An 18-year-old man was fatally shot Friday evening in Belmont Cragin on the Northwest Side.
About 5:15 p.m., the teen was in the middle of the street in the 5100 block of West Fullerton Avenue when someone in a vehicle fired shots, striking him in the leg, chest and back, Chicago police said.
He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. He has not yet been identified.
No one was in custody.
Dick Farrel, a right-wing radio talker in Florida, had nothing but bad things to say about Dr. Anthony Fauci and COVID-19 vaccines.
Fauci, he said, was “a lying freak.” COVID-19 was a “scamdemic.” And he said he would never get vaccinated.
“Why take a vax promoted by people who lied 2u all along about masks?” he asked on Facebook.
Then Farrel caught the bug, found himself fighting for his life and changed his tune.
“Get it!” he texted to a friend who was hesitant to get the vaccine. “I wish I had gotten it!”
And then, on Aug. 4, died.
Done in by the “scamdemic.”
The news is full of reports this summer about people like Farrel who mocked public health experts and science, masks and vaccines, and were rewarded with death from COVID-19. They often hung in there just long enough to regret their foolishness.
Nobody should take satisfaction in this. Every death from COVID is a tragic death, regardless of the circumstances. But we’ve been thinking long and hard of late about what it will take to persuade the seemingly inconvincible to get the vaccine, and we’re pretty sure it won’t be another lecture by Fauci or President Joe Biden or the World Health Organization or this editorial page.
Those still in need of convincing don’t much listen to any of the above.
It will take leadership from the political right itself, which remains in short supply. And it might help as well to call attention to all the anti-vaxxers, especially the militant ones like Farrel, who have been dropping all around us. Death has a way of ending denial.
In the same week Farrel died of COVID, a prominent Texas Republican who ridiculed the vaccines died of the virus.
H. Scott Apley, a member of the Dickinson City Council and Texas Republican Executive Committee, compared mask mandates to Nazism and encouraged his followers on social media to attend a “mask burning” at a bar.
Five days before his death, Apley posted online this mocking assessment of the vaccines: “In 6 months, we’ve gone from the vax ending the pandemic, to you can still get Covid even if vaxxed, to you can pass Covid onto others even if vaxxed, to you can still die of Covid even if vaxxed, to the unvaxxed are killing the vaxxed.”
That’s a lot of hooey, of course, and it’s unfortunate for Apley that he apparently believed it. The various vaccines remain powerful defenses against COVID-19 and its known variants. The vast majority of people who have been vaccinated don’t become infected, and those who do typically suffer minor symptoms, don’t need to be hospitalized and — best of all — don’t die.
A particular heartbreaking case is that of Michael Freedy, a 39-year-old father of two from Las Vegas who didn’t push the anti-vaxx nonsense. He just made the mistake of listening to those who do. Worried about the vaccine’s side effects, which are in fact negligible and temporary, he had decided to put off getting the shot for a year.
Freedy caught COVID-19 while on vacation in San Diego in mid-July. Two weeks later, on July 29, he died. But not before going through all kinds of misery involving tubes, lung machines and defibrillator paddles.
“When you’re a spectator in it, there’s no trying to slide out the door,” his fiance, Jessica DuPreez, told the Washington Post. “You just have to stay in the back of the room and out of the way.”
In a text to DuPreez early in his illness, Freedy had this to say: “I should have gotten the damn vaccine.”
There are many more such cases, if only the tens of millions of Americans who remain unvaccinated would take heed. The message comes from folks like themselves, vaccine skeptics, from hospital beds and morgues.
Infection rates are climbing again, largely among the unvaccinated, and people are dying again. Daily caseloads have increased tenfold nationwide since late June, as the Delta variant of the virus sweeps the country, and death reports have doubled.
Southern states, many with vaccination rates well below the national average, have seen the most explosive case growth, reports the New York Times. Mississippi, which was adding fewer than 200 cases a day at the start of July, is now averaging more than 2,000 infections daily.
Even as radio talkers call mandatory masks “face diapers.” Even as they call vaccine passports an assault on their liberties. Even as they mock door-to-door vaccination campaigns.
