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Every Bike Has a Story. What is Yours?on June 30, 2021 at 1:10 pm

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Every Bike Has a Story. What is Yours?

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Multipurposeon June 30, 2021 at 1:28 pm

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When the Delta Variant lands big in the US, remember it’s a Special Kind of Stupid that will accept the lockdowns and maskson June 30, 2021 at 12:00 pm

Life is a TV Dinner

When the Delta Variant lands big in the US, remember it’s a Special Kind of Stupid that will accept the lockdowns and masks

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When the Delta Variant lands big in the US, remember it’s a Special Kind of Stupid that will accept the lockdowns and maskson June 30, 2021 at 12:00 pm Read More »

Morris residents evacuated after fire breaks out in building housing batteries, firefighters letting blaze burn for nowon June 30, 2021 at 11:30 am

An industrial fire at a Morris warehouse where large batteries are stored has prompted officials to order the evacuation of nearby residences.

Nick Doefler, a spokesman for the agencies responding to the fire, said there were no reported injuries from the fire at a subdivided warehouse that used to be a paper mill. The blaze started at around noon Tuesday.

He said firefighters were awaiting instructions on how to combat the blaze because of the batteries inside. “You can’t spray water on it, it’s an explosive hazard,” Doefler said. “We are waiting for additional resources to figure out how to fight it.”

In the meantime, the Grundy County Emergency Management Agency issued an order for those living in the immediate vicinity — on the 900 blocks of Benton, Douglas and Armstrong streets as well as those who live on East Street — to “please evacuate your residence now.” Morris is about 68 miles southwest of Chicago.

Doefler said the order was made out of concern about the effects of breathing the smoke from the fire. He did not know how many people are affected by the evacuation order.

He said the cause of the fire has not been determined.

The evacuation comes two weeks after an explosion and massive fire at a chemical plant near Rockton along the Wisconsin border forced the evacuation of hundreds of homes for several days as the fire burned.

Nobody at the plant or the surrounding community was injured by the June 13 fire that officials later determined was started accidentally during maintenance work.

Associated Press

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Morris residents evacuated after fire breaks out in building housing batteries, firefighters letting blaze burn for nowon June 30, 2021 at 11:30 am Read More »

Chicago Bulls: 3 wild trade packages for Damian Lillardon June 30, 2021 at 11:00 am

Chicago Bulls (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Chicago Bulls (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
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Chicago Bulls, Zach LaVine

Chicago Bulls (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

The Chicago Bulls could solve their point guard situation with one of the best in the business if Damian Lillard becomes available on the trade market.

Sources told Yahoo sports that Lillard could seek a trade due to concerns on whether or not the Trail Blazers can build a championship team. It is also because the Blazers’ organization neglected Lillard’s suggestions for the new head coach position. Should the Bulls go for a trade like this? Absolutely.

We already know that Ben Simmons would be a waste of assets because of his contract size and developmental issues. However, Damian Lillard only has a contract issue standing between him and the Bulls pairing up together.

The Chicago Bulls would be incredible if they added Damian Lillard to the group.

Lillard signed a contract extension that will keep him with the Blazers through the 2024 season. The contract includes an average yearly salary of roughly $40 million per year. His’s healthy payday makes total sense for the Blazers organization considering the six-time all-star came off his second-highest point per game total last season.

Lillard averaged 28.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 7.2 assists last season. He shot 45 percent from the field, just under 40 percent from downtown, and a scorching 92 percent from the free-throw line. His presence on the Bulls would undoubtedly turn them into a superteam with a roster that includes Lillard, Zach LaVine, Nikola Vucevic, and Patrick Williams as a rising star.

Combine the roster with Billy Donovan, notorious for being a winning coach in basketball, along with the superstar management team led by Arturas Karnisovas and you have a championship team in the making.

Next: Trading the Dynamic Bench Duo

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Chicago Bulls: 3 wild trade packages for Damian Lillardon June 30, 2021 at 11:00 am Read More »

1 killed, 11 wounded, in shootings Tuesday in Chicagoon June 30, 2021 at 7:30 am

One person was killed, and eleven others were wounded in shootings Tuesday in Chicago, including a person who was shot to death in Marquette Park on the Southwest Side.

