Shane Jason Woods, 43, is also accused of assaulting a U.S. Capitol police officer who had been pursuing another individual who sprayed officers with bear mace.
Federal prosecutors announced Thursday that a man from downstate Auburn is the first to be arrested for assaulting a member of the news media during the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol breach that interrupted the Electoral College vote.
Shane Jason Woods, 43, is also accused of assaulting a U.S. Capitol police officer who had been pursuing another individual who sprayed officers with bear mace.And a month before the breach, he allegedly wrote a chilling message about the results of the 2020 election to someone who told him on Facebook, “I want to see all those a—hats go to jail too.”
“Hung,” Woods allegedly replied on Dec. 1.
U.S. District Court recordsShane Jason Woods
Woods is now charged with assault on a law enforcement officer, assault in a special maritime and territorial jurisdiction, and engaging in physical violence in a restricted building or grounds. He is at least the 11th person from Illinois charged in connection with the riot at the U.S. Capitol, and he was due in court Thursday afternoon.
A 29-page criminal complaint alleges Woods is the owner of Auburn Heating and Air. It also reveals that two people identified Woods for the FBI. One taught at a college Woods attended in the early 2000s and reached out to the feds. The other person was one of his customers.
Attempts on Thursday afternoon to reach Woods or a representative of Auburn Heating and Air were not immediately successful.
Authorities determined Woods was a man seen on video at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 who wore a black North Face jacket, an Under Armour backpack and a mostly black baseball cap with a stars-and-stripes brim and “Trump” written across the front.
Officers were trying to contain a large crowd of protesters at the northwest corner of the U.S. Capitol around 2:10 p.m. that day, according to the complaint. When they tried to arrest a struggling protester, someone sprayed the officers with bear mace.
An officer tried to run after the person who sprayed the mace, though much of her visor had been covered with it, according to the feds. That’s when Woods allegedly can be seen on video running toward the officer, tripping her and pushing her to the ground.
U.S. District Court recordsThe alleged assault by Shane Jason Woods on a U.S. Capitol police officer.
The officer fell, lost her helmet and was surrounded by protesters until another officer could help her, authorities said.
Later, around 5 p.m., the feds say several protesters gathered around a media staging area on the northeast side of the U.S. Capitol and began destroying equipment. Woods can allegedly be seen on video climbing over a toppled fence to help attack the media’s equipment, picking up and tossing some of it.
The feds say Woods was also caught on video running into and tackling a cameraman who was facing away from him, “departing quickly” after he did so.
Investigators tracked several charges made to the Auburn Heating and Air Conditioning small business checking account around Washington between Jan. 5 and 7, according to the complaint. They included purchases at Taco Bell and on the Washington, D.C., Metro system, as well as at the Renaissance Arlington Capital View Hotel.
Katie Wilson was gathering her family into their basement during the suburban tornado when a tree broke through her home and landed on her — severely injuring her and killing her unborn child.
Katie Wilson was in her Woodridge home with her husband, Brian, and 4-year-old daughter Sunday night when her phone set off an alert that a tornado was about to touch down in their suburban community.
She started corralling her family to get them in the basement for safety. First her husband went down the stairs; then he grabbed their daughter. When it was her turn to run down the stairs, a tree crashed into their home and through their roof — landing on the mother.
Katie Wilson was rushed to Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, where she underwent surgery for her severe injuries. She was also seven months pregnant with a baby boy, but the unborn child did not survive.
“She is a loving mother to her daughter and to her husband Brian,” Nick Vanek, her brother, told the Chicago Sun-Times on Thursday. “She is a great sister to me and our other sister, an outstanding daughter and a teacher who works with special needs students. She is overall an outstanding individual.”
Vanek said Katie Wilson has since been air-lifted to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where she has a team of doctors and specialists looking after her and to undergo more surgery. She was somewhat responsive for the first time Thursday morning since the ordeal, but she is still not aware that she lost her unborn child.
“The doctors are still monitoring her closely with the main goal of keeping her rested. We are just waiting for next steps right now,” Vanek said. “Brian [Wilson] hasn’t left her side since all of this happened and is at the hospital right now. He is staying strong as we all are.”
Her family has created a GoFundMe to help cover “mounting medical bills as well as funeral expenses for their unborn son.” They have already raised $78,240 of their $100,000 goal in just over 24 hours.
