Thirteen years have passed since R&B superstar R. Kelly broke down in tears in the middle of a Cook County courtroom and began to pray.

It was June 13, 2008. Kelly’s trial on child pornography charges had finally come to an end. And even the singer’s defense team seemed shocked when jurors cleared Kelly of 14 counts. Kelly answered each verdict with the words, “Thank you, Jesus.”

“Jury lets Kelly fly,” read the Chicago Sun-Times headline the next day.

Now, Kelly is preparing to meet another set of jurors Monday in Brooklyn, where he is set to go to trial all over again. And while the 2008 verdict may linger in many minds, the imprisoned singer faces a far more perilous legal challenge this time, in federal court.

Not even a full acquittal in Brooklyn would necessarily set him free.

That’s because Kelly, once considered the most important R&B singer and songwriter of his generation, faces serious criminal charges in multiple jurisdictions, including in Chicago, where a federal judge ordered him detained in 2019. That case will still be waiting.

“The [U.S. Attorney’s] office in Chicago’s not just going to give that case away,” said Jeffrey Cramer, a former federal prosecutor who is now senior managing director in Chicago of Guidepost Solutions.

That makes the trial in the Eastern District of New York merely a first step in Kelly’s quest to clear his name. And it won’t be an easy one. Kelly faces a sweeping racketeering indictment there alleging that his employees and others helped him recruit women and girls for illegal sex, as well as to produce child pornography.

Opening statements in the trial are set for Aug. 18.

Kelly, 54, has long denied abusing anyone. His lawyers and outspoken fans on social media have repeatedly questioned his accusers’ credibility and say he’s been framed.

“We are looking forward to the truth prevailing,” Kelly’s lawyers said in a recent statement.

The case against Kelly is also unusual in its use of the federal racketeering law to prosecute a superstar within the freewheeling world of popular music — famously known for sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll.

“I don’t know if it’s unique in the world of music,” Cramer said. “But it’s unique in the courthouse.”

The New York indictment spans roughly a quarter century and involves six alleged victims. The earliest claims involve Kelly’s much-publicized 1994 marriage, when he was 27, to the late singer Aaliyah Haughton, who was 15 at the time.

AP file photo

The feds say two of the six alleged victims have not spoken publicly. And prosecutors say they want to tell jurors about several additional uncharged allegations, involving at least 15 other victims dating as far back as 1991.

Kelly’s lawyers have recently said they were “blindsided” by some of those additional claims and insisted they should not be allowed into the trial.

Meanwhile, the feds say they also want to tell jurors about the 2008 trial in Cook County that ended with Kelly’s famous acquittal, in part to fend off questions about why Kelly’s alleged victims did not come forward sooner.

Kelly “was once charged with sexually exploiting a minor, there was a video widely believed to feature [Kelly] with a minor and the jury acquitted him,” prosecutors wrote.

That’s necessary background, they said, to understand “why some of his victims long opted against reporting his conduct.”

Born Robert Sylvester Kelly on Jan. 8, 1967, Kelly is remembered as a shy child who grew up on Chicago’s South Side. But the musical talent he would later discover at Hyde Park’s Kenwood Academy was unmistakable.

He reportedly collected $400 one day while performing for spare change on Chicago L platforms and was discovered for Jive Records while singing at a barbecue in the Pill Hill neighborhood.

Sun-Times file

Kelly released his first album with the group Public Announcement in 1992. A year later, it had sold a million copies. His fame skyrocketed from there. He would go on to produce “You Are Not Alone” for Michael Jackson. He won three Grammys for his biggest hit, “I Believe I Can Fly,” from the soundtrack for the movie “Space Jam,” starring Michael Jordan. And in 2002, Kelly performed at the opening ceremonies for the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

In 1994, Kelly also produced the debut album for his protege, 15-year-old Aaliyah Haughton, featuring the title track, “Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number.”

Aaliyah has been described as one of the few people Kelly ever truly loved. On Aug. 31, 1994, he surprised Aaliyah by taking her to a room at the Sheraton Gateway Suites in Rosemont, where a minister waited. A certificate would then be filed with the Cook County clerk, documenting Kelly’s marriage to Aaliyah, who it falsely said was 18.

That event 27 years ago is expected to become part of the New York trial. Prosecutors allege that Kelly sexually abused Aaliyah and thought she had become pregnant. They say he then married her so she could not be forced to testify against him.