About 11:45 a.m., a male, of unknown age, suffered at least one gunshot wound to the body in the 6600 block of South Sacramento Avenue, Chicago police said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

In non-fatal shootings, a 23-year-old man was shot in Galewood on the Northwest Side. About 10:25 p.m., he was sitting in a parked vehicle in the 6900 block of West Shakespeare Avenue, when he was shot in the arm, police said. The man told officers he did not see a shooter or know where the shots came from. He was taken to Gottlieb Hospital and is in good condition.

Minutes prior, a 16-year-old boy was shot in Lawndale on the West Side. About 10 p.m., the teen was outside in the 3100 block of West 15th Street when he heard shots and felt pain, suffering a gunshot wound to the foot, police said. He did not see the shooter or know where the shots came from. The teen self-transported to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was listed in good condition.

Two men were wounded in a shooting in Grand Boulevard on the South Side. About 8:20 p.m., they were walking in the 4200 block of South State Street, when they heard shots and felt pain, police said. A 24-year-old man was struck in the leg and a 25-year-old man was struck in the groin. The 24-year-old was taken to The University of Chicago Medical Center in fair condition, while the older man drove himself to the same hospital and is also in fair condition. The men told officers they did not see a shooter and did not know where the shots came from.

A man was wounded after someone fired through the window of his home in Grand Crossing on the South Side. The man, 53, was shot in the leg about 1 a.m. in the 7800 block of South Ingleside Avenue, police said. He was brought to University of Chicago Medical Center in fair condition.

Six others were shot Tuesday citywide.

One person was killed, and ten others were wounded in shootings Monday in Chicago.

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1 killed, 11 wounded, in shootings Tuesday in Chicagoon June 30, 2021 at 7:30 am Read More »

22 aldermen demand hearing on police response to violence before Fourth of July weekendon June 30, 2021 at 3:49 am

Nearly two dozen aldermen are threatening to call a special City Council meeting on police response to the bloodbath on Chicago streets — and compel testimony by Chicago Police Supt. David Brown — unless the Committee on Public Safety schedules immediate hearings on three crime-related resolutions.

One of the pending resolutions demands a hearing on police officer scheduling, deployment strategies and programs or incentives offered to address officer fatigue.

Another is a call to re-examine the Summer Mobile Unit and Community Safety teams — created by Brown last summer after civil unrest triggered by the death of George Floyd devolved into two rounds of looting — and what the resolution called the “reallocation of officers and resources from neighborhood districts” those units triggered.

The third resolution seeks hearings to examine the “success of technologies used by CPD in managing crime-fighting operations and personnel shortages.”

After successive summer weekends marred by mass shootings, the group of 22 aldermen say they are not willing to wait until after Fourth of July weekend for answers to their questions.

They’re demanding that Ald. Chris Taliaferro (29th), Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s hand-picked public safety committee chairman, schedule hearings on those resolutions.

If he doesn’t, the aldermen warn they will call a special Council meeting for this Friday and “compel” Brown to appear.

As of early Tuesday evening the letter had been signed electronically by 22 aldermen, including several members of Lightfoot’s Council leadership team.

Among them: Education Committee Chairman Michael Scott Jr. (24th); Aviation Committee Chairman Matt O’Shea (19th); Economic and Capital Development Committee Chairman Gilbert Villegas (36th), the mayor’s former Council floor leader; and Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd), the Council’s president pro tempore.

On WTTW’s Chicago Tonight on Tuesday evening, Lightfoot responded, saying, “The Police Department does regular briefings with aldermen, certainly with the public safety committee. Unfortunately, we need to make sure all those aldermen are coming and participating in those briefings. But transparency around public safety is … critically important.”

O’Shea, whose Far Southwest Side ward is home to scores of police officers, said he signed the letter because he won’t risk another holiday weekend bloodbath.

