Moon Alert

Caution! Avoid shopping or important decisions from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Chicago time. After that, the moon moves from Taurus into Gemini.

Aries (March 21-April 19)

You might have a serious discussion with a close friend or partner, especially about arrangements. Perhaps you will discuss the division of labor? Who takes out the garbage? It might be about shared expenses. Whatever the case, you’ll be practical.

Taurus (April 20-May 20)

You will get a lot done at work because you will be persevering at whatever you do. You won’t slack off. You’ll give it your best shot and you will pay attention to details. You’ll do your best to finish whatever you begin. (I’m impressed.)

Gemini (May 21-June 20)

This is a good day to practice something in order to improve. You might hone a technique in sports, for example. Or you might practice something in the arts — perhaps musical arpeggios, that sort of thing. It’s also good day to teach children.

Cancer (June 21-July 22)

You will accomplish a lot at home because you have the patience and perseverance to get the job done. It might be overwhelming because there is increased chaos around you due to renovations, residential moves or visiting guests — something. Just give it your best shot because that’s all you can do.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22)

You will be most convincing and persuasive in discussion with others. In fact, everything you do today will be done with careful thought and planning. You won’t go off halfcocked. You will pay attention to details. Note: This is an excellent day to study.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

When it comes to financial matters, you will be conservative and careful. If you’re working for money, you will do whatever you do with thought and precision. If spending money, do be aware of the restrictions of the moon alert.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

Today you have the patience and willingness to do difficult and exacting work. This is because you have the necessary concentration and focus to get the job done. Whether you have to do intellectual or physical work, you will pay great attention to detail and do everything carefully.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

This is a marvelous day to do research of any kind because you will be thorough, persevering and precise. You won’t stop until the job is done. (You’ll be like a dog with a bone.) Naturally, this kind of approach will probably yield the results you hope to find.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

You will work well with a team today or in tandem with others. This is a good day to form partnerships because people will welcome your hard-working energy! In particular, you want to be involved in something that is useful or something that brings benefit to others.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

You will impress bosses, parents, teachers and VIPs today because you will be conscientious, hard-working, thorough and reliable a whatever you do. (Kudos to you.) Even though others are impressed, you will be modest about your accomplishments.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Choose today to study something that is demanding because you will be able to do it. This is because your mind is focused, self-disciplined and willing to pay attention to detail. You might also learn something valuable from a teacher or guru-like figure.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20)

You’re willing to be useful and helpful to someone today, especially dealing with shared property or organizing something that someone else owns. People will welcome and praise your efforts because you will be productive and make a difference in their eyes. Bravo!

If Your Birthday Is Today

Actor Michael Douglas (1944) shares your birthday. You are loyal to your friends and have strong family values. These relationships are important to you. You are honest and sincere; you are also insightful and quite intuitive. This year you feel creative and have a stronger zest for life. You will be more sociable and friendly with others, and will likely be in the public eye. Enjoy good times!

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Neuqua Valley and Naperville Central staged a defensive battle for four quarters. Each team managed just one touchdown and neither had success passing or running the ball.

Luckily for the Wildcats, coach Bill Ellinghaus had an ace up his sleeve to play in the overtime.

Ellinghaus inserted senior Palmer Domschke into the backfield and it changed the game. Domschke ran for a touchdown in the first overtime and the game-winning touchdown in the second overtime to give No. 7 Neuqua Valley a 20-17 win against No. 5 Naperville Central.

The home fans stormed the field after Domschke sealed the win with a seven-yard run in the second OT. Domschke himself went streaking down the field in celebration with his team and needed a minute to get his breath back before he could talk with reporters.

“At the beginning of the year we practiced that play all the time,” Domschke said. “I was a back then and I’m one of the fastest guys on the team. I got a concussion the first game of the year and we [put the running game] in the hands of Grant Larkin.”

Domschke now plays defense and kicks and punts for the Wildcats (5-0, 2-0 DuPage Valley).

But Domschke was ready with the game on the line. His first carry of the game was the first play in overtime and he rumbled 10 yards into the corner of the end zone.

