndale vs. UIC at Rockne

ILLINI BIG SHOULDERS

King vs. Fenger at Gately

Hyde Park vs. UP-Bronzeville at Gately

ILLINI HEARTLAND

Rauner vs. Steinmetz at Lane

Juarez vs. ITW Speer at Rockne

ILLINI SECOND CITY

Vocational at Brooks (canceled)

ILLINI WINDY CITY

Mather vs. Von Steuben at Winnemac

CCL/ESCC BLUE

Loyola at Brother Rice

CCL/ESCC ORANGE

St. Laurence vs. Benet at Benedictine

Nazareth at De La Salle

CCL/ESCC RED

Marian Catholic at DePaul Prep

CCL/ESCC WHITE

St. Ignatius at Joliet Catholic

Fenwick at Marmion

CSL NORTH

Highland Park at Niles North

CSL SOUTH

Glenbrook North at Maine South

FOX VALLEY

Dundee-Crown at Jacobs

Cary-Grove at Crystal Lake South (canceled)

Prairie Ridge at Crystal Lake Central

ILLINOIS CENTRAL EIGHT

Herscher at Streator

Manteno at Peotone

Wilmington at Reed-Custer

KISHWAUKEE RIVER

Marengo at Harvard

Richmond-Burton at Woodstock

Woodstock North at Johnsburg

MSL EAST

Hersey at Prospect

Buffalo Grove at Wheeling

Elk Grove at Rolling Meadows

MSL WEST

Barrington at Conant

Hoffman Estates at Schaumburg

Fremd at Palatine

NORTH SUBURBAN

Warren at Waukegan

Libertyville at Lake Forest

Mundelein at Lake Zurich

Zion-Benton at Stevenson

NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY

Grayslake Central at Round Lake

Grayslake North at Antioch

Lakes at Grant

North Chicago at Wauconda

SOUTH SUBURBAN RED

Richards at Oak Lawn

Shepard at Eisenhower

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN BLUE

Homewood-Flossmoor at Sandburg

UPSTATE EIGHT

Bartlett at Elgin

Fenton at East Aurora

Larkin at West Chicago

South Elgin at Glenbard South

Streamwood at Glenbard East

WEST SUBURBAN GOLD

Addison Trail at Downers Grove South

Morton at Proviso East

Hinsdale South at Willowbrook

WEST SUBURBAN SILVER

Downers Grove North at Glenbard West

Proviso West at Oak Park

NONCONFERENCE

TF South at Reavis

Lisle at Coal City

Argo at Evergreen Park

Friday, April 2

CCL/ESCC GREEN

Providence at St. Rita

DUKANE

Glenbard North at Lake Park

Geneva at Batavia

St. Charles East at St. Charles North

FOX VALLEY

Hampshire at Burlington Central

Huntley at McHenry

SANGAMON VALLEY

Watseka at Seneca

SOUTH SUBURBAN BLUE

TF North at Lemont

Hillcrest at Tinley Park

Oak Forest at Bremen

SOUTHLAND

Rich at Kankakee

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE EAST

Joliet Central at Romeoville

Plainfield East at Joliet West

Plainfield South at Plainfield Central

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE WEST

West Aurora vs. Oswego at Plainfield North

Plainfield North at Minooka

Yorkville at Oswego East

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN RED

Lincoln-Way Central at Lincoln-Way East

Stagg at Lincoln-Way West

Saturday, April 3

CHICAGO MICHIGAN AVENUE

Richards/Harper vs. Kelly at Stagg

CHICAGO STATE STREET

Collins vs. Clemente at Rockne

ILLINI BIG SHOULDERS

Dunbar at Lindblom

ILLINI GREAT LAKES

Comer vs. Johnson at Eckersall

Catalyst Maria at Goode

Ag. Science vs. Bogan at Stagg

ILLINI HEARTLAND

Prosser vs. Kennedy at Rockne

ILLINI LAND OF LINCOLN

Raby at Lane

Taft vs. Lincoln Park at Lane

Westinghouse vs. Phillips at Solorio

ILLINI PRAIRIE STATE

Young at Orr

Bulls Prep vs. Payton at Rockne

Clark at Solorio

ILLINI RED BIRD

Hubbard vs. Curie at Gately

Morgan Park vs. Kenwood at Gately

Perspectives vs. Simeon at Gately

ILLINI SECOND CITY

Julian vs. Washington at Eckersall

Harlan vs. Carver at Gately

ILLINI WINDY CITY

Sullivan vs. Lake View at Winnemac

Amundsen vs. Schurz at Winnemac

CCL/ESCC BLUE

Marist at Mount Carmel

CCL/ESCC PURPLE

St. Patrick at St. Viator

Marian Central at Carmel

CSL NORTH

Deerfield at Vernon Hills

Maine West at Maine East

CSL SOUTH

Evanston at New Trier

Glenbrook South at Niles West

DUKANE

Wheaton Warrenville South at Wheaton North

DUPAGE VALLEY

DeKalb at Waubonsie Valley

