Taxpayers in those towns will have to bear the brunt. That’s a shame, but it pales in comparison to the dire consequences of turning our back on climate change.

I read the June 4 article about how an Illinois energy bill has stalled over the demand from some legislators to close the Prairie State coal plant, Illinois’ biggest source of carbon pollution.

Our state, our country and our world have run out of time to confront climate change. There are only two paths ahead of us now: start ramping down fossil fuels at once, or hand our children a world where they will face unfathomable environmental and economic calamities. Of course, closing one power plant in Illinois will not solve global warming on its own. That’s the diabolical nature of this challenge: it takes concerted efforts by nations and states, most of whom want to blame each other. But if we have any chance to avoid a worldwide economic calamity, no excuses or finger-pointing can be tolerated.

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Of course, none of the Chicago area municipalities who signed onto a bad deal with Prairie State years ago want to admit their mistake. That’s human nature, especially for politicians. But when I read that the debate was not over closing Prairie State tomorrow, next year or the year after that, but in 14 years, I could scarcely believe it. Fourteen years!

And the plant doesn’t even guarantee cheap electricity for the ratepayers. The four towns who signed the deal are on the hook for the debt associated with the plant’s construction. That was a devil’s bargain. Private investors who make bad bets are generally forced to accept the consequences. Now electricity consumers or taxpayers in those towns whose elected officials signed onto the deal will have to bear the brunt of that error. That’s a shame, but it pales in comparison to the dire consequences of turning our back on climate change. The Prairie State plant should, indeed must, be closed.

Rick Knight, research coordinator at Citizens’ Climate Lobby, Brookfield

Maskless Anthony Rizzo

I honestly can’t believe that Anthony Rizzo is not vaccinated and allowed in the dugout without a mask.

And then he has a press conference and tells the world that he has not been vaccinated. How is this right on any level? Is it because he is a famous baseball player that it seems to be OK? Millions of people who are still on the fence about being vaccinated are avid fans of Rizzo and will follow his lead.

The COVID guideline is simple. If you are not vaccinated, wear a mask. I would think that the Chicago Cubs organization would have any unvaccinated players follow the very simple rule.

Aleta Bruettig, Tinley Park

Republican popularity

Here’s a thought: If Republicans had popular policy ideas, they wouldn’t have to block people from voting.

Bob Chimis, Elmwood Park

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They were near a vacant lot in the 3400 block of West Monroe Street when someone fired shots.

Three men were hurt in a shooting Monday afternoon in East Garfield Park.

They were near a vacant lot about 4:10 p.m. in the 3400 block of West Monroe Street when someone fired shots, Chicago police said.

One man, 21, was shot in the groin and was taken in good condition to Stroger Hospital, police said. Another, also 21, was struck in the leg and was taken in good condition to the same hospital.

The third man, 25, was also shot in the leg and was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital in good condition.

No one is in custody as area detectives investigate.

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The veteran linebacker, and not the former firebrand Bears receiver, worked out at Halas Hall, sources confirmed.

The Bears took a look at Brandon Marshall — but not that Brandon Marshall — on Monday.

The veteran linebacker, and not the former firebrand Bears receiver, worked out at Halas Hall, sources confirmed. A former Super Bowl champion with the Broncos, where he played alongside Danny Trevathan, Marshall hasn’t played an NFL snap since 2018. Marshall spent 2019 with the Raiders but did not enter a game.

Marshall, who is now 31, was a fifth-round pick of the Jaguars in 2012 but cut him a year later. He joined the Broncos, where he started 63 games over six years, totaling 416 tackles and 6 ¹⁄₂ sacks. After recovering from a knee injury, Marshall prepared this spring for a return after sitting out the 2020 season.

The Bears have an open roster spot after cutting tight end Darion Clark on Sunday, but it’s unclear how interested they are in Marshall. They begin mandatory veteran minicamp Tuesday.

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It’s the second straight game Baez hasn’t started while nursing a thumb injury he sustained on Saturday.

NEW YORK – Shortstop Javy Baez was out of the lineup on Monday against the Mets with a sore right thumb. It was the second straight game Baez has been out of the lineup after he was a late scratch before Sunday’s win against the Cardinals.

Baez injured the thumb attempting to dive into the stands for a popup in foul territory on Saturday. The Cubs’ shortstop did infield drills before the game and hit in the cage after receiving treatment with the team’s training staff.

It’s the second thumb injury in consecutive weeks for Baez, who dealt with soreness in the lower part of the thumb during the Cubs’ West Coast trip. This time around, he feels the discomfort closer to the knuckle.

“It doesn’t feel that bad,” Baez said before the game. “I just don’t like to be out with small things like this.”

The Cubs continue to try to tread water despite several players dealing with various injuries, but they’re starting to get some players back and have a few more on the way.

