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Michael O’Brien’s high school basketball notebookon February 27, 2021 at 5:13 am

Clark junior Darrius Perryman was tremendous tonight. He scored 19 points in the fourth quarter to give the newly-promoted Eagles a huge win at North Lawndale.

And then he trusted me to tell his story, which is a brave thing considering we’ve met just once before.

I’m not in the mood to blather on too much after that and it was a big night so lets get to the games.

Friday’s top games

No. 9 Glenbrook South 61, No. 2 Evanston 55: Biggest win of the night and one of the biggest of the season. Does anyone know what the CSL tiebreaker is? It might not matter if the Titans can beat Evanston again tomorrow. That one is in Glenview at 2 p.m., I’ll be there.

No. 3 Young 74, Lincoln Park 39: Well that little switch I made moving Evanston to No. 2 and Young to three didn’t work out too well, did it? Another nice win for the Dolphins. Dalen Davis scored 20, Daniel Johnson 11 and AJ Casey 10. Underrated senior Julio Montes led the Lions with 14. And a huge thanks to the new LP basketball Twitter account for all that info. That is they way to do it.

Bloom 62, Thornridge 48: Here we are, keeping tabs on a super young Bloom team again. I wonder if it will end as successfully as it did the first time? Sophomore Jordan Brown had 18 and sophomore KJ Cobb scored 17 and had five assists.

Plainfield North 68, Plainfield East 63 OT: Nothing like an overtime win on the road against a local rival. The Tigers are 5-2.

No. 4 Mundelein 54, No. 18 Lake Forest 42: The Scouts beat Mundelein in the season opener. But the Mustangs were without big man Scottie Ebube. He’s clearly a difference maker. The SIU rcruit had 11 points and 12 rebounds in this one. Conor Enright added 18 points and four assists.

New Trier 53, Maine South 52 OT: This is a nice win at home for the Trevians, who have been a bit out of the spotlight after having a delayed start to the season. Maine South had been on a roll.

Westinghouse 64, Orr 49: It’s kinda weird to see Orr lose a conference game to someone other than Young. Martell Webb had 16 pointsa nd 11 rebounds and Dwayne Walton added 14 points and four assists.

No. 14 Homewood-Flossmoor 70, Lockport 69 4 OT: This was clearly the best game of the night. The Vikings bounce back from the loss at Young in epic fashion. It’s probably safe to say the Porters are for real now. They nearly made the segment about surprise teams on No Shot Clock this week. Lockport’s Matas Deksnys scored 16 and had a last-second three-pointer to send the game to the first overtime.

Barrington 70, Hoffman Estates 54: The Broncos did make the surprise team segment and they are living up to the billing. Barrington is 7-1 now and unbeaten in the MSL West.

Riverside-Brookfield 52, IC Prep 34: The Dogs have won seven consecutive games and are on the Super 25 radar. Juniors JP Hanley and Joevonn McCottry each scored 16 points.

Lemont 78, Evergreen Park 55: I’ve heard some good things about the Indians. This season is so short I’m afraid I won’t get a chance to see them in person though. Nojus Indrusaitis scored a career-high 27 point and Kyle Kostes scored 21. Lemont is 6-1.

No. 23 Brother Rice 54, No. 11 Fenwick 53: What a win for the Crusaders. I raved about them on No Shot Clock and put them in the rankings on Sunday, but I won’t lie, I didn’t see this coming. Bryce Hopkins led the Friars with 24 points. I didn’t see scorers for Rice, but I wouldn’t be surprised if like seven guys each scored 11-13 points.

Austin 48, Wells 36: The Tigers win their season opener behind 17 points and five rebounds from junior Tyjuan Freeman and 14 points and seven assists from senior Kevin Gentry.

Morton 70, Proviso East 66: Always big for the Mustangs when they can knock off Proviso East. Joshua Dowdell scored 25, Eliseo Gonzalez added 20 and Jesus Peres nailed the winning free throws at the end.

No. 20 Kenwood 100, Perspectives 49: This isn’t going to shock you, but JJ Taylor had a massive night. The sophomore finished with 38 points. Fellow sophs Davius Loury (18 points, 12 rebounds) and Darrin Ames (15 points, five steals, five boards) also racked up impressive stats.

No. 25 Bolingbrook 77, Lincoln-Way East 48: The Raiders get it down without Kai Evans. Kyone Thomas scored 15. He’s one of the most exciting players I’ve watched this season.

York 43, No. 22 Downers Grove North 36: Jeffrey Grace scored 18 to give the Dukes the upset win.

