A vacant apartment building in Aurora was destroyed in a blaze that put firefighters on the defensive Tuesday morning in the western suburb.

Although initial reports indicated a person was trapped inside, the building was actually empty and no one was injured, Aurora Fire Department Battalion Chief Jim Rhodes said.

The fire spread quickly through the three-and-a-half story wooden frame apartment building in the 200 block of West Downer Place, Rhodes said.

Aurora Fire Department/Facebook

Neighbors called 911 about 7 a.m. after noticing the fire, he said. Firefighters saw smoke billowing from the home soon after they left the station and found flames shooting from the side of the home when they arrived.

“It was a pretty labor-intensive fire,” Rhodes said. Firefighters were forced to exit the home a couple times when the fire became too dangerous, he said.

“We were ultimately able to get back in there and put out the fire,” he said.

Crews were still on scene at 9:30 a.m. at the home, which Rhodes said was a total loss.

Neighboring homes were undamaged by the flames, he said.

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Chicago Bears: Buster Skrine replacements that make them better by Vincent Parise

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Chicago Bears (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

The Chicago Bears are involved in trade rumors for Russell Wilson but should think about the players they will want to keep around.

The Bears have been involved in major trade possibilities for a new quarterback. Most recently, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson named the Bears, along with three other teams, as organizations he would like to be traded to — if the Seahawks were to trade him.

Last season, the duo of Mitch Trubisky and Nick Foles did not work out for the team. In short, neither of the two ranked in the top half of quarterbacks for QBR nor passer rating. The offense itself scored just 22.4 points per game, ranking 23rd in the NFL. This has led to the likely release of Mitch Trubisky and the hunt for a new starting quarterback.

Now that Wilson has picked the Bears as an organization he may lean towards, Bears fans have found hope for a quarterback that could drastically enhance the offense. Wilson was excellent last season, ranking in the top-ten in yards, completion percentage, touchdowns, QBR, passer rating, and many more promising passer statistics. More importantly, his team was 12-4 last year.

Related Story: Chicago Bears Russell Wilson Trades

It’s unlikely the Bears, nor the Bears community, would declare any “untouchables” for acquiring a quarterback like Russell Wilson. The Bears have never had a quarterback of the caliber of Russell Wilson’s quarterback play, so the front office will most likely do whatever it takes to acquire one. It will take a lot of draft capital and big-name players to get a quarterback like Wilson. However, it would be preferable to keep these three players on board for the coming future.

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Billy Corgan wrestled with how to keep the NWA afloat during a pandemic.

His wrestling company back from a hiatus, Corgan is set to return to the studio and produce more smash hits.

Yes, Corgan is working on new music with Smashing Pumpkins, but the frontman is set to relaunch the National Wrestling Alliance with a March 21 pay-per-view titled “Back For The Attack” that will stream on FITE. The NWA will then resume its schedule of “NWA POWERRR” each Thursday at 5:05 p.m. Chicago time starting March 23 and available on FITE via a low-cost subscription bundle.

Corgan revitalized the concept of studio wrestling — where matches and interviews are shot at an Atlanta TV studio and normally in front of just a few rows of fans — and seemed to have a hit when he purchased the NWA in 2017. The NWA, founded in 1948 and the once-proud stamping grounds of Ric Flair, Lou Thesz and Harley Race, was treated like a start-up company under Corgan, and the low-budget setup was far removed from the glitz and pyrotechnics of WWE and All Elite Wrestling. The NWA’s old-school weekly show aired on the company’s YouTube channel and gained a cult following.

“What I didn’t anticipate was how much people would love the format and want more of it and not less of it,” Corgan said. “In our downtime, we did a fan survey and the No. 1 thing was, don’t get rid of ‘Power.'”

FITE has also arranged to offer the PPV event via its cable and satellite partners.

“I feel like we’re finally taking the steps we were hoping to take a year ago,” Corgan told The Associated Press.

