Angela Wade-Brown, mother of Turrell Brown, who was killed by police in September during a domestic disturbance, at a Friday news conference. | Brian Rich/Sun-Times

“I miss my son daily,” Angela Wade-Brown, mother of Turrell Brown, said Friday. “I wake up missing my son, I go to bed missing my son — and then to hear that this officer is on the street?”

The family of a man killed by Chicago police last month while responding to a domestic disturbance call is demanding the city to terminate the officer who fired their gun and should be prosecuted for the shooting.

“I want to see accountability,” Angela Wade-Brown said Friday during a news conference. “I miss my son daily, I wake up missing my son, I go to bed missing my son –and then to hear that this officer is on the street?”

Wade-Brown’s son, 28-year-old Turrell Brown, was killed by Chicago police on the morning of Sept. 19 in the 6500 block of South Harvard Avenue, according to the Civilian Office of Police Accountability. The visit was in response to a woman who said Turrell Brown hit her in the face and was armed with a knife.

Body camera video released by COPA showed a woman telling officers her boyfriend had hit her chest and face. She had asked officers to remove the man from her apartment, according to the video.

Shortly after, Turrell Brown appeared with a knife in hand, as officers stepped back outside the apartment, shouting at him to put the knife down. As Turrell Brown slowly stepped to close the apartment door, an officer fatally shot him.

COPA is still investigating that officer’s use of force.

Wade-Brown said her son holding a knife at one point during the encounter doesn’t justify the officer shooting him. She said the video doesn’t show her son acting erratic, but instead shows him talking calmly and moving with caution. She wished police had done more to deescalate the situation.

Brian Rich/Sun-Times
Lebryant Brown, brother of Turrell Brown, who was killed by police in September during a domestic disturbance, calls for the police officers to be fired.

Lebryant Brown, the man’s brother, said officers had other options at their disposal to use before reaching for their guns.

“He just went into the apartment and executed my brother,” Lebryant Brown said.

“If this situation didn’t cause for him to use a Taser, then I don’t know what situation would, because he was just trying to close the door and [the officer] just pulled out his gun and killed my brother,” Lebryant Brown said. “We should not have to protest to get justice. The police should be held to the same laws that everybody else in America is held to.”

State Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, joined the grieving family at the news conference and echoed their calls for some sort of accountability in the fatal encounter. The family, who lives in his district, had reached out to him, pleading for his help.

“On Sept. 19, their loved one was shot and killed by a Chicago police [officer] and to this day, they still haven’t received any mental health support from the city of Chicago,” Ford said. “Today the family would like to be heard.”

Kaleah Brown, Turrell Brown’s sister, cried as she said police benefited from a double standard of justice; they can just go home after taking a person’s life.

“If this had been a situation of Turrell Brown murdering the Chicago police [officer], he would have been in jail today. They would not have allowed him to go home with his family, to continue his job,” Kaleah Brown said. “My heart is broken. My brother will never come back again … because the Chicago police did this.”

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The Hurricanes beat the Blackhawks 6-3 on Friday. | AP Photos

The Hawks’ season-opening losing streak extended to eight games with a 6-3 defeat Friday.

RALEIGH, N.C. — The Blackhawks are playing like a hockey team without belief.

They’re still saying all the right things, at least when it comes to their on-ice performance. But in a 6-3 loss to the Hurricanes on Friday that extended the Hawks’ season-opening losing streak, they simply didn’t seem confident enough to turn the tide when things started going badly.

“Eight games in and we don’t have a win — it’s terrible,” Brandon Hagel said. “Early on, it’s like, ‘Let’s keep playing the same way. We’re going to get out of this. We’re going to get out of this.’ We’re still trying to do that, we’re still trying to stay positive… But obviously, the first win is in the back of everyone’s mind.”

After setting a league record by not leading once through their first six games, the Hawks have actually shown early jump and scored the first goal in each of their last two.

The undefeated Canes quickly turned the tide, though, scoring five unanswered goals in a 14-minute stretch straddling the first intermission. And Hawks coach Jeremy Colliton, as has been the case far too often this season, seemed out of ideas about how to stop the tsunami.

“We allowed them to get back into the game too easily,” Colliton said. “We’ve got to make them work [harder] for what they get… In the first period, you can’t expect to beat a team like that when you’re giving up two-on-ones, three-on-twos, getting beat inside at our net.”

The Hawks remained down four guys, including Patrick Kane, on COVID-19 protocol. They lost another, Tyler Johnson, to an apparent arm or wrist injury that is expected to keep him out of Saturday’s game against the Blues, at the least.

One bright spot was the debut of defenseman Isaak Phillips, who became the first alumnus of Team Jamaica to play in the NHL.

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St. Rita’s BJ Hall (1) and Liam Bartos (23) celebrate during the game against Rolling Meadows. | Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times

Sophomore running back Ethan Middleton busted loose for 78 yards on St. Rita’s opening play, and the Mustangs scored three touchdowns in the first nine minutes of the game.

St. Rita senior Kaleb Brown, who was injured in the first few minutes of the season opener, was dressed and ready to play in the Mustangs’ Class 7A state playoff game on Friday.

That’s exciting news for St. Rita, area football fans and Ohio State. But the Mustangs didn’t need him in a 42-7 running clock win against Rolling Meadows.

Sophomore running back Ethan Middleton busted loose for 78 yards on St. Rita’s opening play, and the Mustangs (8-2) scored three touchdowns in the first nine minutes of the game.

“We don’t need to push it,” St. Rita coach Todd Kuska said. “With the weather and the situation I thought we were alright. We have some other guys that can play.”

Kyle Clayton, St. Rita’s starting running back who has filled most of the void left by Brown’s injury all season, is out with an injury himself. Kuska isn’t sure when he will be back.

“It’s running back by committee from here on out,” Kuska said. “You turn the ball over and you are out. Competition makes everyone better.”