“I want David Brown to sit before the Council and tell us, what’s the plan? What are we gonna do moving forward? As we continue to have these spikes in ugly violence and the mass shootings, we’re concerned about officers being pulled from districts. I want assurances that police officers aren’t gonna be pulled from communities. I want assurances that they’re looking after the well-being of their police officers,” O’Shea told the Sun-Times.

“Almost every day, I’m hearing from law enforcement families in my community. Partners and spouses worried about each other, their well-being. Our police officers are under a tremendous amount of stress. We’re under-manned as a police department right now and they’re over-worked. This is not sustainable.”

O’Shea noted last weekend’s mass shootings occurred despite a tornado warning and violent thunderstorms — and this weekend’s forecast is for clear skies.

“I’m very concerned with the level of violence we’ve seen in our city as we’re approaching a holiday weekend — and you look at the weather forecast — and what we’re expecting. At least, what I’m expecting,” O’Shea said.

Ald. Anthony Napolitano (41st) has been a firefighter and police officer in Chicago. His far Northwest Side ward is also home to scores of police officers.

Like O’Shea, Napolitano said the Council “needs answers” after back-to-back weekends marred by mass shootings.

“We can’t put the onus on just the officers. Fatigue is through the roof. Morale is completely gone. … And the amount of hours that they’re being forced to work constantly–and this is all being put on them to fix — is a powder keg. This is ready to explode,” Napolitano said.

“On top of that, these officers are being held accountable by a good portion of the City Council as being the evil empire. We need some answers now. … And I can’t be told that crime is caused by illegal guns anymore. Biggest bunch of b.s. I’ve ever heard in my entire life. We have the strictest gun laws in the entire country.”

Taliaferro, in a text message to the Sun-Times, wrote: “Our residents deserve to know what our department’s response has been to a violent past weekend in the city and the plan for this extended holiday weekend. As such, I am not opposed to having that conversation — whether it is by way of committee or special Council meeting.”

Ald. Brian Hopkins (2nd) also signed the letter and said it’s no surprise 19 other aldermen did, too.

“All of our residents are demanding action from their city government on the crime wave. But we ‘re bystanders in this process. It’s saying, `We’re in this, too, mayor. You need to include us in these conversations,'” Hopkins said.

“It’s now well-established that, if we want to assert any leverage as a legislative branch of government, we have to be pro-active about it. This is an attempt by the aldermen to assert our position in this a little more firmly.”

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22 aldermen demand hearing on police response to violence before Fourth of July weekendon June 30, 2021 at 3:49 am Read More »

As Cubs hit the season’s halfway point, June skid becoming a wake-up callon June 30, 2021 at 4:40 am

MILWAUKEE — If it feels like every Cubs game over the last month has been important, that’s because it has been. The Cubs will reach the official halfway point of the season Wednesday, and while the old adage is true — there’s lots of baseball to be played — they also can’t be wasting time.

Heading into this week’s series against the division-leading Brewers, they were in a cold stretch that grew to 4-11 over their last 15 games, including Tuesday’s 2-1 loss. They’ve gone from leading the National League Central to being in chase mode and now trail in the division by five games.

“Whenever you’re chasing the team in front of you, yeah, they’re important games,” manager David Ross said before the loss. “You get swept [in this series], that’s six games back. That’s a big number. We are at the halfway point, but they all matter, especially when you’re playing in a division. Whether it’s the bottom team or the top, I think they all matter.

“When you’re chasing the first-place team, they definitely have . . . significant importance. . . . We played some really good baseball, and so did they in this stretch. It kind of got them on a roll. I think we can do that as well — and at any part of the season. But when you get a chance to beat the team you’re chasing head- to-head, it’s important for sure.”

The Cubs’ latest stretch has been marred by a litany of injuries in what was already expected to be a difficult month. A few of the injured players are close to returning, but getting one or two back isn’t a guarantee the team’s early-season success will resume.

The Cubs will have to find their rhythm soon or risk putting themselves in a deep hole to try to climb out of in the second half.