Unlike the well-funded major wrestling companies that survived on TV money as touring stopped during the pandemic and fans were largely banned from attending events, the NWA was one of several smaller promotions forced to suspend operations. NWA pulled its videos from its YouTube channel over the weekend — some fans feared the worst for the promotion — but it was necessary as part of the move to FITE.

“We were never in any financial peril,” Corgan said. “We were totally on a growth pattern. The plan for last year before things kind of hit the skids was to start pivoting. We were in discussions with Live Nation about running live events to help bring in revenue and expand who was watching the product. It was more about growing pains stuff, but we didn’t have any problems internally with the product.”

The NWA brand was a household name for wrestling fans until it petered out in the early 1990s and became overshadowed and obsolete for most of the past 30 years. The NWA name was licensed to other companies and considered a dead brand by fans.

The 53-year-old Corgan brought credibility and buzz to the company, which served as a proving ground for young talent along with the occasional dash of nostalgia with classic acts like the Rock ‘n’ Roll Express.

Some NWA talent during the shutdown moved on to other promotions. Thunder Rosa defended her women’s championship on AEW’s “Dynamite” show (“she proudly wants to display her NWA women’s title,” announcer Jim Ross said) in front of hundreds of thousands of fans on cable television. Rosa would lose the championship to AEW’s Serena Deeb.

Corgan was thrilled to partner with AEW and founder Tony Khan and keep NWA active in some form.

“Obviously, the company’s been down and he’s helped keep the brand up in people’s minds, and he’s been a great friend in that way,” Corgan said.

NWA World’s Heavyweight Champion Nick Aldis is expected to compete on the PPV — which will be dedicated to the memory of wrestler Joseph “Jocephus” Hudson — though all events will be held without fans and without artificial crowd noise, giving it a more natural feel, like a UFC show.

Corgan, a longtime wrestling executive in multiple companies, hasn’t quit his day job: He arrived Monday in Nashville, Tennessee, to start work on new Smashing Pumpkins music.

“If we’re lucky, we would have music out by the end of this year,” he said. “I don’t know if we’d put out a full album, but we’d at least have some music out.”

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Tuesday, March 2, 2021

CATHOLIC – WHITE

Providence at St. Joseph, 7:00

CENTRAL SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Deerfield at Evanston, 5:30