We urge Americans who have yet to get vaccinated to listen instead to the voices from the grave.
On May 1, Curt Carpenter, an unvaccinated young man from Alabama, died from COVID-19. He succumbed after a two-month fight.
His mother says she’ll never forget his last words: “This is not a hoax. This is real.”
Send letters to [email protected].
I know how hard it is to find the right fit or comfort level when it comes to athletic shoes. Whether you’re looking for a running shoe or hiking, or just walking, it’s important to find one that will last you awhile and that will be comfortable. There are probably hundreds of running shoe stores in Chicago, so I’ve narrowed it down to 8 of the best ones. There are some obvious ones like Nike and Famous Footwear but also some community driven ones that have an impressive selection.
1706 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60614
At Fleet Feet, you will find a welcoming environment where runners, walkers and fitness enthusiasts of all abilities receive unparalleled service and support. The mission of this running shoe store in Chicago is to help you find the right ”FIT” in every facet of your active lifestyle. Whether you walk, run, or simply need a good fitting pair of shoes, the educators at Fleet Feet will work with you to evaluate your foot’s gait and natural biomechanics to help you select a shoe that offers the best fit and function for you.
669 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611
I don’t think I really need to go into detail about Nike. We all know and love this brand and it’s clear that they dominate the athletic shoe market. This sport shoes store in Chicago offers any kind of product for any sporting occasion. So whether you’re a runner, walker, cyclist, or just want a trendy pair of high tops, Nike is the place to go.
10328 S Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60643
Running Excels serves the south side of Chicago and its surrounding suburbs. It is a specialty running store that features high quality athletic footwear, apparel and accessories. They also can share their knowledge of running, through education on injury prevention and recovery, proper training, nutrition, etc.
1730 W Fullerton Ave, Chicago, IL 60614
Famous Footwear, like Nike, is another running shoe store in Chicago that has dominated the market. They have shoes for any occasion, not just sports. They carry brands like Adidas, Nike, Converse, Crocs, Birkenstock, Vans, etc. So if you’re looking for a place where you can shop for athletic shoes but also everyday shoes, this is the place.
1631 Sherman Ave, Evanston, IL 60201
Commonwealth isn’t exactly in Chicago, but if you live in or around the city, you’ll know Evanston. Commonwealth Running Company is a community-first running company that will take what local running stores do best and utilize technology to enhance that experience by offering everything a runner needs in a seamless and comprehensive way. Founded by a distance runner from Chicago, this grassroots running company will look to outfit and supply runners with gear that enhances their running experience, and in doing so, will look to grow the sport and expand a market.
513 Dempster St, Evanston, IL 60201
Just like the previous store, this one is in Evanston. I’m not too familiar with this store but it has a ton of great reviews on Yelp. They seem to carry a lot of running shoes as well and brands like Asics, New Balance and Mizuno.
1435 N Kingsbury St, Chicago, IL 60642
At Road Runner Sports you can try, touch, feel and test out a huge selection of running, cross training, trail and gym gear. They’ve got 116 brands and countless colors and sizes of running shoes, electronics, and fitness apparel. You can choose from brands like Adidas, Altra, ASICS, Brooks, HOKA ONE ONE, Merell, Mizuno, New Balance, Nike, OluKai, On, Reebok, Salomon, Saucony, and Under Armour. They also stock some newer brands like Hyperrice, Goodr Sunglasses, On, and R-Gear. They’ve got everything you need for running, training, everyday activity, trail, hiking, and even kid’s shoes.
5321 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640
Alamo Shoes has been a family-owned shoe store providing family-focused superior service since 1973. In those years, Alamo Shoes has thrived on providing personalized service for Northsiders, Southsiders, suburbanites, people from across the country and the globe. It is a staple of Chicago’s north side Andersonville neighborhood. They carry all the popular brands and even ones that are just starting to gain popularity.
Featured Image Credit: Pexels.com
8 Best Running Shoe Stores in ChicagoOlessa Hanzlikon August 13, 2021 at 2:55 pm Read More »
Rank-and-file Chicago police officers on Friday rose above their anger at Mayor Lori Lightfoot and overwhelmingly ratified a new contract that guarantees them a 20% pay raise over eight years, more than half of it retroactive.