“Palmer as an individual football player is one of the very very best that has come through here,” Ellinghaus said. “He’s really dynamic. What he does with his leg, kicking the football and punting the ball for us. He’s making tackle after tackle. And when it is important he gets in the end zone twice to give us 14 points. He’s always about the team.”

Naperville Central responded with a touchdown in the first overtime. Quarterback Owen Prucha punched in a one-yard run to tie the game. Then the Redhawks had to settle for a field goal in the second overtime, setting up Domschke’s heroics. He scored the second touchdown on a third-and-goal from the 7.

“[Ellinghaus] knows how much this team means to me and he knows I’m going to get the job done,” Palmer said. “Thankfully I got into the end zone. I did what I had to do for the team even though I messed up earlier.”

The earlier mess up was a missed field goal in the first half. The game was scoreless until Prucha connected with James Jopes on a 19-yard touchdown with 7:45 left to play.

Prucha was 13-for-19 passing for 158 yards with one TD and one interception. Northwestern recruit Reggie Fleurima had six catches for 71 yards for the the Redhawks (4-1, 1-1).

Neuqua Valley responded on the next drive, scoring on a 40-yard pass from Mark Mennecke to Justin Nonnenmann.

Mennecke was 16-for-31 passing for 139 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

The win will elevate the Wildcats into the ranks of the area’s elite. They are ready for the spotlight.

“I love this team,” Domschke said. “We are always fighting and we never stop. We believe we are the best team in the state.”

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About 7:50 p.m., he was on the bus in the 3700 block of North Kimball Avenue when he and another man got into an argument, Chicago police said. The man then pulled out a gun and fired at the 37-year-old.

By

Jermaine Nolen

Sep 24, 2021, 9:13pm CDT

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Go outside and have some fun, Chicago — not only to capitalize on the fleeting days of warmth before another brutal winter, but to take advantage of a break in the COVID-19 storm.

That’s the prescription from one of Chicago’s top infectious disease specialists, who said that while she expects a seasonal bump in cases when people are forced inside, Illinois’ improving coronavirus numbers mean most residents can safely enjoy some “normal” activities right now.

“Now is the time for people who are looking to get out and do stuff, for those who have been risk-averse,” University of Chicago epidemiologist Dr. Emily Landon said Friday. “If you’re looking for a little getaway, a trip to the movie theater, some of those fun things that you might have been avoiding — now is the time.”

Unless, of course, if you’re unvaccinated.

“Then you should stay inside. There’s no getting around Delta,” Landon said, who added that masking up indoors is still an essential for all.

As leaves begin to turn, the latest figures released Friday show the state closed out its second COVID-19 summer in a more encouraging fashion than its first, as the Delta variant surge wanes.

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 21,787 new cases were diagnosed over the past week, or about 3,112 per day. That marked a 16% decrease in daily infections from the previous week, and a third straight week with declining cases numbers after about two months of exponential increases.

Graph not displaying properly? Click here.

COVID-19 deaths also dipped about 16% compared to the previous week, with the virus claiming an average of 34 Illinois lives each day.

Hospitals saw an 8% decline in coronavirus patients, with 1,926 beds occupied Thursday night. Even southern Illinois — the region with the state’s highest positivity rate and lowest vaccination rate — reported a modest improvement in availability. Its intensive care unit beds were filled to capacity most of last week, forcing some patients to travel out of state for critical care, but five ICU beds were available Friday across the entire 20-county region.

But just two of those ICU beds were available for the 60,000-plus residents of the seven counties that make up the southern tip of the state.

“That’s still not a great statistic to be staring at, but our total cases have been trending down, so we’re hoping we’ll see that number of available beds trend upward here in the next week,” said Nathan Ryder, community outreach coordinator for the Southern 7 Health Department.

Statewide, the seven-day average case positivity rate has shrunk from 4.1% last week down to 2.7%, suggesting the virus is spreading at the slowest pace seen in two months.

That’s better than Illinois was doing this time last year, when the positivity rate was at 3.5% and on the rise toward the state’s worst surge of the pandemic, which peaked in mid-November.