Highland Park at Maine South, 6:00

Maine East at Glenbrook North, 5:30

Maine West at Glenbrook South, 5:30

Niles North at Niles West, 5:30

Vernon Hills at New Trier, 5:30

DU PAGE VALLEY

Metea Valley at Waubonsie Valley, 7:00

Naperville Central at Neuqua Valley, 7:00

Naperville North at DeKalb, 7:00

EAST SUBURBAN CATHOLIC

Carmel at St. Viator, 7:00

Marian Catholic at Benet, 7:00

Marian Central at Notre Dame, 7:00

Nazareth at Joliet Catholic, 7:00

St. Patrick at Marist, 7:00

FOX VALLEY

Crystal Lake South at Crystal Lake Central, 7:00

ILLINOIS CENTRAL EIGHT

Coal City at Reed-Custer, 6:45

Herscher at Manteno, 7:00

Peotone at Wilmington, 7:00

Streator at Lisle, 7:00

KISHWAUKEE RIVER

Harvard at Johnsburg, 7:30

Richmond-Burton at Marengo, 7:30

Woodstock North at Woodstock, 7:30

METRO SUBURBAN

Aurora Central at St. Francis, 7:00

Elmwood Park at IC Catholic, 7:00

McNamara at Riverside-Brookfield, 7:00

Ridgewood at Chicago Christian, 7:30

St. Edward at Aurora Christian, 7:30

Westmont at Wheaton Academy, 7:30

MID-SUBURBAN – EAST

Elk Grove at Hersey, 7:30

Prospect at Buffalo Grove, 7:30

MID-SUBURBAN – WEST

Barrington at Palatine, 7:30

Conant at Fremd, 7:30

Schaumburg at Hoffman Estates, 7:30

NIC – 10

Auburn at Harlem, 7:30

Belvidere North at Boylan, 7:30

Freeport at Hononegah, 7:30

Guilford at Jefferson, 7:30

Rockford East at Belvidere, 7:30

NORTH SUBURBAN

Lake Zurich at Waukegan, 7:30

Mundelein at Zion-Benton, 7:30

Warren at Lake Forest, 7:30

NORTHEASTERN ATHLETIC

Our Lady Sacred Heart at Christian Liberty, 6:00

NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY

Grayslake Central at Antioch, 3-12 PPD

North Chicago at Grayslake North, 7:15

Round Lake at Grant, 7:15

Wauconda at Lakes, 6:45

PUBLIC LEAGUE RED SOUTH-CENTRAL

Corliss at Brooks, 5:00

Curie at Bogan, 5:00

Hyde Park at Morgan Park, 5:00

Kenwood at Simeon, 5:00

Longwood at Phillips, CNL

PUBLIC LEAGUE WHITE-CENTRAL

Catalyst-Maria at Solorio, 5:00

Dunbar at Urban Prep-Englewood, 5:00

King at Kennedy, 6:30

Richards (Chgo) at Hubbard, 5:00

Tilden at Lindblom, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE WHITE-SOUTH

ACE Amandla at South Shore, 5:00

Agricultural Science at Urban Prep-Bronzeville, 7:0

Dyett at Perspectives-Lead, 5:00

Fenger at Vocational, 5:00

Harlan at Carver, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE BLUE-CENTRAL

DuSable at Kelly, 5:00

Gage Park at Englewood STEM, 5:00

Hancock at Excel-Englewood, 5:00

Harper at Acero-Soto, 5:00

Horizon-Southwest at Back of the Yards, 5:00

Instituto Health at Acero-Garcia, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE BLUE-SOUTH

Bowen at Goode, 5:00

EPIC at Air Force, 5:00

Excel-South Shore at Chicago Military, 5:00

UC-Woodlawn at Hirsch, 5:00

Washington at Julian, 5:00

SANGAMON VALLEY

Clifton Central at Paxton-Buckley-Loda, 7:00

Momence at Dwight, 7:00

Watseka at Iroquois West, 7:30

SOUTH SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Esienhower at Bremen, 5:00

Oak Forest at Evergreen Park, 7:30

Thornton Fr. North at Reavis, 7:30

Tinley Park at Shepard, 6:00

SOUTHLAND

Rich at Kankakee, 7:00

Thornridge at Bloom, 5:00

Thornton at Crete Monee, 5:00

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE – CROSSOVER

Minooka at Plainfield East, 7:00

Oswego at Plainfield South, PPD

Oswego East at Joliet West, 7:00

Plainfield North at Romeoville, 7:00

West Aurora at Joliet Central, 7:00

Yorkville at Plainfield Central, 7:00

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN – BLUE

Homewood-Flossmoor at Lincoln-Way East, 6:30

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN – RED

Lincoln-Way Central at Lincoln-Way West, 6:30

TRI-COUNTY

Henry-Senachwine at Putnam County, 7:00

Marquette at Midland, 7:00

Roanoke-Benson at Lowpoint-Washburn, 5:30

Seneca at Woodland, 7:00

UPSTATE EIGHT

Fenton at West Chicago, 7:30

Glenbard East at Bartlett, 7:30

Glenbard South at Streamwood, 7:30

Larkin at East Aurora, 7:30

South Elgin at Elgin, 7:30

WEST SUBURBAN – GOLD

Addison Trail at Downers Grove South, 7:00

Proviso East at Leyden, 7:00

Willowbrook at Hinsdale South, 7:00

WEST SUBURBAN – SILVER

Glenbard West at Lyons, 6:00

Hinsdale Central at Downers Grove North, 7:00

York at Proviso West, 6:30

WEST SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Oak Park-River Forest at Morton, 7:00