Middleton had 15 carries for 150 yards and two touchdowns. That’s impressive production in a playoff game from a young player that was on the bench three weeks ago.

“I’m starting to get the hang of it,” Middleton said. “At first I was cautious, trying to find a hole. Now I’m starting to see it a little bit more, starting to feel the speed.”

DJ Stewart, another sophomore running back, added 11 carries for 98 yards. St. Rita quarterback Tommy Ulatowski ran for three touchdowns, all in the first quarter.

It was 35-0 at halftime.

“[Middleton’s big run to start the game] gave us energy,” St. Rita lineman Djabril McNabb said. “That just carried over to the defense and the special teams.”

McNabb recovered two Rolling Meadows fumbles. Rolling Meadows (5-5) managed just five rushing yards in the game.

Evan Grace, Rolling Meadows’ quarterback, was 8 for 15 passing for 165 yards with one interception. He connected with senior Ethan Groark for an 88-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter.

St. Rita will face the Collinsville vs. Geneva winner on the road in the second round next week.

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An artist’s rendering of a proposed casino that would be located near Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street. | Provided by Bally’s Corporation

No wild cards were among the competing developers’ chosen sites, proposing projects at or near McCormick Place, the vacant South Loop site known as “the 78” and the Chicago Tribune’s Near North Side publishing plant.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Chicago casino game will be five-card draw.

Lightfoot’s office on Friday announced the city received five proposals from a total of four development groups looking to build and operate the big-city mega-casino that city officials have been trying to land for decades.

After pushing back the original summer bidding deadline — a move that suggested lukewarm industry interest in a highly taxed downtown gambling temple — the city identified the contenders as Rhode Island-based gambling company Bally’s Corporation, Florida-based gaming giant Hard Rock International, and two separate groups with proposals spearheaded by Chicago casino magnate Neil Bluhm’s Rush Street Gaming.

Bally’s submitted two separate proposals.

No wild cards were among the competing developers’ chosen sites, proposing projects at or near McCormick Place, the vacant South Loop site known as “The 78” and the Chicago Tribune’s Near North Side publishing plant.

Lightfoot said in a statement that she was “thrilled” with the hand she was dealt.

“The submission of bid responses represents a major step toward the thoughtful development of a casino-resort that uplifts our businesses, employs and empowers our residents and encourages tourism. We look forward to the next phase of discussions to bring this world-class entertainment experience to our city,” she said.

Bluhm’s company signaled it was all in on a Chicago proposal last month when it pulled out of the running for another new casino slated to break ground in Waukegan. But Friday’s turning of the cards revealed Bluhm’s Rush Street Gaming is behind two development groups with names that tip their hand on where they’d like to break ground: Rivers Chicago at McCormick LLC, and Rivers 78 Gaming LLC.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times file
Neil Bluhm, chairman of Rivers Casino, pictured in 2019.

McCormick Place has long been considered a viable casino site, while analysts have floated “The 78” as fertile gaming ground in the 62 vacant South Loop acres near Roosevelt Road and Clark Street.

A Rush Street spokesman did not have any immediate comment.

Lightfoot has left the politically thorny question of where to put the casino up to the potential developers .

Bluhm has long been considered a shoo-in to apply for the city casino license, given his success running the state’s most lucrative gambling mecca, Rivers Casino in Des Plaines — in addition to his close ties to the mayor. Lightfoot has received more than $200,000 in campaign contributions from Bluhm’s daughter Leslie and her sister Meredith Bluhm-Wolf.

Hard Rock’s bid as HR Chicago LLC comes about nine months after the corporation received the Illinois Gaming Board’s OK to break ground on another casino in Rockford – and about five months after it opened a casino in Gary, Indiana, not even an hour’s drive from Lightfoot’s City Hall office.

The Rockford Hard Rock, endorsed by legendary Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen, won approval despite the fact state regulators have considered disciplinary action against another company owned by one of the project’s lead investors.

The city did not disclose the full list of potential investors in each project. Hard Rock representatives did not return messages seeking comment.

Bally’s, which last month took control of the former Jumer’s Casino in Rock Island, submitted two proposals for two different potential sites: one at the Near North site of the Chicago Tribune publishing center near Chicago Avenue and Halsted; and another at the McCormick Place truck marshaling yard south of the sprawling convention center.

Provided by Bally’s Corporation
An artist’s rendering of a proposed Chicago casino that would be located south of McCormick Place.

Both proposals call for $1.6 billion investments that include a luxury hotel, indoor and outdoor entertainment center, green space and fine dining.

In a press release, the group said minority investors have a total stake of 25%, with investors including “philanthropists, business owners, sports stars, celebrities, and everyday Chicagoans.”

“This property will be built, owned, and operated by Chicagoans, with a focus on minority and women investors, contractors, suppliers, consultants, and employees,” Bally’s chairman Soo Kim said. “It will generate tax revenue, create good-paying jobs, and attract international, national, and local visitors for generations to come.”

The courting of casino developers marks a victory for Lightfoot in what has been a tumultuous first term on the fifth floor of City Hall.

In 2019, she did what her two mayoral predecessors could not when state lawmakers created the Chicago casino license as part of a massive gambling expansion.

But after a state-hired gambling consultant deemed the 72%-effective tax rate on the Chicago casino “too onerous” for any potential to turn a profit, Lightfoot’s team had to go back to Springfield last spring to secure legislative support to lower the tax rate to about 40%.

That was still too rich for the blood of some Las Vegas industry heavyweights such as MGM Resorts International, Wynn Resorts and Caesars Entertainment, where executives announced they’d take a pass on the city’s formal request for proposals that was issued in April.

The city’s cut of revenue from the 4,000-position casino will be earmarked for its desperately underfunded police and firefighter pensions.

With five bids in hand, Lightfoot’s office said it will create “a review committee made up of a cross-section of City departments” to recommend a bidder. Lightfoot will have the final call on who’s put up for City Council approval.