Now, with three highly effective vaccines available and nearly 80% of eligible residents having received a dose, the threat of a winter spike still looms as more people crowd indoors, but not as greatly, Landon said.

Dr. Emily Landon of the University of Chicago.Cortesia

“It would be overly optimistic to think there’s not going to be a winter bump. It could possibly be a big bump in some areas with low vaccination rates. We just don’t know how big it’ll be,” she said.

“It could be a major surge if the vaccines start wearing off, if a dangerous new variant emerges or something else horrible happens. But we’re heading into this winter with more protection [through vaccination].”

With flu season approaching, Landon urged residents to keep masking up, washing hands, staying home when they get sick and getting tested if they do. “Coming inside, that’s when we’re going to see large groups of people exposed,” she said.

Flu shots, like COVID-19 shots, are free and available at most pharmacies. For help finding a dose, visit coronavirus.illinois.gov or call (833) 621-1284.

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On Saturday, Jon Lester will make his second start at Wrigley Field since leaving the Cubs. And despite his advanced age and diminished stuff, Lester is still getting outs for a Cardinals team streaking to the postseason.

Cubs manager David Ross – who has a well-documented history with Lester – said that’s because the 37-year-old lefty has been able to adjust.

“He’s turned himself into a different pitcher and found success in that way,” Ross said. “Being out there, being able to take the ball every fifth day, staying healthy, allows you to continue to work through competition and being able to adjust and find a way to win. He’s been a winner his whole life, so there’s no secret that he was going to find a way to have success.”

Lester enters Saturday’s start 4-1 with a 4.02 ERA since the Nationals traded him to St. Louis. His previous start was his 200th win, when he beat the Brewers 5-2.

Ross doesn’t want Lester to get 201 against his team.

“I love Jon Lester like a brother,” Ross said, “but I want to kick his tail every time he’s out there.”

Adam’s return
Reliever Jason Adam took quite a path to striking out the side in the seventh inning of Friday’s first game, an 8-5 Cubs loss to the Cardinals.

“Honestly, it’s kind of restored the joy of playing baseball in a lot of ways,” Adam said.

On May 21 with Triple-A Iowa, Adam suffered an open dislocation of his left ankle during batting practice and required surgery. Adam was subsequently designated for assignment and returned to Iowa after clearing waivers, though it was unclear when he would pitch again.

Adam did return to the mound this month, putting up a 1.80 ERA between the Cubs’ team in the Arizona Complex League and Triple-A Iowa. Then on Friday, Adam was selected from Iowa, optioned back but then recalled to serve as the 29th man for the doubleheader.

“Huge,” Ross said. “What this guy has gone through this year and what the doctors and trainers were saying about his season… they were almost limited to a 0% chance of him being back. Pretty impressive, look at where he’s come from this year.”

In other roster moves, catcher Robinson Chirinos was placed on the 10-day IL (retroactive to Thursday) with a left oblique strain. Outfielder Greg Deichmann was recalled from Triple-A Iowa.

Steele melts late
Lefty Justin Steele continued his audition for a spot in next year’s rotation but allowed three homers and six earned runs over five innings in the Cubs’ Game 1 loss.

Since joining the rotation in August, Steele is 1-4 with a 5.89 ERA. On Friday, his day was blown up by a four-run fifth – including two of the homers – when Ross said he ran out of steam.

“This is an outing that’s easy to decipher the good from the bad,” Steele said.

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A 44-year-old man was fatally shot Friday in the Burnside on the South Side.

About 7:45 p.m., he was near the street in the 700 block of East 92nd Place, when he was approached by two males who pulled out guns and fired shots, Chicago police said.

He was struck in the abdomen and taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said. He has not yet been identified.

Police continue to investigate.

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Go outside and have some fun, Chicago — not only to capitalize on the fleeting days of warmth before another brutal winter, but to take advantage of a break in the COVID-19 storm.

That’s the prescription from one of the city’s top infectious disease specialists, who said that while she expects a seasonal bump in cases when people are forced inside, Illinois’ improving coronavirus numbers mean most residents can safely enjoy some “normal” activities right now.

