Videos

Another nationally ranked foe ahead as Redbirds seek to snap 3-game losing skidon October 21, 2021 at 11:30 am

Prairie State Pigskin

Another nationally ranked foe ahead as Redbirds seek to snap 3-game losing skid

About ChicagoNow
•
FAQs
•
Advertise
•
Recent posts RSS
•
Privacy policy (Updated)
•
Comment policy
•
Terms of service
•
Chicago Tribune Archives
•
Do not sell my personal info

©2021 CTMG – A Chicago Tribune website –
Crafted by the News Apps team

Read More

Another nationally ranked foe ahead as Redbirds seek to snap 3-game losing skidon October 21, 2021 at 11:30 am Read More »

Horoscope for Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021Georgia Nicolson October 21, 2021 at 5:01 am

Moon Alert

There are no restrictions to shopping or important decisions. The moon is in Taurus.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

There’s tough energy in the air. For some, it will trigger arguments and disputes with partners, close friends and authority figures. However, you can also use this same feisty energy to get things done. A wiser and more productive choice. Ya think?

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

Disputes about politics, religion and racial issues might easily arise. Don’t even go there. This is a waste of energy. Instead, use this same energy to be productive at work. You can also use this energy to work out or get physical exercise. Your choice.

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

Parents must be patient with their kids to avoid confrontations. Likewise, romantic partners need to be patient with each other to avoid nasty arguments. Meanwhile, this same energy to fight can be channeled in a different way and used in sports or creative ways.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

Family conflicts and domestic arguments might take place. However, you have a choice. Instead, you can use this same energy to shove furniture around and make improvements at home, especially improvements that require physical energy. This choice is a no-brainer.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

Today you are high visibility, which is why people might know personal details about your private life. (Like, what’s with that?) This might put you on edge, which, in turn, could trigger arguments. Do not say something you will regret. Keep busy.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Money disputes are likely today, or perhaps disputes about something that you own. To put a positive spin on this, look for ways to improve what you already own. You might see new uses and applications for it. (Could that rusty barbecue be a shabby chic floor lamp?) No. Thought so.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Right now, the sun, retrograde Mercury and fiery Mars are all in your sign, which totally hypes your energy! You can use this energy to argue with others, or you can use this energy to improve something, especially your own body or your appearance. You choose.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

You might feel rankled or suspicious about something going on behind the scenes. Don’t let this get you down. You are excellent at dealing with hidden agendas. (“Secrets” is my middle name.) Be investigative and resist the urge to retaliate against someone. Easy does it.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

This is a popular time for you, especially because you might be involved with younger people and people you haven’t seen for a while — people from your past. You’re very good at keeping your trap line fresh because you know how to stay in touch with others. Avoid arguments today.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

People admire you now; meanwhile, some of you are involved with parents and bosses you haven’t seen for a while. This could be an opportunity for some serious catch-up. Resist the urge to defy authority or be rebellious or challenge someone today. It’s not worth it.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

You might be involved in feisty discussions about politics, religion, racial and social issues today. They could be nasty. It’s impossible to fight prejudice because prejudice was never based on logical facts in the first place. Avoid these disputes. Enjoy discussions with creative pals.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

You might be at odds with someone about shared property, inheritances, insurance issues or something to do with debt or what you hold jointly with someone else. This could involve shared responsibilities. Don’t waste today slogging it out in a fight. Instead, use this energy to look for a win/win solution.

If Your Birthday Is Today

Actor Andrew Scott (1976) shares your birthday. You have a wide emotional range because you are a sensitive person. You are capable of passion and subtlety. You are charming, intelligent and capable of inspiring others. This is the last year of a nine-year cycle for you, which means you will be wrapping up things that need to be finished to make room for new beginnings next year.

Read More

Horoscope for Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021Georgia Nicolson October 21, 2021 at 5:01 am Read More »

2 Chicago police officers hurt after another officer accidentally discharges weapon in suburban LyonsSophie Sherryon October 21, 2021 at 5:48 am

Crowds gather outside MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn after an officer accidentally discharged his weapon and struck two other officers.

Both officers were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Two Chicago police officers were wounded Wednesday night after a third Chicago officer accidentally discharged a weapon in southwest suburban Lyons.

Around 9:15 p.m., officers spotted a car in the 1200 block of South Lake Shore Drive that license plate reader technology flagged for being wanted in connection with a fatal shooting, Chicago Police Supt. David Brown said.