Mather 57, Foreman 43: Junior Brandon Adorno scored 21 and sophomore Erik Peoples added 14 points. Omarion James led the Hornets with 16 points.

Chicago Christian 62, St. Francis 54: I’ve had my eye on the Knights all season. They are 8-1 now.

No. 5 Notre Dame 42, Benet 40: The Redwings nearly pulled off their first upset of the season. This is how it ended, much better to look at then hear me describe:

Senn 82, Von Steuben 51: A large margin in this North Side tussle. Juniors led the way for Senn. Gennaris Williams had 33 and Darion Williams scored 22 and grabbed 12 boards. Brothers? Dunno.

Marian Catholic 57, No. 15 St. Patrick 52: Holy moly I retweeted this but didn’t actually look at it until now. It’s a Friday night of upsets! Rankings madness. Jeremiah Jones led the Spartans with 12. Caleb Corro scored 30 for the Shamrocks. I guess tomorrow night’s St. Patrick vs. Lake Forest game is all about which team can bounce back from a rough Friday night. I’ll be there.

Corliss 70, Bowen 34: The Trojans are already 4-0. Senior Freddie Cooper scored 18 and Na’Shawn Townsen added 12 points.

Clemente 61, Raby 47: Terrell Taylor had 25 points and nine rebounds and Trey Spires added 15 points and nine assists. The Wildcats have recovered nicely from the loss to Kenwood.

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Michael O’Brien’s high school basketball notebookon February 27, 2021 at 5:13 am Read More »

Local Beer Review: Lo Rez Voxelon February 27, 2021 at 5:28 am

The Beeronaut

Local Beer Review: Lo Rez Voxel

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Local Beer Review: Lo Rez Voxelon February 27, 2021 at 5:28 am Read More »

Man dies in West Garfield Park fireon February 27, 2021 at 12:07 am

A man died while trying to escape from a fire Friday in West Garfield Park, officials said.

The man “tried to escape but succumbed to heavy smoke” after a blaze broke out about 4:45 p.m. at a home in the 4300 block of West Maypole Avenue, Chicago fire officials said.

Firefighters found the man in the back of the home and he was taken to West Suburban Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, officials said.

The Cook County medical examiner’s office hasn’t released details on the man’s death.

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Man dies in West Garfield Park fireon February 27, 2021 at 12:07 am Read More »

Friday’s high school basketball scoreson February 26, 2021 at 11:30 pm

Please send scores and corrections to [email protected]