The Illinois Gaming Board has the final say on issuing a license. The mayor has said she expects the finished casino-resort to open by 2025, though an operator can set up shop at a temporary site once the developer gets state approval.

There are already 10 casinos operating in Illinois and five more in the pipeline, not to mention four more operating in northwest Indiana, including the Horseshoe Hammond that’s a half-hour drive from City Hall. That’s all on top of more than 40,000 slot machines operating in bars, restaurants and other establishments across Illinois.

City officials have contended there is room to “grow the pie,” or increase the size of the gaming market, with what they call “a once-in-a-generation opportunity for a casino operator in the heart of a major American city.”

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An artist’s rendering of a proposed casino that would be located near Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street. | Provided by Bally’s Corporation

No wild cards were among the competing developers’ chosen sites, proposing projects at or near McCormick Place, the vacant South Loop site known as “the 78” and the Chicago Tribune’s Near North Side publishing plant.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s Chicago casino game will be five-card draw.

Lightfoot’s office on Friday announced the city received five proposals from a total of four development groups looking to build and operate the big-city mega-casino that city officials have been trying to land for decades.

After pushing back the original summer bidding deadline — a move that suggested lukewarm industry interest in a highly taxed downtown gambling temple — the city identified the contenders as Rhode Island-based gambling company Bally’s Corporation, Florida-based gaming giant Hard Rock International, and two separate groups with proposals spearheaded by Chicago casino magnate Neil Bluhm’s Rush Street Gaming.

Bally’s submitted two separate proposals.

No wild cards were among the competing developers’ chosen sites, proposing projects at or near McCormick Place, the vacant South Loop site known as “the 78” and the Chicago Tribune’s Near North Side publishing plant.

Lightfoot said in a statement that she was “thrilled” with the hand she was dealt.

“The submission of bid responses represents a major step toward the thoughtful development of a casino-resort that uplifts our businesses, employs and empowers our residents and encourages tourism. We look forward to the next phase of discussions to bring this world-class entertainment experience to our city,” she said.

Bluhm’s company signaled it was all in on a Chicago proposal last month when it pulled out of the running for another new casino slated to break ground in Waukegan. But Friday’s turning of the cards revealed Bluhm’s Rush Street Gaming is behind two development groups with names that tip their hand on where they’d like to break ground: Rivers Chicago at McCormick LLC, and Rivers 78 Gaming LLC.

McCormick Place has long been considered a viable casino site, while analysts have floated “The 78” as fertile gaming ground in the 62 vacant South Loop acres near Roosevelt Road and Clark Street.

A Rush Street spokesman did not have any immediate comment.

Lightfoot has left the politically thorny question of where to put the casino up to the potential developers .

Bluhm has long been considered a shoo-in to apply for the city casino license, given his success running the state’s most lucrative gambling mecca, Rivers Casino in Des Plaines — in addition to his close ties to the mayor. Lightfoot has received more than $200,000 in campaign contributions from Bluhm’s daughter Leslie and her sister Meredith Bluhm-Wolf.

Hard Rock’s bid as HR Chicago LLC comes about nine months after the corporation received the Illinois Gaming Board’s OK to break ground on another casino in Rockford – and about five months after it opened a casino in Gary, Indiana, not even an hour’s drive from Lightfoot’s City Hall office.

The Rockford Hard Rock, endorsed by legendary Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen, won approval despite the fact state regulators have considered disciplinary action against another company owned by one of the project’s lead investors.

The city did not disclose the full list of potential investors in each project. Hard Rock representatives did not return messages seeking comment.

Bally’s, which last month took control of the former Jumer’s Casino in Rock Island, submitted two proposals for two different potential sites: one at the Near North site of the Chicago Tribune publishing center near Chicago Avenue and Halsted; and another at the McCormick Place truck marshaling yard south of the sprawling convention center.

Provided by Bally’s Corporation
An artist’s rendering of a proposed Chicago casino that would be located south of McCormick Place.

Both proposals call for $1.6 billion investments that include a luxury hotel, indoor and outdoor entertainment center, green space and fine dining.

In a press release, the group said minority investors have a total stake of 25%, with investors including “philanthropists, business owners, sports stars, celebrities, and everyday Chicagoans.”

“This property will be built, owned, and operated by Chicagoans, with a focus on minority and women investors, contractors, suppliers, consultants, and employees,” Bally’s chairman Soo Kim said. “It will generate tax revenue, create good-paying jobs, and attract international, national, and local visitors for generations to come.”

The courting of casino developers marks a victory for Lightfoot in what has been a tumultuous first term on the fifth floor of City Hall.

In 2019, she did what her two mayoral predecessors could not when state lawmakers created the Chicago casino license as part of a massive gambling expansion.

But after a state-hired gambling consultant deemed the 72%-effective tax rate on the Chicago casino “too onerous” for any potential to turn a profit, Lightfoot’s team had to go back to Springfield last spring to secure legislative support to lower the tax rate to about 40%.

That was still too rich for the blood of some Las Vegas industry heavyweights such as MGM Resorts International, Wynn Resorts and Caesars Entertainment, where executives announced they’d take a pass on the city’s formal request for proposals that was issued in April.

The city’s cut of revenue from the 4,000-position casino will be earmarked for its desperately underfunded police and firefighter pensions.

With five bids in hand, Lightfoot’s office said it will create “a review committee made up of a cross-section of City departments” to recommend a bidder. Lightfoot will have the final call on who’s put up for City Council approval.

The Illinois Gaming Board has the final say on issuing a license. The mayor has said she expects the finished casino-resort to open by 2025, though an operator can set up shop at a temporary site once the developer gets state approval.

There are already 10 casinos operating in Illinois and five more in the pipeline, not to mention four more operating in northwest Indiana, including the Horseshoe Hammond that’s a half-hour drive from City Hall. That’s all on top of more than 40,000 slot machines operating in bars, restaurants and other establishments across Illinois.