“It is so hard to put into words the amount of support and outreach we are receiving from friends, families and even strangers,” Vanek said. “It’s overwhelming, but in a good way, and shows how much of an impact Katie has had in other people’s lives, her community and area at large. We are just incredibly thankful.”
Fire Chief Keith Krestan, of the Lisle-Woodridge Fire District, confirmed that a person who fit Wilson’s description was transported by an advance life support ambulance following the tornado but couldn’t provide any more details to the Sun-Times.
In Woodridge, approximately 380 homes suffered some type of damage, with 156 homes having major damage and 28 homes were completely destroyed, according to village officials. There were also 6,429 power outages until about 11 a.m. on Wednesday.
The damage in nearby Naperville was just as bad, with 231 buildings having some damage. One home was destroyed, 19 were declared uninhabitable, 143 suffered major damage and 68 had minor problems.
Vanek asked people to keep their thoughts and prayers with Katie during this difficult time.
“We are all very hopeful for the best possible outcome for Katie,” Vanek said.
Navy Pier won’t host its beloved fireworks shows on July 3 or July 4 but will offer family-friendly programming and activities, including live music and dance performances.
Navy Pier’s Fourth of July festivities will go off without a bang again this year after organizers announced Thursday that fireworks won’t be part of its two-day celebration.
Navy Pier won’t host its beloved fireworks shows on July 3 or July 4, according to a news release that blamed “the previously unknown status of the COVID-19 pandemic in Chicago this summer and its impact on the Pier’s ability to successfully plan for the large-scale celebration in advance.”
The pier will instead offer family-friendly programming and activities, including live music and dance performances, according to the release. Guests can also enjoy attractions that weren’t open last year, like the iconic Centennial Wheel and other rides and attractions.
This marks the second straight year Navy Pier has nixed its 15-minute Fourth of July fireworks displays.
“Planning for this celebration would have needed to begin in March to procure necessary regional and federal security resources and develop a comprehensive plan to safeguard the well being of the more than 100,000 guests who visit the Pier that day in anticipation of the only formal fireworks show in the city,” the release states.
“Given the short lead time following the recent announcement of Illinois and Chicago’s respective Phase 5 reopening plans, the Pier was unable to begin preparations in time to ensure a successful celebration this year.”
Fireworks will resume at Navy Pier on July 7, with shows planned every Wednesday and Saturday through Labor Day weekend.
“I’m going to continue to do whatever it is that I need to do. If that’s walking and getting on base, then I’m going to walk and get on base until I get my pitch to hit,” White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal said. | Charles Rex Arbogast/AP
“He’s a very intelligent guy and one of the most focused guys on his job I’ve been around,” coach Jerry Narron says.
White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal has such a weird batting line, especially for someone who, according to advanced metrics, is rated among the major leagues’ top catchers and is getting a fair amount of love from All-Star voters.
Fans voting for the All-Star Game haven’t been dissuaded from checking the box by Grandal, who takes a .172 average, .383 on-base percentage and .401 slugging percentage into the Sox “Reopening Night” game against the Mariners Friday. At last count, Grandal trailed only Salvador Perez in votes for American League catchers despite a batting average well below the Mendoza (.200) line.
A .237 career hitter who was an All-Star with the Dodgers in 2015 and Brewers in 2018, the switch-hitter with slug is the Sox’ third-best position player per FanGraphs wins above replacement behind Yoan Moncada and Tim Anderson, and just now he seems to be finding a rhythm at the plate.
Grandal hasn’t won a Gold Glove, which is “really surprising” to major league instructor Jerry Narron.
“I know it’s something he’d like to do,” Narron said.
Although ranked 28th in the majors in pitch framing, Grandal was fourth in each of the previous two seasons and is improving since returning to his normal catching stance after shifting to one knee following a knee injury in spring training. His .241 caught stealing percentage (22 of 29) ranks third behind Martin Maldonado (.450) and Perez (.350) in the AL, but his five passed balls are second only to Christian Vazquez of the Red Sox. Grandal has five errors, three of them on catcher’s interference calls in April that Narron also relates to the one-knee stance (which extends the mitt farther). Pitch blocking isn’t Grandal’s strong suit, but not uncommon for good framers focused on that particular skill, Narron said.
Grandal is an ultra-selective hitter who always appears to be looking for a walk — his 54 bases on balls are second only to Joey Gallo, with 72 fewer plate appearances — but he is productive and can be dangerous. He gets on base, his hard-hit rates are high, and he rarely swings out of the strike zone. Grandal has only 27 hits, including 11 homers and three doubles and an average of one single a week.