Friday, February 26, 2021

BIG NORTHERN

Genoa-Kingston at Byron, 7:00

Oregon at North Boone, 7:00

Rockford Christian at Dixon, 7:00

Rockford Lutheran at Winnebago, 7:00

Stillman Valley at Rock Falls, 7:00

CATHOLIC – BLUE

DePaul at St. Laurence, 7:15

Fenwick at Brother Rice, 7:00

Loyola at Leo, 7:00

St. Rita at Mount Carmel, PPD

CATHOLIC – WHITE

Marmion at Providence-St. Mel, 7:00

Providence at St. Ignatius, 7:00

St. Joseph at Montini, 7:00

CENTRAL SUBURBAN – NORTH

Maine West at Highland Park, 7:30

Niles North at Maine East, 7:30

Vernon Hills at Deerfield, 7:30

CENTRAL SUBURBAN – SOUTH

Glenbrook North at Niles West, 7:30

Glenbrook South at Evanston, 7:30

Maine South at New Trier, 7:30

CHICAGO PREP

Christ the King at Walther Christian, 6:30

Hope Academy at Holy Trinity, 6:30

DU PAGE VALLEY

DeKalb at Metea Valley, 7:00

Naperville Central at Waubonsie Valley, 7:00

Neuqua Valley at Naperville North, 7:00

EAST SUBURBAN CATHOLIC

Benet at Notre Dame, 5:30

Carmel at Marist, 7:00

Marian Central at Joliet Catholic, 7:00

St. Patrick at Marian Catholic, 7:00

St. Viator at Nazareth, 7:00

FOX VALLEY

Burlington Central at Dundee-Crown, 7:00

Cary-Grove at Crystal Lake South, 7:00

Crystal Lake Central at McHenry, 7:00

Hampshire at Huntley, 7:00

Jacobs at Prairie Ridge, 7:00

ILLINOIS CENTRAL EIGHT

Coal City at Lisle, 7:00

Herscher at Streator, 6:45

Manteno at Peotone, 7:00

Reed-Custer at Wilmington, 7:00

INTERSTATE EIGHT

LaSalle-Peru at Morris, PPD

Ottawa at Sandwich, 6:00

Plano at Kaneland, 6:00

Sycamore at Rochelle, 6:00

KISHWAUKEE RIVER

Richmond-Burton at Harvard, 7:30

Woodstock at Marengo, 7:30

Woodstock North at Johnsburg, 7:30

LITTLE TEN

Hinckley-Big Rock at Newark, 7:00

Indian Creek at LaMoille-Ohio, 7:00

Serena at Hiawatha, 6:45

Somonauk at Earlville, 7:00

METRO SUBURBAN

Aurora Christian at Timothy Christian, 7:30

Chicago Christian at St. Francis, 7:00

Elmwood Park at Westmont, 7:30

IC Catholic at Riverside-Brookfield, 7:00

McNamara at Aurora Central, 7:30

Ridgewood at St. Edward, 7:30

MID-SUBURBAN – EAST

Prospect at Hersey, 7:30

Rolling Meadows at Elk Grove, 7:30

Wheeling at Buffalo Grove, 7:30

MID-SUBURBAN – WEST

Barrington at Hoffman Estates, 7:30

Conant at Schaumburg, 7:30

Fremd at Palatine, 7:30

NORTH SUBURBAN

Lake Forest at Mundelein, 7:30

Libertyville at Warren, 7:30

Stevenson at Lake Zurich, 7:30

Zion-Benton at Waukegan, 7:30

NORTHEASTERN ATHLETIC

Schaumburg Christian at Parkview Christian, 7:30

PUBLIC LEAGUE RED WEST-NORTH

Clark at North Lawndale, 5:00

Farragut at Lane, 5:00

Lincoln Park at Young, 7:00

Schurz at Marshall, 5:00

Westinghouse at Orr, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE WHITE-NORTH

Foreman at Mather, 6:30

Lake View at Northside, 5:00

Senn at Von Steuben, 5:00

Sullivan at Uplift, 5:00

Taft at Prosser, 7:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE WHITE-WEST

Clemente at Raby, 5:00

Collins at Payton, 7:00

Jones at Crane, 5:00

Legal Prep at Perspectives-MSA, CNL

Wells at Austin, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE BLUE-NORTH

Amundsen at ASPIRA-Bus&Fin, 5:00

CICS-Quest at Steinmetz, 5:00

Disney at Rickover, 5:00

Marine at Alcott, 5:00

North Grand at Chicago Math & Science, 5:00

Roosevelt at Chicago Academy, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE BLUE-WEST

Douglass at Ogden, 5:00

Juarez at Manley, 5:00

Kelvyn Park at Chicago Tech, 5:00

Little Village at Phoenix, 5:00

Spry at Chicago Collegiate, 5:00

RIVER VALLEY

Beecher at Donovan, 7:00

Gardner-So. Wilmington at Illinois Lutheran, 7:00

St. Anne at Grace Christian, 7:00

Tri-Point at Grant Park, 7:00

SANGAMON VALLEY

Clifton Central at Watseka, 7:30

Dwight at Cissna Park, 7:00

Momence at Iroquois West, 5:30

SOUTH SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Evergreen Park at Lemont, 7:30

Tinley Park at Argo, 6:00

SOUTHLAND

Bloom at Thornridge, 7:00

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE – CROSSOVER

Minooka at Joliet West, 7:00

Oswego at Plainfield Central, PPD

Oswego East at Romeoville, 7:00

Plainfield North at Plainfield East, 7:00

West Aurora at Plainfield South, 7:00

Yorkville at Joliet Central, 7:00

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN – BLUE

Homewood-Flossmoor at Lockport, 6:30

Lincoln-Way East at Bolingbrook, 6:30

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN – RED

Andrew at Lincoln-Way West, 6:30

Bradley-Bourbonnais at Lincoln-Way Central, 6:30

TRI-COUNTY

Marquette at Lowpoint-Washburn, 5:30

Midland at Seneca, 7:00

Putnam County at Roanoke-Benson, 7:00

Henry-Senachwine at Woodland, 7:00

WEST SUBURBAN – GOLD

Addison Trail at Hinsdale South, 7:00

Leyden at Willowbrook, 7:00

Proviso East at Morton, 7:00

WEST SUBURBAN – SILVER

Glenbard West at Oak Park-River Forest, 7:00

Lyons at Hinsdale Central, 7:00

York at Downers Grove North, 7:00

WEST SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Downers Grove South at Proviso West, 6:30

