An 81-year-old woman died in a house fire in Avalon Park early Tuesday after she tried to escape but collapsed near a door leading outside.

Fire crews found her on the kitchen floor of a home in the 8200 block of South Cornell Avenue, Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said.

The woman had suffered severe burns and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she died, police said. Her name has not been released.

A neighbor on East End Avenue first spotted the fire around 2 a.m. and called 911, Langford said. It’s unclear how long the fire was burning before then.

With temperatures in the single digits, crews encountered one frozen hydrant but were able to access other hydrants that were flowing freely, Langford said.

Crews quickly spotted the woman and removed her, he said. She was in cardiac arrest and had third-degree burns. It appeared that the woman had been burned in another room before collapsing in the kitchen, Langford said.

She lived by herself and had a son who lives out of town, Langford said.

The fire may have started in the basement, Langford said, adding that the most probable cause was a wiring problem.

The home had no smoke detectors, he said.

Contributing: Jermaine Nolen

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Tuesday wasn’t Ryan Poles’ first visit to Halas Hall. It won’t be his last, either.

The Bears interviewed the Chiefs’ 36-year-old executive director of player personnel in person on Tuesday after talking to him virtually Friday. By midday Tuesday, NFL Network reported the Bears were finalizing a contract to make him their next general manager.

Poles was in high demand for general manager jobs — a finalist for the Panthers job last year, he conducted two interviews with the Giants before they chose Joe Schoen as their GM last week. He’s reached the final round of the Vikings’ GM search, too — he was scheduled to fly to Minneapolis for an in-person interview Wednesday.

Instead, the Bears got their man, less than 24 hours after chairman George McCaskey picked Poles up at O’Hare International Airport. McCaskey was captured on social media walking through baggage claim Monday night while wearing a Bears letterman’s jacket.

Poles has come a long way from his last extended trip to Halas Hall. A Boston College guard who tore his Achilles tendon during his senior season, Poles was signed by the Bears as an undrafted free agent in May 2008. The Bears cut him at the end of training camp.

About a month or so later, he was back at BC, working as a graduate assistant. Less than a year later, he joined the Chiefs organization, working his way up from a scouting assistant to college scouting coordinator, a job he held for six years. He was the team’s college scouting director for two years after that before, in May 2018, taking over as the team’s assistant player personnel director. In June, his title changed to executive director of player personnel.

While he was involved in the Chiefs’ college operation, the franchise drafted quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce, who are each considered the league’s best player at their position. Other stars the Chiefs drafted during that span include defensive lineman Chris Jones, receiver Tyreek Hill, cornerback Marcus Peters and defensive tackle Dontari Poe. [Hill should not be held up as a scouting coup, though: many teams were uncomfortable drafting him after was thrown out of Oklahoma State and pled guilty to abusing and choking his pregnant girlfriend.]

Poles’ first order of business is to hire a head coach. Jim Caldwell, the former Colts and Lions head coach, is at Halas Hall on Tuesday, ESPN reported. Caldwell first interviewed with the Bears’ five-person committee Jan. 15. He has ties to consultant Bill Polian through Tony Dungy, for whom Caldwell coached in Indianapolis.

Poles has ties to another coaching candidate, Dan Quinn, the former Falcons coach and current Cowboys defensive coordinator. Quinn coached Poles’ college teammate, quarterback Matt Ryan, from 2015-20. They reached the Super Bowl five years ago, infamously blowing a 28-3 lead to the Patriots.

Former Dolphins coach Brian Flores is also a Boston College alum. Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus was also due for a second round of interviews.

In the 15 days since the Bears fired general manager Ryan Pace, they interviewed at least 13 candidates to take his place. Patriots executive Eliot Wolf and Titans player personnel director Monti Ossenfort were two other candidates who reportedly were set to conduct a second interview. Wolf is the son of former Packers architect Ron Wolf.

Poles was chosen by a five-person interview panel: McCaskey, president/CEO Ted Phillips, Polian, vice president of player engagement LaMar “Soup” Campbell and senior vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion Tanesha Wade.

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“The Cuban Ohtani”?

The White Sox will more-than-happily settle for “the Cuban lefty slugger who quickly ascended to the big leagues and held down right field for a decade.”

It’s a little long for a nickname, but it’s what the Sox are hoping for from Oscar Colas, 23, an international free agent who reached a deal with the club that included a $2.7 million signing bonus.

