The holidays are here! And with shipping rates and times escalating, you need to start shopping for the Chicago fanatics in your life. If you’re like me, the sleigh bells are about to start ringing. As soon as that Thanksgiving dinner is finished, we transition to Christmastime. Or maybe you crank up the ‘Jingle Bell […] Must-have holiday gifts for Chicago sports fanatics – Da Windy City – Da Windy City – A Chicago Sports Site – Bears, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks, Fighting Illini & MoreRead More

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Chicago police work the scene where multiple people were shot in the 7900 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue, in the Chatham neighborhood, Friday, Oct. 22, 2021. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

A woman was killed at a party in the 3700 block of South Wood Street when she was shot in the face after her boyfriend’s gun accidentally went off, police said.

Three people were killed and 26 others were wounded in shootings across Chicago over the weekend.

A 31-year-old man died Saturday morning in Englewood on the South Side. He was in the 1200 block of West 73rd Street when he was shot several times about 10:40 a.m., Chicago police said. The man was pronounced dead at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
Hours later, a woman was killed in McKinley Park on the Southwest Side. Police say the 35-year-old woman was at a party in the 3700 block of South Wood Street when she was shot in the face after her boyfriend’s gun accidentally went off about 10:40 a.m. She was pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital.
On Sunday, a 29-year-old man was shot to death in West Garfield Park. Police said they found Kevin Powell lying on the ground in the 4400 block of West Monroe Street about 3:15 a.m. Powell suffered two gunshot wounds to the chest and was pronounced dead at Mount Sinai Hospital, police said.
Five people were wounded in a mass shooting Friday night in Chatham on the South Side. The group was standing outside about 9 p.m. in the 800 block of East 79th Street when someone opened fire, police said. Two people were shot in the arm and transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center, police said. A male was listed in critical condition and a female was stabilized. A 50-year-old woman was shot in the arm and a man, also 50, was struck in the ankle. Another man, 43, was shot in the shoulder. They were all stabilized at the same hospital.
A 15-year-old boy was shot Saturday in Park Manor on the South Side. He was walking in the 6600 block of South King Drive when someone in a car pulled up and fired about 11:55 a.m. He was stabilized at Comer Children’s Hospital.
Two teens were shot during an attempted robbery Saturday night in Dunning on the Northwest Side. A 15-year-old boy and a 19-year-old man had contacted a man, 29, about buying a gaming console that was posted online, police said. The three met about 10:10 p.m. in the 3600 block of North Octavia Avenue. After the 29-year-old handed over the gaming console, one of the teens grabbed it and walked toward a parked car without paying, police said. The man went after him and saw another person sitting in the car with a gun. The 29-year-old pulled out his own gun and fired, according to police. The 15-year-old was struck in the head and taken to Community First Medical Center in critical condition, police said. The 19-year-old was shot in the shoulder and taken to the hospital in fair condition.

At least 18 others were wounded across the city between 5 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Monday.

Last weekend in Chicago, 24 people were shot, four fatally,

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Week 7 saw a disastrous performance by the Chicago Bears, as Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers routed them, 38-3. Tampa Bay got off to a fast start, going up 21-0 in the first quarter. From there, these Bears simply weren’t built to play catchup — especially under an offense which seems figured out […] Chicago Bears: Until Matt Nagy is fired, we can’t critique Justin Fields – Da Windy City – Da Windy City – A Chicago Sports Site – Bears, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks, Fighting Illini & MoreRead More

Chicago police work the scene where multiple people were shot in the 7900 block of South Cottage Grove Avenue, in the Chatham neighborhood, Friday, Oct. 22, 2021. | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times | Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times, Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

A woman was accidentally killed Saturday at a party in the 3700 block of South Wood Street about 12:30 a.m. when she was shot in the face after her boyfriend’s gun accidentally went off.

Three people were killed and 26 others were wounded in shootings across Chicago since Friday.

A 31-year-old man was fatally shot Saturday morning in Englewood on the South Side.

About 10:40 a.m., he was in the 1200 block of West 73rd Street, when he was shot multiple times, Chicago police said. The man was rushed to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

Hours later, a woman was accidentally killed in McKinley Park on the Southwest Side.