Put it all together, though, and a 127 weighted runs created plus metric is right below the 128 of Perez among catchers.
The first phase of All-Star voting concluded Thursday and results will be announced Sunday. The top three at each position advance to the final phase.
Narron would consider Grandal’s intangibles if he had a vote.
“His experience with the Dodgers and Brewers postseason clubs is tremendous for us,” Narron said.
“He’s very prepared, he has a really good idea how to pitch guys and what our pitchers can and can’t do. He’s a very intelligent guy and one of the most focused guys on his job I’ve been around. He wants to do well on both sides of the ball. He takes a lot of pride in the defense.”
Trying to help the Sox get out of their longest losing streak of the season, Grandal hit a pinch three-run homer Tuesday to give them a lead over the Pirates — who eventually won — and hit a tie-breaking two-run double Wednesday in a 4-3 win.
“It’s starting to feel better and better,” Grandal said after coming through with a walk-off single against the Rays last week. “It just seems like every time I smoke a ball, it’s right at somebody.
“I’m going to continue to do whatever it is that I need to do. If that’s walking and getting on base, then I’m going to walk and get on base until I get my pitch to hit.”
NOTE: Friday is Reopening Night at Guaranteed Rate Field, open to full capacity for the first time since 2019. Plans include a Country Music Night theme, postgame fireworks and the Sox wearing their City Connect uniforms.
MARINERS AT SOX
Friday: Yusei Kikuchi (4-3, 3.46) vs. Carlos Rodon (6-2, 1.83), 7:10 p.m., NBCSCH, 1000-AM
Music fans (like those pictured at Lollapalooza 2019) will have plenty to cheer about this summer as live music returns to Chicago. | Santiago Covarrubias/For the Sun-Times
For fans of any genre, live music isn’t hard to come by in Chicago. Check out our highlights for concerts, festivals and live performances in and around the city.
Welcome to our highlights for concerts, festivals and live music in Chicago. From free shows at Millennium Park to large festivals like Ravinia and Lollapalooza, and intimate shows at small local venues, our guide has all the latest music entertainment. Bookmark this page and check back for updates on concerts and events.
Ida Mae
Joe HottingerIda Mae (Stephanie Jean and Christopher Turpin)
What: Nashville-via-London duo Ida Mae (husband-and-wife Stephanie Jean and Christopher Turpin) perform songs from their new record “Click Click Domino.” From a studio in the wilds of the English countryside, the performance offers track-by-track insight on each song along with never before seen behind-the-scenes tour footage. Rounding out the band are Ethan Johns on drums and Nick Pini on bass.
When: livestreamed concert at 7 p.m. June 24. From a studio in the wilds of the English countryside, the performance offers track-by-track insight on each song along with never before seen behind-the-scenes tour footage. Rounding out the band are Ethan Johns on drums and Nick Pini on bass.
Courtesy of Denise La Grassa MusicDenise La Grassa
What: Singer, songwriter and keyboardist Denise La Grassa performs an evening of original jazz accompanied by guitarist John Kregor with visual artist Sholo (Cheryl Beverly) who, inspired by the song lyrics, paints during the performance. La Grassa unveils new songs written through the eyes of Lady Liberty in a 21st century marked by the confusion over the role of American democracy and original identity.
Courtesy of AdrianDunn.comAdrian Dunn will conduct the Chicago Philharmonic in “Redemption,” June 29-Aug. 27.
What: Chicago Philharmonic returns with a three-concert outdoor chamber series at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts parking lot, 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie. The opening performance at 7 p.m. June 27 is “Chicago Phil Brass: Brass with Sass” and features Edward Elgar’s “Chanson du Matin,” Astor Piazzolla’s “Oblivion,” Fats Waller’s “That’s a Plenty,” Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young” and more. There’s also a free streaming concert “Redemption” (June 29-Aug. 27), which features spirituals and gospel songs conducted by Adrian Dunn.
What: Summer Nights with Northlight is a cabaret series held at Evanston restaurants to benefit Northlight Theatre. The performers are Alexis J. Roston and Kelvin Roston Jr. (June 10, Good to Go Jamaican, 711 W. Howard), Linda Solotaire (July 27, Sketchbook Brewing Company, 4901 Main, Skokie) and Heidi Kettenring (Aug. 24, Peckish Pig, 623 W. Howard).