The marriage would later be annulled, and Aaliyah died in a plane crash in 2001. Kelly’s lawyers argue it would be unfair to suggest Aaliyah was sexually abused by Kelly because she can’t be — and never was — cross-examined on the subject. But the feds say they plan to call a witness who claims to have seen sexual contact between Kelly and Aaliyah when Aaliyah was 13.

The certificate from the August 1994 marriage became public later that same year, but it wasn’t until December 2000 that serious allegations of sexual abuse surfaced against Kelly in the media. That’s when then-Sun-Times journalists Jim DeRogatis and Abdon M. Pallasch reported that Kelly had used his fame to have sex with girls as young as 15.

Early in 2002, a 26-minute, 39-second videotape would be sent anonymously to the Sun-Times. It allegedly showed Kelly performing sex acts with an underage girl. The newspaper turned it over to Chicago police, who began to investigate.

A Cook County grand jury indicted Kelly on child pornography charges in June 2002. But when the case went to trial in 2008, the girl who purportedly appeared in the tape refused to testify.

Jurors said her refusal was key to their decision to find Kelly not guilty.

The 2008 verdict meant Kelly was free to pursue his successful career. But then came the rise of the #MeToo movement in 2017, followed by the release in January 2019 of the Lifetime documentary series, “Surviving R. Kelly.” It leveled further sexual abuse allegations against the star.

Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx announced that she was “sickened” by what she saw in the series and, in an unusual move, urged possible victims to “please come forward.” The following month, Kelly would again be charged by Cook County prosecutors, this time with aggravated criminal sexual abuse.

Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times

It only got worse for Kelly from there. In July 2019, federal prosecutors revealed indictments against Kelly in Chicago and New York. Authorities arrested Kelly while he was walking his dog outside Trump Tower in Chicago, where he lived.

Kelly has been behind bars ever since, spending most of that time in Chicago’s downtown Metropolitan Correctional Center. In June, he was moved to a detention center in Brooklyn.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic repeatedly thwarted efforts to put Kelly on trial in 2020. One year ago, it wasn’t clear when — or how — Kelly’s trial would ultimately happen.

Even now, the trial in New York will be subject to rules that would have been considered highly unusual before the pandemic. Only jurors and parties to the case will be allowed inside the courtroom, officials say. The press and public will instead be allowed to view a livestream of the trial in two overflow courtrooms.

Such guidelines have become more common with the resumption of jury trials amid the pandemic, though some public access to a trial courtroom is still typically granted.

Prosecutors have sought to protect the identities of some of Kelly’s alleged victims. And U.S. District Judge Ann Donnelly has agreed to keep jurors anonymous — a move typically reserved for mob or street-gang trials.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Even if Kelly wins acquittal in New York, his legal jeopardy will not be over. Nor would he necessarily be allowed out of federal custody. U.S. District Judge Harry Leinenweber in Chicago ordered Kelly’s detention pending trial in July 2019, and the judge denied Kelly’s request to reconsider that decision in October 2020.

Kelly’s lawyers would likely try again to spring the singer if he beats the New York case, but he would still face serious charges here.

The indictment waiting for Kelly in Chicago alleges child pornography and obstruction of justice, claiming Kelly illegally thwarted his 2008 trial in Cook County.

It alleges Kelly worked with two employees at the time — Derrel McDavid and Milton “June” Brown — to beat the case. Prosecutors say that Kelly, McDavid and others intimidated the alleged victim in the central videotape, persuading her and her father to lie to police and a grand jury.

But when a prosecutor here laid out the case against Kelly for Leinenweber in 2019, she said the alleged victim from the 2008 trial had decided to cooperate against Kelly. That news came more than a decade after jurors acquitted Kelly and then pointed to her refusal to testify against him.

“She has now gone on record,” the prosecutor told the judge.

Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

Read More

Three people were shot and wounded in an attack in Morgan Park on the Far South Side.

Just before 12:25 a.m., three people were shot while at a gathering outside in the 11400 block of South Throop Street, Chicago Police said.

A man, 39, was shot in his lower back and woman, 24, was shot in her buttocks, police said.

They were both taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn where their conditions were stabilized, police said.

Another man, 24, was grazed in his leg and was treated and released at the scene, police said.

No one was in custody.

Read More

Three people were wounded Sunday in at least the fourth shooting to involve a minimum of three victims within around six hours, according to police data.