A police helicopter was called to follow the car, which stopped at a Citgo gas station in Lyons. There, officers surrounded the car’s occupants, and a struggle ensued. During the course of apprehending the suspect, an officer who had his handgun out accidentally fired his weapon once, likely striking the two other male officers, Brown said

One officer was hit in the shoulder and the other was struck in the arm, Brown said. The bullet likely went through one officer into the other, according to Brown.

Both officers were taken to MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, where they were treated for “non-life-threatening injuries,” Brown said.

“They seem to be in decent, good condition. But again, we just got to the hospital, doctor’s still treating [them,]” Brown said.

Dozens of officers gathered outside the emergency room entrance at MacNeal Hospital and remained there until the wounded officers were transferred to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood.

“Lucky, grateful, could’ve been worse,” Fraternal Order of Police President John Catanzara said.

Two people were taken into custody following the incident and a gun was recovered inside the car, Brown said. Police are investigating the two individuals’ possible involvement with the fatal shooting.

The officer who discharged their weapon will be put on at least 30-day administrative duties, though Brown said it “could be longer based on the circumstances as we continue to investigate.”

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability will investigate the shooting.

“The officer that fired the weapon is not injured but obviously it’s very traumatic to accidentally have this happen,” Brown said.

Read More

2 Chicago police officers hurt after another officer accidentally discharges weapon in suburban LyonsSophie Sherryon October 21, 2021 at 5:48 am Read More »

2 Chicago police officers shot in suburban LyonsSophie Sherryon October 21, 2021 at 3:39 am

Two CPD officers were shot Oct. 20, 2021, in suburban Lyons. | Sun-Times file photo

Two people were taken into custody following the incident and a weapon was recovered, according to Chicago Police Department spokesman Tom Ahern.

Two Chicago police officers were shot Wednesday night in southwest suburban Lyons.

The officers were engaged in a chase near the 8000 block of South Ogden Avenue when there was an “exchange of gunfire,” according to the Village of Lyons.

The officers were transported to MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn and their conditions were not yet known, according to Chicago Police Department spokesman Tom Ahern

Two people were taken into custody following the incident and a gun was recovered, Ahern said.

This is a developing story. Check back for details.

Read More

2 Chicago police officers shot in suburban LyonsSophie Sherryon October 21, 2021 at 3:39 am Read More »

Chicago Craft Beer Weekend, October 22-24on October 21, 2021 at 4:19 am

The Beeronaut

Chicago Craft Beer Weekend, October 22-24

About ChicagoNow
•
FAQs
•
Advertise
•
Recent posts RSS
•
Privacy policy (Updated)
•
Comment policy
•
Terms of service
•
Chicago Tribune Archives
•
Do not sell my personal info

©2021 CTMG – A Chicago Tribune website –
Crafted by the News Apps team

Read More

Chicago Craft Beer Weekend, October 22-24on October 21, 2021 at 4:19 am Read More »

An original ‘Chicago Fire’ star leaves the show but says he’s in the city to stayDarel Jevenson October 21, 2021 at 3:08 am

“Chicago Fire” actor Eamonn Walker (from left), executive producer Derek Haas and co-stars Jesse Spencer and Taylor Kinney celebrate the show’s 200th episode. | NBC

The actor saying goodbye is one of six cast members who date back to Episode 1.

As the firefighters and paramedics of Firehouse 51 said goodbye to a longtime colleague, the actor who played him said he’s still going to call Chicago home.

(SPOILERS FOLLOW)

Jesse Spencer, known to “Chicago Fire” viewers as Capt. Matthew Casey, exited the series on its 200th episode Tuesday. He’s one of six cast members — along with Taylor Kinney, David Eigenberg, Eamonn Walker, Christian Stolte and Joe Minoso — who have been part of the show for all of its 10 seasons.

“It was a difficult decision because I’ve loved the show from the start,” the Australian-born actor said in a press conference reported by TV Line, “but there are other things that I would like to do in the future, and there’s some family that I need to take care of.”

The story had Casey moving to Oregon to be caretaker for the two sons of his late best friend Andy Darden — and able to return to Chicago anytime.

It’s not an unappealing prospect for Spencer. “There is the potential for me to come back,” he said. “I still am in Chicago right now. I’m not running off to Los Angeles or anything, although I might escape for a little bit of the winter. My home here with my wife is in Chicago, and so I’m still going to be here.”

Read More

An original ‘Chicago Fire’ star leaves the show but says he’s in the city to stayDarel Jevenson October 21, 2021 at 3:08 am Read More »

Man fatally shot on Lower West SideSun-Times Wireon October 21, 2021 at 3:24 am

A man was fatally shot Oct. 20, 2021, in Heart of Chicago on the Lower West Side. | Sun-Times file photo

The 58-year-old was standing on a sidewalk about 8 p.m. in the 2100 block of South Leavitt Street when someone in a white van opened fire, Chicago police said.