Cops have been venting their anger at Lightfoot ever since the Saturday night traffic stop in West Englewood that killed Officer Ella French and left her partner fighting for his life.
They turned their backs on Lightfoot on the seventh floor of University of Chicago Medical Center after the mayor ignored demands from the injured officer’s father to stay away and got a tongue lashing from the father in return.
They’re furious at the mayor for defending First Deputy Police Supt. Eric Carter’s decision to speed up their solemn send-off to French when their slain colleague’s body was brought to the medical examiner’s office.
Even so, rank-and-file members of the Fraternal Order of Police who started voting before French was murdered ratified the new contract by a 79% vote, City Hall sources said.
It was the apparent lure of retroactive paychecks that will range from $18,000 to $36,000 depending on seniority and retroactive overtime pay that will add as much as 20% to that amount and duty availability back pay that means as much as $7,600 per officer.
“It was a fair deal. The membership realized it was a fair deal,” said FOP President John Catanzara.
“They hate her, but they’ve still got to go to work every day. They want a contract to work under. So, we’ll deal with the mayor in 18 months.”
Friday’s vote sets the stage for a similar ratification vote in the City Council.
If 26 aldermen sign off on the new deal, the city will be on the hook for $377.6 million for four years of back pay. That’s how long police officers have been waiting for a pay raise during what was the longest labor stalemate in Chicago history.
Lightfoot knew it was coming, but nevertheless set aside just $103.3 million for back pay in her 2021 budget. The city plans to cover the rest by refinancing $1 billion in existing debt at reduced interest rates during the last quarter of this year. That’s expected to generate $232 million in savings.
The remaining $42.3 million will come from “corporate fund resources,” according to a three-year financial plan released this week that didn’t offer specifics.
Going forward, the city needs to come up with an additional $325 million to cover future costs of the contract. Even so, top mayoral aides have touted the contract for the “financial stability” it provides. It also guarantees labor peace until after the 2023 mayoral election.
Civic Federation President Laurence Msall is not so sure about the financial stability claim. Using savings from a debt refinancing “prudently matches one-time revenues to a one-time expense,” but “taking the savings upfront” will force the city to “either cut or find new sources of revenue,” he said.
“We already have the highest sales tax of any major city in the United States. It’s not the time to be raising property taxes” beyond the $20 million automatic escalator tied to the consumer price index. “There are no easy taxes to raise. I think they’re gonna have to cut,” he said.
“Find ways to be more efficient. Reduce staff. Some of the lessons from the pandemic as to whether we need to have as many people performing these services. How can we deliver the services effectively at less of a cost?”
The contract calls for rank-and-file Chicago police officers to receive a 10.5% retroactive pay raise and 9.5% more through January 2025. The city has also agreed to increase so-called “duty availability pay” to $950 per quarter and raise the annual uniform allowance to $1,950.
Duty availability pay will be offered “retroactively” from July 2017 to all officers whose probation period has ended after 18 months. And going forward, duty availability pay will be available after 18 months, instead of after 42 months.
Rank-and-file police officers will be asked to absorb “only 50%” of the increase in health care contributions imposed on police sergeants and Chicago firefighters and paramedics. And the “second half” of that increase will be “postponed until July, 1, 2022, to allow members to retire under the current 2.2% at age 55 and zero percent for those 60 and over.”
Although the contract was four years in the making, the negotiations are not complete. Only “core accountability issues” have been resolved.
They include ending “the 40-year ban on the investigation of anonymous complaints about police misconduct”; expediting the override process that paves the way for those complaints; no longer allowing officers to change their stories after reviewing bodycam video of an incident; and eliminating a requirement that disciplinary records older than five years be destroyed.
More controversial disciplinary changes must still be negotiated and are likely to end up in arbitration.
In the absence of a government mandate on coronavirus vaccines, Katie Tuten, co-owner of The Hideout, set up her own COVID-19 vaccine requirements to protect her employees and patrons from the virus.
“We’re just managing the risk as best we can,” says Tuten, whose club at 1354 W. Wabansia Ave. is among dozens of Chicago bars and performance venues that have announced they’re requiring employees, performers and patrons to provide proof they are vaccinated or of a recent negative coronavirus test.