When: Performances times are 6 p.m.
Tickets: $60 includes light dinner and select drinks. Visit northlight.org.
Labyrinth Arts and Performance Collective
What: Labyrinth Arts and Performance Collectivepresents “Emerge,” a new cabaret series featuring music, drag performance, comedy and spoken word.
Marlon TaylorPoet Luis Tubens a.k.a. Logan Lu (from left), dancer Alyssa Harslton, singer Lester Rey, choreographer and dancer Maria Luisa Torres, dancer Angela Townsend, and musicians Natalie Land and Peter “Maestro” Vale celebrate Puerto Rican stories of pride and resilience through original Afro-Latin dance, spoken word, and music in “Raices to Roots.”
WHAT: The Chicago Puerto Rican experience is celebrated in “Raices to Roots.” Using “home” as a theme, a cast of artists embody stories of pride, struggle and resilience through original Afro-Latin dance, spoken word and music. The performers are poet Luis Tubens a.k.a. Logan Lu; dancers Maria Luisa Torres, Alyssa Harslton and Angela Townsend; and musicians and performers Peter “Maestro” Vale, Natalie Land and Lester Rey.
WHEN: June 5-6, 24-27
WHERE: Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center, 4048 W. Armitage.
Copyright MCA“Tuesdays on the Terrace” at the MCA in Chicago.
When: 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays June 1-Aug. 31
Where: Museum of Contemporary Art’s outdoor sculpture garden, 220 E. Chicago
What: Tuesdays on the Terrace returns to the Museum of Contemporary Art’s outdoor sculpture garden. The popular jazz concert series features an array of Chicago jazz musiciansFirst up on June 1 is Alexis Lombre’s Ancestral Awakenings. Free with advance reservations. Visit mcachicago.org.
Lollapalooza
When: July 29-Aug. 1
Where: Grant Park
What: Lollapalooza returns to Grant Park July 29-Aug. 1 with Foo Fighters, Post Malone, Tyler, the Creator, Miley Cyrus, Dababy, Marchmello, Journey, Megan Thee Stallion, Roddy Ricch, Kaytranada and more. $375+/festival pass. Visit lollapalooza.com.
Pitchfork Music Festival
When: Sept. 10-12
Where: Union Park, 1501 W. Randolph
What: The Pitchfork Music Festival returns to Union Park, 1501 W. Randolph. Performers include Erykah Badu Phoebe Bridgers, St. Vincent, The Fiery Furnaces, Angel Olsen, Kim Gordon Waxahatchee, Flying Lotus, Thundercat and more.
Chicagoans can find a range of plays, musicals and dance shows at local theaters large and small. Our guide has the latest on what’s on stage in the city.
Welcome to our highlights of events and entertainment on stage at Chicago’s theaters. From local productions to Broadway hits, our guide has the latest on shows in the city. Bookmark this page and check back for updates and ticket information.
Interrobang Theatre Project“Dingleberries” features Charles McNeely III (left) and Laura Berner Taylor.
Interrobang Theatre Project
What: Interrobang Theatre Project’s season closes with the online world premiere of Susan Chenet’s “Dingleberries,” directed by Georgette Verdin. The dark comedy, based on actual events, follows the story of a middle school theater teacher whose playwriting dreams begin to come true when a regional company selects her avant-garde play as its next production.
Courtesy of Neil Verma“American Bottom” director Neil Verma
A Red Orchid Theatre
What: A Red Orchid Theatre’s experimental audio book, “American Bottom.” Collectively conceived by Brett Neveu, Neil Verma (who also directs), Matthew Muñiz, Ele Matelan, Rich Sparks and Frankie Pedersen, the multi-disciplinary piece is inspired by the area of Southern Illinois called American Bottom. It’s the fictional story of a man who disappeared near the site of the Cahokia Mounds as told by the people who knew him.
What: American Blues Theater presents Ada Cheng performing her new work “Loving Across Borders” Cheng explores how one learns womanhood, love, and abuse in different sociopolitical and cultural contexts through personal stories.
What: Brightside Theatre and the Naperville Park District present “Summer in the Parks: The Music of Rodgers & Hammerstein.” The free hour-long revue features tunes from the iconic composers’ musicals including “The King and I,” “South Pacific,” “Oklahoma,” “The Sound of Music” and more.