NON CONFERENCE

Flanagan-Cornell at Serena, 7:00

Kenwood at Simeon, 5:00

Lake Forest Academy at Latin, 6:00

Young at St. Rita,

RIVER VALLEY TOURNAMENT

Grace Christian at Donovan, 5:30

Illinois Lutheran at Tri-Point, 5:30

St. Anne at Gardner-So. Wilmington

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PLEASE NOTE: Events may be postponed or simply canceled. Please call ahead to make sure they are still scheduled to take place.

1

SEASONAL

Spring Flower Show: Saturation

After a long and cooped-up winter, get a taste of spring warmth at the Garfield Park Conservatory’s indoor flower show. For this year’s edition, flowers are grouped by color to show off a wide spectrum of tints and hues. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, advance reservations are required.
Through May 9. Garfield Park Conservatory. East Garfield Park. Free. garfieldconservatory.org

2

RECREATION

Chicago Polar Plunge

Organizers of this annual fundraiser for Special Olympics Chicago usually host a giant in-person dip into frigid Lake Michigan from North Avenue Beach. But this year, they’re asking participants to submit photos and videos of solo “plunges” — think snowbanks, kiddie pools, or bathtubs — which can be shared on social media and incorporated into a livestreamed “Virtual Meltdown Party” on March 7.
FREE Mar. 1–7. sochicago.org

3

ART

Museum of Contemporary Art reopening

With the MCA’s reawakening comes a renewed opportunity to see The Long Dream, an exhibition featuring more than 70 Chicago-based working artists that opened shortly before the museum shut down operations in mid-November; it now runs through May 2. Later in the month, explore a solo exhibition of painter Christina Quarles’s intimate, abstract figurative portraits, on view from March 13 to August 29.
Mar. 2. Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago. Streeterville. Free–$15. mcachicago.org

4

ART

In Focus: The Chicago Freedom Movement and the Fight for Fair Housing

In 1966, Martin Luther King Jr. moved his family to Chicago for several months to mount a campaign against unjust housing practices such as redlining. This exhibit centers on photographs by activist Bernard J. Kleina of the marches, rallies, and clashes that took place across the city that year, supplemented by maps, newspaper articles, and first-person accounts.
Mar. 4–June 10. Elmhurst Art Museum. Elmhurst. $15. elmhurstartmuseum.org

5

ZOO

Lincoln Park Zoo reopening

Chicago’s 153-year-old animal kingdom on the lake welcomes visitors again, and admission is free as always, but reservations must be made in advance to limit capacity. Indoor exhibits like the Helen Brach Primate House and the Regenstein African Journey will remain closed for now.
FREE Mar. 5. Lincoln Park Zoo. Lincoln Park. lpzoo.org

6

MULTIMEDIA

Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes

If they could, comics fans would soar through the sky to this traveling exhibition devoted to the world of characters like Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, and the Avengers. The show is heavy on costumes and props featured in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but you’ll also get to inspect rare comic-book artifacts (like Gil Kane and Dave Cockrum’s original art for the cover of Giant-Size X-Men #1).
Mar. 7–Oct. 24. Museum of Science and Industry Chicago. Hyde Park. $9–$40. msichicago.org

7

FOOD

Yotam Ottolenghi

The British chef and restaurateur gives a cooking demo using one of the plant-based recipes from his latest cookbook, Ottolenghi Flavor, in this Chicago Humanities Festival virtual program. He’ll be joined in conversation about the book and his approach to cooking by fellow author Claire Saffitz.
FREE Mar. 17. 7 p.m. chicagohumanities.org