City officials have contended there is room to “grow the pie,” or increase the size of the gaming market, with what they call “a once-in-a-generation opportunity for a casino operator in the heart of a major American city.”

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Dirksen Federal Courthouse | Rich Hein/Sun-Times file photo

U.S. District Judge John Lee spent nearly an hour explaining his decision and said, “This court cannot ignore the binding precedent of the Supreme Court or the 7th Circuit because plaintiffs find it to be antiquated.”

A federal judge denied Friday a request for a temporary restraining order sought by Chicago firefighters and other city employees against vaccine mandates from City Hall and Gov. J.B. Pritzker.

U.S. District Judge John Lee spent nearly an hour explaining the basis of his decision, in which he found the city employees had not shown a likelihood of success on any of the claims they brought in a lawsuit earlier this month.

But at the end of the afternoon hearing, the judge also told the lawyers to submit a proposed schedule by the end of next week outlining how they would gather evidence to help him consider a more significant preliminary injunction.

Lee’s decision came the same day a bid to scuttle the city’s vaccine mandate failed a vote by Chicago’s City Council, an event Lee noted in his ruling. Meanwhile, a Cook County judge has said he will deliver a ruling next week on whether the city must halt its mandate for police officers in a case involving the Fraternal Order of Police.

The federal judge’s decision is not a surprise given questions he raised during a separate hearing earlier this week. Lawyer Jonathan Lubin argued at the time that he believed people have a right not to disclose their vaccination status. Lee furrowed his brow and said, “I’m puzzled. I look puzzled because I am puzzled.”

Then the judge asked, “Don’t we have to disclose medical information for all sorts of different activities?”

When Lubin argued the judge should consider the political nature of the vaccine, Lee told him, “I don’t care about the political.”

When it came to his ruling Friday, Lee addressed several points. Among them was the notion that a 1905 U.S. Supreme Court decision on vaccine mandates, bolstered by a recent decision from the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, should be regarded as “part of a bygone era in American jurisprudence.”

Lubin argued in a brief that the Supreme Court has since found “the right of privacy and the right of bodily autonomy trump a concern about the possible loss of life.” He said it did so in Roe v. Wade.

But Lee pointed to multiple recent examples of the 1905 case being upheld as good law. He said “this court cannot ignore the binding precedent of the Supreme Court or the 7th Circuit because plaintiffs find it to be antiquated.”

Ultimately, the judge said he would not “second guess the informed and rational scientific and public-policy judgments upon which the city and state have based their vaccine and COVID testing policies.”

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Marist’s Alonso Manning (30) runs the ball for a touchdown against Brother Rice. | Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times

All the scores from the first round.

