3 hurt, 1 critically, after multiple shooters open fire outside Englewood businessSun-Times Wireon September 16, 2021 at 12:28 am

Three people were hurt, one critically, after multiple shooters opened fire outside a business Wednesday night in Englewood on the South Side.

The group was outside a business in the 7000 block of South Halsted Street about 6:20 p.m. when two vehicles approached and multiple people exited and began firing shots, Chicago police said.

A 51-year-old man was struck in the chest and arm and taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, police said.

A 37-year-old woman suffered a gunshot wound to the knee and went to St. Bernard Hospital in good condition. The third victim — a female whose age was unknown — was struck in the leg and abdomen. She was taken to Holy Cross Hospital also in good condition, police said.

There is no one in custody.

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3 hurt, 1 critically, after multiple shooters open fire outside Englewood businessSun-Times Wireon September 16, 2021 at 12:28 am Read More »

The decision that helped ignite Ian Happ’s surge at the plateRussell Dorseyon September 16, 2021 at 12:47 am

PHILADELPHIA – Penciling Ian Happ into the three-hole everyday is a no-brainer for manager David Ross right now. The Cubs’ outfielder has turned into the hottest hitter in the game over the last month and is salvaging his 2021 season.

But there were times this season when that decision was not as simple.

Following the trade deadline, the Cubs had an overhauled lineup with several new players coming in. But when the team had their first game following the deadline, Happ was entrenched at the top of the order, hitting third.

“The first day he put me in a three hole, I walked on the bus after the game,” Happ told the Sun-Times on Wednesday. “I looked at him and said, ‘Hey, I like that spot. Keep me there.’ And I’ve been there ever since.”

Even with the team limited on players, Happ’s season-long struggles at the plate were at their low point. He was slashing .176/.283/.316 and looked out of sorts at the plate, but everyday, there he was in the middle of the Cubs’ order.

“Is it easy? No, it’s not easy to continue to do that. Absolutely not,” Ross said of moving Happ to the three-hole. “But I have confidence in Ian. He has confidence in himself.”

But Ross’ faith in Happ was quickly rewarded as he started to go on a red-hot stretch at the plate, rewarding his manager for sticking with him. Since Aug. 13, the Cubs’ outfielder is slashing a ridiculous .365/.400/.779 with 11 homers and 26 RBIs entering Wednesday’s game.

Happ is a confident player and whether his OPS is sub-600 or over 1.000, he’ll always have the same demeanor. But even for a player with confidence in himself, having that trust from his manager could only help his stretch at the plate.

“I think just the confidence of being in the middle of the lineup, especially with Frank [Schwindel] hitting well and [Patrick] Wisdom hitting well. Being right in the middle of that, and really feeling like that’s a spot where I belong,” Happ said. “I could be a three-hole hitter in this league and be in the middle of an offense driving in runs kind of showing what I’m doing now is huge.

“Consistency is huge and this for me, especially in how the year has gone to this point. Having that belief in myself that eventually like we talked about a lot throughout the year, that at some point things are going to turn. Some of those hits are going to fall and things are going to start going my way and that’s kind of when it happened.”

There might not be many managers that would have kept a struggling hitter in the middle of the order, but the Cubs’ skipper gave Happ the nod. But while there’s always a bit of “gut feel” for managers, there were some signs of life before Ross ultimately came to make the decision.

“I think there were signs before he got hurt,” Ross said. “You’re like, ‘Ok, he’s on pitches. He’s timed up. He’s not dominated in three pitches.’ When you start to see it come you’re like, ‘Okay, I can trust that.’ Hitting is hard, but I see a process and the ability to have an at- bat and a consistent good at-bat. When he was going really bad and he was getting multiple days off and I was trying to rest him to give him time to work on things, it was more of like, ‘Ok, he’s broken right now, right?’

“We all get that way as players and some of the good ones probably have shorter moments of that. The hardest thing [about] becoming an everyday player is just the consistency and relying on that. Once [Happ] knew he was in the three-hole consistently, whether that was me doing it or just his confidence mentally, I think all of that played into and then he had some success and it’s like, ‘Ok, now I go.”

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The decision that helped ignite Ian Happ’s surge at the plateRussell Dorseyon September 16, 2021 at 12:47 am Read More »

Gov. Newsom’s big California victory: Trumpism and what it means for Illinois politicsLynn Sweeton September 15, 2021 at 11:36 pm

WASHINGTON — Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom strongly rebuffed a recall effort Tuesday, remaining in office with the support of about two-thirds of the voters in an election with political implications spilling over to Illinois — like California, a big blue state.