Major Chicago-area companies also requiring vaccinations for some or all of their employees include United Airlines, Walgreens, Lurie Children’s Hospital, Advocate Aurora Health, Ascension Health, Rush University Medical Center, Loyola Medicine, University of Chicago Medicine and UI Health.
On Friday, the Chicago Public Schools announced that all teachers, staff and vendors must be vaccinated by Oct. 15 unless they have a medical or religious reason not to.
Nationally, Google, Facebook, Disney, Netflix, The Washington Post, Cisco, Frontier Airlines, Walmart and Tyson Foods are among those with new vaccine mandates.
President Joe Biden has said federal employees and on-site contractors must be vaccinated or submit to regular testing. And he has ordered that members of the military must be vaccinated beginning next month, when the Food and Drug Administration is expected to give final approval to the Pfizer vaccine.
Hundreds of colleges and universities, including the University of Illinois, are requiring the shots for employees and students this fall.
The vast majority of those hospitalized with coronavirus amid the surge of the highly infectious Delta variant are unvaccinated people.
The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce has called on Chicago businesses to require vaccination unless there’s a valid health or religious reason — “or have stringent masking and testing protocols in place if vaccine requirements are not possible.”
That Chicago businesses are stepping up on vaccines is encouraging to Sydney Schumacher, who’s vaccinated. But it’s tough to navigate things when there’s no single accepted way to provide proof, says Schumacher, who went to Lollapalooza in July and says some of the bouncers at the front gate were pretty laid back about checking. The music festival required people to bring and show their vaccination card, not just a smartphone photo.
“They weren’t checking your I.D. to see if you are who you say you are,” says the Lincoln Park resident, who put hers in a plastic bag to protect it. “They briefly looked at it. But it wasn’t super in-depth to make sure it was your vaccine card.”
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22778800/LOLLATHUR_073021_03_1_copy.jpg)
Other Chicago festivals have gone further. The Windy City Smokeout country festival in July required all ticket-holders to upload their vaccination record to an app in advance.
At The Hideout, a smaller club that’s presenting only outdoor shows on its patio for now, patrons can show a card, a photo of a card on their phone or an app, any of which gets checked against their driver’s license photo.
“No system is going to be perfect,” Tuten says. “People have been just wonderful about it. They’re being really supportive.”
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22778834/WATCHDOGS_081521_13.JPG)
Nearly three-quarters of eligible Illinois residents have gotten at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, and about 57% are fully immunized.
Here’s the lowdown on key questions about providing proof that you’re immunized.
No. But Dr. Allison Arwady, the city’s public health commissioner, says she’s monitoring how New York City’s vaccine mandate and phone app for indoor restaurants, gyms and performances is working.
“I’m not taking it off the table, that that might be something that we could consider in the future,” Arwady said Thursday. “We’ve been really pleased to see employers make that decision to mandate vaccinations or, in some cases, vaccinations or frequent negative testing for their employees. … And I’ve also been thrilled to see so many high-risk settings, whether that’s bars, whether that’s clubs, whether that’s events, make that decision to require proof of vaccination or a negative test to come in.”
Melaney Arnold, a spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Public Health, says the state “is not considering apps at this time.”
Her agency has just launched what it calls Vax Verify, an online portal that people can use to check how their vaccination status is recorded with the I-CARE, the Illinois Comprehensive Automated Immunization Registry Exchange, and download and print their record. It uses Experian, the credit-reporting agency, to verify a person’s identity.
Technologically, New York is ahead of Illinois. It has its Excelsior Pass app, which provides a QR code once a person’s uploaded vaccine information is confirmed with city or state records. And New York City has the COVID Safe App, which keeps an image of people’s cards on their phone but doesn’t verify it.
You could. Or take a photo of it with your smartphone, and use that when asked for proof of vaccination.
If you’re worried about privacy, you can keep that photo private on an iPhone by going to the “share” button in “Photos” and selecting “hide. To find it again, tap “albums,” and scroll to “utilities.” You also can hide it in your iPhones Notes app. On Google Pixel or Samsung Galaxy phones, you can store the photo in a locked folder.