When: Performances are at 7 p.m. June 30, July 21 and Aug. 11
Where: Wagner Family Pavilion in the 95th Street Community Plaza, 3109 Cedar Glade Dr., Naperville.
Film still courtesy of Kevin Michael BriggsHubbard Street Dancers Jacqueline Burnett, Alyssa Allen and Alysia Johnson in “Greener Grass” by Jie-Hung Connie Shiau.
What: Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s season concludes with “Greener Grass,” a full company work choreographed and directed by former company dancer Jie-Hung Connie Shiau with original music by Jerome Begin and videography/editing by Kevin Michael Briggs. The piece is Shiau’s response to reports of “re-education camps,” used to forcibly contain Uyghurs, Kazakhs and other traditionally Muslim minority groups in China’s Xinjiang Autonomous Zone. “Of course, I will never be able to fully understand the pain of the Uyghurs and Kazakhs,” Shiau says, “but I’d like to use my voice as an artist to draw attention to these issues and encourage people to take action.”
When: Performances livestream at 7:30 pm. June 24, 26 and 2 p.m. June 27.
Alan EpsteinLucky Plush Productions is presenting and will perform among the lineup of “The Music of Now.”
What: The dance-theater ensemble Lucky Plush Productions, in partnership with the Harris Theatre for Music and Dance, Steppenwolf’s 1700 Theatre, Links Hall and the Logan Center for the Arts, presents “The Map of Now,” an interactive digital festival that pairs the aesthetics of ‘80s retro video games with dance, theater, music and comedy. After creating their own avatar, participants navigate to and inside virtual recreations of the four venues where they click on icons for a variety of performances. Performers include BAPS, Donnetta Jackson + Bril Barrett, Chloe Johnston, Lucky Plush, Jeremy Owens, Darling Shear, Sam Trump, avery r. young, Sojourner Zenobia and more.
Joan Marcus/WP TheaterDonnetta Lavinia Grays in “Where We Stand”
What: The final entry in the Steppenwolf NOW virtual season is “Where We Stand,” a storytelling tour-de-force about community and accountability written and performed by Donnetta Lavinia Grays. Through poetic verse and music, the drama challenges our ability to forgive and our ideas of mercy and who might deserve it. The filmed play captures a performance originally presented at Baltimore Center Stage co-produced with WP Theater.
When/tickets: A $75 ticket includes all six of the productions in the NOW series available online through Aug. 31
What: The Goodman Theatre’s “Live” series, which brings together technology, videography and stage production, continues with Adrienne Kennedy’s “Ohio State Murders.” Directed by Tiffany Nichole Greene, the drama is the story of a student who arrives at Ohio State University in 1949 and soon discovers there is no safe haven in academia. Years later she returns as an accomplished author to speak about her work and unravel a chilling mystery.
When: Livestreams at 7:30 p.m. June 17-18, 2 and 7:30 p.m. June 19 and 2 p.m. June 20.
Michael HalberstamKamal Angelo Bodden in “Ride Share”
What: In Reginald Edmund’s“Ride Share,”a co-production of Black Lives, Black Words and Writers Theatre, everything in Marcus’ (Kamal Angelo Bolden) life is going smoothly until he’s laid off from his job. To make ends meet, he becomes a ride share driver. Edmund says the drama, directed by Simeilia Hodge-Dallaway, “takes us on a journey into the depths of the Black male experience in America.”
What: Court Theatre presents an online staging of Owen McCafferty’s “Titanic (Scenes from the British Wreck Commissioner’s Inquiry, 1912),”directed by Vanessa Stalling. The drama tells the story of the sinking of the HMS Titanic using verbatim testimonies from a court investigation of the wreck that probe the causes of the catastrophe, the value systems that enabled it and if indeed it was actually preventable.
What: Summer Nights with Northlight is a cabaret series held at Evanston restaurants to benefit Northlight Theatre. The performers are Alexis J. Roston and Kelvin Roston Jr. (June 10, Good to Go Jamaican, 711 W. Howard), Linda Solotaire (July 27, Sketchbook Brewing Company, 4901 Main, Skokie) and Heidi Kettenring (Aug. 24, Peckish Pig, 623 W. Howard).
When: Performances times are 6 p.m.
Tickets: $60 includes light dinner and select drinks. Visit northlight.org.
Labyrinth Arts and Performance Collective
What: Labyrinth Arts and Performance Collectivepresents “Emerge,” a new cabaret series featuring music, drag performance, comedy and spoken word First up at 10 p.m. June 11 is the retro blues trio Improper Behavior featuring vocalist Sharon Waltham, guitarist Keith Fort and upright bass player Gregory Redfeairn.