Democrats are cheering Newsom’s commanding victory.

At the same time — and this can’t be overlooked — the Republican who surfaced at the top of a crowded field, Larry Elder, a conservative talk show host, ran as a full Trumper. The rise of Elder may have backfired and helped Newsom, by motivating Democrats to vote.

Elder’s emergence is a sign of the strength and growth of Trumpism.

As Newsom said in his victory speech, “We may have defeated Trump, but Trumpism is not dead in this country.” Newsom then sort of defined Trumpism: “The Big Lie, the January 6 insurrection, all the voting suppression efforts that are happening all across this country.”

Democrats in Illinois have their differences between moderates and progressives but on the whole they exist in the same boat.

Trumpism is taking hold in Illinois. Illinois Republicans are splintered.

There are the establishment Illinois Republicans who believe in government institutions, no matter where they are on the GOP ideological spectrum. Leading Trump critic Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., one of two Republicans on the Jan. 6 Commission — created by House Democrats — will have a hard time winning a GOP Illinois House primary next June.

Then there are the Illinois Trump Republicans, animated by their loyalty to former President Donald Trump — who are often also anti-maskers, anti-vaxxers, election deniers, conspiracy believers and defenders of the mob attacking the Capitol on Jan. 6.

They may see Elder’s surge, such as it was, as inspiration and a rallying point. But it’s hard to see how a hard-line Trumper could win a statewide election against Gov. J.B. Pritzker or Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., both up in 2022.

In statewide elections, Democrats win on the strength of northern Illinois Democrats who live in the heavily populated Chicago and the surrounding counties.

Trump and Trumpism can play both ways in Illinois, said Democratic consultant Pete Giangreco. “The best precinct captain in the world right now is Donald Trump. He drives turnout on both sides,” Giangreco said.

Newsom’s recall was also a referendum of sorts on his COVID policies — masks, vaccines, etc. That’s a good sign for Pritzker, who is already making his pandemic record a centerpiece of his bid for a second term.

Democratic consultant Eric Adelstein said, “I think you’re going see that play out in this gubernatorial primary — you’ll see these guys climbing over each other to be who’s Trumpier. But I’m not sure, ultimately, that works in a general election in Illinois.”

In the 2022 Illinois GOP primary for governor, the biggest Trumper running is state Sen. Darren Bailey, R-Xenia, followed by others who have embraced Trump to different degrees — or at least not run from him. That’s suburban businessman Gary Rabine and former state Sen. Paul Schrimpf, R-Waterloo. It’s not clear yet where the newcomer to the race, Jesse Sullivan, a businessman from Petersburg, is on the Trump loyalty scale.

Some leaders of the Illinois GOP establishment are rooting for Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill., to jump in the governor race. In recent months, perhaps to preserve his political viability, Davis has drifted from the mainstream toward Trump.

And on another front, Giangreco said early indications from California show Newsom won with a strong mail vote, and “it’s very easy to vote by mail in Illinois. …That’s just another structural advantage for Democrats, up and down the ticket.

An Illinois Republican consultant — who did not want to be named to avoid trouble with the Trumpers — told me, “Illinois Republicans are really at a crossroads. They need to make a decision whether they want to run candidates based on a Trump litmus test” or take the big risk of losing suburban voters.

Illinois Republicans got a glimpse of the future through the California recall. While Elder leveraged his Trumpism, in the end, it boomeranged and created a Newsom landslide.

In Illinois, the GOP consultant told me, the same thing could happen. “The test in this upcoming election is going to be for Republicans, whether they’re going to nominate someone that can actually run a statewide race, or if they’re going to do what Republicans in California did — which was take a recall race that — without Larry Elder in it — could have been still uphill, but could have been competitive, and made it a laugher.”

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Gov. Newsom’s big California victory: Trumpism and what it means for Illinois politicsLynn Sweeton September 15, 2021 at 11:36 pm Read More »

Husband of Wayne village president won’t be charged in Aug. 10 shooting death of neighbor’s dogStefano Espositoon September 15, 2021 at 10:11 pm

Jamie Mosser said she’d reviewed the “dozens upon dozens” of emails and phone calls in support of the slain dog, she’d seen the “Justice for Ludwig” signs dotted about town and she said she is herself a dog lover.