The 6-1, 210-pounder — ranked No. 5 among international prospects by MLB Pipeline — played in Cuba’s top-level league from 2016 to 2020 and in Japan’s minor leagues. All told in those leagues, he slashed .282/.343/.483 with 28 home runs, 38 doubles, five triples and 116 RBI over 656 at-bats.

“Colas possesses an aggressive style of play that includes an impressive power bat and arm as well as the ability to play above-average defense at all three outfield positions,” said Marco Paddy, the Sox’ international scouting ace.

The Sox also signed outfielder Erick Hernandez from the Dominican Republic. Like Colas, the 6-foot, 175-pounder bats and throws from the left side. MLB Pipeline has the 17-year-old at No. 28.

“Hernandez is a high-energy, aggressive player with a natural feel for hitting,” Paddy said. “He has the potential to develop plus tools across the board, which include a power bat and high-level defense in the outfield.”

A year after the Sox signed international free agents Yoelqui Cespedes and Norge Vera, they’re clearly getting their farm system going again. A parade of top prospects has reached the big leagues over the last couple of seasons, but outfielder Cespedes (ranked No. 1 in 2021) and pitcher Vera (No. 15) are, like Colas, key parts of the next wave.

Meanwhile, the Sox’ emphasis on Cuban talent has never been more pronounced. Jose Abreu, Yasmani Grandal, Yoan Moncada, Luis Robert, Cespedes, Vera and Colas all hail from the island nation.

The Sox likely will have additional international signings in the coming weeks.

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The Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Dr. in Lincolnshire, is kicking off the New Year with WEST SIDE STORY, the revolutionary Tony Award-winning musical that forever changed American theater, previewing Wednesday, February 2, opening February 9 at 7:30 p.m., and closing March 27, 2022. Experience the passion and heart-pounding excitement of WEST SIDE STORY like never before. Directing the production is Victor Malana Maog, a critically-acclaimed and award-winning veteran of the stage with over 25 years of theatre experience. Musical direction is by Jeff Award winner Ryan T. Nelson with choreography by Jeff Award nominee Alex Sanchez.

“West Side Story has been a dream project of mine,” said Victor Malana Maog. “This production celebrates the joy of gathering around a remarkable classic and understanding the duty to make all these characters – the Jets and Sharks – as whole and human as we possibly can in 2022. What a pleasure to bring this masterpiece to life!”

Image Credit: Joe Mazza | Brave Lux

A modern retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet set on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in the 1950s, WEST SIDE STORY is the poignant tale of Tony and Maria, star-crossed young lovers caught in a turf war between rival gangs, the Jets and the Sharks. Their struggle to survive in a world of hate, violence and prejudice is one of the most innovative, heart-wrenching and relevant musical dramas of today. The musical’s celebrated score includes “Somewhere,” “Tonight,” “I Feel Pretty,” and “America.”

WEST SIDE STORY premiered on Broadway in 1957 and is the result of a collaboration between three theatrical luminaries, featuring a masterful Book by Tony Award-winner Arthur Laurents, Music by Tony, and Grammy Award-winner Leonard Bernstein and Lyrics by Tony, Grammy, Pulitzer Prize, and Academy Award-winner Stephen Sondheim. The smash-hit 1961 film version of WEST SIDE STORY won 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and catapulted the musical to the center of the national conversation. A new film version was recently opened by director Steven Spielberg. From the first notes to the final breath, WEST SIDE STORY is as powerful, poignant, and timely as ever.

Image Credit: Joe Mazza | Brave Lux

The WEST SIDE STORY cast is led by Lauren Maria Medina as “Maria” (Marriott Theatre debut! Recent CMU Drama graduate: Jeanie in Hair and Rapunzel in Into the Woods. Other credits include Phoebe in Gentleman’s Guide and Orange Girl in Shout! The Mod Musical at Clinton Area Showboat Theatre), Jake David Smith as “Tony” (Marriott Theatre debut! Broadway: Ensemble u/s Hans in Disney’s Frozen, Regional: Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid at Music Theatre Wichita, Tully in Escape to Margaritaville at Ogunquit Playhouse), Gary Cooper as “Bernardo” (Marriott Theatre debut! Broadway: Aladdin the Musical, Chicago), Vanessa Aurora Sierra as “Anita” (Marriott Theatre debut! National tour: Patty in A Charlie Brown Christmas Live on Stage), and Drew Redington as “Riff” (Marriott Theatre: Honeymoon in Vegas; Broadway: Mean Girls, The Prom, Holiday Inn); with Lance Baker as “Lt. Schrank”, Miranda Borkan as “Pauline”, Matt DeCaro as “Doc”, Marisa Fee as “Anybodys”, Alejandro Fonseca as “Pepe”, Sophia Guerrero as “Consuelo”, Cameron Holzman as “A-rab”, Taylor Lane as “Velma”, Risa Nicole as “Francisca”, Kevin Nietzel as “Diesel”, Omar Nieves as “Indio”, Emmanuel Ramirez as “Luis”, Laura Savage as “Graziella”, Maria Cristina Posada Slye as “Rosalia”, Kyra Sorce as “Teresita”, Alex Joseph Stewart as “Snow Boy”, Calvin Ticknor-Swanson as “Baby John”, Marta Timmerman as “Clarice”, Bret Tuomi as “Glad Hand” and “Krupke”, Marco Tzunux as “Chino”, and Jonathan Warner as “Action”.