Ghostlight EnsembleLevi Denton-Hughes as Soledad in “It’s Poppin’” at Ghostlight Ensemble.
WHAT: Ghostlight Theatre’s “Make/Believe,” its annual festival for young audiences, takes place virtually this year. Featured are six new short plays that run the gamut from “Sunshine and the Sea of Lost Things,” about a child with no memory lost at sea to “It’s Poppin’,” about a balloon afraid of soaring through the clouds, to “Splash of Magic,” about a young Black girl trying to conquer her fear of swimming.
WHEN: The festival streams live at 2 p.m. June 5-6 and on demand to July 4
Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Ald. Jeanette Taylor (20th) during Wednesday’s Chicago City Council meeting. | Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
Today’s update is a 5-minute read that will brief you on the day’s biggest stories.
Good afternoon. Here’s the latest news you need to know in Chicago. It’s about a 5-minute read that will brief you on today’s biggest stories.
This afternoon will be cloudy with showers and thunderstorms likely as well as a high near 80. The rain is expected to continue on and off into the weekend with a low of 71 tonight and a high near 82 tomorrow.
Ald. Jeanette Taylor (20th) today likened Mayor Lori Lightfoot to a schoolyard “bully” and said she would stand up to the mayor by refusing to speak to her until she apologizes for “disrespecting” Taylor.
“Who stands up to her? This is not the first time she did this to somebody. She does this all the time and people let her get away with it,” Taylor told the Sun-Times.
“It’s a ‘no.’ How many times do you keep letting a bully bully you? Clearly, this is bullying.”
Notoriously thin-skinned, Lightfoot could not contain her anger after Taylor joined Ald. Ray Lopez (15th) in using a parliamentary maneuver to delay Lightfoot’s appointment of Celia Meza as corporation counsel.
They did it to protest the Law Department’s treatment of Anjanette Young, the woman who was the target of a botched raid by Chicago police officers who had the wrong address.
Alisa Perry Johnson, 50, recently graduated from Richard J. Daley College with the associate’s degree in early childhood education she had pursued on and off the past 32 years.
The same weekend, her 22-year-old son, Malik Johnson, graduated from Georgetown University with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology.
Three weeks later, her 18-year-old daughter, Makaela Johnson, graduated from Lindblom High School, now headed to Tuskegee University on a full-ride president’s scholarship.
And Makaela’s graduation was days before Mia Johnson, 14, the Englewood mother’s youngest child, who graduated from Jesse Sherwood Elementary School — valedictorian of her eighth-grade class, just as Malik and Makaela had been when they attended Sherwood.
ProvidedThe entire Johnson family graduated this year. (l-r) Makaela graduated this month from Lindblom High School, headed to Tuskegee University. Mia also graduated this month, from Jesse Sherwood Elementary, as valedictorian, like her brother and sister before her. Malik graduated May 24 from Georgetown University, with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology. And Alisa Perry Johnson, matriarch of this Englewood family, graduated May 23 from Richard J. Daley College, with an associate’s degree in early childhood education. |
Just your ordinary family, says this mother who, like more and more students nationwide — newly graduated from high school or returning adult learners — took advantage of low tuition offered by the community college system, against rising national student debt.
“I didn’t do anything different than any other parent. I just basically was there,” Perry Johnson said.
“I am extremely proud of my children, but I don’t want myself or them to be so proud that they can’t help somebody else to achieve their goals. I always tell them, ‘If you can’t help solve the problem, don’t talk about it until you find a solution.’”
Say you have a friend visiting Chicago for the first time — where will you take them to get the full experience? Tell us why.
Reply to this email (please include your first name and where you live) and we might feature your answer in the next Afternoon Edition.
