Public health officials in Cook County are serving up COVID-19 vaccines to bar and restaurant workers as the suburbs follow in lockstep with Chicago’s latest round of eased coronavirus restrictions.

Mondays in May will be designated “restaurant days” at the county’s six suburban mass vaccination sites, Cook County Board Presidents Toni Preckwinkle announced Thursday.

Anyone can sign up for an appointment or walk up to the six sites in Tinley Park, Matteson, River Grove, South Holland, Des Plaines or Forest Park. But officials want to vaccinate as many of the “essential heroes” in the hospitality industry as possible with indoor capacity expanding to the lesser of 50% or 100 people per room.

“Restaurant staff people worked tirelessly, even as they were asked to pivot to new roles to meet new demands, even as hours were cut, doors were closed, and their own life livelihoods were in jeopardy,” Preckwinkle said. “Now we’re starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and people are returning toward cafes and restaurants for a sense of normal normalcy and camaraderie that we all have craved.”

An estimated 20% of restaurants statewide won’t survive the pandemic, according to Illinois Restaurant Association President Sam Toia, shuttering about 5,000 businesses and leaving more than 100,000 out of work.

“We were the first industry to be shut down, and probably will be one of the last industries to truly reopen and recover. Vaccinations are absolutely crucial to help drive our COVID numbers back down and get our guests back in restaurants,” Toia said.

The restaurant shot push comes as public health officials face their latest challenge in the pandemic with demand for vaccine slowing across Illinois.

“Most individuals who absolutely knew ahead that they wanted the shot have had the chance to get one,” Cook County Health CEO Israel Rocha said. “Now we have to change hearts and minds to encourage individuals who have not yet made the decision to get vaccinated.”

Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times file

Almost a third of all Illinois residents are fully vaccinated, and about half have gotten at least one dose, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health, which reported 107,689 more shots went into arms statewide on Wednesday.

But the state is now averaging just 97,434 shots administered per day over the past week — the first time that rate has fallen below 100,000 in a month, and a 27% decrease compared to the all-time high of almost 133,000 the state reported two and a half weeks ago.

Graph not displaying properly? Click here.

“This will be an uphill climb, but we are committed to doing everything we can to get people vaccinated and remove barriers to access,” Rocha said.

As part of that effort, city officials announced the Chicago State University mass vaccination site is now offering the one-and-done Johnson & Johnson vaccine in its drive-thru facility, no appointments required. Pfizer shots are also available.

Still, “we’re not out of this yet,” Preckwinkle warned.

Brian Rich/Sun-Times file

The state reported 3,394 new cases of the disease Thursday, the most logged in a single day in about two weeks. They were diagnosed among 89,057 tests, raising Illinois average positivity rate to 3.5%. That figure is still down about 20% overall since April 12.

Officials also reported the disease killed 28 more residents, including a Cook County man in his 30s.

More than 1.3 million people have tested positive statewide over the last 13 months, and 21,927 of them have died.

For help finding a vaccination appointment in Chicago, visit zocdoc.com or call (312) 746-4835.

For suburban Cook County sites, visit vaccine.cookcountyil.gov or call (833) 308-1988.

To find providers elsewhere, visit coronavirus.illinois.gov or call (833) 621-1284.

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Everyone gets nervous when Bears general manager Ryan Pace takes a big swing in the draft, and rightfully so. But this one is different.

Pace gave up a lot, including the Bears’ first-round pick next year, but he’s also getting a lot in Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields. This is much different than when he bet the franchise’s future on Mitch Trubisky four years ago.

Fields fits every part of the criteria to be the Bears’ long-term answer at quarterback in a way Trubisky never did. There’s far more certainty and far less projection after he dominated college football the last two seasons.

Fields piled up 5,373 yards 22 games and threw 63 touchdown passes versus nine interceptions while leading Ohio State to the playoffs twice. He went throw for throw with No. 1 pick Trevor Lawrence and had him on the ropes with two minutes left in 2019, then thumped him in the playoffs last season.

“I definitely think it will translate well, especially with the fan base,” Fields said. “I know that Bears fans are very passionate about football, and of course so is Ohio State, so it’s really kind of [the same] in terms of seriousness.”