The production will feature set design by Jeffrey D. Kmiec, costume design by Amanda Vander Byl, lighting design by Jesse Klug, sound design by Michael Daly, wig design by Miguel A. Armstrong, and properties design by Sally Zack; with artistic associate Johanna McKenzie Miller, intimacy and violence director Charlie Baker, stage manager Tara Kelly, assistant stage manager Richard Strimer, and musical supervisor Patti Garwood.

Marriott Theatre is committed to providing healthy and safe facilities for audiences, performers, and staff. Marriott Theatre guests are currently required to wear face coverings and present proof of COVID-19 vaccination or an appropriate negative COVID-19 test to attend performances in the theatre.

Image Credit: Joe Mazza | Brave Lux

The performance is scheduled to run Wednesdays at 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., with select Thursday 1:00 p.m. shows. Ticket prices range from $50 to $60, excluding tax and handling fees. Call for student, senior, and military discounts. On Wednesday and Thursday evenings there are a limited number of dinner-theatre packages available for purchase through the Marriott Theatre Box Office.

To make a restaurant reservation, please call 847.634.0100. Reservations strongly recommended. Free parking is available at all performances. To reserve tickets, please call The Marriott Theatre Box Office at 847.634.0200 or go to www.ticketmaster.com. Visit www.MarriottTheatre.com for more information.

Featured Image Credit: Joe Mazza | Brave Lux

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The Chicago Bears have concluded their search for a new general manager on Tuesday as Kansas City Chiefs executive Ryan Poles has agreed to become the next Bears’ new general manager. Poles first interviewed with the Bears last Friday, and after being picked up by team chairman George McCaskey from O’Hare Airport on Monday, finalized the deal on Tuesday morning.

Now that the Bears have Poles in place as general manager, the team can now focus on finding a new a head coach. Prior to naming Poles as their general manager, the Bears had identified Jim Caldwell, Matt Eberflus, and Dan Quinn as the candidates for their head coaching interviews. All three candidates have reportedly been scheduled for a second interview with the team this week. Presumably, Poles will now be a part of their interviews.

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While the Chicago Bears list of potential head coach candidates to replace Matt Nagy has been extensive, the list has been criticized for lacking the potential home run hire as it was littered with retread candidates that either failed during their first head coaching run; haven’t been in the NFL; or, coordinators that have a connection to consultant Bill Polian.

The early pipedream candidate for the Bears’ head coaching vacancy was University of Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh. If the former Bears’ quarterback was ever going to leave the University of Michigan and return to the coaching ranks of the NFL, common speculation was that it would be with the Bears. Despite that speculation, Harbaugh has never been considered to be a legitimate candidate to next head coach of the Bears. Harbaugh has continued his recruiting tour for the University of Michigan while the Bears have moved on to their second round of head coaching interviews with prospective candidates.

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The Chicago Bears are finalizing a deal to hire Kansas City Chiefs executive director of player personnel Ryan Poles as their next general manager, league sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Poles was one of two finalists for the Minnesota Vikings‘ general manager job, along with Cleveland Browns vice president of football operations Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. He also was a finalist for the New York Giants‘ general manager job, which went to Joe Schoen.

With Poles hired in Chicago, Adofo-Mensah is now the favorite to be the Vikings’ GM, Schefter is reporting.

29mESPN staff

15dKevin Seifert

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Poles, 36, was in his first season as the Chiefs’ executive director of player personnel and 13th with the franchise.

He replaces Ryan Pace, who was fired along with head coach Matt Nagy after the regular season, in which the Bears finished 6-11.

