Actress Nichelle Nichols, 89, passed away Sunday from natural causes, according to a statement from her son. Nichols was best known for her iconic role in the Star Trek series portraying Lt. Uhura, one of the first Black female leads on television.

But, Nichols also played an integral part in helping NASA recruit more women and minorities, a fact many within the space agency mentioned in tributes after her passing.

Nichols was born in the Chicago suburb of Robbins, where her father was mayor. Later the family would move to Woodlawn, where she attended Englewood High School, graduating in 1951. At 15, she began her career in musical theater while still studying in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles. In 1964 Nichols appeared on an episode of the TV show The Lieutenant, written and produced by Gene Roddenberry. Impressed by her performance, Roddenberry cast her as Lieutenant Uhura for his new show Star Trek.

At the end of the first season of Star Trek, Nichols considered leaving the show, but Roddenberry asked her to take the weekend off to think about her decision.

That weekend, at an NAACP event, she was introduced to her biggest fan, Dr. Martin Luther King. He told her that Star Trek was the only show he and his wife would allow their children to watch. Nichols then informed him about her decision to leave the show and recounted his response,

You cannot, don’t you see what this man is doing, who has written this? This is the future. He has established us as we should be seen. Three hundred years from now we are here. We are marching, and this is the first step. When we see you, we see ourselves, and we see ourselves as intelligent and beautiful and proud.

‘You turn on your television and the news comes on and you see us marching and peaceful, you see the peaceful civil disobedience, and you see the dogs and see the fire hoses, and we all know they cannot destroy us because we are there in the 23rd Century.

After this conversation, she would remain on Star Trek and reprise her character in six Star Trek movies.

In the mid 70’s, Nichols began working with NASA to help recruit minority and female applicants to the astronaut corps.

In the mid 70’s, Nichols began working with NASA to help recruit minority and female applicants to the astronaut corps. The program was a success, and NASA named the largest astronaut class to date in 1978 with the first female and minority astronauts. Dr. Sally Ride, Guion Bluford, Dr. Ronald McNair, and Dr. Judith Resnik were all part of Astronaut Group 8.

Many other NASA engineers and future astronauts, including former NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, would cite Nichelle Nichols influence on Star Trek as their reason for wanting to become astronauts and work at NASA.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson released the following statement on the passing of Nichelle Nichols:

Nichelle Nichols was a trailblazing actress, advocate, and dear friend to NASA. At a time when Black women were seldom seen on screen, Nichelle’s portrayal as Nyota Uhura on Star Trek held a mirror up to America that strengthened civil rights.

Nichelle’s advocacy transcended television and transformed NASA. After Apollo 11, Nichelle made it her mission to inspire women and people of color to join this agency, change the face of STEM and explore the cosmos. Nichelle’s mission is NASA’s mission. Today, as we work to send the first woman and first person of color to the Moon under Artemis, NASA is guided by the legacy of Nichelle Nichols.

Tonight’s “Public Affairs” show airing on Cable in Lake county, McHenry county and N and NW suburban Cook County features Mark Curran, the GOP nominee for the IL Supreme Court 2nd District seat (See cable listings, below). This show is Part 2 of show host Jeff Berkowitz’s two-part interview with IL S CT candidate Mark Curran (R-Libertyville).

You can also watch 24/7, Part 2 of Berkowitz’s interview with Curran, the former Lake County Sheriff (12 years) and Assistant State’s Attorney (8 years)by clicking here.

The Dems now have a 4-3 majority on the Supreme Court, but if the GOP wins the two open seats (2nd and 3rd Districts, both purple) in November, the GOP will have the majority on the IL Supreme Court for the 1st time in 60 years.

Although Curran could not, due to the Canons of legal ethics, say or discuss how he would rule on any matters that might come before him as a Justice, he did discuss with show host Berkowitz in Part 2 of the interview his gut views and gestalt on detention by the courts of defendants prior to trial, skyrocketing crime, guns, the July 4th Highland Park tragic shooting, the IL Firearms Restraining Order Act, and the actions of prosecutors, Highland Park police and the IL State Police in the run-up to that awful July 4th massacre. 