Naperville Central at Naperville North

INTERSTATE EIGHT

LaSalle-Peru at Plano

Morris at Ottawa

Rochell at Kaneland

Sandwich at Sycamore

METRO SUBURBAN BLUE

Aurora Christian at St. Francis

Aurora Central at Elmwood Park

IC Catholic at St. Edward

Riverside-Brookfield at Ridgewood

Wheaton Academy at Westmont

NORTHEASTERN ATHLETIC

Walther Christian at Momence

SANGAMON VALLEY

Clifton Central at Dwight

SOUTHLAND

Thornridge at Crete-Monee

Thornwood at Bloom

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN BLUE

Lockport at Bolingbrook

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN RED

Bradley-Bourbonnais at Andrew

NONCONFERENCE

Clemente at Marshall

Thornton at Hope Academy

York at Hinsdale Central

Chicago Christian at McNamara

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High school football schedule: Week 3on March 29, 2021 at 2:30 pm Read More »

Chicago Bears must look at these remaining free agentson March 29, 2021 at 1:56 pm

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Chicago Bears must look at these remaining free agentson March 29, 2021 at 1:56 pm Read More »

36 shot, 4 fatally, in Chicago this weekendon March 29, 2021 at 1:41 pm

Thirty-six people were wounded, four of them fatally, in shootings across Chicago this weekend.

The weekend was just as deadly, and saw more people shot, than a week ago when 20 people were shot in weekend gun violence.

In the last fatal shooting this weekend, a Chicago police officer killed a person during an “armed confrontation” in the Little Village neighborhood, police said.

Police responded to calls of gunfire about 2:35 a.m. in the 2400 block of South Sawyer Avenue and chased two people from an alley, Chicago police said. During the chase, an officer fatally shot a person in the chest. Another person was taken into custody.

Logan Square homicide

In other fatal attacks, 32-year-old man was shot Sunday afternoon in Logan Square on the Northwest Side. About 4:35 p.m., he was in the 3500 block of West Cortland Avenue, when he was shot in the neck and head, police said. He was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center and pronounced dead.

2 West Pullman murders

Saturday night, a 36-year-old man was fatally shot Saturday in West Pullman on the South Side. About 11:40 p.m., he was sitting in a parked vehicle in the 700 block of East 103rd Street when three male suspects approached him and one of the males fired shots, police said.

Kieer Pargo, of Englewood, died of several gunshot wounds at the University of Chicago Medical Center, authorities said.

Hours earlier, another man was killed in the same neighborhood. About 6:05 p.m., a 29-year-old man was inside a vehicle in the 11900 block of South Prairie Avenue, when a vehicle pulled alongside him and someone inside fired shots, police said. He died at a hospital.

Nonfatal attacks

Sunday night, four men were hurt in a shooting on Interstate 57 near 127th Street. The group was traveling in a vehicle about 11:45 p.m. when someone inside another vehicle fired shots, Illinois State Police said.

Four men inside the vehicle were struck by gunfire and were picked up by paramedics in the 8700 block of South State Street, state police and Chicago fire officials said.

Roseland armed robbery

Early Sunday, a 48-year-old man was shot in an attempted robbery in Roseland. He was standing outside about 12:40 a.m. in the 10500 block of South Michigan Avenue when a person approached him and demanded his money, police said. The man refused and reached for the armed suspect’s handgun, according to police.

The gunman fired a shot and struck the man in the knee before fleeing the scene, police said. The man self-transported to Roseland Community Hospital in good condition.

Shooting at Gresham funeral procession

A 31-year-old man was shot while riding in a funeral procession Saturday in Gresham on the South Side.