“We’re not taking care of business,” left fielder Joc Pederson said. “So, it’s pretty frustrating … We got a long way to go. So I can’t think too much of this little rut.”

With the All-Star break approaching and the trade deadline a month away, the direction the Cubs will go in has become a daily topic. A few weeks ago, when they were one of the hottest teams, it seemed clear which direction it would be. But as their June swoon has continued, the outlook has grown murky.

They showed in May they can get out of a funk. But until they do it again, the questions aren’t going away, and the clock has started.

“We still have quite a while until the trade deadline,” said Zach Davies, who took the loss on Tuesday. “That’s typically when teams make decisions on where their season is going to go. This is a professional ballclub. They know their job and they know that there’s highs and lows of the season. Hopefully we get out of this low as quick as possible.”

“I don’t buy or sell — that’s not my job,” Ross said. “But the key is for us to represent a winning product and something that can win a division and go into the playoffs and do something special. That is what we try to produce on a daily basis here, and then the front office is involved in all that, and they’re also watching with an eye on, like, do you believe in this group and what they can do? I think we have to prove that on a nightly basis.”

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As Cubs hit the season’s halfway point, June skid becoming a wake-up callon June 30, 2021 at 4:40 am Read More »

Lucas Giolito takes issue with ‘classless’ Twin Donaldson: ‘He’s a bleeping pest’on June 30, 2021 at 4:44 am

White Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito didn’t mince words about Twins third baseman Josh Donaldson.

“He’s a [bleeping] pest. That’s kind of a classless move. If you’re going to talk s—, talk s— to my face,” Giolito said after the Sox held on for a 7-6 victory over the Twins Tuesday night at Guaranteed Rate Field. “Don’t go across home plate and do all that, just come to me.”

After belting has 12th homer of the season in the first inning, a two-run shot with no outs to give the Twins a 2-0 lead, Donaldson appeared to yell, “Hand’s not sticky any more!” while rubbing his hands together as he crossed the plate.

Donaldson has been outspoken about Major League Baseball’s crackdown on pitchers for using foreign substances to improve their grips. Giolito said he wasn’t aware of what Donaldson did until “after the fact.”

“We won,” Giolito said. “The W’s next to my name. They’re in last place.”

Pitching to contact and striking out one batter, Giolito (6-5, 3.84 ERA) strung together five scoreless innings after the first. He was charged with a run in the seventh and three altogether, exiting after Trevor Larnach’s leadoff double in the seventh. He threw 97 pitches.

“It was kind of like survival tonight,” Giolito said. “I didn’t have very good feel. But able to sequence pretty well, made pitches when we needed.

“Credit goes to [catcher Zack] Collins behind the dish, calling a great game for me and the defense behind me tonight, get that W.”

The defending AL Central champion Twins (33-44), desperate to make up ground on the first-place Sox (46-32) and avoid getting buried deeper in the division, fell to 12 1/2 games behind the Sox.

Gavin Sheets had a single, douible and two RBI in his major league debut, and Leury Garcia drove in two runs. Ryan Burr retired all four batters he faced before Liam Hendriks allowed a run in a shaky ninth but recorded his 21st save.

Hendriks hit a batter, walked one and threw two wild pitches in the ninth.

Donaldson did not talk to media after the game.

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Lucas Giolito takes issue with ‘classless’ Twin Donaldson: ‘He’s a bleeping pest’on June 30, 2021 at 4:44 am Read More »

Man dies in Austin shootingon June 30, 2021 at 12:53 am

A 26-year-old man died in a shooting Sunday in Austin on the West Side.

Maurice Beals was on the street in the 5700 block of West Ohio Street about 7:40 p.m. when someone approached and fired shots at him, according to Chicago police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Beals suffered a gunshot wound to the left arm and chest and was transported to Loyola Hospital in critical condition. He was pronounced dead about three hours later at 11:24 p.m.

Area Four detectives are investigating.

Read more on crime, and track the city’s homicides.

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Man dies in Austin shootingon June 30, 2021 at 12:53 am Read More »