Class 8A

#32 Downers Grove South (5-4) at #1 Loyola (9-0), Sat. noon

#17 Naperville Central (6-3) at #16 Naperville North (6-3), Fri. 7

#25 Minooka (5-4) at #8 York (8-1), Fri. 7

#24 Oswego East (6-3) at #9 Lincoln-Way East (7-2), Sat. 1:30

#29 Lyons (5-4) at #4 Lockport (8-1), Sat. 6:30

#20 Oswego (6-3) at #13 Glenbard West (7-2), Sat. 1

#28 Barrington (5-4) at #5 Warren (8-1), Fri. 7

#21 Glenbard North (6-3) at #12 Bolingbrook (7-2), Sat. 6

#31 Edwardsville (5-4) at #2 South Elgin (9-0), Fri. 6

#18 Marist (6-3) at #15 Glenbard East (7-2), Fri. 7

#26 Sandburg (5-4) at #7 Hinsdale Central (8-1), Sat. 2

#23 O’Fallon (6-3) at #10 Glenbrook South (7-2), Fri. 7

#30 Bartlett (5-4) at #3 Neuqua Valley (8-1), Fri. 7

#19 Palatine (6-3) at #14 Taft (7-2), Sat. 1

#27 New Trier (5-4) at #6 Maine South (8-1), Fri. 7

#22 Evanston (6-3) at #11 Plainfield North (7-2), Sat. 6:30

Class 7A

#32 Lake Zurich (5-4) at #1 Batavia (9-0), Fri. 7

#17 Mount Carmel (6-3) at #16 Thornwood (7-2), Fri. 6

#25 Yorkville (5-4) at #8 Plainfield Central (8-1), Fri. 7

#24 Wheaton Warrenville South (5-4) at #9 Brother Rice (7-2), Sat. 6

#29 Larkin (5-4) at #4 Wheaton North (8-1), Fri. 7

#20 TF South (6-3) at #13 Hoffman Estates (7-2), Fri. 7

#28 Hampshire (5-4) at #5 Moline (8-1), Fri. 7:30

#21 Willowbrook (6-3) vs. #12 Young (7-2) at Rockne, Fri. 7

#31 Plainfield East (5-4) at #2 Hononegah (9-0), Sat. 2

#18 Libertyville (6-3) at #15 Pekin (7-2), Fri. 7

#26 Geneva (5-4) at #7 Collinsville (8-1), Sat. 3

#23 Rolling Meadows (5-4) at #10 St. Rita (7-2), Fri. 7

#30 Eisenhower (5-4) at #3 Normal (9-0), Fri. 6:30

#19 Jacobs (6-3) at #14 Hersey (7-2), Fri. 7

#27 Lincoln-Way West (5-4) at #6 Buffalo Grove (8-1), Sat. 7

#22 Shepard (5-4) at #11 Prospect (7-2), Fri. 7:30

Class 6A

#16 Rockford East (5-4) at #1 Cary-Grove (9-0), Fri. 7

#9 Grayslake Central (7-2) at #8 Belvidere North (7-2), Fri. 7

#13 Mather (6-3) at #4 Deerfield (8-1), Fri. 7

#12 Crystal Lake Central (6-3) vs. #5 Amundsen (8-1) at Winnemac, Sat. 1

#15 Lakes (5-4) at #2 Wauconda (9-0), Fri. 7

#10 Vernon Hills (7-2) at #7 Prairie Ridge (7-2), Fri. 7

#14 Crystal Lake South (5-4) at #3 Harlem (8-1), Sat. 7

#11 Antioch (6-3) at #6 Lake Forest (7-2), Fri. 7

#16 Kennedy (5-3) at #1 Lemont (9-0), Fri. 7

#9 Springfield (6-3) at #8 Rock Island (6-3), Fri. 7:30

#13 Riverside-Brookfield (5-4) at #4 East St. Louis (7-2), Sat. 3

#12 Simeon (5-4) at #5 Richards (7-2), Fri. 6:30

#15 Bremen (5-4) at #2 St. Ignatius (8-1), Fri. 7

#10 Glenwood (6-3) at #7 Crete-Monee (6-3), Sat. 1

#14 Champaign Centennial (5-4) vs. #3 Kenwood (8-1) at Lane, Sat. 2

#11 Normal West (6-3) at #6 Washington, IL (7-2), Fri. 7

Class 5A

#16 Bulls Prep (5-4) at #1 Glenbard South (8-1), Fri. 6:30

#9 Sycamore (6-3) at #8 Evergreen Park (6-3), Sat. 5

#13 St. Patrick (5-4) at #4 Sterling (7-2), Sat. 2

#12 Payton (6-3) at #5 Rochelle (7-2), Fri. 7

#15 Kaneland (5-4) vs. #2 Fenwick (7-2) at Triton, Fri. 7

#10 Rockford Boylan (6-3) at #7 Brooks (6-3), Fri. 6

#14 Nazareth (5-4) vs. #3 Goode (7-2) at Gately, Fri. 4

#11 Marmion (6-3) vs. #6 Comer (7-2) at Gately, Sat. noon

#16 Carbondale (5-4) at #1 Kankakee (9-0), Sat. 3

#9 Morgan Park (6-3) at #8 Peoria (7-2), Sat. 1

#13 Dunlap (5-4) at #4 Mascoutah (8-1), Sat. 2

#12 Metamora (5-4) at #5 Marion (8-1), Sat. 1:30

#15 LaSalle-Peru (5-4) at #2 Morris (9-0), Fri. 7

#10 Highland (5-4) at #7 Morton, IL (7-2), Fri. 7

#14 Jacksonville (5-4) at #3 Mahomet-Seymour (9-0), Sat. 7

#11 Hillcrest (5-4) at #6 Triad (7-2), Sat. 3:30

Class 4A

#16 Marengo (5-4) at #1 Joliet Catholic (9-0), Fri. 7

#9 Coal City (6-3) at #8 Wheaton Academy (7-2), Fri. 7:30

#13 Bogan (6-3) at #4 Genoa-Kingston (8-1), Fri. 7

#12 Peoria Notre Dame (6-3) at #5 St. Francis (7-2), Sat. 2

#15 Sullivan (6-3) at #2 Richmond-Burton (9-0), Fri. 7

#10 Hyde Park (6-3) at #7 Stillman Valley (7-2), Sat. 1

#14 Plano (6-3) at #3 Kewanee (8-1), Sat. 1

#11 Dixon (6-3) vs. #6 Phillips (7-2) at Gately, Sat. 4

#16 Cahokia (5-4) at #1 Rochester (8-1), Sat. 3

#9 Paris (6-3) at #8 Mt. Zion (6-3), Sat. 7

#13 Richland County (5-4) at #4 Freeburg (7-2), Fri. 7

#12 Harrisburg (5-4) at #5 Carterville (7-2), Sat. 1

#15 Salem (5-4) at #2 Breese Central (8-1), Sat. 6

#10 Macomb (6-3) at #7 Murphysboro (6-3), Sat. 3

#14 Columbia (5-4) at #3 Sacred Heart-Griffin (8-1), Fri. 7

#11 Civic Memorial (6-3) at #6 Quincy Notre Dame (6-3), Fri. 7

Class 3A

#16 Catalyst Maria (5-4) at #1 Byron (9-0), Fri. 7:30

#9 Carver (6-3) vs. #8 Lisle (6-3) at Benedictine, Sat. noon

#13 Peotone (5-4) at #4 Reed-Custer (8-1), Fri. 7

#12 Elmwood-Brimfield (6-3) vs. #5 Clark (8-1) at Rockne, Sat. 1

#15 North Boone (5-4) at #2 Princeton (8-1), Fri. 7

#10 King (6-3) at #7 Prairie Central (7-2), Sat. 2

#14 Mendota (5-4) at #3 Pecatonica (8-1), Sat. 1

#11 Monmouth-Roseville (6-3) at #6 IC Catholic (8-1), Fri. 7:30

#16 Newton (5-4) at #1 Tolono Unity (9-0), Sat. 2