That carries much more weight than Trubisky going 8-5 and losing in the Sun Bowl during his lone season as a starter at North Carolina. There’s a world of difference between their credentials.

So while the Bears settled for fourth choice among quarterbacks, opting for Fields over Alabama’s Mac Jones, the price they paid to move from No. 20 to No. 11 is justifiable for Fields. If he plays for the Bears as he did for Ohio State, no one’s going to worry about Pace selling off a first- and fourth-rounder in 2022 and a fifth-round pick this year to jump nine spots and make sure he got Fields before anyone else wised up and did the same.

It was a gutsy choice by Pace not only because he once again depleted the Bears’ future stock of draft picks but because there’s no guarantee he’ll get to stay long enough to see how this turns out.

Or maybe Fields buys him more time.

It’s difficult to decipher whether Pace made the selfless move by picking a player who might not contribute much this season, when Pace’s job is on the line, or extended his stay because Fields brings long-term hope.

Fields can save Pace’s job simply by not being a disaster, even if the season goes sideways for the Bears with Andy Dalton. If the Bears veer off the road early, Fields will get a chance to get his growing pains out of the way this season with an eye on breaking out in 2022.

As far as trying to win now, which seemed to be the Bears’ priority until this trade, the more prudent move probably would’ve been to draft an offensive tackle who could start right away. While that would’ve helped long term as well, there’s nothing exciting about it.

But Fields? He’s electric. And the Bears are rarely electric.

Fields has all the firepower they’ve lacked at quarterback since, well, maybe forever, plus incredible running ability. He was initially thought to be second only to Lawrence among quarterbacks in this draft, and the nitpicking that dropped him behind Zach Wilson and Trey Lance never made sense.

“There’s a lot of criticism coming from outside voices that didn’t really matter,” Fields said. “So I just did my best to cut all that out and really just get to work.”

All the Bears have to do — and this is the scary part — is not ruin him. Don’t fall in love with Fields’ phenomenal skillset this week, then spend the next four years trying to change him into something else. He can change everything for the Bears — if they let him.

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The Blackhawks’ 4-3 overtime loss to the Panthers on Thursday was a game for disgruntled players thriving in new situations.

Vinnie Hinostroza, the ex-Panthers forward enjoying a brilliant April in Chicago, scored for the Hawks in his first matchup against his now-former team.

But Sam Bennett, the ex-Flames forward tearing it up just as much for the Panthers in recent weeks, struck late in OT to deal the Hawks another defeat.

“It was a step forward,” coach Jeremy Colliton said. “We had more than enough [chances] to score in overtime, so that leaves a sour taste not to get the two points. But speaking of the overall performance, [I’m] much happier with how we came out tonight and competed than the last game.”

The Hawks have lost four of their last five games with just six left in the regular season, and nearly suffered a third straight regulation setback Thursday. Alex DeBrincat provided some late drama, however, finding open space back-door and roofing a feed from Patrick Kane to tie the game with 17.6 seconds left.

After a long stretch of uninterrupted overtime hockey, most of which the Hawks spent in possession, Bennett — who now boasts 11 points in his first eight games with the Panthers — roared down the left wing and beat Kevin Lankinen over his shoulder.

Hinostroza, who temporarily gave the Hawks a 2-1 second-period lead after burying a feed from his so-called “Bash Bro” Brandon Hagel, reveled little in the proposed revenge-game narrative.

“I don’t look at it as my old team,” he said. “It’s just another team in the NHL. I’ve been here a month, this is my team. This is where I want to be. I want to help this team win.”

The fact the Hawks dressed not only Hinostroza but also two other recent ex-Panthers in Riley Stillman and Brett Connolly could’ve been more of an advantage had the two teams not already seen each other six times this season — and if Joel Quenneville wasn’t coaching the other side.

Fellow newcomer Adam Gaudette did make an impact, scoring his first goal as a Hawk in the first period.

Hardman won’t forget debut

Mike Hardman’s NHL debut Tuesday was even more special than expected because his mom, dad and two grandparents were in attendance in a United Center suite.