You also could use another phone app to store your vaccine info.
Anyone can use the COVID Safe app offered by New York City. Basically, it stores a copy of your vaccination card on your phone.
Other apps include Clear Health Pass, VaxYes, Airside and CommonPass.
Since businesses can choose to accept any or none of these apps, and that could change, it’s best to check in advance before heading, say, to a music festival or performance and see whether its website explains what’s required.
Some institutions are creating their own apps. This fall, the University of Illinois is requiring students and staff to upload their vaccination cards to a portal, to be checked against public health records, says Robin Kaler, associate chancellor for public affairs. Once the info is verified, the person can use their phone to gain entry to university buildings.
Bad idea. Because whenever the day comes when people might need a booster shot, whoever provides it will need to note that on your card.
If you’re worried about spills ruining your card, you could always buy a plastic sleeve for it.
Contact your vaccine provider. It will have your record and can issue a new card.
If you have any trouble, contact Illinois’ I-CARE registry. For details, go online to http://dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/prevention-wellness/immunization/icare
Even though vaccination cards bear the logo of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the federal agency doesn’t store individuals’ health data and can’t issue replacement cards.
That, for instance, was the case early on with Northwestern Medicine, which told patients to go to their online MyChart record and print that out for proof, rather than give a CDC card. Now, any Northwestern patient who wants a CDC card can request one in MyChart or by calling (877) 973-2673.
Yes. The federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued guidance in May that said it is legal under federal law for businesses to require a COVID-19 vaccination. The EEOC says that, as long as an employer complies with the reasonable accommodation provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other equal opportunity considerations, they can require that their workers be vaccinated.
Even so, some states have passed laws banning vaccine requirements, notably Texas and Florida, states in which the number of cases of the highly contagious Delta variant have been shooting up.
Expect court fights to settle this, such as a recent federal ruling in favor of Norwegian Cruise Line, which is requiring that its crews and passengers prove they’re vaccinated despite Florida’s state law against doing so.
Those have been offered for sale online. But the FBI warns that it’s a crime to falsely use the seal of a federal agency. The Justice Department charged a California woman with wire fraud last month, accusing her of supplying fake cards and bogus “immunization pellets.”
Besides, why spend hundreds of dollars on a fake card and risk getting sick or dying from COVID or passing it on to a loved one when you can get a lifesaving vaccination for free?
Say her name.
“Ella French”
The slaying last weekend of Chicago Police Officer Ella French is as ugly as it gets on a hot night in a city sweating from sulfurous gun violence.
“She was like a lamb in the pit of vipers and jackals,” said a retired CPD official who asked not to be identified.
Her gun reportedly unholstered, French was killed point blank on a routine traffic stop on the city’s South Side in the West Englewood neighborhood, her partner now struggling with gunshot wounds to his head at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
What was new on that sweaty Saturday night wasn’t the bent knees of cops in a continuum of prayer outside the UIC emergency room and 7th floor hospital lobby — but what they did with the rest of their collective body.
They turned away from Mayor Lori Lightfoot and her administration while waiting vigil at the medical center, shunning her with an abrupt about-face, turning their backs and silently walking away.
Already excoriated by the victim’s father, a retired police officer, for the city’s lack of proper police support, the mayor listened respectfully and then turned toward the line of police in the hospital lobby. They ignored her.
And the next day, a group of 300 plus policemen gathered at a McCormick Place roll call shunned a visit from Lightfoot.
Since the violent death of Black man George Floyd at the knee of a police officer in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020, the cold eye of technology has fleshed into reality the gruesome and deadly treatment of people of color in our country by rogue cops.
Chicago police officers, now dealing with astronomical gang violence, gun proliferation and rising mortality rates, claim new legislation hampers their ability to do their jobs.
“Our exempt police ranks [street cops) are now dealing with what they believe is a culture of the police doing everything wrong,” said a former top cop.
“They are looking for direction, but they feel they are being directed out of their ability to be effective policemen,” a CPD employee said.
So what’s to be done?
Where do we go from here?