The 35-year-old woman was at a party in the 3700 block of South Wood Street about 12:30 a.m. when she was shot in the face after her boyfriend’s gun accidentally went off, police said. She was taken to Stroger Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

On Sunday, a 29-year-old man was shot to death in West Garfield Park.

About 3:15 a.m., police found Kevin Powell lying on the ground in the 4400 block of West Monroe Street, police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.

Powell suffered two gunshot wounds to the chest and was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

In nonfatal attacks, five people were wounded in a mass shooting Friday night in Chatham on the South Side.

The group was standing outside about 9 p.m. in the 800 block of East 79th Street when someone opened fire before fleeing the scene, police said.

A male and female, whose ages weren’t known, were shot in the arm and transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center, police said. The male was in critical condition and the female was stabilized.

A 50-year-old woman was shot in the arm while a man, also 50, was struck in the ankle, police said. Another man, 43, was shot in the shoulder. They were all stabilized and taken to the same hospital, according to police.

Saturday morning, a 15-year-old boy was shot Saturday in Park Manor on the South Side.

About 11:55 a.m., the boy was walking in the 6600 block of South King Drive, when someone inside a vehicle pulled up and fired shots before fleeing, police said. He was rushed to Comer Children’s Hospital, where his condition was stabilized.

Two people, including a 15-year-old boy, were shot during an attempted robbery Saturday night in Dunning on the Northwest Side.

The teen and a man, 19, contacted a 29-year-old man about purchasing a gaming console that was posted online, police said. The three met to exchange the purchase about 10:10 p.m. in the 3600 block of North Octavia Avenue.

After the 29-year-old handed over the gaming console, one of the males grabbed the item and walked towards a parked vehicle without paying, police said. The man went after him and saw another person sitting inside the vehicle with a gun.

The man pulled out his own gun and fired shots, according to police.

The 15-year-old was struck in the head and taken to Community First Medical Center in critical condition, police said. The other, 19, was shot in the shoulder and was taken to the same hospital in fair condition.

At least 18 others were wounded in citywide gun violence between 5 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Monday.

Twenty-four people were shot, four fatally, last weekend in Chicago.

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Compared with the cost of building a new stadium, the Bears could spend less to get a reconfigured stadium where one already exists. | AP file

There are many reasons why staying in downtown Chicago is the best decision for a risk-averse franchise.

Somebody in this town has to put in a good word for Soldier Field. Not for its architecture, of course, nor its suitability for today’s National Football League, nor its fan experience, but about its prospects to remain the home of the Chicago Bears.

Some think that because the Bears have a contract to buy the Arlington International Racecourse site, they are definitely going there. Hardly.

So here goes.

Soldier Field remains the logical and the best place for the Bears to play. Compared with the cost of building in Arlington Heights or anywhere else, the team could spend less to get a reconfigured stadium where one already exists.

It’s in downtown Chicago, which is capable of generating more public money to support the project, mostly in the form of hotel taxes, than a suburban site could muster. It already has access for cars and public transit.

Arlington Heights might work only as part of a massive, speculative real estate venture that could fail or take years to pay off.

Anything could happen. The Bears might still leave, especially if the McCaskeys were to cede control of the franchise to richer people with a greater appetite for risk. But I came around to appreciating the chances the Bears would stay put after a couple of interviews last week.

One was with Maurice Cox, Chicago’s commissioner of planning and development. His agency has the data and the development expertise to advise Mayor Lori Lightfoot on this matter. My exchange with Cox went like this:

Q: Is the mayor involving you in discussions over a Bears stadium?

A: Oh yeah. … Everyone is interested in keeping them here, and everyone is interested in making a state-of-the-art facility. The potential is right there for us. I’m just looking forward to keeping this conversation going.

Q: Are you offering the Bears [alternative] sites?

A: No, no, we’re not able to talk about that. You know, we have an amazing facility at Soldier Field, and I think we would be remiss not to stay focused on it.

Q: The engineers say it would be pretty hard to do something at Soldier Field [like adding a roof] …

A: Show me the studies that say it can’t be done. There is a whole history of retrofitting historic stadiums to get the size, to get the coverage, so I wouldn’t give up so quickly on Soldier Field.

Q: Is there a price tag that has been offered up?

A: I just wouldn’t give up on Soldier Field. So, I think we’re going to do everything we can, and so I’m looking forward to continuing the conversation with them.

Q: Has your department compiled a list of other sites in the city that could interest the Bears?