“I didn’t really know if they were going to be able to come because of all the COVID stuff, but they were able to make it out,” Hardman said Wednesday. “All four of them have been there every step of the way for me, so it was really important for them to be able to see my first game. It was a night I’ll never forget.”

Hardman impressed in limited playing time, which Colliton later regretted wasn’t higher, and stayed in the lineup for his second game Thursday.

“He was physical, he made some plays, he skated well,” Colliton said. “Very good debut for him, so that was positive.”

No AHL playoffs

The AHL announced Thursday it won’t hold league playoffs this season, which means the Rockford IceHogs’ season will end May 15.

With a 9-15-1 record, the Hawks affiliate wasn’t exactly deserving of a playoff berth anyway. This year has been more about prospect development than winning. Dylan McLaughlin and Cody Franson, two players on AHL-only contracts, share the team scoring lead with 17 points each; Evan Barratt is the top-scoring Hawks prospect with 12 points.

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The Chicago Bears made a big trade up and drafted former Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

The post 2021 NFL Draft: Chicago Bears Select Justin Fields with the 11th Overall Pick first appeared on CHI CITY SPORTS l Chicago Sports Blog – News – Forum – Fans – Rumors.Read More

Chicago Bears: Risk it all with this Aaron Rodgers trade package by Anthony Damato

When the time came for the 2021 NFL Draft to start, Chicago Bears fans were on edge. The tensions were high and expectations were low.

But, who could blame them?

This is a fan base that’s coming from quarterback purgatory decade after decade. The franchise leader in passing, all-time, is Jay Cutler for crying out loud.

I think it’s safe to say the franchise may have a new number one in that category — a few years down the road.

General manager Ryan Pace did exactly what he needed to do, and landed the Chicago Bears’ next franchise quarterback in Justin Fields.

Welcome to THE Chicago Bears, @justnfields!#BearsDraft | ?? pic.twitter.com/niJ9Eu1lJJ

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) April 30, 2021

The Bears traded up to pick number 11 overall by swapping a few picks with the New York Giants and took Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields. In total, the Bears gave up this year’s first, next year’s first, along with a fourth and fifth rounder.

Widely considered the second-best quarterback in this year’s draft class for quite some time, it wasn’t until mid-season last year that BYU’s Zach Wilson overtook Fields with his tremendous amount of hype.

Still, many think Fields was the second-best quarterback in the draft — including yours truly. The athleticism that Fields possesses, accompanied by the way he played in big games… it’s undeniable.

At 6-foot-3 and weighing 228 pounds, Fields ran a blistering 4.43 in his 40-yard dash during his pro day. This kid makes plays with his legs almost as good as he does with his arm. And, oh, his arm… it’s not half bad either.

Another ridiculous throw from Justin Fields ? @justnfields @OhioStateFB

? @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/ETgM1qi9Vp

— The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) March 30, 2021

Over his last two seasons with the Buckeyes, Fields tossed 63 touchdowns to only nine interceptions while throwing for over 5,300 yards. And oh, by the way, he rushed for 867 yards and 15 touchdowns to go along with that.

Fields joins a Bears quarterback room that features two veterans on the second half of their careers, and shouldn’t have a problem beating them out for the starting job in training camp. If, for some reason, Andy Dalton gets the start Week 1, it won’t be long until Fields gets his shot.

What Bears fans are about to see on the field is something the NFC North hasn’t seen from a Bears quarterback, ever.

The Bears might also have the second-best quarterback in the division very soon, here. Obviously, Aaron Rodgers still reigns supreme. But, Kirk Cousins and Jared Goff? They have their moments. I’ll put my money on Fields surpassing them both by Year 2, if not sooner.

This pick is a home run for Ryan Pace and lets the NFC North know that he means business. He knew his job was on the line, and this selection goes to show he’s not about to go out without a fight.

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Bears Draft: 3 bold predictions

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Fields may end up securing the job of not only Pace, but Matt Nagy, for a long time. The things Nagy can do within his offense, with Fields, is going to be a thing of beauty to watch. Finally, we can confidently say the Bears have a franchise quarterback. It’s been far too long.