A man was fatally shot Wednesday night in Heart of Chicago on the Lower West Side.

The 58-year-old was standing on a sidewalk about 8 p.m. in the 2100 block of South Leavitt Street when someone in a white van opened fire, Chicago police said.

He suffered a gunshot wound to the chest and was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital where he was later pronounced dead, police said.

There was no one in custody.

Read More

Man fatally shot on Lower West SideSun-Times Wireon October 21, 2021 at 3:24 am Read More »

2 shot — including 63-year-old man — while driving in AustinSun-Times Wireon October 21, 2021 at 2:18 am

Two people were injured in a shooting Oct. 20, 2021, in Austin on the West Side. | Archive Sun-Times

The two were traveling in a van in the 600 block of North Laramie Avenue when a dark-colored vehicle pulled up and someone inside opened fire, Chicago police said.

Two people were shot, including a 63-year-old man, while driving Wednesday night in Austin on the West Side.

About 6:40 p.m., the two were traveling in a van in the 600 block of North Laramie Avenue when a dark-colored vehicle pulled up and someone inside opened fire, Chicago police said.

The pair’s van then came to stop after crashing into another vehicle in the 500 block of North Central Avenue, police said.

The 63-year-old man was struck in the arm and transported to Stroger Hospital in good condition, police said. The other person suffered a gunshot wound to the mouth and was taken to the same hospital in critical condition, police said.

No other injuries were reported. Area Four detectives are investigating.

Read More

2 shot — including 63-year-old man — while driving in AustinSun-Times Wireon October 21, 2021 at 2:18 am Read More »

No to Bo? Gaming board deals Lynwood and Bo Jackson backed Calumet City bids out of south suburban casino gameMitchell Armentrouton October 21, 2021 at 12:08 am

Former baseball and football athlete Bo Jackson, left, in 2005; lllinois Gaming Board chairman Charles Schmadeke, right, in 2019. | John J. Kim; Hilitski/Sun-Times file

Regulators on Wednesday advanced proposals from Matteson and a site straddling Homewood and East Hazel Crest. The final selection is expected to be made by early next year.

The south suburban casino race is down to a pair.

Nearly two years after applications were submitted to open a south suburban gambling temple, state regulators on Wednesday narrowed the field of four casino hopefuls down to two competing proposals: one at a site straddling the border of Homewood and East Hazel Crest, and another in Matteson.

The Illinois Gaming Board voted 4-0 to advance those bids and reject pitches from Calumet and Lynwood, with board chairman Charles Schmadeke saying during a virtual meeting that the culling was based on “the quality of the development presentation, and the support to and from the local community.”

The Gaming Board is expected to make a final selection for the long-coveted casino license by early 2022.

The Homewood-East Hazel Crest bid is led by Alabama-based Wind Creek Hospitality, part of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, which runs 10 gambling operations in Alabama, Florida, Nevada, Pennsylvania and the Caribbean island of Curacao. During a public presentation last week, project partners said they’d build a $300 million, 64,000-square-foot casino near 175th Street and Halsted Street off Interstate 80, along with a 21-story hotel and an entertainment center.

Provided by Wind Creek Hospitality
Artist’s rendering of a casino proposed by Wind Creek Hospitality just off Interstate 80 near 175h Street and Halsted, straddling the border of suburban Homewood and East Hazel Crest.

“This development promises to be the best in and for the entire Southland region — with job creation, economic and community investment, sustained operational excellence, and a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion in all phases of construction and operation,” Wind Creek CEO Jay Dorris said in an email.

The group is represented by former gaming board general counsel Donna More, who also launched a failed bid to unseat Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx in the 2020 Democratic primary election.

The Matteson bid is led by Hinsdale businessman Rob Miller and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, a Native American tribe that runs 22 casinos. They’re calling for a $300 million complex at the shuttered Lincoln Mall at Lincoln Highway and Cicero Avenue. It would include a 123,000-square foot casino, 200-room hotel and a convention center, partners said.

Provided
A rendering of a casino proposed for the corner of Cicero Avenue and Lincoln Highway in Matteson.

Matteson Village President Sheila Chalmers-Currin noted that colleagues in the Southland Regional Mayoral Black Caucus voted to back her town’s bid.

“We are pleased and extremely excited,” Chalmers-Currin said. “I think the Gaming Board saw the commitment to diversity and the community in this project.”