A: I’m not willing to give up on Soldier Field. I’ll leave it at that.

Brian Rich/Sun-Times
Maurice Cox, Chicago’s commissioner of planning and development

Having had the commissioner quash my notion that the city might steer the Bears away from Soldier Field, I sought out a real estate pro with city and suburban experience who knows the ins and outs of “entitlements,” the legal authority governments grant for the right to build something.

This person, a Bears fan, didn’t want his name used to protect business ties. He was just as adamant about Soldier Field as Cox was.

“I’ve been looking at different aspects of this, and I can’t figure out how Arlington Heights possibly works for the Bears,” he said. It’s predicated on a complex development to support a stadium that’s used for 10 home dates per year, and that kind of density could stir a political firestorm in the northwest suburbs, he said. “People working for [Lightfoot] have to help her understand the Bears’ economic situation. … What would it really cost them to move?”

A new stadium might cost around $2.5 billion, based on recent NFL deals. Supporting a roof over Soldier Field is a complex but cheaper job. “If I’m a betting man, it’s less than $2 billion” and would keep the team “in one of the most beautiful settings for a stadium anywhere,” he said.

Plus, what’s the development prospect for Arlington’s 326 acres? Retail? Overbuilt already. Hotel? No demand. Apartments? You would need to do an awful lot to support the stadium debt, and there go your school taxes.

In contrast, the Bears could get another sweet deal in a stadium that belongs to the Chicago Park District. Plenty of people find advantages in renting over owning.

As for downsides, we’d have to give up the notion that what’s left of the old stadium’s shell is worth preserving. Also, the Bears have to share the concession revenue, and selling naming rights to something dedicated to the armed forces is a non-starter.

Maybe owner and tenant can get creative. How about the State Farm End Zone at Soldier Field? The company’s celebrity endorser already stakes a claim there.

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DJ Duane Powell makes the crowd move to House, a Chicago-created music genre, in the documentary “It’s Different in Chicago.” | David Weathersby

‘It’s Different In Chicago,’ scheduled for a Black Harvest Film Festival premiere, details how local music continues to be locked in an ongoing rivalry for respect at home and abroad.

Purveyors within Chicago’s often segregated music scene are well aware of the difficulties of being heard. When the local hip-hop legend then known as Kanye West rapped “From the Chi, the city of hella haters,” on the 2006 track “Grammy Family,” many creatives from the city’s marginalized communities understood what the former South Side rapper was saying.

Even though Chicago is widely known as the birthplace of House Music, over time the genre hasn’t garnered the respect many “House Heads” believe it deserves. And, locally, there’s a divide between House Music stans and fans of non-commercial hip-hop — otherwise known as “backpackers.” The animosity between two of the city’s burgeoning music scenes is explained in a new documentary slated for release in November.

“It’s Different in Chicago,” directed by David Weathersby (“Jazz Occurrence”), which is scheduled to premiere as part of the Nov. 5-Dec. 2 Black Harvest Film Festival, not only details the impetus behind the “divide,” but also shows how Chicago hip-hop and House Music continues to be locked in an ongoing divide for respect at home and abroad.

“I’ve lived in Chicago since ’98. One of the things I found fascinating about living in the Chicago area was the strength of House,” said Weathersby, a Seattle native. “Chicago is the home of House, but in other places, House very much mislabeled. It’s lumped in with EDM, and to see the strength of House in the city is like nowhere else. In most places, it’s hip-hop, and everybody else gets a little corner.”

The film features a variety of local stakeholders within the aforementioned music scene including South Side rapper Ang13, WLPN-FM’s (105.5) “News From the Service Entrance” host Mario Smith and House DJ Duane Powell.

David Weathersby
“It’s Different in Chicago” director David Weathersby says the city has enough culture to foster a divide in approaches to music.

Is Chicago “different,” as the title of the documentary suggests?

The city’s place in creating music is the proof, Weathersby says.

“I’ve noticed that, especially within the Black community, we like the music but it also becomes our tribe — the flag that we fly,” said Weathersby. “And chronicling this, and chronicling it from the people who are taking part of it, makes it so it’s accurate before it becomes a topic that somebody outside starts coming in. They might come in with a preconceived notion of Black Chicago. I wanted to have the people who are a part of it have their say first.”

Some Chicagoans were of the belief that they had to choose between the rival music scenes.