But in the end, after a weekslong investigation that left “no stone unturned,” Kane County’s top prosecutor said Wednesday that the facts prevented her from filing charges against the husband of the village of Wayne President Eileen Phipps.

“The evidence that we have now shows that Mr. [Hal] Phipps feared for his safety and his life and was legally justified in the shooting of Ludwig,” Mosser said in announcing her decision.

For weeks, many in and around the tiny west suburban town of Wayne had been calling for criminal charges against Hal Phipps, who has admitted to shooting Ludwig, a Dogo Argentino pack-hunting dog, on Aug. 10. Ludwig’s distraught owner, Joe Petit, has said Ludwig and the dog’s sibling, Philotimo, are as sweet and harmless as kittens.

The Phippses, who have lived next door to Petit for 20 years, say the dogs are a menace. Eileen Phipps has called the reactions on social media to the shooting “beyond vicious and unfair.”

“My family is very thankful that the evidence proved that my husband was in fear for his life and acted in self-defense. We’re very thankful for the thorough investigation that was conducted by the Kane County sheriff’s office and the state’s attorney, Ms. Mosser,” Eileen Phipps said Wednesday afternoon. “Obviously, we regret that Mr. Petit’s dog lost its life, … but he should have taken steps to contain his pets.”

Petit could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Mosser and Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain said video surveillance from Petit’s property and the words from an independent witness support Hal Phipps’ story.

Phipps has told sheriff’s deputies he shot Ludwig on Aug. 10 after it and Philotimo came onto his property and approached aggressively, leaving him in fear for his life. Phipps filed a police report in June, alleging one of the dogs bit him at that time.

“Note that Mr. Phipps was so concerned for his own safety on his property that he began carrying a firearm with him while he was doing yard work,” Hain said.

Petit previously said that on the day Ludwig was shot, his dogs were with a close friend in the Fox River, which flows past Petit’s property. The friend, Kathleen Czaplewski, has said she was playing with Ludwig when she suddenly heard a “Pop! Pop! Pop!” The dog then fell lifeless into the river.

But investigators say Czaplewski’s story has changed over time and that she appeared “visibly intoxicated” immediately after the shooting. The video evidence, backed up by the independent witness, shows the dogs not initially in the water but running away from the line separating the Phipps’ property from Petit’s at the time of the shooting, investigators say.

Mosser noted how Ludwig’s death had shown how a community can come together to support “one of its own.”

“I hope that this support continues towards healing and not toward any further division, Mosser said.

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Husband of Wayne village president won’t be charged in Aug. 10 shooting death of neighbor’s dogStefano Espositoon September 15, 2021 at 10:11 pm Read More »

Rarely seen Tennessee Williams short story set in post-WWII ItalyHillel Italie | AP National Writeron September 15, 2021 at 8:56 pm

NEW YORK — For Tennessee Williams, Rome was a longtime love affair, “the capitol of my heart” with its skies of “stainless blue” and cathedral domes “bathed in golden light.”

At times, he worried about how Romans felt in return.

Honored worldwide as a playwright, Williams also wrote dozens of short stories. A rarely seen piece, “The Summer Woman,” set in Italy, appears this week in the fall issue of the literary quarterly The Strand Magazine.

“The Summer Woman” was written in the early 1950s and tells of an American academic, “the remarkably young head of the English department at an important Southern university,” who frequently visits Rome and hopes to reunite with an Italian lover whom he had met “on the street” and had financially supported in hopes of keeping her “off the street.”

“There in Europe, mostly in Italy, he had his other life, the existence that his heart longed for: Bohemian, sensual, not at all academic, not in the least reserved,” Williams writes. “He had not found this other life through any powerful and vast genius for it. It had been handed to him by someone else, a Roman girl named Rosa. She had taken him by his cold, nervous fingers and led him into that country and made him quickly at home there.”

A native of Mississippi who set “A Streetcar Named Desire” and other plays in the American South, Williams identified strongly with Italy, seeing it as an escape from the condemnation — and his own unshakeable “sense of guilt” — he confronted in the U.S. as a gay man. He lived in Italy off and on for several years after World War II and often wrote about the passions and clashes between Americans and Italians, whether in the play “The Rose Tattoo,” the novel “The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone” or the short story “Man Bring This Up Road.”