The half-hour show with Mark Curran airs Tonight at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 17 in the following towns, villages and suburbs:

Algonquin, Barrington Hills, Beach Park, Carpentersville, Cary, Crystal Lake (ch.74), Del Mar Woods, East Dundee, Fox River Grove, Fox River Valley Gardens, Grayslake, Great Lakes Naval, Green Oaks, Gurnee, Hainesville, Holiday Hills, Huntley, Island Lake, Johnsburg, Lakemoor, Lake in the Hills, Lakewood, Lake Bluff, Lake Eleanor, Lake Forest, Libertyville, McCollum Lake, McHenry, Mundelein, North Chicago, Oakwood Hills, Park City, Pingree Grove, Prairie Grove, Round Lake, Round Lake Beach, Round Lake Heights, Round Lake Park, Sleepy Hollow, Spring Grove, South Barrington, Sunnyside, Third Lake, Trout Valley, Volo, Wadsworth, Wauconda, Waukegan, West Dundee, Winthrop Harbor, Wonder Lake, Woodstock and Zion;

Part 2 of Berkowitz’s interview featuring Mark Curran also airs:

–Tonight in 28 Chicago Metro north and northwest suburbs at 8:30 pm, on Comcast Cable:

–Ch. 19 in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, parts of Inverness, Lincolnwood, Maine Township, Morton Grove, New Trier Township, Niles, Northfield, Northfield Township, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Wilmette and on–Ch. 35 in Arlington Heights, Bartlett (2nd Dist.), Glenview, Golf, Des Plaines, Hanover Park, Mt. Prospect, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Prospect Heights, Schaumburg, Skokie, Streamwood and Wheeling.

The show also airs in:

In Highland Park (all in the S CT 2nd District), 8:30 pm, Cable Ch 19, tomorrow (Wednesday).

You can also watch 24/7, Part 2 of Berkowitz’s interview with Curran, former IL Assistant Attorney General, by clicking here.

I had a consultation today with Balanced Flow Neuropathy for treatment of peripheral neuropathy. I’ve been experiencing numbness and tingling in both feet for some time and enough is enough.

Actually, my dad put the fire under me to get it checked out. I guess he got tired of me telling him the same thing every time he asks me how I’m doing. I would tell him of course that my feet are numb and he wonders if there is something that can be done about it.

My primary care doctor says the neuropathy stems from my lupus and there’s nothing that can be done. Meanwhile I’m suffering day to day physically and of course when something affects you physically your quality of life is threatened.

The team at Balanced Flow Neuropathy so far are caring and that showed during my consultation. I was so excited as they explained my treatment plan that I was hoping they could start treatment the same day.

One drawback however is I get around by using a rollator walker and while there is an elevator I have to climb up stairs to get to the elevator. It’s going to be a struggle getting my walker up the stairs without help. I’m sure all this will come to pass when I won’t need my walker which is my main goal in addition to walking again normally.

Zack Annexstad started eight games at Minnesota in 2018. (Photo by GoRedbirds.com)

As a player at Purdue and a longtime college football coach, Brock Spack has seen plenty of leaders.

“I’ve been around four Heisman (candidates) that were quarterbacks and that’s a huge position to have a void in,” the Illinois State head coach said Tuesday during Missouri Valley Football Conference media days via Zoom.

The Redbirds’ struggles at quarterback led to a 4-7 record last fall and a 1-3 mark in their abbreviated spring COVID season in 2021.

Enter Minnesota transfer Zack Annexstad, a junior who has been on campus since January.

Annexstad, who started eight games in 2018 for the Gophers, has already made a big impression.

“There’s a lot of great things he does that I like,” Spack said. “The thing I was hoping he’d have, but I really didn’t know, is his leadership. It’s been extraordinary. I haven’t been around a guy like him in a while.

“He took the reins and he’s done a great job,” Spack said. “He’s been an awesome addition.”

Illinois State averaged 124.8 passing yards a game last season, which ranked 115th among 123 FCS teams. According to NCAAsports.com, 89 FCS teams averaged more than 124.8 yards rushing per game a year ago.