“Now is the time for people who are looking to get out and do stuff, for those who have been risk-averse,” University of Chicago epidemiologist Dr. Emily Landon said Friday. “If you’re looking for a little getaway, a trip to the movie theater, some of those fun things that you might have been avoiding — now is the time.”

Unless, of course, if you’re unvaccinated.

“Then you should stay inside. There’s no getting around Delta,” Landon said, who added that masking up indoors is still an essential for all.

As leaves begin to turn, the latest figures released Friday show the state closed out its second COVID-19 summer in a more encouraging fashion than its first, as the Delta variant surge wanes.

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 21,787 new cases were diagnosed over the past week, or about 3,112 per day. That marked a 16% decrease in daily infections from the previous week, and a third straight week with declining cases numbers after about two months of exponential increases.

Graph not displaying properly? Click here.

COVID-19 deaths also dipped about 16% compared to the previous week, with the virus claiming an average of 34 Illinois lives each day.

Hospitals saw an 8% decline in coronavirus patients, with 1,926 beds occupied Thursday night. Even southern Illinois — the region with the state’s highest positivity rate and lowest vaccination rate — reported a modest improvement in availability. Its intensive care unit beds were filled to capacity most of last week, forcing some patients to travel out of state for critical care, but five ICU beds were available Friday across the entire 20-county region.

But just two of those ICU beds were available for the 60,000-plus residents of the seven counties that make up the southern tip of the state.

“That’s still not a great statistic to be staring at, but our total cases have been trending down, so we’re hoping we’ll see that number of available beds trend upward here in the next week,” said Nathan Ryder, community outreach coordinator for the Southern 7 Health Department.

Statewide, the seven-day average case positivity rate has shrunk from 4.1% last week down to 2.7%, suggesting the virus is spreading at the slowest pace seen in two months.

That’s better than Illinois was doing this time last year, when the positivity rate was at 3.5% and on the rise toward the state’s worst surge of the pandemic, which peaked in mid-November.

Now, with three highly effective vaccines available and nearly 80% of eligible residents having received a dose, the threat of a winter spike still looms as more people crowd indoors, but not as greatly, Landon said.

Dr. Emily Landon of the University of Chicago.Cortesia

“It would be overly optimistic to think there’s not going to be a winter bump. It could possibly be a big bump in some areas with low vaccination rates. We just don’t know how big it’ll be,” she said.

“It could be a major surge if the vaccines start wearing off, if a dangerous new variant emerges or something else horrible happens. But we’re heading into this winter with more protection [through vaccination].”

With flu season approaching, Landon urged residents to keep masking up, washing hands, staying home when they get sick and getting tested if they do. “Coming inside, that’s when we’re going to see large groups of people exposed,” she said.

Flu shots, like COVID-19 shots, are free and available at most pharmacies. For help finding a dose, visit coronavirus.illinois.gov or call (833) 621-1284.

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Please send scores or corrections to [email protected]