Around 1:10 a.m., two men and a woman, 19, 35 and 32, were standing outside in the 1200 block of South Lawndale on the West Side when someone inside a dark-colored sedan opened fire, Chicago Police said.

The 19-year-old man was shot in his elbow, the 35-year-old in his lower back, and the woman in her right thigh, police said.

The three self-transported to Mount Sinai Hospital, where the men were treated, and Rush University Medical Center, where the woman was treated, police said.

Their conditions were stabilized, police said.

No one was in custody.

Shortly after 7 p.m. Saturday, four men were wounded in a shooting on the Near West Side that left three of them in critical condition, police said.

The group was standing near a park shortly in the 200 block of South Maplewood Street when someone fired shots from a vehicle, police said.

Three of the men, ages 23, 27 and 28, were struck multiple times and taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, police said. A 20-year-old man was struck in the ankle and taken to the same hospital in good condition, police said.

Just before 12:25 a.m., Sunday, three people were shot while at a gathering outside in the 11400 block of South Throop Street in Morgan Park on the Far South Side, police said.

About 30 minutes later, five people, including two security guards, were wounded in a shooting in Gresham on the South Side, officials said.

Around 12:50 a.m., a gunman opened fire following an altercation with two male security guards who denied him entry to a club in the 8300 block of South Halsted Street, Chicago Police said.

One of the guards, 40, was shot multiple times in his body and the other guard, 42, in the back twice and in his thigh, police said. Both were taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn where the 40-year-old guard was listed in critical condition and the 42-year-old in serious condition, police said.

Three others who were standing near the altercation were also shot, police said.

Two males, whose ages were unknown, were each shot once in the leg and self-transported to Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park for treatment, police said. Their conditions were unknown, police said.

A man, 21, was shot in his chin and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center where his condition was stabilized, police said.

Read More

Five people, including two security guards, were wounded in a shooting Sunday morning in Gresham on the South Side, officials said.

Around 12:50 a.m., a gunman opened fire following an altercation with two male security guards who denied him entry to a club in the 8300 block of South Halsted Street, Chicago Police said.

One of the guards, 40, was shot multiple times in his body and the other guard, 42, in the back twice and in his thigh, police said.

Both were taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn where the 40-year-old guard was listed in critical condition and the 42-year-old in serious condition, police said.

Three others who were standing near the altercation were also shot, police said.

Two males, whose ages were unknown, were each shot once in the leg and self-transported to Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park for treatment, police said.

Their conditions were unknown, police said.

A man, 21, was shot in his chin and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center where his condition was stabilized, police said.

No one was in custody.

Read More

A Chicago police officer was killed and another was seriously wounded in a shooting Saturday night on the South Side, officials said.

The officers were shot during a traffic stop shortly after 9 p.m. at 63rd Street and Bell Avenue and returned fire, hitting at least one suspect, police said.

Both officers were taken to University of Chicago Medical Center, where one of them — a woman — was pronounced dead, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

The other officer was “fighting for his very life” in critical condition, according to First Deputy Eric Carter who talked to reporters outside the hospital early Sunday.

“We ask the city of Chicago to pray for both officers, their families and their fellow officers who are struggling with the facts of this,” Carter said. “It’s just another example of how the Chicago Police Department and these officers put their lives above that of others to protect this city day in, day out.”

With him was Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who said “obviously our hearts ache for the loss of life.”

Lightfoot said the officer who died was “very young on the job, but incredibly enthusiastic to do the work.”

“We must remind ourselves every day that our officers are fearless in the face of danger,” she said. “It’s a very sad and tragic day for our city.”

Police Supt. David Brown was out of town Saturday to finalize the details of his mother’s funeral. He was expected to return to the city Sunday.

Two suspects were taken into custody shortly after the shooting, according to police communications from the scene. The one who was wounded was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. His condition was not known.

A third suspect, a woman, was being sought by police late Saturday. At least least one weapon was recovered at the scene, Carter said.

Police declined to release more information about the circumstances of the shooting, saying more information would be available later Sunday as detectives continued to investigate.

Some of the first police calls from the scene described one officer being shot.

“Officer down,” an officer radioed around 9:10 p.m.

“I got an officer down,” a police dispatcher repeats. “6-3 and Bell, officer down, officer down, shot twice, shot at police, officer down.

“Stay off my air, stay off my air,” the dispatcher continues, asking for no unnecessary calls on the channel. “Everybody stay off the air, I got an officer down, 6-3 and Bell, start rolling.