He was riding in a vehicle about 6:50 p.m. when someone fired shots as the procession passed through the 7600 block of South Ashland Avenue, police said. He was struck in the abdomen and arm, and rushed to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, police said.

Teen shot in East Garfield Park

A teenage bystander was wounded in a shooting Saturday afternoon East Garfield Park on the West Side. The 17-year-old was walking about 4:30 p.m. in the 3300 block of West Ohio Street when someone in a vehicle drove by and fired shots at a nearby group of people, police said.

Someone in the group returned fire, and the boy was caught in the crossfire, taking a bullet to the chest, police said.. He was brought to Mt. Sinai Hospital in good condition, police said.

4 shot in Austin

Hours earlier, four people were wounded, two critically, in Austin on the West Side. The group was standing outside about 12:10 p.m. when someone fired shots at them in the 500 block of North Leamington Avenue, police said.

One man, 64, was struck in the leg, and another, 54, was struck in the thigh, police said. Both were taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital in critical condition. A third man, 42, was grazed on the back and treated at the scene.

A fourth victim later showed up at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood with a gunshot wound to the shoulder, and was listed in good condition, police said.

East Garfield Park shooting

In the weekend’s earliest reported shooting, a man was shot Friday evening in East Garfield Park on the West Side.

The man, 22, heard shots and felt pain about 6:55 p.m. in the 3300 block of West Ohio Street, Chicago police said. He was taken to Stroger Hospital with a gunshot wound to his buttocks and was listed in fair condition.

At least 20 other people were wounded in citywide shootings between 5 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Monday.

Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.

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36 shot, 4 fatally, in Chicago this weekendon March 29, 2021 at 1:41 pm Read More »

5 dead in pair of fiery, wrong-way Eisenhower Expy. crashes Monday morningon March 29, 2021 at 12:51 pm

Five people were killed in a pair of fiery, wrong-way crashes early Monday on the Eisenhower Expressway.

One crash happened downtown about 1:40 a.m. on I-290 near Wells Street, according to Illinois State Police.

A wrong-way driver on a westbound ramp collided head-on with a driver, causing both vehicles to erupt in flames, state police spokeswoman Gabriela Ugarte said in an emailed statement.

Both drivers and a passenger of the struck vehicle died on the scene, Ugarte said. The driver and two passengers of a third car struck by the crashing vehicles went to hospitals with minor injuries.

The ramp from eastbound I-290 to I-90 northbound was closed until 6:15 a.m., Ugarte said.

A half hour earlier, another fatal wrong-way crash happened on I-290 in west suburban Forest Park. About 1:10 a.m., a wrong-way driver in the eastbound lanes hit a car near Des Plaines Avenue, Ugarte said. Both drivers died at the scene. A passenger in the struck vehicle was hospitalized with injuries that weren’t life-threatening. Media reports showed vehicles on fire in the crash.

All eastbound lanes were closed until 6:10 a.m.

The Cook County medical examiner’s office hasn’t released the victims’ names.

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5 dead in pair of fiery, wrong-way Eisenhower Expy. crashes Monday morningon March 29, 2021 at 12:51 pm Read More »

36 shot, 4 fatally, in Chicago this weekendon March 29, 2021 at 12:18 pm

At least 36 people were wounded in shootings across Chicago this weekend, including an armed person who was fatally shot by police early Monday in Little Village on the Southwest Side.

Officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert about 2:35 a.m. in the 2400 block of South Sawyer Avenue and saw two people standing in an alley, police spokesman Tom Ahern said on Twitter.

One armed person ran from the scene and was shot by a police officer during an “armed confrontation,” Ahern said. That person was pronounced dead at the scene, police said in a statement. The other person was arrested, according to Ahern, who shared a photo of a gun allegedly recovered at the scene. No charges have been filed.

In other fatal attacks, 32-year-old man was fatally shot Sunday afternoon in Logan Square on the Northwest Side.

About 4:35 p.m., he was in the 3500 block of West Cortland Avenue, when he was shot in the neck and head, Chicago police said. He was rushed to Illinois Masonic Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. The Cook County medical examiner’s office has not yet identified the man.

A 36-year-old man was fatally shot Saturday in West Pullman on the South Side.

About 11:40 p.m., he was sitting in a parked vehicle in the 700 block of East 103rd Street when three male suspects approached him and one of the males fired shots, Chicago police said.