Spack hopes a new man under center can revive the Redbirds’ passing game and provide a complement to a rushing attack that boasts sophomore Cole Mueller, who finished just shy of 1,000 yards on the ground last season.

According to Spack, Annexstad has added dimensions such as getting more receivers involved in the passing game, understanding coverages and defensive pressures and knowing where to go with the football in various situations.

“I’m glad he was here this spring,” Spack said. “He’s getting more comfortable in our system.”

If this site stays open for readers to view, and you stumble across my account, please follow me to http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com

In 2013, I decided to start blogging. I opened an account with blogspot http://susanmarieschulhof.blogspot.com and set the goal to post every day for a first year. On my birthday in 2014, I achieved that goal. I continued writing and posting until I heard that ChicagoNow was looking for bloggers in the Chicagoland area. In September of 2016, I pitched a blog on positivity called Looking For The Good http://www.chicagonow.com/look-good/ and began blogging there. I have reviewed restaurants and movies, interviewed various people, and wrote about my life and random thoughts over the years. We were notified last month that Chicago Tribune, who oversees ChicagoNow, is closing us down, so I am heading back. 

Check out my books here 

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All through my day, no matter where I go, or what I do, I am always looking for the good in people, in the world, in my life or even just in my day.

Follow me on Twitter Susan on Twitter

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Javon Williams Jr. is back after rushing for nine touchdowns last season for SIU. (Photo by SIUSalukis.com)

Wherever Nick Hill looks on offense when Southern Illinois opens fall camp Wednesday, he’ll see plenty of experience.

The Salukis return nine starters on that side of the ball from a team that scored nearly 31 points a game a year ago and was one of only 36 FCS teams to average 30 points or more a year ago.

“I’m excited about this offense and where it can go,” he said Tuesday during the Missouri Valley Football Conference media days via Zoom. “It’s really in the details.”

With veteran quarterback Nic Baker returning, along with preseason first-team all-conference wide receiver Avante Cox and running back Javon Williams, the Salukis have the pieces to sharpen their offensive output. The roster includes 43 players who are in their fourth, fifth or sixth year.

“Each year, you want to evolve,” said Hill, whose team ranked 13th in the nation in first downs and 25th in total offense last fall. “It’s about taking the next step. It’s situational football – third down, red zone, before the end of a half, at the end of games when you need a drive to win a game.”

Baker is entering his second full season as a starter, but Hill said this is the first fall camp that Baker begins as the undisputed starting quarterback.

“Nic plays best when he feels like he’s got something to prove,” Hill said. “He’s always heard that he’s shorter, he’s too small, he doesn’t look like a quarterback. He’ll continue to keep that edge.”

Cox, who is Baker’s former Rochester High School teammate and favorite target, is back for a sixth season. The dynamic playmaker battled injuries last season but still managed 17 yards a catch and five touchdowns. Speedy sophomore Iziah Hartrup, who matched Cox’s 43 catches last season, also returns.

The running back room has three familiar faces in Javon Williams Jr. (nine touchdowns last season), Justin Strong (5.8 yards per carry) and Romeir Elliott (4.9 yards a carry).

Up front, three starters return on the offensive line, including junior tackle Beau Branyan, a three-year starter.

“I think Beau gets kind of overlooked sometimes,” Hill said.

The Salukis, ranked seventh in the Athlon Sports preseason Top 25 poll, open the season Sept. 3 at No. 16 Incarnate Word in San Antonio. That matchup will be following by the Sept. 10 home opener against regional rival Southeast Missouri and a Sept. 17 trip to Northwestern.

SIU is coming off back-to-back seasons in the FCS playoffs and back-to-back years with a playoff win.

“The expectations continue to rise each year for our team,” Hill said.

Actress Nichelle Nichols, 89, passed away Sunday from natural causes, according to a statement from her son. Nichols was best known for her iconic role in the Star Trek series portraying Lt. Uhura, one of the first Black female leads on television.

But, Nichols also played an integral part in helping NASA recruit more women and minorities, a fact many within the space agency mentioned in tributes after her passing.