Manager David Ross said on Monday that infielders David Bote (dislocated left shoulder) and Nico Hoerner (left hamstring strain) have both started to swing the bat. Infielder Matt Duffy (lower back strain), who has ramped up his baseball activities in recent weeks, will likely begin a rehab assignment soon as long as things continue to trend in the right direction.

Right-hander Trevor Williams (appendicitis) has continued to throw and will see the doctor for a second follow-up to get the green light to return.

No breaks for the Cubs in the Big Apple

The Cubs have been able to perform on what was going to be a challenging month of June and as they try to have that success continue against the Mets they’ll have to go through some of New York’s best.

The Cubs missed both Jacob deGrom and Marcus Stroman during their first clash in Chicago, but will see both on the back side of their four-game set against the Mets.

“I think you assess daily whoever’s on the other side pitching when you’re facing some of the best,” Ross said. “Obviously, Jacob deGrom is one of the best in this game. That’s a nice test for us. Marcus Stroman is having a great season. We just faced another really good one in San Diego in Yu Darvish, who’s really good.

“I think we’re tested nightly. You can never let your guard down. You have to bring it every single day. [The Mets] are a good team in first place in their division, so I think every test on every game in this series will be big and we just try to keep that momentum going and play the good baseball we’ve been playing.”

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A dog named Georgia died while in the custody of K9 University Chicago after a worker didn’t realize the furry animal was left inside a transport van as the temperature climbed to 90 degrees.

A West Side animal boarding business is under fire after a dog died in their care when it was left inside a vehicle last week as temperatures climbed to 90 degrees.

Last Thursday, a dog named Georgia was checked into K9 University Chicago, located at 2945 W. Lake St., in East Garfield Park, for a boarding stay, according to a Facebook post from the business. The dog arrived at the facility in a transport vehicle, but the driver didn’t see Georgia when the other animals inside the van were taken into the facility, according to the post.

Workers eventually found Georgia inside the van and attempted CPR, according to the post. The dog was taken to a veterinarian, according to the business. It was unclear how long it had taken workers to figure out Georgia had been left in the van. The dog was later pronounced dead.

Ruby Madrigal, the owner of the business, declined to further comment when reached by phone Monday afternoon.

The business wrote about the incident on their Facebook page, leading to an onslaught of backlash on social media that included a petition to shutter K9 University Chicago. The incident was first reported by NBC5 Chicago.

The West Side business is licensed by the Illinois Department of Agriculture, which was investigating the incident, said Krista Lisser, a spokesperson for the agency, in an email.

By Monday afternoon, the business had taken down their social media pages.

Mo Vela, 28, of Chicago, started the petition after seeing a social media post about the death from a dog walking service she has used in the past. She later saw other social media posts from past workers who were speaking out about prior problems at the business.

“Seeing that, it instantly clicked this place needs to be shut down,” Vela said. “If we go through the investigation, gather all the videos, that takes awhile. If we start a petition, if we get enough signatures, maybe it will pressure the local politicians to do something faster.”

The death happened as the area was experiencing consecutive days of 90-degree weather. Temperatures in Chicago had reached 90 degrees by Thursday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service’s website.

The Humane Society of the United States recommends pets never be left inside a parked vehicle, noting temperatures can quickly reach dangerous levels. Signs of a pet having heatstroke include difficulty breathing, glazed eyes and lack of coordination, according to the Humane Society.

The organization recommends taking an animal suffering from heatstroke to the veterinarian while also applying ice packs or cold towels to the animal’s head, neck and chest and giving the pet small amounts of water or ice cubes.

Because of Georgia’s death, K9 University Chicago plans to change check-in procedures, search for interior vehicle technology and provide canine CPR training for staff, according to the Facebook post.

Elvia Malagón’s reporting on social justice and income inequality is made possible by a grant from The Chicago Community Trust.

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A massive chemical plant fire that sent black plumes of smoke into the air near the Illinois-Wisconsin border is expected to continue burning for several days as firefighters retreat and residents were ordered to evacuate.

Fire broke out around 7 a.m. at the Chemtool Inc. plant, which makes oil-based lubricants, at 1165 Prairie Hill Road in Rockton, about 10 miles north or Rockford, Rockton Fire Protection District Chief Kirk Wilson said.

The cause of the fire remains unknown and no significant injuries were reported.

Firefighters stopped spraying the fire with water to reduce the risk of runoff and contamination of waterways.

“We don’t want an environmental nightmare to occur,” Wilson said in a news conference Monday. “At this time, it’s in our best interest to let this product burn off… We’re thinking this will be a several-day event [until] this product is burned off.”

As a precaution, residents were evacuated within a mile of the plant, he said. So far, air quality tests show the air is OK at ground level, Wilson said.