Yesterday, we asked you: What’s your favorite Chicago neighborhood to visit? Here’s what some of you said…
“In the Wrigleyville neighborhood, there is a block named Alta Vista Terrace. The architecture is very nice with a twist — the buildings are identical on the opposite side. A nice street to stroll down and admire the homes.” — Denise Ramirez
“Armour Square/Bridgeport for the Sox. Then Mt. Greenwood.” — Dustin Thurston
“Andersonville is where I spent my early 20s. Lots of bakeries, restaurants and bars in the area. I took a walk through the area not too long ago and still happy to see that the restaurants survived COVID-19.” — Neline Opt
“Pilsen — great food and childhood memories.” — Jose N Gabriela Ruiz
“Old Irving Park. I love looking at all the buildings.” — Cindy Schoop O’Brien
“Bronzeville. I took a community group from Detroit years ago on a tour and found historical Black culture that I didn’t know existed. The soul food there was some of the best!” — Arlene Carter Kimbrough
“Lincoln Park, many places to frequent. Also Uptown for Vietnamese food.” — Rigo Banuelos
“Lakeview/ Lakeview East — lots of shops, good access by CTA and very walkable. I grew up in Madrid, Spain and, to me, it has sort of a homey feeling.” — Laura Starr
“Old Town, just a great area — restaurants, shops and so close to the Loop.” — Louise Basetich Stempora
“Hyde Park — chill vibes. South Side hidden gem where everyone gets along.” — Russell Arnold Jr.
“Rogers Park, because of its diversity, proximity to the lake and great variety of food options.” — Haynk Jean-Baptiste
Thanks for reading the Chicago Afternoon Edition. Got a story you think we missed? Email us here.
Young Fly (left) and Soulja Boy perform onstage during the 2019 BET Social Awards at Tyler Perry Studio in 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. | Getty Images
Bow Wow and Soulja Boy are also a part of the recently announced “Millennium Tour 2021” that’s coming to Chicago’s Wintrust Arena Oct. 29.
Rappers Bow Wow and Soulja Boy are the latest creatives to add their names to the Verzuz battle lineup.
Their battle, scheduled at 7 p.m. Saturday via Instagram, the Triller app and the Fite TV app, aims to showcase the talents of two artists with divergent paths.
In terms of modern day hip-hop/rap, Soulja Boy took an unconventional road to prominence. A Chicago native who later moved to Atlanta — and then Mississippi — Soulja Boy was ahead of the curve when it came to being an artist/influencer, personal branding, production and business.
Instead of waiting for music industry gatekeepers to pluck him from obscurity, Soulja Boy uploaded his music and immediately burst onto the scene in 2007 with “Crank That,” a Grammy-nominated song, which garnered several million downloads, spending seven weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
Standout tracks from the Mississippi-based rapper include “Gucci Bandana (with Atlanta rappers Gucci Mane and Shawty Lo),” “Pretty Boy Swag” and “Turn My Swag On,” among others.
Getty ImagesBow Wow garnered early success with “Beware of Dog,” a triple platinum-selling album.
Bow Wow, who initially went by the stage name “Lil’ Bow Wow,”which was given to him by rap legend and previous Verzuz contestant Snoop Dogg, appeared on his debut album “Doggystyle” on the track “”Gz and Hustlas.”
Bow Wow, who made a successful transition to films, reprised his role from “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift” — the third film in the blockbuster movie franchise — with “F9,” which hits theaters Friday. His other acting credits include “Like Mike,” and the Chicago-filmed “Roll Bounce.”
The duo is also a part of the recently announced “Millennium Tour 2021” that’s scheduled to kick off Oct. 1, making a Chicago appearance Oct. 29 at the Wintrust Arena. The tour includes previous Verzuz battle participant Ashanti, Omarion, Ying Yang Twins, Lloyd, Pretty Ricky and Sammie.
Pat Foley is introduced at the news conference to announce his rehiring in 2008. | Sun-Times
My favorite mix tape doesn’t include any artists, at least not musical ones. It contains Blackhawks radio highlights, 8 minutes and 47 seconds of bliss. Providing the vocals is Pat Foley.
During the era of dual cassette stereos, I became adept at dubbing. I made mix tapes of music cassettes and songs off the radio. I couldn’t download songs from Spotify. I had to record an hour of Z-95 and hope the DJ played the ones I liked.
But my favorite mix tape doesn’t include any artists, at least not musical ones. It contains Blackhawks radio highlights, 8 minutes and 47 seconds of bliss. Providing the vocals is Pat Foley.
With the help of the website Hockey Reference, I traced the highlights to the seasons from 1988 to ’90. Foley became the Hawks’ voice in 1980, and I began listening a few years later. Once I did, I didn’t stop. Before I fell asleep on game nights, the last person I heard wasn’t my mom or dad — it was Foley.
Like a mix of my favorite songs, I needed a mix of my favorite voice. So I would record snippets of home games off the radio and pray for three sounds: Foley yelling “He scores,” the crowd erupting and the goal horn blaring.