An officer is heard yelling, in apparent distress, and the dispatcher says, “Give me two ambulances, two ambulances needed for two officers down, two officers down … Get those officers wrapped up going to 6-3 and Bell. I want a perimeter set up three blocks, north south, east, west.”

About a block from the shooting, neighbors looked out cautiously from their front yards on what one resident said was a “quiet block.”

“Be careful, they’re still looking for someone,” a woman warned a neighbor as she walked by.

Dozens of officers could be seen patrolling the neighborhood and blocking streets in the area while a police helicopter flew overhead.

Officers tied blue ribbons to trees shortly before midnight near the medical examiner’s office in preparation for a procession to bring the officer who died to the morgue.

Outside the medical center, a large crowd of police officers gathered outside an ambulance bay. They included city, county and state police officials and supporters.

Some in the crowd held a group prayer and others hugged each other and engaged in hushed conversation. Water bottles were passed out by police personnel wearing jackets that read “Peer Support.”

The last Chicago Police officers who died in the line of duty were Conrad Gary and Eduardo Marmolejo, who were chasing a man with a gun on the Far South Side when they were struck by a train and killed in December of 2018.

The last officer shot to death in the line of duty was Samuel Jimenez, who was killed just a month earlier while responding to a shooting at Mercy Hospital. Three other people died, including the gunman.

Mohammad Samra contributed

Read More

SAITAMA, Japan — Sue Bird capped off her unblemished 17-year Olympics run with a record fifth gold medal.

All she and longtime U.S. teammate Diana Taurasi have done on the international stage is win and now stand alone with five gold medals — the first basketball players ever to accomplish that feat — after a 90-75 win over Japan on Sunday at the Tokyo Games.

“Couldn’t have asked for a better ending. There’s really not much else to say,” Bird said. “I feel so proud I’ve been able to wear this uniform for as long as I have, to play alongside this one as long as I have, We’ve won, and that’s obviously the story, but I don’t think there’s anyone else I’d rather do it with because we just have so much fun and I love you homie.”

The U.S. has now won the last seven Olympic gold medals matching the country’s men’s program for the most ever in a row. The men did it from 1936-68.

With Bird orchestrating the flow of games and Taurasi’s scoring, they have been a constant force for the U.S., providing stability for the women’s program since the 2004 Athens Games. They have won all 38 of the games at the Olympics they’ve competed in.

The pair walked off the court Sunday arm-in-arm for the last time, knowing their work was done. While Bird is finished, Taurasi said that she’ll be back for a sixth Olympics.

“See you in Paris!,” Taurasi said.

The names have changed around the pair, including greats Lisa Leslie, Sheryl Swoopes, Tina Thompson, Tamika Catchings and Sylvia Fowles, but the results haven’t.

The Americans are on a 55-game Olympic winning streak dating back to the bronze medal game of the 1992 Barcelona Games.

The U.S. let Japan know that wasn’t going to change on Sunday.

The Americans jumped out to a 18-5 lead behind a dominant first quarter by Brittney Griner. The team lead 23-14 after one as Griner had 10 points, taking advantage of the undersized Japanese team. Japan was able to get within six in the second quarter before the Americans went up 11 at the half and never looked back.

As the final buzzer sounded, Bird and Taurasi embraced and then proceeded to hug all of their teammates and the coaching staff.

Griner finished with 30 points, making 14 of her 18 shots.

While Bird has said she is moving on, the future is bright for the U.S. behind Griner, Breanna Stewart and the six newcomers on this year’s team. That included A’ja Wilson, who will be counted on to keep the streak going three years from now at the 2024 Paris Games. Wilson, who celebrated her 25th birthday on Sunday, made her presence felt in her Olympic debut, scoring 19 points in the gold medal game.

But there were other milestones of note Sunday besides Bird’s farewell.

The victory also made Dawn Staley, the first Black women’s basketball coach for the U.S., the second woman to win a gold medal as a player, assistant and head coach joining Anne Donovan.

The game also marked the end of Carol Callan’s run as the national team director. She started right before the Americans won the first gold of this streak in 1996 and has been the architect for this unprecedented run.

Japan, which was the only one of the 11 other teams to ever have beaten the U.S. in an Olympics, won a medal for the first time in the country’s history. The team’s best finish before Sunday was fifth.