“I don’t think there is anything in a policeman’s DNA which would cause them to walk away or take a job action like the Chicago firemen did years ago,” said a retired top police source. “It’s in their DNA to serve and protect.
“But how many more people have to lose their lives in Chicago before we realize the police need their support?” said another CPD source.
“People are trapped or hiding in their homes; they feel they do not have a voice; afraid to drive their cars; or speak out because they will be targeted. Children are getting shot in cars in the midst of gang violence,” the top cop source said.
“It’s heartbreaking to know families all over the city are afraid because of the gun violence.
“When are the communities going to take action for themselves?
“How many more cops have to lose their lives before we realize police need our support. Enough lives have been lost in Chicago.
“We are only as good as a community or a city lets us be.”
Saying goodbye . . .
His name was Ed.
Edward W. Elliott Jr. to be precise.
And he was my friend.
Of Scot-Irish descent and the descendant of Catholics once raised in a very Protestant Northern Ireland, Ed’s funeral mass Aug. 7 contained a little Latin, a major thrust of incense, a soliloquy on friendship, and a glint of Eagles wings, if you get my drift.
His late wife, Betty, also a working mom, was my best friend. We raised our boys during the “God Knows What’s Up” 1990s.
A monumentally successful entrepreneur scouring the world for gas and oil and gamefish, Ed became a walking medical encyclopedia before Betty succumbed to cancer nearly 20 years ago.
He continued netting entire families into his embrace as heartily as he had once caught and released gamefish.
Only he didn’t release us.
His youngest son, Tim, planned an exquisite funeral; his eldest son, Ed’s incredible eulogy compared his dad to a quote by Booker T. Washington:
“The happiest people are those who do the most for others. The most miserable are those who do the least.”
Saying goodbye to this complicated man was so sad — but quite frankly I’ve never seen so many self-made, successful “suits” tear up before and after a funeral in my life.
We will never release him.
Sneedlings . . .
Saturday birthdays: Halle Berry, 55; Mila Kunis, 38; Magic Johnson; 62 and Joe Bejlovec, priceless. . .. Sunday Birthdays: Chicago police chaplain Dan Brandt, 51; Joe Jonas, 32; Anthony Anderson, 51; Ben Affleck, 49, and a special birthday greeting to Bernie Wojtkiewicz, ageless and priceless, husband of the fabulous Colette and still kicking at 94!
Chicago, your backside is showing.
At a time we should be united in our grief over the murder of Ella French, 29, a Chicago police officer, people are dishing dirt.
It’s disgusting to hear aldermen attacking each other and to read snarky tweets bashing police Supt. David Brown, knowing he is grieving his own mother’s death.
I agree with Mayor Lori Lightfoot: We should be better than this.
The public display of disrespect by the police officers who turned their backs on the mayor added even more distance to the gap between the Chicago Police Department and too many of our youth.
And right now no one should be fanning the flames of the contentious debate over “defunding” the police or pointing to rogue police officers to support an anti-police narrative.
In these dark days, what the world should see now is our empathy. Empathy for the families of the many children who have been fallen by gunfire. Empathy for the youth in this city who have lost their way. Empathy for police officers who lost a colleague who wanted to do good but was gunned down by a man who appears to have no good left in him.
Whether we are criticizing the officers or condemning the people committing these crimes, too many of us are so busy judging the group by the sins of the individuals, so much so that we neglect to appreciate the people who do the right thing.
Despite all of this, two things give me hope.
People living near 63rd and Bell, where the police shootings took place, put their own lives on the line when they confronted one of the suspects who had jumped a fence into their yard and held him until the police came. In the midst of chaos, the suspect got neither comfort nor a hiding place.
And it is a testament to French’s goodness that Anjanette Young, the Black woman who was the victim of a botched police raid in 2019, told the Sun-Times that French was “the only officer who showed her dignity and respect” during that awful incident.
Young had been forced to stand naked and handcuffed. She said French, who showed up after the raid, allowed her to get dressed in the privacy of her bedroom.
The city has lost a peacemaker.
French dared to put on the blue at a time when police officers are often damned if they do and damned if they don’t.
Unfortunately, at a time like this, the news media sometimes ask insensitive questions that lead to controversies that make it harder to wrap our arms around one another.