The man suffered gunshot wounds in the chest, arm and buttocks, police said. He was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

The Cook County medical examiner’s office identified him as Kieer Pargo, of Englewood.

Also Saturday, a 29-year-old man was fatally shot Saturday on the South Side.

About 6:05 p.m., he was inside a vehicle in the 11900 block of South Prairie Avenue, when a vehicle pulled alongside him and someone inside fired shots, Chicago police said. He was struck multiple times and brought to the University of Chicago Medical Center where he died, police said. The Cook County medical examiner’s office has not yet identified the man.

In nonfatal shootings, a four men were critically hurt in a shooting late Sunday in Chatham on the South Side.

Just before midnight, the men were shot in the 8700 block of South State Street, Chicago Fire Department officials said.

Two men were transported in serious-to-critical condition to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, fire officials said. The others were also taken in serious-to-critical condition to the University of Chicago Medical Center.

A 48-year-old man was shot in an attempted robbery early Sunday in Roseland on the Far South Side.

He was standing outside about 12:40 a.m. in the 10500 block of South Michigan Avenue when a person approached him and demanded his money, police said. The man refused and reached for the armed suspect’s handgun, according to police.

The gunman fired a shot and struck the man in the knee before fleeing the scene, police said. The man self-transported to Roseland Hospital in good condition.

A 31-year-old man was shot while riding in a funeral procession Saturday in Gresham on the South Side.

He was riding in a vehicle about 6:50 p.m. when someone fired shots as the procession passed through the 7600 block of South Ashland Avenue, police said. He was struck in the abdomen and arm, and rushed to the University of Chicago Medical Center in critical condition, police said.

A teenage bystander was wounded in a shooting Saturday afternoon East Garfield Park on the West Side.

The 17-year-old boy was walking about 4:30 p.m. in the 3300 block of West Ohio Street when someone in a vehicle drove by and fired shots at a nearby group of people, police said. Someone in the group returned fire, and the boy was caught in the crossfire, taking a bullet to the chest.

He was brought to Mt. Sinai Hospital in good condition, police said.

Hours earlier, four people were wounded, two critically, in Austin on the West Side.

The group was standing outside about 12:10 p.m. when someone fired shots at them in the 500 block of North Leamington Avenue, police said.

One man, 64, was struck in the leg, and another, 54, was struck in the thigh, police said. Both were taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital in critical condition. A third man, 42, was grazed on the back and treated at the scene.

A fourth victim later showed up at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood with a gunshot wound to the shoulder, and was listed in good condition, police said.

In the weekend’s earliest reported shooting, a man was shot Friday evening in East Garfield Park on the West Side.

The man, 22, heard shots and felt pain about 6:55 p.m. in the 3300 block of West Ohio Street, Chicago police said. He was taken to Stroger Hospital with a gunshot wound to his buttocks and was listed in fair condition.

At least 20 other people were wounded in citywide shootings between 5 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Monday.

Twenty people were shot, four fatally, last weekend in Chicago.

Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.

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36 shot, 4 fatally, in Chicago this weekendon March 29, 2021 at 12:18 pm Read More »

4 men critically hurt in I-57 shootingon March 29, 2021 at 12:52 pm

Four men were critically hurt in a shooting late Sunday on Interstate 57 near 127th Street.

The group was traveling in a vehicle about 11:45 p.m. on I-57 when someone inside another vehicle fired shots, according to preliminary information from Illinois State Police.

Four men inside the vehicle were struck by gunfire and were picked up by paramedics in the 8700 block of South State Street, state police and Chicago fire officials said. They suffered injuries that weren’t life-threatening.

Two men were transported in serious-to-critical condition to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, fire officials said on Twitter. The others were also taken in serious-to-critical condition to the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Northbound lanes between 127th and 147th streets were closed until 5:10 a.m. for investigation, state police said.

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4 men critically hurt in I-57 shootingon March 29, 2021 at 12:52 pm Read More »

Early return gives Kirby Dach an opportunity to prove the Blackhawks are his team nowon March 29, 2021 at 11:30 am

One day after center Kirby Dach made his surprise return to the Blackhawks’ lineup Saturday, coach Jeremy Colliton made his plans for him this season abundantly clear.

”He’s going to play a lot for us,” Colliton said Sunday. ”He’s going to be hopefully a big part of the success we’re able to have.”