NON CONFERENCE

Cathedral Baptist at Our Lady Sacred Heart, 5:00

Chrisman at Iroquois West, 7:30

Francis Parker at Latin, 4:30

North Chicago at Lake Forest Academy, 6:15

Westminster Christian at Elgin Academy, 5:00

Yorkville Christian at Harvest Christian, 7:30

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Friday’s high school basketball scoreson February 26, 2021 at 11:30 pm Read More »

Radio Personality Angela Yee & Financial Guru Stacey Tisdale Launched #TeamWealthWednesdayson February 26, 2021 at 9:55 pm

Just N

Radio Personality Angela Yee & Financial Guru Stacey Tisdale Launched #TeamWealthWednesdays

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Radio Personality Angela Yee & Financial Guru Stacey Tisdale Launched #TeamWealthWednesdayson February 26, 2021 at 9:55 pm Read More »

United Center to become mass vaccination site March 10Mitchell Armentrouton February 26, 2021 at 7:49 pm

The United Center is set to become a mass COVID-19 vaccination site.
The United Center is set to become a mass COVID-19 vaccination site. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times file

Residents from across the state eventually will be eligible to register for an appointment there, but sign-ups initially will be limited to people 65 or older. 

The center of Chicago’s sports world will become a focal point of its pandemic response March 10 when a mass COVID-19 vaccination site is launched outside the United Center.

About 6,000 shots will be doled out per day when the community vaccination center operated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency is up and running next month, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Friday with Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and Sen. Dick Durbin.

“The United Center is one of the best locations for vaccinating large numbers of people in America. It’s easy to get to, is in the midst of a medically underserved community, can handle large crowds and is well known to everyone in Illinois,” Pritzker said.

The state’s highest-profile vaccination site will use a combination of drive-thru and temporary walk-up facilities in the parking lot north of the stadium, FEMA officials said.

Residents from across the state eventually will be eligible to register for an appointment there, but sign-ups initially will be limited to people 65 or older.

That’s been a point of contention between Lightfoot and Pritzker, who expanded vaccine eligibility Thursday to include residents 16 and up with chronic health conditions like diabetes. The city and suburban Cook County aren’t yet expanding eligibility yet, arguing the vaccine supply is still too low to add more people to the crowd vying for appointments.

The governor said he’s asked Lightfoot and Preckwinkle to open up that process, “but I think that the common view is that we want to get as many people vaccinated as possible, as soon as possible.”

Mayor Lori Lightfoot (center) and Gov. J.B. Pritzker (right) appear at a Friday news conference in the Loop.
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Mayor Lori Lightfoot (center) and Gov. J.B. Pritzker (right) appear at a Friday news conference in the Loop.

Lightfoot called it “our SOS moment: support our seniors.”

“We need moms, dads, grandma grandpas, your neighbor, your auntie, your mother’s cousin — anybody who can lend a hand to our seniors, we need to get them there, and we need to get them vaccinated,” Lightfoot said.

Ride-hailing giant Uber announced it’ll provide 20,000 free rides to get residents to and from the site, with a focus on South and West side residents.

Vaccine shipments for the United Center will come to the city separate from Chicago’s weekly allotments it receives from the federal government.

So far, the state has received about 3.2 million doses since December and about 2.5 million of those shots have gone into arms, but only 725,464 people have received both required doses — about 5.7% of the population.

Almost 103,000 shots were given statewide Thursday, the second-highest one-day total ever. Pritzker said he expects those daily numbers to shoot up as supply improves with a third vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson nearing approval.

The so-called “major community vaccination center” planned for the United Center is one of a handful of pilot locations being set up by the feds across the nation. According to the White House, the home of the Bulls and Blackhawks was chosen because almost 3 million people live within a 30-minute drive time, and it’s close to many communities of color that have borne a disproportionate brunt of the pandemic.

Pritzker said more information about registration for the United Center site would be released over the next two weeks.

Fans haven’t been in the stadium in nearly a year, but it’s already played a key role in the regional pandemic response. The United Center served as a pandemic logistics hub last spring, storing more than 387 tons of donated food.

The United Center, pictured last April, when it served as a food storage site.
Courtesy of United Center
The United Center, pictured last April, when it served as a food storage site.

Jerry Reinsdorf and Rocky Wirtz, who own the teams who play at the United Center and chair the stadium’s joint venture, said in a statement, “It is our hope that by partnering with FEMA to create a mass vaccination center, we are one step closer to putting this pandemic behind us. We are grateful for the dedication of our United Center professionals and our incredibly supportive vendors and partners to help turn these plans into a reality.”