Robert Bray, founding director of the Tennessee Williams Annual Review, noted that Williams’ attachment to Rome became highly personal: His partner Frank Merlo was of Sicilian descent, and he formed a close friendship with Italian actress Anna Magnini, who starred in the film version of “The Rose Tattoo.” Bray said Williams was “enamored of the sexuality exuded by young Italian men and the easier relationship between men than back at home in the more constrained U.S.”

But “The Summer Woman” is a snapshot of a country still recovering from the war and no longer welcoming to Americans. The protagonist remembers once hearing friendly shouts of “Hi, Joe,” but this time is greeted with calls of “coco,” a slur referring to a biological weapon — coccobacillus — that Americans were rumored to have used in the war against North Korea. He wonders what happened to the people who seemed “sweeter” than in other countries.

“This is a dimension of Williams that I think most readers haven’t had much knowledge about,” says Strand managing editor Andrew Gulli. “We think of Tennessee Williams as the chronicler of faded grandeur, angst, and weakness, but his travels and interactions show what a versatile observer he was of how American foreign policy was viewed around the world.”

On a draft manuscript for “The Summer Woman,” Williams had another working title: “The Marshall Plan,” referring to the massive aid program which the U.S. set up for European countries. In a 1948 letter to New York Times theater critic Brooks Atkinson, Williams worried about the dire living conditions of the Italians and expressed concerns that could have easily applied to contemporary Afghanistan.

“It honestly looks as if seventy percent of the Italian population are mendicants and prostitutes, families are living in the roofless shells of buildings in the bombed cities such as Naples,” he wrote to Atkinson.

“I feel that if we had made real sacrificial efforts to relieve the distress of Europe the Communists would have no appeal. As it is, the people in their real dire circumstances, bewildered by the vacillating and make-shift puppet governments headed by weak and blandly opportunistic figures, rooted in no defined party or policy or philosophy, are a natural and easy prey to extremists.”

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Rarely seen Tennessee Williams short story set in post-WWII ItalyHillel Italie | AP National Writeron September 15, 2021 at 8:56 pm Read More »

September 16 proclaimed as ‘Candace Parker Day’ in ChicagoAnnie Costabileon September 15, 2021 at 9:46 pm

September 16 will never be the same in Chicago after Mayor Lori Lightfoot signed a proclamation Wednesday evening marking it “Candace Parker Day.”

Parker, one of professional basketball’s most decorated athletes, grew up in Naperville. She led Naperville Central to two state titles before embarking on her collegiate career at Tennessee where she helped the Lady Vols win two NCAA championships.

Drafted first overall in the 2008 WNBA draft by the Los Angeles Sparks, Parker became the first player in league history to be named rookie of the year and MVP in the same season.

Her accolades include WNBA champion, two-time Olympic gold medalist, two-time league MVP, six-time WNBA All-Star, Euroleague champion and 2020 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year.

Along with Parker earning her own day in Chicago, Adidas announced three new colorways for Parker’s signature shoe as part of the brands new Candace Parker Collection. There are only nine players in the WNBA’s 25-year history with their own sneaker. Reigning WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart became the latest player when she signed a multi-year shoe deal with Puma in May.

This year with the Sky, Parker has been a key piece as the team prepares for its third consecutive playoff appearance. The Sky clinched a spot in the 2021 playoffs after their 92-84 win over the Las Vegas Aces on Sept. 5. Parker finished with a double-double 12 points and 13 rebounds.

The sixth-seeded Sky have two more regular-season games against the Aces on Friday and the Indiana Fever on Sunday.

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September 16 proclaimed as ‘Candace Parker Day’ in ChicagoAnnie Costabileon September 15, 2021 at 9:46 pm Read More »

Exploring PilsenLynette Smithon September 15, 2021 at 9:00 pm

Get to know Chicago’s neighborhoods better with our new regular feature, The Grid. First up: Pilsen, on the Near Southwest Side. A center for Mexican American culture since the 1960s, Pilsen is a vibrant neighborhood where churches, art galleries, taquerias, and taverns exist side by side.

1641 S. Allport St.

Strikingly beautiful outside and in, St. Procopius Catholic Church welcomes all.

1824 S. Wood St.

Enjoy a classic elote with a smile from vendor Walfre Cisneros in Harrison Park.