8

FOOD

Chicago Restaurant Week

If that newfound joy of cooking you found at the beginning of lockdown has withered and died 12 months on, how about treating yourself to a meal made by someone else? Participating restaurants — ranging from newer hot spots like Virtue and Galit to chestnuts like Gene & Georgetti — offer special prix fixe menus that are often more affordable than ordering à la carte. And due to ongoing capacity restrictions, this year’s edition will include delivery and takeout options for the first time.
Mar. 19–Apr. 4. Various locations. $25–$55. choosechicago.com/chicago-restaurant-week

9

THEATER

Chicago Sings Rock & Roll Broadway

Porchlight Music Theatre’s annual concert fundraiser goes streaming this year, with a slate of more than 40 performers set to shake, rattle, and roll in numbers from rock-flavored Broadway shows like Hair, Rent, and Jagged Little Pill. Following its premiere, the program will be available on-demand through April 18.
Mar. 20. 7 p.m. $25. porchlightmusictheatre.org

10

NEW MUSIC

Spektral Quartet

In Something to Write Home About, the Grammy-nominated local string ensemble plays pieces by five Chicago composers, interspersed with prompts to spark viewers at home to compose postcards to loved ones. The program features works by Samuel Adams, Eliza Brown, Tomeka Reid, Gene Knific, and Nathalie Joachim; it streams on the Harris Theater’s Virtual Stage platform.
FREE Mar. 30. harristheaterchicago.org

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YANGON, Myanmar — Police in Myanmar repeatedly used tear gas and rubber bullets Tuesday against crowds protesting last month’s coup, but the demonstrators regrouped after each volley and tried to defend themselves with barricades as standoffs between protesters and security forces intensified.

Myanmar authorities have escalated their crackdown on the protests in recent days, making mass arrests and firing into the crowds. The United Nations said it believed at least 18 people were killed on Sunday by security forces. Foreign ministers from Southeast Asian countries called Tuesday for an end to the violence and talks to resolve the increasingly volatile crisis.

Despite the crackdown, demonstrators have continued to flood the streets — and are beginning to more rigorously resist attempts to disperse them. Hundreds, many wearing construction helmets and carrying makeshift shields, gathered in Myanmar’s largest city of Yangon, where a day earlier police had fired repeated rounds of tear gas. They dragged bamboo poles and debris to form barricades, chanted slogans and sang songs at the police lines. They even threw banana skins onto the road in front of them in a bid to slow any police rush.

The mainly young demonstrators fled in panic each time tear gas canisters were fired but soon returned to their barricades. Videos posted on social media showed similar chaotic scenes in the Insein neighborhood of northern Yangon.

Protesters also took up their flags and banners to march through the streets of Dawei, a small city in southeastern Myanmar that has seen almost daily large demonstrations against the coup. One group of demonstrators was targeted by the security forces as it entered a narrow street on its way to pay respects at the house of a man killed in Sunday’s crackdown. Another was attacked on the main street in the city’s center.

Police also dispersed protests in Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city, on Tuesday.

Yangon, Dawei and Mandalay were among the cities where security forces reportedly fired live ammunition into crowds Sunday, according to the U.N. Human Rights Office. There were reports that they also fired live rounds Tuesday, but they could not immediately be confirmed.

Some fear the junta’s escalating use of force is meant to provoke a violent backlash by the demonstrators — who have largely remained nonviolent — in order to discredit them and justify an even harsher crackdown. Videos from recent days show a greater number of protesters trying to stand their ground and throw objects at the police.

“I beg the people in Myanmar not to fall in this trap, so to stay peaceful,” U.N. Special Envoy on Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener said in interview with CNN, acknowledging that it was easier for her, safely away from the violence, to urge peaceful protesting. She also accused the authorities of spreading rumors about the conditions of people in detention to stir up even more anger on the streets.

The Feb. 1 coup reversed years of slow progress toward democracy in Myanmar after five decades of military rule. It came the day a newly elected Parliament was supposed to take office. Ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party would have been installed for a second five-year term, but instead she was detained along with President Win Myint and other senior officials.