When the Hawks announced Wednesday that next season will be Foley’s last with the team, I was glad I had kept the tape intact. It’s already a technological relic, and it’s soon to be an audial one.
I don’t have any data to support this statement, which, in the age of analytics, might disqualify it from your consideration. It’s based solely on what my ears and mostly working brain have deciphered from listening to countless Chicago sports broadcasts in the last 40 years:
Of all the announcers whose voices have echoed through this city, Foley is the best. Full stop.
No, I never heard Bob Elson, Lloyd Pettit or Jack Quinlan live, another fault line in my statement. And, yes, I didn’t include Foley in my Mount Rushmore of Chicago TV sports broadcasters three years ago. On it were Jack Brickhouse, Harry Caray, “Hawk” Harrelson and Pettit. The first three transcended sports, and Foley holds such reverence for Pettit, a Blackhawks predecessor, that I deferred to Foley.
But from a purely announcing perspective, I’m confident that none of them could call their games better than Foley calls his.
Words sound as though they’re rolling off Foley’s tongue, which is impressive given the speed of hockey. And he uses words so well. I was lucky to be recording on Jan. 3, 1990, when Denis Savard scored a highlight-reel goal against the Oilers that sent Foley and the Chicago Stadium crowd into euphoria:
“Savard back in over the line, dancing around a check, right in, he scores! Denis Savard, as only he can do it! ‘Savoir faire’ turned the defenseman inside-out. Made him look like a turnstile. He walked through him, and in on [Bill] Ranford he buried it.”
When the Hawks announced Wednesday that next season will be Foley’s last with the team, I was glad I had kept the tape intact. It’s already a technological relic, and it’s soon to be an audial one.
And this goal from April 8, 1989, in a Norris Division semifinal series against the Red Wings and goalie Glen Hanlon.
“Here’s Troy Murray in on right wing over the line, shooting, he scores! Troy Murray, from the blue line, right between the pearly gates!”
Other goals on the tape aren’t as poetic, but they have the same excitement. And that’s what Foley brings to broadcasts in abundance. His voice rises as the Hawks mount a rush, grabbing your attention. If a shot just misses, you can tell without seeing it when he emphasizes “HE missed the far post.”
If a shot finds the net, Foley finds another octave, though that has become much harder in his later years. He’s not yelling “Bannerman!” anymore like he did when goalie Murray Bannerman stopped a breakaway by the North Stars’ Keith Acton on April 30, 1985, in the Norris finals.
Foley is authentic. He feels what the fans feel, whether it’s jubilation or frustration. His rant during a game on March 11, 2004, about former Blackhawk Alexander Karpovtsev, in which he bid “good riddance” to the traded defenseman and called him “a disgrace to the uniform,” deserved an Emmy.
He calls fights like a ring-side announcer – not that I’m condoning fighting in hockey … OK, I am. He’s a wonderful storyteller, and he has been able to tell more since moving to TV, where he isn’t as beholden to the action. But he still calls it with great description, as though he was still on radio.
Granted, his words have come back to bite him a few times, but those instances have been few and far between. I have no doubt he could continue calling games at a high level. He certainly did this season, despite the challenges brought on by the pandemic.
The last time Foley wasn’t in the Hawks’ TV booth was from 2006 to ’08, the two seasons he called Wolves games while in exile. Dan Kelly took over, and it did not go well. Kelly was replacing an icon who was gone too soon, and he didn’t click with fans.
Foley returned in time for the greatest period in Hawks history, and the team appears to be more sensitive to giving his successor a chance by having the person share the mic with Foley next season, much like the White Sox did when Harrelson gave way to Jason Benetti. It’s a good move.
But there won’t be another Foley, just like there haven’t been duplicates of so many other broadcasters. Chicago fans are conditioned to seeing players come and go, but not broadcasters. They often last longer than popes, and their followers can be just as devoted.
Hawks fans will move on from Foley, just as they will from Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, just as they did from Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull. And though their roles in Hawks history are different, their impacts are similar. They were at the top of their game, whether they played it or called it.
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![6-16-08, United Center, Chicago New Blackhawks announcer Pat Foley during a press conference to announce his rehiring. [Keith Hale/Sun-Times]](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/boJNqts258rKU3qXR9AqZaxZSEs=/181x319:3004x2436/1310x983/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69500834/merlin_36561559.0.jpg)
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