The host nation has been on the rise since it hired coach Tom Hovasse. He said when he got the job 4 1/2 years ago that his team would be playing against the U.S. for the gold at the Tokyo Games — and would beat them.

He was half right.

The two teams met in preliminary pool play and the U.S. won by 17 points after trailing by two after the first quarter. Just like that game, the Americans used their dominant post advantage to control the title game. Japan’s biggest player was 6-foot-1 — no match for the imposing front line led by Griner, who is 6-9.

While the general public and family members couldn’t attend the games because of the coronavirus pandemic, Bird did have fiancee Megan Rapinoe in the stands cheering her on. Bird came over and embraced Rapinoe after the game. She helped the U.S. women’s soccer team win a bronze medal earlier this week, scoring two goals in that game.

A large contingent of Japanese volunteers, who had been in the Saitama Super Arena for the entire tournament sat and applauded their team. No actual cheering was allowed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Read More

A Chicago police officer was killed and another was seriously wounded in a shooting Saturday night on the South Side, officials said.

The officers were shot during a traffic stop shortly after 9 p.m. at 63rd Street and Bell Avenue and returned fire, hitting at least one suspect, police said.

Both officers were taken to University of Chicago Medical Center, where one of them — a woman — was pronounced dead, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

The other officer was “fighting for his very life” in critical condition, according to First Deputy Eric Carter who talked to reporters outside the hospital early Sunday.

“We ask the city of Chicago to pray for both officers, their families [and] their fellow officers who are struggling with the facts of this,” Carter said.

With him was Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who said “obviously our hearts ache for the loss of life. It’s a very sad and tragic day for our city.”

Police Supt. David Brown was out of town Saturday to finalize the details of his mother’s funeral. He was expected to return to the city Sunday.

Two suspects were taken into custody shortly after the shooting, according to police communications from the scene. The one who was wounded was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, condition not known.

A third suspect, a woman, was being sought by police late Saturday.

About a block from the shooting, neighbors looked out cautiously from their front yards, which one referred to as a “quiet block.”

“Be careful, they’re still looking for someone,” a woman warned a neighbor as she walked by.

Dozens of officers could be seen patrolling the neighborhood and blocking streets in the area while a police helicopter flew overhead.

Officers tied blue ribbons to trees shortly before midnight near the Cook County medical examiner’s office in preparation for a procession to the morgue.

Outside the medical center, a large crowd of police officers gathered outside an ambulance bay. They included city, county and state police officials and supporters.

Some in the crowd held a group prayer and others held each other while engaged in hushed conversation. Water bottles were passed out by police personnel wearing jackets that read “Peer Support.”

Read More

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Chicago’s Week in Beer, August 9-12

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By Mark McDermott,
today at 11:49 pm

We have just gotten to a full reopening for bars and restaurants, and now we are back to a mask mandate. Already, last week, Delilah’s had to close down briefly when one of their vaccinated staff tested positive for COVID-19 exposure. Wherever you go, have your mask and even a vaccination card (or photo of one) handy.

Monday, August 9

6:00 – 9:00 pm • Beer on the Wall Bottle Share
Beer on the Wall, 106 Main St., Park Ridge, IL 312-720-3732  Map
The BotW Bottle Share has returned! Bring a commercially packaged (sorry, no homebrews) limited/seasonal/out-of-market beer with you, and be ready to share it with others in exchange for samples of their limited/seasonal/out-of-market beer. For example:
Good ideas: Heady Topper, Dark Lord, Side Project anything, Lost Abbey Isabelle Proximus (Izzy).
Bad idea: That beer you bought off our shelves 5 minutes before the event started.
Even worse idea: That beer you bought off the shelves at that big box liquor store a couple weeks ago (at least buy it local, jeez)!
Some other logistic notes:
1. Bottle shares will be held every second Monday from 6-9pm. They will be outdoors when possible and will be held at Off the Wall in the event of inclement weather.
2. If you’re planning to attend, please post what you’re bringing on the event page so we can limit duplicates and potentially build verticals/themes.
3. In the interest of time, we will only enter 1-2 beers per person in the official share. Folks are welcome to bring more but excess beers will only be opened after the formal part of the share is complete.
4. Attendees do not need a ticket to attend, though we may introduce limits later in the interest of space.
5. In the interest of organization and alcoholic liability, BotW staff will collect bottles at the start of the event and open/pour bottles in an orderly fashion. If you are overserved, BotW staff reserves the right to cut you off at any time–NO EXCEPTIONS.
6. When at all possible, please bring two beers of smaller format bottles so folks aren’t getting 0.65 oz of beer.
7. No scoffing or disrespect to other beer drinkers. Scoffers will be sent home with a 6pk of expired Hamms.