Cullerton and Wood Streets

Bold outdoor art, like Miguel A. Del Real’s mural, is a telltale sign you’re in Pilsen. Cullerton and Wood Street

19th Street and Damen Avenue

At the streetside stand Riri’s WaterBar, Yuri Tamayo pours refreshing aguas frescas.

1854 W. 21st St.

When in Pilsen, grab tacos! Get started with street fare from El Popocatepetl Tortilleria.

1152 W. 18th St.

Residents support local businesses like the Shudio, an eco-friendly clothing and plant store.

2011 S. Laflin St.

Small-batch craft brews complement the chill vibe at Alulu Brewery and Pub.

1801 W. Cermak Rd.

Carniceria Maribel serves up fresh tacos and tortas alongside groceries and goods.

1227 W. 18th St.

Inventive and hip, Dusek’s Tavern brings high-end funk to pub grub.

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Exploring PilsenLynette Smithon September 15, 2021 at 9:00 pm Read More »

Afternoon Edition: Sept. 15, 2021Matt Mooreon September 15, 2021 at 8:00 pm

Good afternoon. Here’s the latest news you need to know in Chicago. It’s about a 5-minute read that will brief you on today’s biggest stories.

This afternoon will be sunny with a high near 77 degrees. Tonight will be mostly clear with a low around 58. Tomorrow will be sunny with a high near 82.

Top story

Husband of Wayne village president won’t be charged in Aug. 10 shooting death of neighbor’s dog

The husband of a west suburban village president who shot dead a neighbor’s dog last month won’t be charged in the case, Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser announced today.

Mosser, noting that the Kane County sheriff’s office had “left no stone unturned” during the investigation, said video evidence and an independent witness corroborated the story of Hal Phipps, who claimed he feared for his life when he shot the dog Aug. 10 on his property in the village of Wayne.

“It is my belief that the evidence now shows that Mr. Phipps feared for his safety and his life and was legally justified in the shooting of Ludwig,” Mosser said at a news conference.

Phipps is the husband of Wayne Village President Eileen Phipps.

The shooting happened while Ludwig and his sibling, Philotimo –both Dogo Argentino pack-hunting dogs — were outside. Their owner, Joe Petit, was inside in his basement office at the time.

A close friend of Petit’s, Kathleen Czaplewski, said that at the time of the shooting she was paddling with Ludwig and Philotimo in the Fox River, which flows past Petit’s property. But Mosser said the evidence in the case shows that the dogs were on Phipps’ property at the time of the shooting.

Stefano Esposito has more on the incident that has riled the suburb here.

More news you need

Mayor Lori Lightfoot today introduced former San Antonio schools Supt. Pedro Martinez as the new chief executive of the Chicago Public Schools. The announcement was made this morning at Benito Juarez High School, Martinez’s alma mater.

The family of Miguel Cisneros, a 19-year-old college student who drowned after jumping off a pier at a Rogers Park beach last month, is suing the Chicago Park District. Had there been life rings available Cisneros’ death could have been prevented, his family says.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed wide-ranging legislation overhauling Illinois’ energy sector today, as the state works to address the effects of climate change and establish clean energy standards. The legislation sets Illinois on a path to 100% clean energy by 2050.

Lightfoot’s plan to use the threat of civil lawsuits to target Chicago gangs was shunted off to the City Council’s Rules Committee yesterday, slowing down the mayor’s latest plan to address violence here. Critics say young people would be unfairly targeted by the lawsuits because their names are included in CPD’s deeply flawed gang database.

Mondelez International and members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union say they have reached a tentative agreement that could end a strike against the company’s Nabisco operations. The walkout by members of the union started in August and has involved six locations nationwide, including the Chicago bakery in Addison.

By the end of the second week of the school year, more than 5,600 CPS students had been directed to quarantine because of potential in-school exposure to COVID-19, according to new data made public yesterday. Those quarantines represent about 2% of the 290,000 students at non-charter schools.

Robert Falls, who spent 35 years as the creative force behind Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, is stepping down as artistic director effective next summer. The move will coincide with the end of the 2021-22 season.

A bright one

Actor with Chicago roots plans South Side performance space

Actor Harry Lennix III, who stars in the TV show “The Blacklist,” is advancing a dream that he said will honor his roots in Chicago: Building a performing arts center for African American culture on the South Side.