Thursday, September 23

NONCONFERENCE

Bulls Prep vs. Rauner at Lane, 7:15

Hyde Park vs. Mather at Winnemac, 4:15

King vs. Lake View at Lane, 4:15

Marine vs. Crane at Rockne, 4:15

Raby vs. North Lawndale at Rockne, 7:15

South Shore vs. Ag. Science at Gately, 4:15

Washington vs. Johnson at Gately, 7:15

Friday, September 24

MICHIGAN AVENUE

Chicago Richards at Englewood STEM, 7:15

CENTRAL SUBURBAN NORTH

Maine East at Maine West, 7

Niles North at Highland Park, 7

Vernon Hills at Deerfield, 7

CENTRAL SUBURBAN SOUTH

Maine South at Glenbrook North, 7

New Trier at Evanston, 7:30

Niles West at Glenbrook South, 7

DUKANE

Geneva at St. Charles North, 7:30

Glenbard North at Batavia, 7:30

Lake Park at Wheaton North, 7:30

St. Charles East at Wheaton-Warrenville South, 7:30

DUPAGE VALLEY

Metea Valley at Waubonsie Valley, 7

Naperville Central at Neuqua Valley, 7:30

Naperville North at DeKalb, 7

FOX VALLEY

Crystal Lake Central at Dundee-Crown, 7

Crystal Lake South at Burlington Central, 7

Huntley at Jacobs, 7

McHenry at Hampshire, 7

ILLINOIS CENTRAL EIGHT

Lisle at Coal City, 7

Manteno at Streator, 7

Peotone at Reed-Custer, 7

Wilmington at Herscher, 7

INDEPENDENT

Hope Academy at Ottawa Marquette, 7

KISHWAUKEE I-8 BLUE

Plano at Johnsburg, 7:15

Rochelle at Harvard, 7

Sandwich at Richmond-Burton, 7

KISHWAUKEE I-8 WHITE

Kaneland at Woodstock, 7

LaSalle-Peru at Sycamore, 7

Ottawa at Woodstock North, 7

METRO SUBURBAN BLUE

Aurora Central at IC Catholic, 7:15

Elmwood Park at Bishop McNamara, 7

Wheaton Academy at Ridgewood, 7:15

METRO SUBURBAN RED

Aurora Christian at Chicago Christian, 7:15

St. Edward at Riverside-Brookfield, 7:15

Westmont at St. Francis, 7

MID-SUBURBAN EAST

Buffalo Grove at Prospect, 7

Hersey at Elk Grove, 7:30

Wheeling at Rolling Meadows, 7

MID-SUBURBAN WEST

Barrington at Hoffman Estates, 7:30

Fremd at Conant, 7:30

Palatine at Schaumburg, 7:30

NORTH SUBURBAN

Lake Forest 2, Waukegan 0 (forfeit)