The Bulls returned to the floor at the UC in mid-December, and the Blackhawks resumed play in early January.

There’s still no timetable for when — or if — fans might be able to attend games again, but city leaders are preparing for at least some large-scale summer events elsewhere in Chicago.

“Whether or not we have a summer that looks more like 2019 as opposed to 2020 is going to be wholly dependent upon where we are in the arc of the virus,” Lightfoot said.

That arc has looked promising over the past month. The Illinois Department of Public Health announced 2,441 new coronavirus cases were diagnosed among 92,256 tests, keeping the state’s average positivity rate at a nearly eight-month low of 2.5%. Chicago’s regional infection rate (2.9%) is as low as it’s been since the virus first surfaced.

The state also reported 55 more COVID-19 deaths, including five Cook County residents in their 40s. Overall, the state’s daily COVID-19 death rate has sunk from 113 at the start of the year, to now roughly 38 per day.

Nearly 1.2 million Illinoisans have been infected since last March, and 20,460 of them have died.

Graph not displaying properly? Click here.

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United Center to become mass vaccination site March 10Mitchell Armentrouton February 26, 2021 at 7:49 pm Read More »

A look at this weekend’s top high school basketball gamesJoe Henricksenon February 26, 2021 at 6:01 pm

Young’s Matt Sommerville (25) goes to the basket through Mount Carmel’s defense.
Young’s Matt Sommerville (25) goes to the basket through Mount Carmel’s defense. | Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times

The weekend forecast includes six of the best games to keep an eye on this weekend.

Last weekend, highlighted by the dramatic Notre Dame win over Fenwick, was a good one. My quick 5-0 start in the Weekend Forecast business has me feeling good in this snap of a season.

This weekend has several pivotal conference showdowns, including one that could determine a league title and tournament berth in the season-ending Chipotle Clash of Champions in March. That would be the battle of unbeatens –– Glenbrook South and Evanston –– in the Central Suburban League South.

In addition, Mundelein can take a big step towards its first conference championship since 1994, Brother Rice can show it’s more than just a surprise in the Catholic League and two Public League teams, Clark and North Lawndale, tip off their season in style in a matchup of ranked teams.

Here is the Weekend Forecast with a half dozen picks.

Friday

Fenwick (7-1) at Brother Rice (6-0), 7 p.m.

Unbeaten Brother Rice impressed in a win over St. Ignatius and hopes to play the roll of the surprise Catholic League team. With the ball in the hands of impactful point guard Ahmad Henderson, the Crusaders can be that team. The 5-8 Henderson is surrounded by 6-7 Luke Moustakas, shooter Garrett Greene and tough, hard-nosed Cullen Cosme.

Everyone knows Fenwick has the star in Bryce Hopkins. The Kentucky-bound recruit can manhandle just about anyone, especially now that junior David Gieser is back to space the floor for the Friars with his outstanding shooting ability. The combination is difficult to defend.

The pick: Fenwick 64, Brother Rice 57

Lake Forest (8-1) at Mundelein (8-1), 7:30 p.m.

It’s a first-place battle in the North Suburban Conference –– and Stevenson isn’t a part of it.

League favorite Mundelein lost to Lake Forest in its season opener earlier this month, falling 71-60 with big man Scottie Ebube sidelined. But it wasn’t considered a league game. Ebube, a Southern Illinois recruit, is back and has been very productive since. Drake recruit Conor Enright and Trey Baker are a pair of offensive-minded guards.

Lake Forest’s Walt Mattingly, who played last year at Deerfield, scored 19 points in the first matchup between these two, while tough and steady senior Jack Malloy scored 20. That senior combo, along with the shooting and scoring prowess of 6-6 sophomore Asa Thomas, has the Scouts as a legit conference title contender. Keep an eye on talented freshman Tommy Aberle.

Mundelein gets its revenge and the all-important conference win.

The pick: Mundelein 65, Lake Forest 60

Clark (0-0) at North Lawndale (0-0) , 7 p.m.

Terry Head has elevated the Clark program since his arrival as head coach in 2017. He’s brought energy to the program and has guided the Eagles to a pair of Class 2A regional titles the past three years.

But now Clark gets a taste of an upper-division battle in the Public League’s Red-West/North.