Nichols was born in the Chicago suburb of Robbins, where her father was mayor. Later the family would move to Woodlawn, where she attended Englewood High School, graduating in 1951. At 15, she began her career in musical theater while still studying in Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles. In 1964 Nichols appeared on an episode of the TV show The Lieutenant, written and produced by Gene Roddenberry. Impressed by her performance, Roddenberry cast her as Lieutenant Uhura for his new show Star Trek.

At the end of the first season of Star Trek, Nichols considered leaving the show, but Roddenberry asked her to take the weekend off to think about her decision.

That weekend, at an NAACP event, she was introduced to her biggest fan, Dr. Martin Luther King. He told her that Star Trek was the only show he and his wife would allow their children to watch. Nichols then informed him about her decision to leave the show and recounted his response,

You cannot, don’t you see what this man is doing, who has written this? This is the future. He has established us as we should be seen. Three hundred years from now we are here. We are marching, and this is the first step. When we see you, we see ourselves, and we see ourselves as intelligent and beautiful and proud.

‘You turn on your television and the news comes on and you see us marching and peaceful, you see the peaceful civil disobedience, and you see the dogs and see the fire hoses, and we all know they cannot destroy us because we are there in the 23rd Century.

After this conversation, she would remain on Star Trek and reprise her character in six Star Trek movies.

In the mid 70’s, Nichols began working with NASA to help recruit minority and female applicants to the astronaut corps.

In the mid 70’s, Nichols began working with NASA to help recruit minority and female applicants to the astronaut corps. The program was a success, and NASA named the largest astronaut class to date in 1978 with the first female and minority astronauts. Dr. Sally Ride, Guion Bluford, Dr. Ronald McNair, and Dr. Judith Resnik were all part of Astronaut Group 8.

Many other NASA engineers and future astronauts, including former NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, would cite Nichelle Nichols influence on Star Trek as their reason for wanting to become astronauts and work at NASA.

NASA Administrator Bill Nelson released the following statement on the passing of Nichelle Nichols:

Nichelle Nichols was a trailblazing actress, advocate, and dear friend to NASA. At a time when Black women were seldom seen on screen, Nichelle’s portrayal as Nyota Uhura on Star Trek held a mirror up to America that strengthened civil rights.

Nichelle’s advocacy transcended television and transformed NASA. After Apollo 11, Nichelle made it her mission to inspire women and people of color to join this agency, change the face of STEM and explore the cosmos. Nichelle’s mission is NASA’s mission. Today, as we work to send the first woman and first person of color to the Moon under Artemis, NASA is guided by the legacy of Nichelle Nichols.

Tonight’s “Public Affairs” show airing on Cable in Lake county, McHenry county and N and NW suburban Cook County features Mark Curran, the GOP nominee for the IL Supreme Court 2nd District seat (See cable listings, below). This show is Part 2 of show host Jeff Berkowitz’s two-part interview with IL S CT candidate Mark Curran (R-Libertyville).

You can also watch 24/7, Part 2 of Berkowitz’s interview with Curran, the former Lake County Sheriff (12 years) and Assistant State’s Attorney (8 years)by clicking here.

The Dems now have a 4-3 majority on the Supreme Court, but if the GOP wins the two open seats (2nd and 3rd Districts, both purple) in November, the GOP will have the majority on the IL Supreme Court for the 1st time in 60 years.

Although Curran could not, due to the Canons of legal ethics, say or discuss how he would rule on any matters that might come before him as a Justice, he did discuss with show host Berkowitz in Part 2 of the interview his gut views and gestalt on detention by the courts of defendants prior to trial, skyrocketing crime, guns, the July 4th Highland Park tragic shooting, the IL Firearms Restraining Order Act, and the actions of prosecutors, Highland Park police and the IL State Police in the run-up to that awful July 4th massacre. 