Lennix has submitted a zoning proposal to take over a two-story warehouse at 4343 S. Cottage Grove Ave. In a partnership with Chicago developer Keith Giles and contractor Michael Wordlaw, Lennix would turn the old Marshall Field warehouse into a 350-seat theater with a smaller performance space of about 100 seats.

The venue would have a tie-in with the Chicago Public Schools. “I’m a former CPS teacher. I taught music there,” said Lennix. The Northwestern University graduate attained notice here at the Goodman Theatre and elsewhere before moving on to work in New York and Los Angeles.

A rendering of the Lillian Marcie Center, 4343 S. Cottage Grove Ave. Nia Architects

It would be called the Lillian Marcie Center, a reference to his mother, Lillian, and a mentor, Marcella “Marcie” Gillie on the South Side. Lennix said he’s raised about 60% of the funds needed for a roughly $20 million project.

Giles, who has long been active in the South Loop and Near South Side, said he hopes to start construction at the building in early 2021 and complete the project about a year later. He said he’s working on tax credits and incentives from federal, state and city programs.

David Roeder has more on the project here.

From the press box

Your daily question ?

What’s something you wish would have been taught in school?

Email us (please include your first name and where you live) and we might include your answer in the next Afternoon Edition.

Yesterday, we asked you: What’s the best way to enjoy the remaining days of warm weather in Chicago before the temperatures drop? Here’s what some of you said…

“Enjoy the White Sox’s (hopeful) deep playoff run.” — Jeff Sabin

“Lincoln park zoo, people-watching anywhere, taking a walk before the sun goes down and bike riding.” — Mary Goldsmith

“Take the Architectural Boat Tour. Did it last week & it was fantastic.” — Laura Lazar Bodnar

“Spending time by the lake! I’m making sure to enjoy a walk outside almost every day along the lakefront trail.” — Rachel Schramm

“Hiking in the Forest Preserves.” — Julie Lynn Lee

“Ride a bike and bring a 6 pack of Daisy Cutter to Foster Avenue Rocks. Sit on a bench and enjoy the Lakefront.” — Scott Chasen

“Hunt for your snow shovel and scrapers in the garage.” — Nora Fichtner Fleck

Thanks for reading the Chicago Sun-Times Afternoon Edition. Got a story you think we missed? Email us here.

Sign up here to get the Afternoon Edition in your inbox every day.

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Afternoon Edition: Sept. 15, 2021Matt Mooreon September 15, 2021 at 8:00 pm Read More »

Husband of Wayne village president won’t be charged in Aug. 10 shooting death of neighbor’s dogStefano Espositoon September 15, 2021 at 8:13 pm

Jamie Mosser said she’d reviewed the “dozens upon dozens” of emails and phone calls in support of the slain dog, she’d seen the “Justice for Ludwig” signs dotted about town and she said she is herself a dog lover.

But in the end, after a weekslong investigation that left “no stone unturned,” Kane County’s top prosecutor said Wednesday that the facts prevented her from filing charges against the husband of the village of Wayne President Eileen Phipps.

“The evidence that we have now shows that Mr. [Hal] Phipps feared for his safety and his life and was legally justified in the shooting of Ludwig,” Mosser said in announcing her decision.

For weeks, many in and around the tiny west suburban town of Wayne had been calling for criminal charges against Hal Phipps, who has admitted to shooting Ludwig, a Dogo Argentino pack-hunting dog, on Aug. 10. Ludwig’s distraught owner, Joe Petit, has said Ludwig and the dog’s sibling, Philotimo, are as sweet and harmless as kittens.

The Phippses, who have lived next door to Petit for 20 years, say the dogs are a menace. Eileen Phipps has called the reactions on social media to the shooting “beyond vicious and unfair.”

“My family is very thankful that the evidence proved that my husband was in fear for his life and acted in self-defense. We’re very thankful for the thorough investigation that was conducted by the Kane County sheriff’s office and the state’s attorney, Ms. Mosser,” Eileen Phipps said Wednesday afternoon. “Obviously, we regret that Mr. Petit’s dog lost its life, … but he should have taken steps to contain his pets.”

On Wednesday, Mosser and Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain said video surveillance from Petit’s property and the words from an independent witness support Hal Phipps’ story.

Phipps has told sheriff’s deputies he shot Ludwig on Aug. 10 after it and Philotimo came onto his property and approached aggressively, leaving him in fear for his life. Phipps filed a police report in June, alleging one of the dogs bit him at that time.