In other words, Dach’s playing time won’t be limited. His right wrist has been cleared by doctors and won’t be a hindrance, and the coaching staff won’t shelter him.

The Hawks are prepared to ride Dach, 20, as far as he proves able to take them. And that’s an exciting opportunity for them and for their soon-to-be cornerstone player.

”There’s still areas that I want to improve on as a player, whether it’s in the faceoff dot or playing down low…or in the neutral zone,” Dach said Saturday. ”Overall improvement on my game each and every day is where I want to go.

”We’re right in the mix of things, and we want to be in that playoff spot. It’s gonna be a fight till the end. We’ve got to find a way to bring it each and every night.”

Dach centered Mattias Janmark and Dylan Strome on the third line Saturday, then Janmark and Patrick Kane on the first line Sunday.

Where exactly he’ll slot into the lineup for the rest of this season will be determined in time. Colliton said Dach’s return provides flexibility with the forward lines, which will allow him to ”see how it all shakes down here over the next few weeks.”

Whether Dach ends up officially being designated the first-line center, however, makes little difference. During the Hawks’ dynasty era, they were clearly Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith’s team, even when Toews and Kane weren’t together on the first line or when Keith technically found himself on the second pair.

During this old-core-to-new-core transition season, Dach will be given as long a leash as he needs — regardless of the nominal lines — to prove the Hawks are his team now.

Defensively, Dach is already elite. The combination of his physical strength, rangy frame, stick use, positioning and hockey intelligence makes him extremely good off the puck. As his familiarity with the NHL continues to grow, he might become a legitimate Selke Trophy contender in the future.

Offensively, Dach’s skating stride, north-south style, vision and puckhandling skills give him the tools to become elite. His execution — shooting and passing — aren’t at that level yet, but it’s likely they’ll get there. His immediate placement on the top power-play unit Saturday showed the Hawks’ confidence in his offensive potential.

”[He’s] a center who skates extremely well and is excellent defensively,” Colliton said. ”[He] comes up with a lot of loose pucks, wins a lot of 50-50 [battles] and, obviously, he’s growing into a productive, skilled offensive player for us.”

Looking purely at the numbers, outsiders might have a tough time understanding the Hawks’ sky-high projections for Dach. He didn’t score that much (23 points in 64 games) during his rookie season in 2019-20, although he averaged only 14:16 of playing time.

The playoffs were when Dach demonstrated his imminent stardom. He scored six points in nine games as his ice time jumped to 19:24, and his improvement in the four months between March and July 2020 was eye-popping.

That’s what makes Dach’s return this spring so compelling. By May, when this regular season ends, nine months will have passed since the 2020 playoffs.

”It’s important for his development to get [to] playing games,” Colliton said. ”He’s had tremendous growth over the past 18 months or so. But certainly when you’re rehabbing, it’s not as great for your development as [it is when] you’re playing NHL games — and playing a lot.”

How big a leap has Dach taken since August 2020? We’ll find out in the coming weeks, but it’s tempting to imagine a stretch run in which he puts the Hawks on his back and carries them into the postseason.

If that’s not how it plays out, it’ll be understandable. Dach is still only 20 and is coming off wrist surgery. But he will be given the opportunity to do so.

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Early return gives Kirby Dach an opportunity to prove the Blackhawks are his team nowon March 29, 2021 at 11:30 am Read More »

Police shoot, kill armed person in Little Village; another arrestedon March 29, 2021 at 11:29 am

Chicago police fatally shot an armed person and arrested another after responding to gunfire early Monday in Little Village on the Southwest Side.

Officers responded to a ShotSpotter alert about 2:35 a.m. in the 2400 block of South Sawyer Avenue and saw two people standing in an alley, police spokesman Tom Ahern said on Twitter.

One armed person ran from scene and was shot by a police officer during an “armed confrontation,” Ahern said. That person was pronounced dead at the scene, police said in a statement.

The other person was arrested, according to Ahern, who shared a photo of a gun allegedly recovered at the scene. No charges have been filed.

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability will investigate the shooting, Ahern said.

The incident was the fifth police-involved shooting in three weeks. On Thursday, an alleged shoplifter was killed in a shootout with police after he shot a security guard and an officer in Back of the Yards on the South Side.

Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.

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Police shoot, kill armed person in Little Village; another arrestedon March 29, 2021 at 11:29 am Read More »