The half-hour show with Mark Curran airs Tonight at 8:30 pm on Comcast Cable Ch. 17 in the following towns, villages and suburbs:

Algonquin, Barrington Hills, Beach Park, Carpentersville, Cary, Crystal Lake (ch.74), Del Mar Woods, East Dundee, Fox River Grove, Fox River Valley Gardens, Grayslake, Great Lakes Naval, Green Oaks, Gurnee, Hainesville, Holiday Hills, Huntley, Island Lake, Johnsburg, Lakemoor, Lake in the Hills, Lakewood, Lake Bluff, Lake Eleanor, Lake Forest, Libertyville, McCollum Lake, McHenry, Mundelein, North Chicago, Oakwood Hills, Park City, Pingree Grove, Prairie Grove, Round Lake, Round Lake Beach, Round Lake Heights, Round Lake Park, Sleepy Hollow, Spring Grove, South Barrington, Sunnyside, Third Lake, Trout Valley, Volo, Wadsworth, Wauconda, Waukegan, West Dundee, Winthrop Harbor, Wonder Lake, Woodstock and Zion;

Part 2 of Berkowitz’s interview featuring Mark Curran also airs:

–Tonight in 28 Chicago Metro north and northwest suburbs at 8:30 pm, on Comcast Cable:

–Ch. 19 in Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, parts of Inverness, Lincolnwood, Maine Township, Morton Grove, New Trier Township, Niles, Northfield, Northfield Township, Palatine, Rolling Meadows and Wilmette and on–Ch. 35 in Arlington Heights, Bartlett (2nd Dist.), Glenview, Golf, Des Plaines, Hanover Park, Mt. Prospect, Northbrook, Park Ridge, Prospect Heights, Schaumburg, Skokie, Streamwood and Wheeling.

The show also airs in:

In Highland Park (all in the S CT 2nd District), 8:30 pm, Cable Ch 19, tomorrow (Wednesday).

You can also watch 24/7, Part 2 of Berkowitz’s interview with Curran, former IL Assistant Attorney General, by clicking here.

I had a consultation today with Balanced Flow Neuropathy for treatment of peripheral neuropathy. I’ve been experiencing numbness and tingling in both feet for some time and enough is enough.

Actually, my dad put the fire under me to get it checked out. I guess he got tired of me telling him the same thing every time he asks me how I’m doing. I would tell him of course that my feet are numb and he wonders if there is something that can be done about it.

My primary care doctor says the neuropathy stems from my lupus and there’s nothing that can be done. Meanwhile I’m suffering day to day physically and of course when something affects you physically your quality of life is threatened.

The team at Balanced Flow Neuropathy so far are caring and that showed during my consultation. I was so excited as they explained my treatment plan that I was hoping they could start treatment the same day.

One drawback however is I get around by using a rollator walker and while there is an elevator I have to climb up stairs to get to the elevator. It’s going to be a struggle getting my walker up the stairs without help. I’m sure all this will come to pass when I won’t need my walker which is my main goal in addition to walking again normally.

Zack Annexstad started eight games at Minnesota in 2018. (Photo by GoRedbirds.com)

As a player at Purdue and a longtime college football coach, Brock Spack has seen plenty of leaders.

“I’ve been around four Heisman (candidates) that were quarterbacks and that’s a huge position to have a void in,” the Illinois State head coach said Tuesday during Missouri Valley Football Conference media days via Zoom.

The Redbirds’ struggles at quarterback led to a 4-7 record last fall and a 1-3 mark in their abbreviated spring COVID season in 2021.

Enter Minnesota transfer Zack Annexstad, a junior who has been on campus since January.

Annexstad, who started eight games in 2018 for the Gophers, has already made a big impression.

“There’s a lot of great things he does that I like,” Spack said. “The thing I was hoping he’d have, but I really didn’t know, is his leadership. It’s been extraordinary. I haven’t been around a guy like him in a while.

“He took the reins and he’s done a great job,” Spack said. “He’s been an awesome addition.”

Illinois State averaged 124.8 passing yards a game last season, which ranked 115th among 123 FCS teams. According to NCAAsports.com, 89 FCS teams averaged more than 124.8 yards rushing per game a year ago.

Spack hopes a new man under center can revive the Redbirds’ passing game and provide a complement to a rushing attack that boasts sophomore Cole Mueller, who finished just shy of 1,000 yards on the ground last season.

According to Spack, Annexstad has added dimensions such as getting more receivers involved in the passing game, understanding coverages and defensive pressures and knowing where to go with the football in various situations.

“I’m glad he was here this spring,” Spack said. “He’s getting more comfortable in our system.”