“Note that Mr. Phipps was so concerned for his own safety on his property that he began carrying a firearm with him while he was doing yard work,” Hain said.

Petit said that on the day Ludwig was shot, his dogs were with a close friend in the Fox River, which flows past Petit’s property. The friend, Kathleen Czaplewski, has said she was playing with Ludwig when she suddenly heard a “Pop! Pop! Pop!” The dog then fell lifeless into the river.

But investigators say Czaplewski’s story has changed over time and that she appeared “visibly intoxicated” immediately after the shooting. The video evidence, backed up by the independent witness, shows the dogs not initially in the water but running away from the line separating the Phipps’ property from Petit’s at the time of the shooting, investigators say.

Mosser noted how Ludwig’s death had shown how a community can come together to support “one of its own.”

“I hope that this support continues towards healing and not toward any further division, Mosser said.

Read More

Husband of Wayne village president won’t be charged in Aug. 10 shooting death of neighbor’s dogStefano Espositoon September 15, 2021 at 8:13 pm Read More »

The Bears will look different in Week 2 — but will Andy Dalton?Patrick Finleyon September 15, 2021 at 8:28 pm

Andy Dalton won’t deny that playing his former team is special. But he’s been through it already. After being cut by the Bengals in April 2020, Dalton started for the Cowboys and beat the Bengals by 23 on Dec. 13 in Cincinnati.

“Luckily, I kind of got that out of the way last year,” the Bears quarterback said. “And now I’m just focused on doing what we can to win the game.”

Asked whether he had no extra motivation to play his old team again Sunday, the Bears quarterback smiled Wednesday.

“Well,” he said, “I wouldn’t say that.”

The Bears won’t dink-and-dunk as much Sunday against the Bengals, who play press coverage with one high safety and figure to dare them to go deep, as they did in the season opener against the Rams.

They’ll look different in Week 2 than they did in Week 1. The question is: will Dalton?

The Bears have more confidence in the veteran Dalton to pivot to the next opponent-specific game plan than they did in Mitch Trubisky. But they need Dalton to be perfect for their offense to hum along at a high level. And he wasn’t Sunday, particularly on fourth downs.

“I thought we moved the ball really well,” Dalton said. “When you look at what we were able to do, we had longer drives. Going back to that defense, that’s what they make you do. … We went for it on fourth down, Weren’t able to get it.

“We make one or two of those, and maybe that game is a little bit different.”

The Bears moved the ball — albeit terribly slowly — Sunday. That was part of the game plan against the blitz-happy Rams — to try to gain yards after the catch, not air yards. By that very narrow definition, they succeeded: the Bears held the ball for 11 minutes longer than the Rams did and punted only once. They didn’t go three-and-out a single time. Every drive but their last one ended up in Rams territory.

The Bears converted on 5-of-11 third downs, which receiver Allen Robinson called “the No. 1 encouraging thing.” David Montgomery ran for 108 yards, the second-most of any running back in Week 1.

In the broader sense, though, it doesn’t matter one whit. The Bears scored only 14 points. They averaged 4.71 yards per play, which would have been the fifth-worst performance of their 2020 season.

“It only counts if you score enough points,” offensive coordinator Bill Lazor said. “And we didn’t. We obviously break down every area, and there were some positives that came out of it. But big picture, that’s not enough to win an NFL game.”

Dalton pointed to fourth downs.

Halfway through the first quarter, he took the shotgun snap on fourth-and-4 in and looked right. With Rams linebacker Troy Reeder blitzing over left guard, tight end Cole Kmet was open, crossing right to left. Dalton, though, threw to Allen Robinson on a hot route. The pass was slightly behind him, hit Robinson in both hands and fell incomplete.

On the next fourth-and-4 of the quarter, running back David Montgomery motioned to Dalton’s right as the ball was snapped. Dalton made his first read — to a covered Robinson on a slant — and then looked right. When he decided to check it down to Montgomery, he was hit as he threw, fumbling the ball.

“I had a contested play on the first one and we weren’t able to convert,” Dalton said. “The second one, if I woulda had just a half-second longer and I don’t get hit from behind, David Montgomery is wide open. There’s another conversion.

“There’s like little things we can go back and look at and say, ‘Hey, if we can do this just a little bit better, these conversions,’ then … it can change the course and the outcome of the game.”

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