From a personnel standpoint, the battle in the backcourt will be one to watch. Clark has a scorer in junior guard Darrius Perryman, who knocked down 63 three-pointers last year as a sophomore, who is set to make a name for himself. Senior Michael Hardges, who led the team in rebounding and is a defensive warrior, also returns for a fourth varsity season.

Plus, Head welcomes Mikell Jones and Miquwon Jones, a pair of 6-3 guards who have transferred in from Farragut. They are seasoned juniors who have been through the rigors of the Public League’s Red-West/North.

North Lawndale is young and dangerous. They counter with a dynamite perimeter attack. While 6-2 senior guard Daequan Davis is the team’s returning leading scorer, the excitement surrounding the sophomore guard tandem of Ronald Chambers and Damarion Wyatt is building.

When you add 6-4 athletic dynamo Larry Johnson to the mix, North Lawndale is a big city sleeper.

A season opener for both could prove to show plenty of rust.

The pick: North Lawndale 69, Clark 64

Saturday

Evanston (8-0) at Glenbrook South (10-0), 2 p.m.

This is the second of a back-to-back, so what happens on Friday will matter as these two tee it up in what could decide the Central Suburban League South title –– and a trip to the Chipotle Clash of Champions.

The Evanston reign over the CSL South has included at least a share of the league title in each of the previous six seasons. That’s the longest conference title streak in Evanston basketball history. Star shooting guard Blake Peters has been front and center in each of the past three.

The firepower on the perimeter continues with seniors Isaiah Holden and Elyjah Bull and junior Rashawn Bost.

Perhaps the most unheralded tandem in the Chicago area just might be Glenbrook South’s junior pair of Nick Martinelli and Cooper Noard. The 6-6 Martinelli averages 23.2 points and 5.3 rebounds. In addition to being a major threat from beyond the arc, where Noard is shooting 43 percent, the 6-0 guard is putting up 17.9 points.

We’re going with a split this weekend –– Evanston wins Friday night; Glenbrook South comes back and wins a squeaker in the quick turnaround rematch on Saturday.

The pick: Glenbrook South 60, Evanston 58

Hersey (8-2) at Fremd (6-1) , 7:30 p.m.

Fremd will do what it does under coach Bob Widlowski: defend, control tempo and limit Hersey’s opportunities. The Vikings have only given up more than 44 points in a game once in seven games.

With space-eating Jack Walsh inside and the guard trio of juniors Eli Schoffstall and Chris Smyros and sophomore Ryan Sammons, a balanced Fremd should be able to control the pace of the game.

Hersey, meanwhile, has averaged 70 points a game since its opening-season loss to Glenbrook South. And it’s been a pretty simple formula: Put the ball in the hands of Ethan Roberts, the high-scoring senior guard who has been brilliant thus far this season.

The supporting cast has also done its job, whether it’s point guard Andrew Wagner, agile 6-7 big man Ben Randall or versatile 6-5 wing Griffin Ginder.

Hersey, which boasts more firepower and experience, ekes out a win.

The pick: Hersey 53, Fremd 50

Young (3-0) at Thornton (2-1), noon

The immediate highlight is a Chicago Public League giant like Young traveling to Harvey to play a perennial power in that great, historic gym.

The state’s top junior prospect, 6-8 AJ Casey, is the big name that garners a lot of attention for Young. Casey is capable of doing things others simply can’t with his size, length and skill. But Grant Newell, an uncommitted 6-7 talent, and guard Jaehshon Thomas are set to make the most of their senior campaign. The emerging Xavier Amos is one to watch for the Dolphins.

Thornton is led by 6-3 senior Brandon Hall, an East Tennessee State recruit who is a strong, athletic, downhill guard with size. But the Wildcats will be without point guard Sean Burress, an unheralded player who is a significant loss.

The pick: Young 70, Thornton 59

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A look at this weekend’s top high school basketball gamesJoe Henricksenon February 26, 2021 at 6:01 pm Read More »

6,000 people daily can receive vaccinations at United Center starting March 10 (LIVE UPDATES)Sun-Times staffon February 26, 2021 at 6:20 pm

The United Center is set to become a mass COVID-19 vaccination site.
Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times file

Here’s the latest news on how COVID-19 impacted Chicago and Illinois.

The latest

6,000 people daily can receive vaccinations at United Center starting March 10

The United Center is set to become a mass COVID-19 vaccination site.
Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times file

A center of Chicago’s sports world will become a focal point of its pandemic response March 10 when a mass COVID-19 vaccination site will be launched at the United Center.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced the site Friday with Mayor Lightfoot and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.