Lake Zurich at Zion-Benton, 7:30

Libertyville at Mundelein, 7

Stevenson at Warren, 7:30

NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY

Antioch at Wauconda, 7

Grant at Grayslake Central, 7

Lakes at Grayslake North, 7

North Chicago at Round Lake, 7

SOUTH SUBURBAN BLUE

Hillcrest at Tinley Park, 6

Oak Forest at Bremen, 6

TF North at Lemont, 7

SOUTH SUBURBAN RED

Argo at Evergreen Park, 7

Eisenhower at Shepard, 7

Richards at Oak Lawn, 7

SOUTHLAND

Kankakee at Thornwood, 6

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE EAST

Joliet Central at Plainfield East, 7

Joliet West at Plainfield Central, 7

Romeoville at Plainfield South, 7

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE WEST

Minooka at Oswego, 7

Oswego East at West Aurora, 7

Yorkville at Plainfield North, 7

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN BLUE

Lincoln-Way East at Bolingbrook, 6

Lockport at Sandburg, 6

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN RED

Andrew at Lincoln-Way Central, 7:30

Stagg at Lincoln-Way West, 7:30

UPSTATE EIGHT

Fenton at Bartlett, 7:30

Larkin at Glenbard South, 7:30

South Elgin at Glenbard East, 7:30

Streamwood at East Aurora, 7:30

West Chicago at Elgin, 7:30

VERMILION VALLEY NORTH

Clifton Central at Watseka, 7

Dwight at Momence, 7

Iroquois West at Seneca, 7

WEST SUBURBAN GOLD

Morton at Hinsdale South, 7

Proviso East at Downers Grove South, 6:30

Willowbrook at Leyden, 7

WEST SUBURBAN SILVER

Downers Grove North at Proviso West, 7

Hinsdale Central at Oak Park-River Forest, 7:30

Lyons at York, 7

NONCONFERENCE

Brother Rice at De La Salle, 7:30

Carmel at Nazareth, 7

Clark at Speer, 7:30

Corliss vs. Little Village at Stagg, 4:15

Crete-Monee at Joliet Catholic, 7:30

Curie at Lane, 7:15

DePaul Prep at St. Laurence, 7:30

Foreman vs. Clemente at Lane, 4:15

Glenbard West at Addison Trail, 7

Homewood-Flossmoor at Bradley-Bourbonnais, TBA

Leo at Montini, 7:30

Loyola at Fenwick, 7:30

Marengo at Morris, 7

Marian Catholic at Benet, 7:30

Marian Central at Providence, 7:30

Marist at Marmion, 7:30

Morgan Park at Taft, 7:30

Mount Carmel at St. Ignatius, 7:30

Orr at Steinmetz, 4:15

Payton vs. Kennedy at Rockne, 7:15

Perspectives vs. Young at Rockne, 4:15

St. Patrick at St. Rita, 7:30

St. Viator at Notre Dame, 7:30

UP-Bronzeville vs. Amundsen at Winnemac, 4:15

Saturday, September 25

MICHIGAN AVENUE

Chicago Military vs. Dyett at Eckersall, 4

Hansberry vs. DuSable at Eckersall, 10 a.m.

FOX VALLEY

Prairie Ridge at Cary-Grove, 1

SOUTHLAND

Rich Township at Bloom, noon

Thornridge at Thornton, noon

NONCONFERENCE

Back of the Yards vs. Prosser at Rockne, 1

Bowen vs. Collins at Rockne, 4

Brooks vs. Von Steuben at Winnemac, 4

Butler vs. Gage Park at Stagg, 10 a.m.

Carver at Goode, 3

Chicago Academy vs. Phoenix at Rockne, 7

Christ the King at Walther Christian, 1

Dunbar vs. Schurz at Lane, 4

Fenger vs. Tilden at Stagg, 1

Hubbard vs. Lincoln Park at Lane, 1

Julian vs. Catalyst-Maria at Gately, 10 a.m.

Kenwood at Westinghouse, 1

Lindblom vs. Sullivan at Winnemac, 1

Longwood at Kelly, noon

Pritzker vs. Rowe-Clark at Lane, 10 a.m.

Roosevelt at Marshall, 4

Senn vs. UIC Prep at Lane, 7

Simeon vs. Phillips at Gately, 4

Solorio vs. Comer at Eckersall, 1

TF South at Reavis, 1

Vocational vs. Bogan at Gately, 1

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Three months ago, we said the Lightfoot administration should prepare Soldier Field for a future without the Chicago Bears as the stadium’s anchor tenant.

And now a story on Thursday by Sun-Times reporters Fran Spielman and David Roeder seems to bear that out.

Spielman and Roeder reported that experts believe the team wants a venue with substantially expanded seating and possibly a dome, but making those types of changes to Soldier Field would be structurally impossible, prohibitively expensive and politically difficult — or a mix of all three.

Which brings into sharper focus the Bears’ bid for the Arlington International Racecourse property in Arlington Heights. A deal there would move the Bears from 61,500-seat Soldier Field — the smallest stadium in the NFL — and allow them to build the larger venue the team has always coveted.

It would be unfortunate for Chicago if the Bears decamp for suburbia. But their departure, or even a plan to keep them in Soldier Field, presents Chicago with an opportunity to rethink the stadium and the nearby Museum Campus.

Massive Soldier Field changes won’t ‘come easy’

Of the NFL’s newest venues, Inglewood, California’s SoFi Stadium, built in 2020 as the home of the Rams and the Chargers, seats 70,000, while the Las Vegas Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium has a capacity of 71,800.

Both have roofs. But covering Soldier Field, particularly with a retractable lid, would be a tall, expensive order. Dirk Lohan, the architect who led the $660 million Soldier Field renovation in 2003, told us that “anything is possible for money,” but it won’t “come easy” because Soldier Field is “not laid out to receive a roof.”

Lohan said the 2003 rebuild of Soldier Field, which essentially placed a new stadium within — and bulging out the top of — the old venue means the stadium is essentially a mix of two structures.

“If you put a roof on it, you would have three different structures,” Lohan said.

Expanding the seating capacity would be tough slog also, he said.

“[W]hat do you have to do to expand the seating?”

“Do you have to tear down half of [the stadium]? Do you have to remove the old colonnades, for instance?” Lohan asked. “Chicago would not stand for damaging or changing the historic architecture. It’s a monument to the soldiers of World War I.”