An employee of the plant told a reporter with WTVO that he was at work for less than an hour when someone yelled “fire” and fire alarms went off. The employee said the fire was possibly caused by the failure of a pipe that moved hot grease within the plant, WTVO reported.

The employee also told WTVO that staff have been evacuated in the past for small emergencies, but nothing on this scale. “This is the worst it’s ever, ever been,” he told the station.

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Gov. J.B. Pritzker deployed the Illinois National Guard and activated the state’s emergency center to the fire.

“I am monitoring this situation closely and will make all resources available to the surrounding communities as we work to keep people safe,” Pritzker said in a statement.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said it responded to the site to conduct air monitoring and sampling.

Smoke from the fire drifted south and southeast past Rockford, which warned residents to stay indoors, close windows and turn off air conditioners. South of Rockford, the Ogle County sheriff’s office said smoke covered a third of the county.

The fire was fast-moving, partially aided by strong wind, and was shooting through the plant’s roof by the time firefighters arrived, Wilson said.

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About 70 employees evacuated the plant by themselves and were unharmed, he said. One firefighter suffered a minor, unspecified injury. About 175 personnel from over 40 local fire agencies were called to assist, he said.

The fire department also has reconnaissance crews roaming the town looking for fires caused by falling burning debris, Wilson said. Any debris falling from the sky was thought to be non-toxic, he said.

In all, about 150 homes were evacuated in Rockton. The Salvation Army said it was aiding in the response.

Chemtool Inc., based in Rockton, is the largest manufacturer of grease in the United States. It has a plant in Crystal Lake in the northwest suburbs of Chicago.

Contributing: Brett Chase

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White Sox left fielder Eloy Jimenez has been medically cleared to resume baseball activities, the team said Monday, an encouraging development for their Silver Slugger Award winner who suffered a torn pectoral muscle in spring training.

The phase of this rehabilitation process is estimated to take a minimum of four weeks, after which Jimenez could be cleared for a rehabilitation assignment with a Sox affiliate, the team said.

The timetable for Jimenez’ return to the Sox has not been set.

“Great news, great news,” manager Tony La Russa said. “The guys have been in contact with him. I had a message from him today so I called him back and talked to him. He was letting us know he’s excited about getting back to baseball activities and ‘see you soon.’ “

La Russa said he cautioned Jimenez about wanting to rush back too soon.

“I said, ‘whoops, soon, no no. Patience, patience, patience,’ ” La Russa said. “We have a lot of season left. But it’s great news.”

Jimenez had surgery to repair the ruptured tendon before Opening Day and while the Sox said the expected time for him to be out would be five to six months, they left the door open for an earlier return.

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The WNBA All-Star Game will return to Las Vegas July 14 at Michelob Ultra Arena and will feature All-Stars voted-in from the USA Basketball Women’s National Team competing against the remaining WNBA All-Stars voted-in as part of a combination of fan, player, media, and coach voting.

Earlier this month WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert spoke about the importance of having the 17th annual All-Star Game this year despite the Olympic break.

The WNBA typically does not host an All-Star Game during an Olympic year. After the 2020 Tokyo Olympics were postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Engelbert said skipping the event two years in a row wasn’t an option.

“It’s important to our players,” Engelbert said. “It’s another opportunity for them to show their skill set, especially with a lot of momentum coming into the Olympic break this year.”

Voting for WNBA All-Star 2021 opens Tuesday at 1 p.m. and will close June 27 at 10:59 p.m. All current WNBA players will be eligible and selections will be made through a combination of fans (50% of the vote), current WNBA players (25%) and a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters (25%).

Fans will be able to vote for up to 10 players, four backcourt and six frontcourt, and will only be able to vote once a day with the exception of two “2-for-1 Days” that will allow fans to have their votes count twice on Sunday June 20 and Sunday June 27.

Names of the top 36 players with the most votes who are not members of the USA Women’s Basketball 5×5 roster will be provided to all 12 head coaches in the league. The coaches will determine from that list which 12 players will represent Team WNBA All-Stars versus the national team.

Coaches will not be able to vote for their own players.

The national team’s final 5×5 roster has not been released yet but Diamond DeShields, Kahleah Copper and Stefanie Dolson were all part of Dawn Staley’s training camp roster in March.

The 2019 WNBA All-Star Game, which was also held in Las Vegas, featured three Sky players: Diamond DeShields, Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley.

Lexie Brown adds to backcourt depth

The Sky announced the re-signing of Lexie Brown Monday afternoon to a rest of season contract.

Brown has played multiple stints with the Sky this season, including being signed to the team the morning of June 1 and playing 20 minutes for the team against the Phoenix Mercury that night.

Brown should strengthen the Sky’s backcourt depth.

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