For instance, Eric Carter, the police department’s first deputy superintendent, apparently angered rank-and-file officers when he decided to skip the tradition of bagpipes being played when French’s body was delivered to the medical examiner’s office.
When former Supt. Garry McCarthy — who was fired over the delayed release of the video that showed former Officer Jason Van Dyke shooting 17-year-old Laquan McDonald 16 times — was asked whether Carter could regain the respect of the rank-and-file, he chose to vilify Carter.
“It would be a stretch to think they would want to get behind a leader who doesn’t respect something that sacred,” McCarthy told the Sun-Times.
Is this really the time for such rancor?
This isn’t that moment.
This is the moment to turn grieving into action by supporting strategies that can turn these war zones into safe zones.
Two brothers have been charged in connection with this heinous crime.
A third suspect is facing federal charges, accused of being the straw purchaser of the gun used in the killing.
Setting aside all of the rhetoric, this tragic incident shows there are still brave police officers out there doing their jobs.
Yes, mayor, we should be better than thisMary Mitchellon August 13, 2021 at 9:45 pm Read More »
A 32-year-old parolee has been charged in a shooting that claimed the life a man and a left a teenage girl wounded in Lawndale.
Kevell Chester was captured on video opening fire on a car as it drove in the 4700 block of West Arthington Street shortly after 2 a.m. on May 25, Cook County prosecutors said Friday.
The driver of the car, Charles Rice, 31, was struck multiple times and the 16-year-old girl who was in the passenger seat was struck in her right leg and suffered a graze wound to her left arm, prosecutors said.
Rice was later pronounced dead at Mount Sinai Hospital, Chicago police said.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22781284/Chester__Kevell_32.jpg)
Just before he was killed, Rice saw a woman standing in the street and offered her a ride, prosecutors said. The woman refused and started to walk away.
As Rice continued to drive, Chester, who was standing on the sidewalk, fired a barrage of bullets, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors didn’t say what led to the shooting or what Chester’s relationship to the teenage victim was.
Investigators found both 9-mm and .380-caliber shell casings at the scene, which indicated there was a second shooter involved, prosecutors said. The other person was not captured surveillance videos.
Chester was seen on video going back-and-forth from an SUV that was parked on the street, prosecutors said. When police arrived at the scene, the SUV was still parked and an officer’s body-worn camera recorded the license plate, which showed the car was registered to Chester, prosecutors said.
Chester was taken into custody on Thursday and allegedly identified himself in the videos. The woman who was offered a ride by Rice also identified Chester in a photo array as a person she saw on the street immediately before the shooting, prosecutors said.
Chester has a lengthy criminal history, largely for drug convictions, prosecutors said.
He was paroled a month before the shooting after serving a sentence for a drug charge, state records show.
Chester has two children and lives with his girlfriend and sometimes his sister, an assistant public defender said.
Judge Arthur Wesley Willis ordered Chester held without bail for Rice’s murder.
Chester is expected back in court on Sept. 2.
NASHVILLE — Nanci Griffith, the Grammy-winning folk singer-songwriter from Texas whose literary songs like “Love at the Five and Dime” celebrated the South, has died. She was 68.
Her management company, Gold Mountain Entertainment, said Griffith died Friday but did not provide a cause of death.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/22781199/AP21225633120971.jpeg)
“It was Nanci’s wish that no further formal statement or press release happen for a week following her passing,” Gold Mountain Entertainment said in a statement.
Griffith worked closely with other folk singers, helping the early careers of artists like Lyle Lovett and Emmylou Harris. She had a high-pitched voice, and her singing was effortlessly smooth with a twangy Texas accent as she sang about Dust Bowl farmers and empty Woolworth general stores.
Griffith was also known for her recording of “From a Distance,” which would later become a well-known Bette Midler tune. The song appeared on Griffith’s first major label release, “Lone Star State of Mind” in 1987.
Her 1993 album “Other Voices, Other Rooms,” earned a Grammy for best contemporary folk album. Named after a Truman Capote novel, the album features Griffith singing with Harris, John Prine, Arlo Guthrie and Guy Clark on classic folk songs.