Mayor Lori Lightfoot, after initially dismissing the Bears nod toward Arlington Heights, told the Sun-Times editorial board last week that her team is “evaluating ways in which we can enhance the fan experience at Soldier Field.”

But when asked by Spielman whether she would consider a retractable roof for the stadium, Lightfoot quoted The Rolling Stones: “You can’t always get what you want. But you can try sometimes and get what you need.”

To our mind, the approach of separating wants from needs is the best way to assure some, well, satisfaction, when it comes to Soldier Field’s future.

Rethinking the stadium and Museum Campus

During the Sun-Times editorial board meeting last week, Lightfoot hinted that she is looking at Soldier Field as an integral part of the Museum Campus, rather than as a stand-alone entity.

This is a good move. Because if Soldier Field is showing its age, programmatically, almost 20 years after its renovation, then the nearly 25-year-old Museum Campus also needs a refresh, including the possibility of a restaurant and better public transportation access.

And at Soldier Field, we think the Chicago Park District might’ve been rash when it stiff-armed the Bears’ request to add a sports betting lounge on the premises, as reported last week by Chicago public radio station WBEZ.

Betting wouldn’t be allowed in the lounge or the stadium, but patrons could watch live NFL games on TV and see betting lines. The Bears would make money from advertising and give the park district a 20 percent cut.

Seems reasonable to us to add this now — if it’s not too late.

No Chicago mayor wants to lose a storied sports franchise such as Bears, so we understand Lightfoot’s wish to figure out what kind of improvements would keep the team at Soldier Field.

But there’s no need to give away the store, either. Chicago has survived fires, floods, economic downturns and more. If the Bears wind up in Arlington Heights after their Solder Field lease ends in 2033, we’ll survive that too.

Send letters to [email protected].

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NEW YORK — R. Kelly’s fate is now in a jury’s hands after weeks of lurid testimony in his sexual misconduct trial.

The panel of seven men and five women began deliberating racketeering and sex trafficking charges against the R&B superstar Friday afternoon, ending the day without reaching a verdict They are due back in court on Monday to resume their work.

A couple hours into the deliberations, the jurors sent the judge a note asking to review a transcript of testimony and evidence regarding a woman who claimed Kelly sexually assaulted her in 2003 when she was a 21-year-old radio station intern. She testified she was kept locked up in a recording studio for days and drugged before the assault.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys finished their closing arguments this week. The 54-year-old singer is accused of running a Chicago-based criminal enterprise that recruited his accusers for unwanted sex and mental torment.

The witnesses said Kelly subjected them to perverse and sadistic whims when they were underage. He has denied any wrongdoing.

Kelly “believed the music, the fame and the celebrity meant he could do whatever he wanted,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Nadia Shihata said in federal court in Brooklyn in a fiery rebuttal to the defense’s closing argument that portrayed Kelly as a victim of false accusations.

But, she added, “He’s not a genius, he’s a criminal. A predator.” She added that his alleged victims “aren’t groupies or gold diggers. They’re human beings.”

Kelly, perhaps best known for the 1996 smash hit “I Believe I Can Fly, ” has pleaded not guilty to racketeering charges accusing him of abusing women, girls and boys for more than two decades.

He is also charged with multiple violations of the Mann Act, which makes it illegal to transport anyone across state lines “for any immoral purpose.”

Prosecutors say their evidence proves how Kelly, with the help of some loyal members of his entourage, used tactics from “the predator playbook” to sexually exploit his victims.

The tactics included isolating them in hotel rooms or his recording studio, subjecting them to degrading rules like making them call him “Daddy” and shooting video recordings — some seen by the jury at trial — of them having sex with him and others as a means to control them, prosecutors said.

In his closing, defense attorney Deveraux Cannick told the jury that testimony by several accusers was full of lies, and that “the government let them lie.”

Cannick argued there was no evidence Kelly’s accusers were ever forced to do anything against their will. Instead, Cannick said, Kelly’s girlfriends stuck around because he spoiled them with free air travel, shopping sprees and fancy dinners — treatment that belied the predator label.

“He gave them a lavish lifestyle,” he said. “That’s not what a predator is supposed to do.”

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