“The United Center is one of the best locations for vaccinating large numbers of people in America: It’s easy to get to, is in the midst of a medically underserved community, can handle large crowds and is well known to everyone in Illinois,” Pritzker said in a statement. “Thanks to FEMA, the United Center is just our most recent among a growing number of state-supported mass vaccination location for residents.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is expected to launch the site and begin giving out shots in about two weeks, White House COVID-19 Task Force senior adviser Andy Slavitt said during a separate news briefing.

It’ll have the capacity to vaccinate about 6,000 people per day, Slavitt said.

News of the state’s highest-profile vaccination site leaked Thursday. State Rep. La Shawn Ford, a Democrat whose 8th District includes portions of Chicago’s West Side, said appointments at the site will initially be limited to people over 65.

Read the full story by Mitchell Armentrout here.

News

12:20 p.m. A Chicago summer? CPD is planning for it

With vaccinations surging and coronavirus cases dropping, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has asked the Chicago Police Department to prepare security plans for large-scale summer events.

The discussion about police preparations for a return to some sense of normalcy in Chicago this summer came up this week during the mayor’s regular “accountability” meeting with top police brass.

Chicago Police Department spokesman Don Terry refused to say what types of major events the mayor is contemplating. He would only say that CPD is “preparing for the summer for things to open, if they open up.”

“If we continue on this path, with people being vaccinated and the infection rate going down — and if the city opens up — we’re gonna be prepared for what happens in the summer in Chicago,” Terry said Friday.

Read the full story by Fran Spielman here.

11:40 a.m. House to vote on virus bill; arbiter says wage hike a no-go

WASHINGTON — Democrats are ready to shove a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package through the House on Friday, despite a setback that means a minimum wage boost is unlikely to be in the final version that reaches President Joe Biden.

A near party-line vote seemed certain on the measure, Biden’s first crack at his initial legislative goal of acting decisively against the pandemic. In the year since the coronavirus has taken hold, it has stalled much of the economy, killed half a million Americans and reshaped the daily lives of virtually everyone.

The relief bill would provide millions of people with $1,400 direct payments. It contains billions of dollars for vaccines and COVID-19 testing, schools, state and local governments, the ailing restaurant and airline industries and emergency jobless benefits while providing tax breaks to lower earners and families with children.

Read the complete story here.

10:40 a.m. How parents can manage kids’ screen time as the COVID-19 pandemic drags on

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Jennifer Edwards’ two kids were on a limited screen-time budget. After they got home from school and through their after-school routine, they would get maybe an hour or two a day.

When the pandemic started, Edwards worked from home while the kids’ school was closed, eventually transitioning to online learning. Limits on screen time were tossed out.

Now, her kids’ schools have reopened, and they’ve returned to some of their normal routines. But Edwards, who lives in St. Augustine, Florida, says returning to those screen-time limits has “been like trying to put the toothpaste back in the bottle. The kids have gotten so used to being occupied by their screens that it is now a struggle to get them off the screens.”

COVID-19 led to school closings, which also meant disrupting after-school activities including team sports. Quarantining pushed parents working remotely to relax screen-time rules as they juggled jobs and their kids’ online schooling.

Read the full story here.

9:46 a.m. Biden marks 50M vaccine doses in first 5 weeks in office

Days after marking a solemn milestone in the pandemic, President Joe Biden is celebrating the pace of his efforts to end it.

On Thursday, Biden marked the administration of the 50 millionth dose of COVID-19 vaccine since his swearing-in. The moment came days after the nation reached the devastating milestone of 500,000 coronavirus deaths and ahead of a meeting with the nation’s governors on plans to speed the distribution even further.

“The more people get vaccinated, the faster we’re going to beat this pandemic,” Biden said at the White House ceremony, noting that his administration is on course to exceed his promise to deliver 100 million shots in his first 100 days in office.

“We’re halfway there: 50 million shots in 37 days,” Biden said. “That’s weeks ahead of schedule.”

Read the full story here.

9 a.m. Artist’s portraits capture our plague year

The mask.

We spend so much time complaining about wearing it, we might not have noticed how much the mask has come to define the past year, physically, emotionally and, yes, visually.

But Phil Gayter, artist and ad man, has noticed, and is painting a series of masked portraits.

“I decided to do a self-portrait, painting myself with bright yellow gloves and an N95 mask. That was the start,” said Gayter, who lives in Highland Park. “It was going to be a one-off. As the pandemic was setting in, I was spending more and more time at home, I had my daughter over, and I did a portrait of her in a mask.”