The military government has charged Suu Kyi, 75, with several offenses that critics say are trumped up merely to keep her jailed and potentially prevent her from participating in the election promised in a year’s time by the military. Her party says it does not know where Suu Kyi — who has a long history of campaigning for democracy in Myanmar — is being held.

The weekend crackdown drew international condemnation. In addition to the use of force, authorities also detained more than 1,000 people over the weekend, according to the independent Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. Those detained included at least eight journalists, among them Thein Zaw of The Associated Press.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called the use of force and arbitrary arrests “unacceptable,” according to his spokesperson. The U.S., British and other governments issued similar statements of concern.

But the military has showed no sign of backing down.

The protesters and their supporters have appealed for help from abroad, but there are few prospects for major intervention. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a regional group of 10 nations, has a policy of seeking a consensus among its members, making it unlikely to take strong action. A virtual meeting Tuesday of the group ended with a statement calling for the parties in Myanmar to begin talks to try to reach a peaceful settlement.

The U.N.’s independent expert on human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, has proposed that countries could institute a global embargo on the sale of arms to Myanmar and “tough, targeted and coordinated sanctions” against those responsible for the coup, the crackdown and other rights abuses.

But any kind of coordinated action at the United Nations would be difficult since two permanent members of the U.N. Security Council, China and Russia, would almost certainly veto it. Some countries have imposed or are considering imposing their own sanctions.

___

Associated Press writers Niniek Karmini in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Eileen Ng in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, contributed to this report.

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Chicago Bulls: Loss to Nuggets points out obvious current flaws by Ryan Heckman

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(Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)

The Chicago Bears are looking for a replacement for Buster Skrine as they cut him on Monday.

The Chicago Bears‘ retool of their roster seems to be already underway. On Monday, they announced that they are releasing veteran cornerback, Buster Skrine. This is a move that will clear some cap space if they want to make an improvement or add somewhere else. Their defense is getting older as it is but you never know who they use to replace him. They might promote from within or they might look at someone on the outside. These are three good options to replace him going forward:

20

Duke Shelley

CB, Chicago Bears

Duke Shelley was selected in the sixth round (205th overall) in the 2019 NFL Draft. He didn’t start a single game in his rookie season but he appeared in nine of them. In 2020, he appeared in 11 games but he was given the opportunity to start in two of them. He is 24 years old and might be looking to take a full-time job in the NFL now that Buster Skrine is gone.

In all of the games he appeared in this past season, he wasn’t a game-breaker or anything but he wasn’t given that much of an opportunity. He had 16 total tackles as he had nine solo tackles and seven assisted tackles. He deflected one pass as well. The Bears aren’t sure what they have in Shelley just yet but they might find out if they use him as one of Skrine’s full-time replacements.

It would probably be smart to go that route because it would be cheaper and could force them to learn that they have a diamond in the rough. If that were to happen, they would be able to use some of that money on other parts of the roster.

Next: Option Two

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A vacant apartment building in Aurora was destroyed in a blaze that put firefighters on the defensive Tuesday morning in the western suburb.

Although initial reports indicated a person was trapped inside, the building was actually empty and no one was injured, Aurora Fire Department Battalion Chief Jim Rhodes said.

The fire spread quickly through the three-and-a-half story wooden frame apartment building in the 200 block of West Downer Place, Rhodes said.

Neighbors called 911 about 7 a.m. after noticing the fire, he said. Firefighters saw smoke billowing from the home soon after they left the station and found flames shooting from the side of the home when they arrived.

“It was a pretty labor-intensive fire,” Rhodes said. Firefighters were forced to exit the home a couple times when the fire became too dangerous, he said.

“We were ultimately able to get back in there and put out the fire,” he said.

Crews were still on scene at 9:30 a.m. at the home, which Rhodes said was a total loss.

Neighboring homes were undamaged by the flames, he said.

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