“That choice wasn’t necessarily based on the music. It was based around the culture around the music, whether it was sexuality, gender, and whatever neighborhood you lived in,” said Weathersby. “From my research, there were a lot of people who felt like the choice was made because of where they were from or their neighborhood, or who they were as a person as opposed to the music itself.”

Tony Smith
“It’s Different in Chicago” director David Weathersby.

Weathersby sees the local “divide” as a testament to the city’s variety of culture, not a negative.

“Because of the different places I lived, I thought it was fascinating. I saw some positivity that there was enough Black music and enough Black culture to have a ‘divide,’ ” said Weathersby. “I know that sounds odd but I’ve lived in other places where you don’t have enough strength in the Black community to even have a divide, to have a choice. So I thought that was fascinating in itself.

“Chicago has enough of a musical and cultural strain that you could have a divide — even amongst House. Some folks are Frankie Knuckles people, and others like Ron Hardy.”

In the documentary, Weathersby aims to show the nuances that set Chicago apart from other cultural landmarks.

“So much has been taken from Chicago, especially from Black Chicago, and repackaged, and never given the credit to the point where if you argued to someone, they wouldn’t believe you,” said Weathersby. “Somebody who takes something from Chicago will be the ones that people pay, and the people who actually spent blood, sweat, and tears won’t see any of the benefits.”

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Moon Alert

Avoid shopping or making important decisions from 9 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Chicago time. After that, the moon moves from Gemini into Cancer.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

Issues are intense today. You feel passionately about things, particularly matters related to shared property, inheritances, debt and insurance. Sort out loose details but agree to nothing during the moon alert. Wait until it’s over.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Discussions with a partner or close friend will be free-flowing and frank today because of the influence of the moon alert. Learn what you can to improve these close relationships; but wait until the Moon Alert is over before you act. Be smart.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Today is the best day this week to work hard and play hard. Therefore, give it all you’ve got! You have creative, playful ideas; plus, partners and close friends will cooperate and help you. Agree to nothing important during the moon alert.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Get as much done as possible today at home or with projects related to sports, the entertainment world, the hospitality industry and creative ventures. You might want to make your workspace more attractive. Nevertheless, agree to nothing important during the moon alert.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

You have something to say today! You want to enlighten others and you will be persuasive in doing so. Home and family continue to be a primary focus; however, entertaining diversions will appeal. Accomplish as much as you can on this pleasant day.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

This is a fast-paced week, and your ambitious schedule includes short trips, increased reading, writing and studying plus errands and appointments. Financial discussions could be important. If so, be aware of the limitations of today’s moon alert. Enjoy entertaining or redecorating at home.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

With both Mercury and Mars in your sign, you are energetic and eager to communicate. Oh yes, you have something to say! Fortunately, with Venus in your House of Communications, you will schmooze well with others because you feel loved. Enjoy the beauty of everyday surroundings.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Naturally, you are empowered with the sun in your sign. Not only does this boost your energy, it attracts people and favorable situations to you. You might also attract money to you; however, avoid important financial decisions during the moon alert. Be smart.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

This week is an excellent time to buy wardrobe items for yourself. However, today there is a moon alert, which means do not shop for anything other than food and gas. Note: You can accomplish more by working in conjunction with others. Try it.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

This is a popular time for you. Because your ambition is aroused, this is an excellent time for goal setting. Why not bounce your ideas off someone to get their feedback? It might be helpful. However, agree to nothing important during the moon alert today. Wait until it’s over to act or set things in motion.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Because the sun is at high noon in your chart, you impress others, especially bosses, parents and VIPs. (Use this to your advantage.) In addition, fair Venus is in your House of Friendships, greasing the wheels for favorable relations with groups. Be aware of the moon alert.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

You’re hungry for stimulation and adventure! You might be excited about travel plans or learning something new? Cultivate the favorable influence of someone important, especially if you are in dispute with others about shared property, inheritances or insurance issues. Get all the help you can.

If Your Birthday Is Today

Singer Ciara (1985) shares your birthday. You are creative, ingenious and energetic. You are also dependable, reliable, independent and persuasive. You are affectionate with loved ones. This is a year for building solid foundations in your life. These structures might be physical, or they might be aspects of your daily routine. Physical exercise will especially benefit and strengthen you this year. Keep things simple.

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