7:00 – 8:00 pm • Backyard Yoga with Stefanie
Side Lot Brewery, 110 Slocum Lake Rd., Wauconda, IL 847-714-2584 Map
Join us and Yoga Instructor Stefanie Tanacea for an hour of Side Lot Backyard Yoga followed by a refreshing Side Lot Draft Beer.
Class is $25 through Tock, and includes Two Drinks
The Brewery will remain open to participants 1 hour after class.
These classes are outside. In the event of inclement weather, the class will be rescheduled.
[Classes Are Non-Refundable]

7:00 – 9:00 pm • Euchre Game Night
Evil Horse Brewing Co., 1338 Main St., Crete, IL 708-304-2907 Map
Euchre Game Night is back! If you’ve played before, welcome back! If you’ve never played, come a little early and we’ll teach you how to play. We have a lot of fun playing – and you can win some great prizes!

Tuesday, August 10

7:00 pm • Side Lot Bingo!
Side Lot Brewery, 110 Slocum Lake Rd., Wauconda, IL 847-714-2584 Map
We’re playing Bingo again!
Get ready to shake your balls every Tuesday night at Side Lot Brewery. Limited seating is available both inside and outside. Reservations are HIGHLY recommended.
MASKS ARE REQUIRED TO ENTER THE PROPERTY & ANYTIME YOU’RE NOT SEATED. If this is a problem, stay home.

9:15 pm • Brookfield Sidelot Summer Cinema
Imperial Oak Brookfield, 9526 W. Ogden Ave., Brookfield, IL (708) 387-0050 Map
This summer in Brookfield we’re bringing you our monthly “Sidelot Summer Cinema” series. Bring your blankets or chairs to our grassy lawn just north of the Brookfield pub. We’ll have one of our favorite movies projected on the big screen along with free popcorn and an outdoor beer station. Showtimes will be at sundown each month, at approx 9:15p. Our series will play every second Tuesday of the month through September 14th. Admission is always free! This event will happen rain or shine. If weather threatens the event, we will show the movie indoors on the small screen. Tonight: Spaceballs!

Wednesday, August 11

No events for today.
But please check back, we update continuously.

Thursday, August 12

4:00 – 9:30 pm • Thursday Night Tacos!
Side Lot Brewery, 110 Slocum Lake Rd., Wauconda, IL 847-714-2584 Map
You’ve been asking when Tacos are coming back to Side Lot.
Taco Thursdays kick off on June 3rd and will continue every Thursday night.
Make your reservations!

4:00 – 10:00 pm • Vinyl Night at Black Lung
Black Lung Brewing Co., 3232 Monroe, Waukegan, IL (847) 340-3320 Map
We have vinyl night every Thursday evening! Bring a record and we will even give you $1 off while your vinyl spins! Rain or shine! Shutdown if we have a band!

4:00 – 7:00 pm • Riverwalk Yappy Hour At The Northman
The Northman Beer & Cider Garden, 233 E. Riverwalk, Chicago  Map
Bring your pups down to the Northman Beer and Cider Garden every 2nd and 4th Thursday, to our outdoor dog-friendly space on the Riverwalk from 4-7PM.
Rotating drink specials, giveaways, sponsors and promotions. It’s our fifth Yappy Hour with Real Dog Moms of Chicago! Co-hosted by Stem Ciders.
PS The Northman is Dog-friendly all of the time.

5:30 – 7:30 pm • Music Bingo at Noon Whistle Brewing Naperville
Noon Whistle Brewing, 1748 W. Jefferson Ave., Naperville, IL 331-431-4882 Map
Join Baig of Tricks Entertainment on Thursday for a fun night of Music Bingo at the brand new Noon Whistle Brewing in Naperville!
Enjoy some delicious brews and great music with a chance to win prizes at the same time.
Please respect and follow all COVID-19 restrictions set in place by the venue so everyone has a great, and safe, time.
Feel free to call the venue ahead of time for details and any questions.