#9 Eureka (6-3) at #8 Paxton-Buckley-Loda (6-3), Sat. 1

#13 Beardstown (5-4) at #4 Williamsville (8-1), Sat. 2

#12 Hoopeston (5-4) at #5 Fairfield (8-1), Sat. 2

#15 St. Joseph-Ogden (5-4) at #2 Mt. Carmel, IL (9-0), Sat. 2:30

#10 DuQuoin (5-4) at #7 Carlinville (7-2), Sat. 2

#14 Piasa Southwestern (5-4) at #3 Benton (9-0), Sat. 2

#11 Greenville (5-4) at #6 Monticello (7-2), Sat. 2

Class 2A

#16 Julian (5-4) at #1 Wilmington (9-0), Sat. 6

#9 Newman CC (6-3) at #8 Mercer County (6-3), Sat. 1

#13 Bishop McNamara (5-4) at #4 Knoxville (8-1), Sat. 1

#12 Clifton Central (6-3) at #5 Erie-Prophetstown (7-2), Sat. 2

#15 Rockridge (5-4) at #2 Tri-Valley (9-0), Sat. 1

#10 North Lawndale (6-3) at #7 Deer Creek-Mackinaw (6-3), Sat. 1

#14 El Paso-Gridley (5-4) at #3 Farmington (9-0), Sat. 1

#11 Momence (6-3) at #6 Tremont (7-2), Sat. 2

#16 Flora (5-4) at #1 St. Teresa (9-0), Sat. 2

#9 Chester (7-2) at #8 Vandalia (7-2), Sat. 2

#13 Carmi-White County (6-3) at #4 Breese Mater Dei (9-0), Fri. 7:15

#12 Lawrenceville (6-3) at #5 Johnston City (8-1), Sat. 1

#15 Arthur-Lovington (5-4) at #2 Pana (9-0), Sat. 1

#10 Westville (7-2) at #7 Maroa-Forsyth (7-2), Sat. 1

#14 North Mac (5-4) at #3 Bismarck-Henning (9-0), Sat. 1

#11 Unity-Payson (6-3) at #6 Nashville (8-1), Sat. 2

Class 1A

#16 Annawan-Wethersfield (5-4) at #1 Abingdon (8-1), Fri. 7

#9 Monmouth United (6-3) at #8 Iroquois West (7-2), Sat. 1

#13 Ridgeview (5-4) at #4 Rushville (7-2), Sat. 1:30

#12 Hope Academy (6-3) at #5 Peru St. Bede (7-2), Fri. 7

#15 Princeville (5-4) at #2 Ottawa Marquette (8-1), Fri. 7

#10 Raby (6-3) at #7 Fulton (7-2), Sat. 2

#14 Galena (5-4) at #3 Forreston (7-2), Fri. 7

#11 Aurora Christian (6-3) at #6 Lena Winslow (7-2), Sat. 2

#16 Villa Grove (5-4) at #1 Camp Pt. Central (8-1), Sat. 2

#9 Central A&M (6-3) at #8 Nokomis (7-2), Sat. 5

#13 Brown County (5-4) at #4 Cumberland (8-1), Sat. 2

#12 West Central (6-3) at #5 Arcola (7-2), Sat. 2

#15 Shelbyville (5-4) at #2 Carrollton (8-1), Sat. 1

#10 Salt Fork (6-3) at #7 Greenfield-NW (7-2), Sat. 1

#14 Macon Meridian (5-4) at #3 Athens (8-1), Sat. 1

#11 Casey-Westfield (6-3) at #6 Sesser-Vallier (7-2), Sat. 2

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The cast of the Berkeley Repertory Theatre is shown in a scene from “Paradise Square.” The show begins its pre-Broadway run in Chicago on Nov. 2. | Kevin Berne

From theater and music to museums and family events, we’ve got just the ticket with our entertainment guide to some of the fun kicking off in the week ahead.

Theater

In the tenement houses of New York City’s Five Points slum in 1863, Irish immigrants and free-born Black Americans lived alongside one another, intermarried, raised families and shared their cultures. This is the setting for “Paradise Square,” the new musical that delves into conflicting notions of what it meant to be an American in this tumultuous era. In its pre-Broadway run, the show is directed by Moises Kaufman, with choreography by Bill T. Jones and a book by Christina Anderson, Marcus Gardley, Craig Lucas and Larry Kirwan, and a score by Jason Howland, Nathan Tysen and Masi Asare. From Nov. 2-Dec. 5 at the James M. Nederlander Theatre, 24 W. Randolph. Tickets: $39+. Visit broadwayinchicago.com.

“The Magic Flute” is Mozart’s final opera, in which a prince and princess triumph over obstacles in their search for wisdom, enlightenment and love. This inventive production, created by Suzanne Andrade and Barrie Kosky and directed by Tobias Ribitzki, features eye-popping projections by animator Paul Barritt and innovative stage design and costumes by Esther Bialis. Taking its inspiration from silent films, the production foregoes the traditional spoken dialogue in between the operatic scenes. Instead, texts are projected onto the stage with musical accompaniment. From Nov. 3-37. Lyric Opera, 20 N. Wacker, $49+. Visit lyricopera.org.

Chris Tong
“Pump Boys & Dinettes” at Porchlight Music Theatre.
One of Chicago’s longest running musicals, “Pump Boys & Dinettes,” returns for a run at Porchlight Music Theatre. Set in a North Carolina dinette, it’s filled with toe-tapping music and wise downhome advice; directed by Robert Reddrick. From Oct. 30-Dec. 12 at Ruth Page Center for the Arts, 1016 N. Dearborn. Tickets: $45-$74. Visit porchlightmusictheatre.org.

Music Theater Works presents “Ragtime,” Terrence McNally, Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens’ musical based on E.L. Doctorow’s novel about the search for the American Dream. Set in the early years of the 20th century, it tells the stories of an upper-class wife, a determined Jewish immigrant and a young Harlem musician who desire a brighter future but must unite to achieves their dreams. Stacey Flaster directs. From Oct. 28-Nov. 7 at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie. Tickets: $20-$108 Visit musictheaterworks.com.