Artists tend to work in themes — blue periods, haystacks series and such. Gayter saw potential in the masked subject.

“All of a sudden I thought something’s going on here that I really, really like,” he said. “A coming together of myself as an artist and a business thinker, coming up with an idea that holds together. That’s what I do for my clients, create branded messages. The mask proved to be that point of distinction, allowing me to think of a collection of paintings that capture the moment, poignant yet whimsical.”

Keep reading Neil Steinberg’s column here.

New cases

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6,000 people daily can receive vaccinations at United Center starting March 10 (LIVE UPDATES)Sun-Times staffon February 26, 2021 at 6:20 pm Read More »

A Chicago summer? CPD is planning for itFran Spielmanon February 26, 2021 at 6:49 pm

Festival-goers crowd into Grant Park on day one of Lollapalooza 2015 on July 31, 2015.
The Chicago Police Department is planning for summer festivals and other events in case pandemic rules are eased. | Sun-Times file photo

The Chicago Police Department refused to say what types of major events Mayor Lightfoot is contemplating.

With vaccinations surging and coronavirus cases dropping, Mayor Lori Lightfoot has asked the Chicago Police Department to prepare security plans for large-scale summer events.

The discussion about police preparations for a return to some sense of normalcy in Chicago this summer came up this week during the mayor’s regular “accountability” meeting with top police brass.

Chicago Police Department spokesman Don Terry refused to say what types of major events the mayor is contemplating. He would only say that CPD is “preparing for the summer for things to open, if they open up.”

“If we continue on this path, with people being vaccinated and the infection rate going down — and if the city opens up — we’re gonna be prepared for what happens in the summer in Chicago,” Terry said Friday.

“We’re gonna be prepared for however much the city is able to open up. We’ll be prepared. We’ll be practicing.”

Summer in Chicago normally means Cubs and Sox games with fans in the stands at Wrigley Field and Guaranteed Rate Field. It means Lollapalooza, Taste of Chicago, July 3rd fireworks at Navy Pier and a host of neighborhood festivals.

Terry refused to say which of those events Lightfoot asked CPD to prepare for or at what crowd levels.

He would only say, “We’ll be prepared for whatever comes our way. That’s all I’m gonna say for now. If you want particulars of what the mayor thinks is gonna happen, that has to come from City Hall. I’m not telling you that. Ask that of the mayor.”

Lightfoot talked about the possibility of holding large summer events after joining Gov. J.B. Pritzker at a news conference to announce that the United Center would be used as a mass vaccination site.

“Summer comes to Chicago. So we want to make sure that we’re prepared for any eventuality,” Lightfoot said. “But whether or not we have a summer that looks more like 2019 as opposed to 2020 is gonna be wholly dependent on where we are in the arc of the virus. But obviously, we want to make sure that if we keep trending in the direction that we’re trending, that we’re prepared to open up the city.”

“Obviously, our numbers are looking very good. We’re at the lowest number of positivity, for example, that we’ve been since the start of this pandemic.”

Last summer, the Cubs devised strict protocols they believed would allow as many as 7,000 fans to safely attend games at Wrigley. It called for fans in groups of two, four and six with designated gates and staggered entry and exit windows.

At the time, Cubs President of Business Operations Crane Kenney told the Chicago Sun-Times the Cubs were eager to test their limited capacity plan to “see how the ballpark operates with those rules,” he said.

Time ran out before the city and Major League Baseball could approve the plan. And after winning their division, the Cubs were swept by the Marlins in the first round of the playoffs.

Three months later, Lightfoot said the Bears had presented the city with a plan detailed enough to make her comfortable that fans could safely return to the stands at Soldier Field. But the mayor said she would only allow it when Chicago’s “health metrics” started “trending in a very different direction.”

”I hope that we can get there. I’m a multi-decade Bears fan. And it is different watching it remotely than being in the stadium,” Lightfoot said then.

The week before the mayor made those comments, the Bears had defeated the Carolina Panthers before more than 5,100 fans in Charlotte.

At the time, The Panthers were one of 15 NFL teams playing their home games with fans in the stands.

The Dallas Cowboys topped the list with an average attendance of 24,262 fans, or 24.3% of capacity. That’s followed by the Jacksonville Jaguars, 15,058 fans or 22.2%; the Kansas City Chiefs, 13,978 people or 18.3%; the Houston Texans, 12,257 fans or 17%; and the Miami Dolphins, 11,405 people or 17%.

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A Chicago summer? CPD is planning for itFran Spielmanon February 26, 2021 at 6:49 pm Read More »