Pace spent seven seasons with the Bears, hiring two coaches and trading up to draft two quarterbacks, including Justin Fields last year, during his tenure. His teams made two playoff appearances but did not win a postseason game. The Bears last won a playoff game in 2010 and are 1-3 in the postseason since appearing in Super Bowl XLI after the 2007 season.

The Bears do not have a first-round pick in this year’s draft because they sent that selection to the Giants in the Fields trade.

The Bears also have been interviewing head coach candidates while they conducted their GM search. The team has requested second interviews with Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and former Indianapolis Colts and Detroit Lions head coach Jim Caldwell, whose second interview is taking place Tuesday, Schefter is reporting.

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It wasn’t exactly Zach LaVine: “All-Star.”

It was more like Zach LaVine: “Good enough.”

The Bulls guard finished with 23 points, but did it on 6-for-19 from the field and 3-for-10 from three-point range Monday night in Oklahoma City, and did have the worst plus/minus of the starting group with a minus-4.

But he also grabbed seven rebounds, handed out seven assists, and nabbed two steals.

Further evidence of his growth and understanding of making winning basketball plays that don’t involve LaVine playing the role of leading scorer.

The real highlight of his night? That he even had one.

LaVine hadn’t played since Jan. 14, when he left after 3:32 of the Golden State game with soreness in his left knee. Yes, the same knee that betrayed him back in 2017, when he had to have surgery to repair his anterior cruciate ligament.

As of the weekend, LaVine was expected to miss the entire three-game road trip, and maybe make his return on Wednesday, with the Bulls hosting Toronto at the United Center. Watching his teammates lose in Milwaukee and then Orlando, however, didn’t sit well with him.

“I just didn’t want to wait any longer,” LaVine said. “About as healthy as my knee is going to get. Obviously, nothing structurally wrong. I got tired of watching the games. I decided I’m going to come out here and do what I can to help us win.

“Sucks sitting at home not being able to help and tried to come back as quick as I could. I try to play through a lot. Playing through it because it’s a big time season for all of us.”

While there was nothing structurally wrong with LaVine’s knee this time, he did admit that he was dealing with swelling and a bone bruise for about a month before pulling down a rebound against the Warriors and feeling discomfort at a different level.

“When I went up and grabbed that rebound, it just didn’t feel right when I landed,” LaVine said. “Luckily, it was nothing structural. But I don’t like messing around with knee injuries, especially on my left side. Just gave it some time to rest. I didn’t want to keep playing through it because obviously something bad could happen if you keep playing with that.”

Flying to Oklahoma City with forward Javonte Green while the Magic loss was going on ended up being big for another reason. It allowed coach Billy Donovan to sit MVP-candidate DeMar DeRozan and get him a much-needed rest.

The 32-year-old veteran had averaged just over 36 minutes per game in the five contests leading up to the Thunder game, and Donovan was not thrilled with the workload he was putting on DeRozan’s shoulders, especially what was still to come for the Bulls as they try and get to the All-Star Break.

They still have 13 games left before All-Star Weekend, and that included three more back-to-backs.

Plus, with some minor slippage in the standings because of all the injuries, LaVine was well aware that this part of the schedule was key. At least on paper, the Bulls have very winnable games the next few weeks, taking on Toronto, San Antonio, the Blazers, an Orlando rematch, Toronto once again, and then Indiana.

Of those six games, the Raptors have the best record at 22-22 as of Tuesday.

DeRozan will be back to take on his former franchise, and it will be the first time he and LaVine have played together in six games.

Expect more than “good enough.”

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The Marriott Theatre, 10 Marriott Dr. in Lincolnshire, is kicking off the New Year with WEST SIDE STORY, the revolutionary Tony Award-winning musical that forever changed American theater, previewing Wednesday, February 2, opening February 9 at 7:30 p.m., and closing March 27, 2022. Experience the passion and heart-pounding excitement of WEST SIDE STORY like never before. Directing the production is Victor Malana Maog, a critically-acclaimed and award-winning veteran of the stage with over 25 years of theatre experience. Musical direction is by Jeff Award winner Ryan T. Nelson with choreography by Jeff Award nominee Alex Sanchez.

“West Side Story has been a dream project of mine,” said Victor Malana Maog. “This production celebrates the joy of gathering around a remarkable classic and understanding the duty to make all these characters – the Jets and Sharks – as whole and human as we possibly can in 2022. What a pleasure to bring this masterpiece to life!”