Joan Marcus
Kennedy Caughell stars as the title character in “Beautiful — The Carole King Musical.”The Tony- and Grammy Award-winning Broadway hit “Beautiful — The Carole King Musical” returns for a short downtown run. The musical chronicles the career of the pop singer-songwriter who fought her way into the record business and created a songbook filled with now classic tunes including “I Feel the Earth Move,” “One Fine Day,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” and “You’ve Got a Friend.” From Nov. 2-Nov. 7 at CIBC Theatre, 18 W. Monroe. Tickets: $31+. Visit broadwayinchicago.com.
Doren Sorell
Ronnie Marmo stars as Lenny Bruce in “I’m Not a Comedian…I’m Lenny Bruce.”Ronnie Marmo returns with his one-man show “I’m Not a Comedian … I’m Lenny Bruce.” Directed by Joe Mantegna, it’s the story of the life and early passing of the legendary comedian who, according to Marmo, “exposed many of the ‘untouchable’ subjects that are in the news again now.” Includes added content from Bruce’s repertoire not featured in the production’s previous Chicago run. The open run begins Nov. 3 at Venus Cabaret Theater, 3745 N. Southport. Tickets: $69-$79. Visit lennybruceonstage.com.
Michael Brosilow
Second City etc is presenting “The Best Decision You’ve Ever Made.”
The Second City e.t.c. returns with “The Best Decision You’ve Ever Made.” Directed by Frank Caeti, the show is performed and written by returning ensemble members Atra Asdou, EJ Cameron, Mark Campbell, Laurel Krabacher and Chuck Norment plus new cast member Alex Bellisle. Performances begin Oct. 28 in an open run. Tickets: $29+. Visit secondcity.com.
Trap Door Theatre presents Laura Ruohonen’s “Queen C” in which a queen pushes back against being defined by the obligations she was born to fulfill. Michael Mejia directs. From Oct. 28-Dec. 4 at Trap Door Theatre, 1655 W. Cortland. Tickets: $20, $25. Visit trapdoor.com.
The New Coordinates stream a radio play adaptation of Omer Abbas Salem’s drama “Love in the Time of Jonestown,” which explores the splendid ache of acceptance and the profound bliss of betrayal. Directed by Sophiyaa Nayar. Streams Oct. 28-Nov. 21. Tickets: $15. Visit thenewcoordinates.org.
Congo Square Theatre’s digital sketch comedy series, “Hit ‘Em on the Blackside,” returns Oct. 29-Dec. 10 for 12 new episodes. The cast brings back memorable characters from Season 1 and introduces new characters and storylines with nods to social themes including justice and equality, cancel culture and what it means to be a hero. Suggested donation: $10. Visit congosquaretheatre.org.
Theatre in the Dark presents a virtual audio version of H.G. Wells’ Martian invasion tale “War of the Worlds” for three performances Halloween weekend. Using a streamlined script that runs around 70 minutes, it will be recorded and available for seven days following the live performances. Streams Oct. 29-31. Tickets: pay-what-you-can. Visit theatreinthedark.com.
Stacey Rose’s “America v.2.1: The Sad Demise & Eventual Extinction of the American Negro” is presented in a filmed virtual production by Definition Theatre. The play follows a company of actors tasked with re-telling the history of the American Negro who find themselves fighting for their survival. Directed by Tyrone Phillips. Streams from Nov. 2-21. Tickets: $15-$100. Visit definitiontheatre.org.

Visceral Dance Chicago performs two world premieres — “Madre” by Los Angeles choreographer Mike Tyus and “From Then On” by Spanish choreographer Monica Cervantes — plus three works by artistic director Nick Pupillo: “Avow,” “Ash in the Rainbow” and “Synapse.” At 7:30 p.m. Oct. 28, 30 at Athenaeum Theatre, 2936 N. Southport. Tickets: $21-$58. Visit athenaeumtheatre.org.

Music

Photography by Harvey Tillis
Dave SpecterDelmark Records artist Dave Specter celebrates the release of his new album, “Six String Soul: 30 Years on Delmark.” His musical journey on Delmark began in 1991 with the release of his debut album, “Bluebird Blues.” Over a dozen albums and three decades later, “Six String Soul” showcases the guitarist, singer/songwriter and producer surrounded by a stellar lineup of special guests from late greats Otis Clay and Jack McDuff to living legends like Jimmy Johnson, Billy Branch and Jorma Kaukonen. Specter’s career has been intertwined with the deepest roots of Chicago blues and Delmark’s rich musical history. Guests Jimmy Johnson and Tad Robinson join Specter at 8 p.m. Nov. 2 at Space, 1245 Chicago, Evanston. Tickets: $15, $20. Visit evanstonspace.com.
B+ Photo
The Fugees have reunited for a world tour.
Ms. Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and Pras Michel of the legendary hip-hop group Fugees have reunited for their first world tour in 25 years and first shows in 15 years to celebrate the anniversary of 1996’s “The Score,” considered one of the greatest albums of all time (it’s No. 134 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums). “As I celebrate 25 years with the Fugees, my first memory was that we vowed, from the gate, we would not just do music we would be a movement,” Jean says. “We would be a voice for the un-heard, and in these challenging times, I am grateful once again, that God has brought us together.” At 8 p.m. Nov. 2 at United Center, 1901 W. Madison. Tickets: $59+. Visit ticketmaster.com.
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s contemporary music series, MusicNow, curated by Mead Composer-in-Residence Jessie Montgomery, returns at 7 p.m. Nov. 1. The first concert, “Homecoming,” celebrates composers with ties to Chicago including Ted Hearne, Elijah Daniel Smith, Nathalie Joachim and Montgomery. Performed by CSO musicians. Tickets: $20. Visit cso.org.

Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center — Wu Han (piano), Arnaud Sussmann (violin), Matthew Lipman (viola) and David Finckel (cello) — perform works by Dvorak, Suk and Brahms. The concert celebrates friendship and family via the music of three composers who mentored and inspired each other. At 7:30 p.m. Oct. 29 at Harris Theater, 205 E. Randolph. Tickets: $30-$70. Visit harristheaterchicgo.org.

Courtesy of AACM
The Great Black Music Ensemble performs for the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians 50th anniversary concert.
The Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians’ 55th Anniversary Concert features world premieres of commissioned works by three internationally renowned artists: The Honorable Elizabeth A. Baker, Grammy-nominated pianist and composer Adegoke Steve Colson, and alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa. AACM’s Great Black Music Ensemble performs the works. At 7 p.m. Oct. 30 at Logan Center for the Arts, 915 E. 60th. Admission is free but reservations are required. Visit tickets.uchicago.edu.