6:00 pm • Trivia at Great Central
Great Central Brewing Co., 221 N. Wood St., Chicago (855) 464-4222 Map
TRIVIA’S BACK!
Love to test your knowledge while sharing some laughs with friends, and 24 beers on tap?!
Maybe you just want to try something different than your typical Thursday night?
Our Trivia night is for you!
Thursdays @6pm

6:30 – 10:00 pm • “Train with Brain” Running Club
Blue Island Beer Co., 13357 Olde Western Ave., Blue Island, IL (708) 954-8085 Map
Our good friend Brian Fee is training for the Chicago Marathon, and you can join him every Thursday til October! He’s raising money for Mercy Home for Boys and Girls and you can donate at this link.
Each week you can plan on running at the most 4 miles and your first beer is on Blue Island Beer Co.!

6:30 – 8:30 pm • Chicago Brew Cruise
Chicago Fireboat Tours  Map
Chicago Fireboat Tours and Phase Three Brewing Co. are partnering up to offer one of the most unique experiences in Chicago, every Thursday evening all summer-long!!
Phase Three Brewing Company will be bringing just days-old fresh, new releases directly from their Chicagoland brewery every week to serve aboard Chicago Fireboat Tours’ 1933 retired Chicago Fireboat, the Fred A. Busse.
Boarding begins at 6:00p.m and the boat departs at 6:30pm for a 2-hour sunset cruise. The Brew Cruise will start on the lake, float through the locks and right into the heart of downtown Chicago via the Chicago River, enjoying world-class views, an amazing sunset, and great music; all paired with fresh, innovative craft beers and hard seltzers.
Tickets are $45 per person at www.fireboattours.com, and include your 1st Phase Three brew once onboard. 

7:30 pm • Ted Lasso Trivia
Elmhurst Brewing Co., 171 N. Addison Ave., Elmhurst, IL 630-834-2739 Map
Our Next Themed Trivia night is going to be TED LASSO! With season 2 dropping soon we know you’ll be all caught up and ready for some trivia! Call (630) 834-BREW (2739) to make a reservation.

7:30 pm • Side Lot Trivia
Side Lot Brewery, 110 Slocum Lake Rd., Wauconda, IL 847-714-2584 Map
Are you the smartest one in the Taproom? The only way to find out is to join Side Lot Brewery on Thursday nights at 7:30pm for Taproom Trivia.
7 Rounds with varying categories. Free to Play, Prizes to Win!

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Meet The Blogger

Mark McDermott

Writer, trivia maven, fan of many things. I thought to learn all there is to know about beer as a way to stay interested in learning. It is my pleasure to bring Chicago’s craft beer scene to you.

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Four men were wounded in a shooting Saturday night on the Near West Side that left three of them in critical condition, police said.

The group was standing near a park shortly after 7 p.m. in the 200 block of South Maplewood Street when someone fired shots from a vehicle, according to Chicago police.

Three of the men, ages 23, 27 and 28, were struck multiple times and taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, police said.

A 20-year-old man was struck in the ankle and taken to the same hospital in good condition, police said.

There was no one in custody.

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Dennis “Dee Tee” Thomas, a founding member of the long-running soul-funk band Kool & the Gang known for such hits as “Celebration” and “Get Down On It,” has died. He was 70.

He died peacefully in his sleep Saturday in New Jersey, where he was a resident of Montclair, according to a statement from his representative.

Thomas was the alto sax player, flutist and percussionist. He served as master of ceremonies at the band’s shows. His last appearance with the group was July Fourth at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.

Born Feb. 9, 1951, in Orlando, Florida, Thomas was known for his prologue on the band’s 1971 hit, “Who’s Gonna Take the Weight.” Known for his hip clothes and hats, he was also the group’s wardrobe stylist. In the early days, he served as their “budget hawk,” carrying their earnings in a paper bag stuffed into the bell of his horn, the statement said.

In 1964, seven teen friends created the group’s unique bland of jazz, soul and funk, at first calling themselves the Jazziacs. They went through several iterations before settling on Kool & the Gang in 1969. The group’s other founders are brothers Ronald and Robert Bell, and Spike Mickens, Ricky Westfield, George Brown and Charles Smith.

The band has earned two Grammy Awards and seven American Music Awards. They were honored in 2014 with a Soul Train Lifetime Achievement Award. Their music is heavily sampled and featured on film sound tracks, including those for “Rocky,” “Saturday Night Fever” and “Pulp Fiction.”

Among those Thomas is survived by are his wife, Phynjuar Saunders Thomas, daughter Tuesday Rankin and sons David Thomas and Devin Thomas.

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