The failed Calumet City bid was backed by two-sport legend Bo Jackson as well as suburban entrepreneur Dan Fischer — who has already landed himself a new casino in Rockford despite a Gaming Board investigation of his video gambling empire.

Earlier this month, Jackson told the Sun-Times that he was drawn to the investment group because it had committed to partnering with nearby South Suburban College on a new hospitality management program.

“Some people might look at this as a gaming casino,” he told the newspaper. “I’m looking at it as an opportunity for a lot of people, a lot of underprivileged kids.”

On Wednesday, project manager Timothy Hughes said in an email: “We are disappointed that our proposal — which would open a temporary casino in 90 days to immediately begin revitalizing the economic engine of Calumet City and had extensive community support plus a strong operator with a proven track record — was deemed insufficient to proceed to the next round.”

The Ho-Chunk Nation was behind the Lynwood proposal, which was opposed by Mayor Jada Curry, who took office a year and a half into the slow-moving selection process. Representatives for the group didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Gaming Board is also weighing two finalists for a new casino license earmarked for north suburban Waukegan. Las Vegas developer Full House Resorts is up against Lakeside Casino LLC, a company led by former Grayslake state Sen. Michael Bond, who already has his own video gaming company. A selection is also expected by early next year.

It’s all part of the massive gambling expansion signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker in 2019 that promises to add six casinos to Illinois’ current field of 10. The Rockford casino and another in downstate Williamson County have already received preliminary approvals. Another is in the pipeline for Danville, and applications to run a Chicago megacasino are due to Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office by next week.

The two remaining south suburban bidders are expected to address the Gaming Board at a special meeting next week.

Read More

No to Bo? Gaming board deals Lynwood and Bo Jackson backed Calumet City bids out of south suburban casino gameMitchell Armentrouton October 21, 2021 at 12:08 am Read More »

Hospital system employees face firing as vaccine mandate deadlines approachBrett Chaseon October 21, 2021 at 12:21 am

Advocate Aurora Health is the largest hospital system in Illinois and Wisconsin. | Brian Ernst/Sun-Times

Advocate Aurora Health has fired more than 400 employees who refused to get vaccinated for COVID-19. Other hospitals are threatening to fire employees or approaching deadlines for their own vaccine mandates.

Advocate Aurora Health, the largest hospital system in Illinois and Wisconsin, has fired more than 400 employees who refused to get vaccinated for COVID-19.

Almost half of the 440 recently terminated employees worked part time, the company said in a statement. The number is less than 1% of about 75,000 employees.

The system, which operates as Advocate Health Care in Illinois, announced in early August it would require its workers to get vaccinated. Other large hospitals made similar announcements just before the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced full government approval of the Pfizer vaccine. Two other vaccines made by Moderna and Johnson & Johnson are being administered under an emergency authorization from FDA.

“With about 99% of our team members compliant or in the process of becoming compliant with our vaccine policy, we are protecting the health and safety of our patients, communities and each other,” Advocate said in a statement.

Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul got his COVID-19 vaccination in March at Advocate Health Care’s vaccine clinic at Imani Village in the Cottage Grove Heights.

Advocate is not providing a breakdown for the positions among those fired — nurses, doctors or other employees — and a spokesman declined to provide additional comment.

When it announced its mandate in August, Advocate said it would make limited exceptions for religious or medical reasons. The announcement also coincided with a rise in cases over the summer attributed to a highly contagious form of the virus known as the Delta variant.

Advocate Aurora operates 26 hospitals in the two states.

Other hospitals are either threatening to fire employees or approaching deadlines for their own vaccine mandates.

Rush University Medical Center said fewer than 100 of its more than 11,000 employees are still unvaccinated after the hospital system set an Oct. 1 deadline for mandatory shots.

“Those who are not in compliance will be suspended and then likely would be let go if they do not take the necessary steps,” Rush said in a statement.

At Northwestern Medicine and NorthShore University HealthSystem, workers have until Oct. 31 to get vaccinated.

And at AMITA Health, workers have until Nov. 12 to get the shot. As of Oct. 19, about 88 percent of associates have received at least one dose of the vaccine. “We remain confident this percentage will increase in the coming weeks and associates will avoid any disciplinary steps,” AMITA said in a statement.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker in August issued a vaccination mandate for state health care workers.

Brett Chase’s reporting on the environment and public health is made possible by a grant from The Chicago Community Trust.

Read More

Hospital system employees face firing as vaccine mandate deadlines approachBrett Chaseon October 21, 2021 at 12:21 am Read More »