Museums

Aileen Bishop
“A Century of Radio” at the Museum of Broadcast Communications
“A Century of Radio,” a new exhibit at the Museum of Broadcast Communications, examines the intertwined stories of the business, the science and the culture of an industry that transformed the American experience. Artifacts on display include Larry Lujack’s famed Smith-Corona typewriter used to write “Animal Stories” for WLS Radio; Edgar Bergen’s original ventriloquist partners Charlie McCarthy, Mortimer Snerd and Effie Klinker; a 1912 Spark-gap transmitter, the first ever transmitter which generated a frequency of electromagnetic waves; WGN Radio’s original Studio A, which featured personalities Bob Collins, Roy Leonard, Spike O’Dell and Steve and Johnnie, and a rare collection of vintage radio premiums. The exhibit runs now through summer 2022 at the Museum of Broadcast Communications, 360 N. State. Admission is free. Visit museum.tv.

Movies

PrideArts Fall Film Festival features 32 international queer-themed shorts in four weekly programs. The festival’s first week of films (Nov. 1-8) features 11 films from Pakistan curated by the Aks International Minorities Festival, a global human rights initiative designed to facilitate socio-political and cultural dialogues. Among the films is “Four Fifty-Five ML,” about a middle-aged trans-woman who helps a critically ill boy, and “Dead Dad,” about a young man who confronts his dying father. The festival streams from Nov. 1-29. Tickets: $12 per program; $30 festival pass. Visit pridearts.org.

Family fun

For some retro fun check out The Chicago Pinball Expo, the event that salutes pinball designers and artists. Taking place since 1985 in Chicago, the home of pinball, the four-day event is filled with speakers, a game area, competitions and vendors. There also are virtual options. From Oct. 28-30 at Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel, 1551 N. Thoreau Dr., Schaumburg. Tickets: $30+. Visit pinballexpo.com.
Fun and games are on the menu at Laurie Berkner’s Halloween Party as the children’s musician invites families to a virtual event where they can sing along to original Halloween tunes and old favorites. There’s also a live chat with audience members throughout the show and a fun-filled pre-show virtual lobby with music, videos and a Halloween game. Streams at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Oct. 31. Tickets: $20 per family. Visit laurieberkner.com.

Jayme Thornton

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Chicago police work the scene where a 4-year-old girl and a 19-year-old man were wounded in a shooting in the 4000 block of West Washington Boulevard in the West Garfield Park neighborhood on Aug. 6. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times file

Let’s hear from criminal justice experts, knowledgeable law enforcement leaders, involved community activists and others.

It’s time for a summit. Chicago needs more and better strategies to stop violent crime. It needs to hear the voices of those who can help.

Bring together the criminal justice experts, the knowledgeable law enforcement leaders, the involved community activists and others. Listen to them as they draw on their research and experiences to advise us on how the city can do more to stop shootings and other violent crimes. This is the kind of vision and initiative we expect of our elected leaders.

The scourge of bullets is tearing at the fabric of a metropolis proud of its skyscrapers, beaches and neighborhoods. The toll of homicides is spreading heartbreak through communities. The echoing voices of victims from every corner of our city plead with us to do more.

As Tom Schuba, David Struett, Andy Grimm, Frank Main and Andy Boyle reported in the Sunday Sun-Times, murders, shootings, rapes and car thefts are all up sharply in the downtown area. Meanwhile, the “safety gap” between downtown and some areas of the South and West sides continues to grow.

The number of shootings and total shootings per 1,000 residents has shot up nearly 220% since 2019 in the Central police district, which includes much of the downtown business district. That, by far, is the largest increase in any police district in the city.

Meanwhile, the per capita rate of shootings in West Garfield Park, the city’s most dangerous community area, is nearly 20 times higher than in downtown, according to the Sun-Times analysis of city data.

The emotional and financial costs of this carnage are immeasurable. People in the neighborhoods are suffering. Residents and businesses in the downtown area and the Gold Coast are getting fed up with crime.

Yesterday’s strategies won’t work today

Yes, crime is increasing in other cities. Homicides were up 30% from 2019 to 2020 in 34 cities studied by criminologist Richard Rosenfeld, a University of Missouri-St. Louis professor. Gun violence and homicides increased even as residential burglary dropped by 24%, larceny declined 16% and drug offenses were 30% lower.

But Chicago can’t hide behind those numbers. Its residents look to their leaders to create an environment in which they and their loved ones feel safe.

And, yes, it is a challenge. The strategies of yesterday don’t work against the growing threats of today and tomorrow.

For just one example, “ghost guns” — homemade, untraceable weapons without serial numbers — are proliferating. They can be purchased online almost fully assembled or made with 3D printers.

“I had a board member tell me that he was on a community meeting call about gun violence and youths were telling stories about how they could go online, build ghost guns with a 3D printer — including a serial number — use the guns and then sell them on the street,” said Kathleen Sances, president and CEO of G-PAC, a gun-safety group.

Last month, Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart and state Sen. Jacqueline Collins, D-Chicago, proposed legislation to ban “ghost guns.” On Friday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a package of laws to address the gun violence epidemic, including outlawing ghost guns.

A summit would help elected leaders understand how violent crime is metastasizing and help them learn new, effective ideas to combat it.

No summit will work, though, if it is held in a vacuum. As we have written before, Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, Police Supt. David Brown and other leaders in the criminal justice system need to stop feuding and rally behind a plan to reduce homicides and other violence crimes.

No single strategy by itself will send serious crime plummeting. But each well thought out step can move the needle in the right direction. With the right ideas, the right execution and the right cooperation among elected leaders and other stakeholders, Chicago can be the safe city of which its residents dream.

Send letters to [email protected].

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