Image Credit: Joe Mazza | Brave Lux

A modern retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet set on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in the 1950s, WEST SIDE STORY is the poignant tale of Tony and Maria, star-crossed young lovers caught in a turf war between rival gangs, the Jets and the Sharks. Their struggle to survive in a world of hate, violence and prejudice is one of the most innovative, heart-wrenching and relevant musical dramas of today. The musical’s celebrated score includes “Somewhere,” “Tonight,” “I Feel Pretty,” and “America.”

WEST SIDE STORY premiered on Broadway in 1957 and is the result of a collaboration between three theatrical luminaries, featuring a masterful Book by Tony Award-winner Arthur Laurents, Music by Tony, and Grammy Award-winner Leonard Bernstein and Lyrics by Tony, Grammy, Pulitzer Prize, and Academy Award-winner Stephen Sondheim. The smash-hit 1961 film version of WEST SIDE STORY won 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and catapulted the musical to the center of the national conversation. A new film version was recently opened by director Steven Spielberg. From the first notes to the final breath, WEST SIDE STORY is as powerful, poignant, and timely as ever.

Image Credit: Joe Mazza | Brave Lux

The WEST SIDE STORY cast is led by Lauren Maria Medina as “Maria” (Marriott Theatre debut! Recent CMU Drama graduate: Jeanie in Hair and Rapunzel in Into the Woods. Other credits include Phoebe in Gentleman’s Guide and Orange Girl in Shout! The Mod Musical at Clinton Area Showboat Theatre), Jake David Smith as “Tony” (Marriott Theatre debut! Broadway: Ensemble u/s Hans in Disney’s Frozen, Regional: Prince Eric in The Little Mermaid at Music Theatre Wichita, Tully in Escape to Margaritaville at Ogunquit Playhouse), Gary Cooper as “Bernardo” (Marriott Theatre debut! Broadway: Aladdin the Musical, Chicago), Vanessa Aurora Sierra as “Anita” (Marriott Theatre debut! National tour: Patty in A Charlie Brown Christmas Live on Stage), and Drew Redington as “Riff” (Marriott Theatre: Honeymoon in Vegas; Broadway: Mean Girls, The Prom, Holiday Inn); with Lance Baker as “Lt. Schrank”, Miranda Borkan as “Pauline”, Matt DeCaro as “Doc”, Marisa Fee as “Anybodys”, Alejandro Fonseca as “Pepe”, Sophia Guerrero as “Consuelo”, Cameron Holzman as “A-rab”, Taylor Lane as “Velma”, Risa Nicole as “Francisca”, Kevin Nietzel as “Diesel”, Omar Nieves as “Indio”, Emmanuel Ramirez as “Luis”, Laura Savage as “Graziella”, Maria Cristina Posada Slye as “Rosalia”, Kyra Sorce as “Teresita”, Alex Joseph Stewart as “Snow Boy”, Calvin Ticknor-Swanson as “Baby John”, Marta Timmerman as “Clarice”, Bret Tuomi as “Glad Hand” and “Krupke”, Marco Tzunux as “Chino”, and Jonathan Warner as “Action”.

The production will feature set design by Jeffrey D. Kmiec, costume design by Amanda Vander Byl, lighting design by Jesse Klug, sound design by Michael Daly, wig design by Miguel A. Armstrong, and properties design by Sally Zack; with artistic associate Johanna McKenzie Miller, intimacy and violence director Charlie Baker, stage manager Tara Kelly, assistant stage manager Richard Strimer, and musical supervisor Patti Garwood.

Marriott Theatre is committed to providing healthy and safe facilities for audiences, performers, and staff. Marriott Theatre guests are currently required to wear face coverings and present proof of COVID-19 vaccination or an appropriate negative COVID-19 test to attend performances in the theatre.

Image Credit: Joe Mazza | Brave Lux

The performance is scheduled to run Wednesdays at 1 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., with select Thursday 1:00 p.m. shows. Ticket prices range from $50 to $60, excluding tax and handling fees. Call for student, senior, and military discounts. On Wednesday and Thursday evenings there are a limited number of dinner-theatre packages available for purchase through the Marriott Theatre Box Office.

To make a restaurant reservation, please call 847.634.0100. Reservations strongly recommended. Free parking is available at all performances. To reserve tickets, please call The Marriott Theatre Box Office at 847.634.0200 or go to www.ticketmaster.com. Visit www.MarriottTheatre.com for more information.

Featured Image Credit: Joe Mazza | Brave Lux

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