In 2008, Griffith won the Lifetime Achievement Trailblazer Award from the Americana Music Association.
Country singer Suzy Bogguss, who had a Top 10 hit with Griffith’s song “Outbound Plane,” posted a remembrance to her friend on Instagram.
“I feel blessed to have many memories of our times together along with most everything she ever recorded. I’m going to spend the day reveling in the articulate masterful legacy she’s left us,” Bogguss wrote.
Darius Rucker called Griffith one of his idols and why he moved to Nashville.
“Singing with her was my favorite things to do,” he wrote on Twitter.
Keeping in line with the tradition of folk music, Griffith often wrote social commentary into her songs, such as the anti-racist ode “It’s a Hard Life Wherever You Go,” and the economic impact on rural farmers in the 1980s on “Trouble in the Fields.”
“I wrote it because my family were farmers in West Texas during the Great Depression,” Griffith told the Los Angeles Times in a 1990 interview. “It was written basically as a show of support for my generation of farmers.”
Griffith gained many fans in Ireland and Northern Ireland, where she would often tour.
Griffith most recently toured with Bogguss, John Prine, and Judy Collins, and recorded duets with a host of artists including Prine, Emmylou Harris, Jimmy Buffett, Adam Duritz, Darius Rucker and Willie Nelson.
Lonzo Ball was the first domino.
Once he fell, the Bulls found themselves in a very unfamiliar place this offseason: An NBA destination place.
Make no mistake, that’s a description this organization suddenly carries. A description that was more punchline for years rather than a reality.
Is it Miami or Los Angeles? No, and likely never will be.
But in acquiring Ball in a sign-and-trade with New Orleans last week, the new regime continued living up to the promises of a changing culture.
Now, a culture that All-Star-type players want to be a part of.
“Obviously the core,” four-time All-Star DeMar DeRozan said on Friday, when asked what sold him on joining the Bulls. “With Vooch [Nikola Vucevic] being there, Zach [LaVine], the organization, the city, overall the whole spectrum of the team and the organization for me.
“And obviously once Lonzo signed, that made it even more appealing. You could see what they were working toward, and it was something I wanted to be a part of. It wasn’t too much of a pitch that they had to make after that.”
So why Ball?
According to DeRozan, he had been watching his game since back in high school, when the point guard was the “it” prospect out of Chino Hills.
“One, I’ve been a fan of his,” DeRozan said. “I remember watching him play in high school, through college. And since he’s been in the league, it seemed like he hasn’t really been let free to be the player that I believe he is. And coming to this organization once I saw him sign, and seeing him having that opportunity for the first time in his career, was something that I definitely wanted to be a part of.
“The dynamic that he brings to the court on both ends is tremendous. He’s a hell of a point guard, a hell of a player. And for him, I think you’re definitely going to see the best out of Lonzo this upcoming year. It was something that I definitely wanted to be a part of.”
And now he is, as the Bulls completed a sign-and-trade deal for DeRozan that will pay the versatile forward $85 million over the next three years.
But Ball came first.
Finally.
The Ball to the Bulls rumors have been the worst-kept secret going back to 2019, when someone in the guard’s camp leaked a handful of teams the then-Laker would like to be a part of. Even with former vice president of basketball operations John Paxson and former general manager Gar Forman making up the front office back then, the Bulls were on that short list.
It was about timing.
A new regime, a new aggressive attitude, and just like that it finally happened within minutes of the window opening on the free agent period.
“Like [the media] said, [the Bulls have] been on me for a minute now,” Ball said of his decision. “Just me personally, I feel like they wanted me. And I want to play for someone that wants me to play for them. So that was attractive.”
In the eyes of the NBA, maybe a bit too attractive, as the deal is under league investigation for tampering.
“Nah, I haven’t gotten into that, I’m not going to get into that,” Ball said of the investigation. “I’m here [Friday] to talk about me being a Bull and how happy I am to be a part of the organization.”
Not a comment that too many high-profile players have actually been able to say the last five years
“They’re an exciting team,” Ball added. “I see the future and I think we can get up and down, and win basketball games. At the end of the day that’s how I want to play, and I’m happy to be a Bull.”