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Chicago Bears put the NFC North on notice with trade for Justin Fields by Ryan Heckman

The Chicago Bears are known for messing everything up. They have had a terrible play at the quarterback position for a very long time. Now, we finally hope that it all changes for the foreseeable future. The Bears traded up to select Justin Fields of Ohio State University. He is going to come to Chicago and try to save the position for the first time in franchise history.

The Chicago Bears need Justin Fields to become great for them to save their franchise.

Justin Fields was known as the second-best quarterback in the draft going into the season. Only Trevor Lawrence was considered better than him but for some reason, he started to fall in this draft. Quarterbacks like Zach Wilson and Trey Lance went ahead of him. When the New York Giants came on the clock, it felt like a good partner for the Bears to move up.

They sent the Giants a big haul to get their guy. Fields finished in 7th place for the Heisman Trophy in a year where the Big Ten got off to a late start due to COVID-19. He played in 8 games where he completed 70 percent of his passes for 2100 yards. He had 22 touchdowns and six interceptions to round out a huge season. Now, he gets to come to Chicago to play.

He is going to try and save the jobs of both Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace. Both of them have been pretty lousy in their Bears tenure outside of one year. Pace has a bad record in the first round so it is up to Fields to change that. If he has a nice start to his career, many jobs will be saved.

Related Story: Aaron Rodgers leaving Green Bay would be a miracle

It will also help a lot of other players in the organization. There are some weapons there on offense that they are looking to develop further. Adding a kid like this under center is going to change everything. We can only hope that it works out the way that it has the potential to. We have ripped on the organization all offseason so far but they deserve credit for this one.

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The first 32 picks in the 2021 NFL Draft will go off the board tonight as the first round is held in Cleveland. The action starts at 7 p.m. CT with television coverage on ABC, ESPN and NFL Network.

The Jaguars opened the night with the first overall pick, which they used on Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who’s widely considered the best QB prospect in years. The Jets followed that up by taking BYU quarterback Zach Wilson, as expected, with the second overall pick.

The real mystery started with the third overall pick and the 49ers, who took North Dakota State’s Trey Lance after trading up earlier in the offseason. The Falcons took Florida tight end Kyle Pitts and Bengals landed LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase to round out the top five.

The results of the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft are below. This story will be updated with each pick.

2021 NFL Draft results

1. Jaguars — QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson
2. Jets — QB Zach Wilson, BYU
3. 49ers (from MIA via HOU) — QB Trey Lance, North Dakota State
4. Falcons — TE Kyle Pitts, Florida
5. Bengals — WR Ja’Marr Chase, LSU
6. Dolphins (from PHI) — WR Jaylen Waddle, Alabama
7. Lions — OT Penei Sewell, Oregon
8. Panthers — CB Jaycee Horn, South Carolina
9. Broncos — CB Patrick Surtain II, Alabama
10. Eagles (from DAL) — WR DeVonta Smith, Alabama
11. BEARS (from NYG) — QB Justin Fields, Ohio State
12. Cowboys (from PHI via MIA and SF) — ON THE CLOCK
13. Chargers
14. Vikings
15. Patriots
16. Cardinals
17. Raiders
18. Dolphins
19. Washington Football Team
20. Giants (from CHI)
21. Colts
22. Titans
23. Jets (from SEA)
24. Steelers
25. Jaguars (from LAR)
26. Browns
27. Ravens
28. Saints
29. Packers
30. Bills
31. Ravens
32. Buccaneers

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The sentencing hearing on the 23rd floor of the Dirksen Federal Courthouse made for an ignominious ending for a career that once prompted USA Today to ask, “Is this the future face of sports gambling?”

Rob Gorodetsky moved to Las Vegas to make something of his life, and he wound up turning himself into a “human meme,” his attorneys said.

He created the larger-than-life “Instagram persona” known as “Big Rob” who bet big, bought flashy cars and jewelry, enjoyed piles of cash and made his way into exclusive events with celebrities and models.

But they said Gorodetsky’s piles of cash never lasted long. He often had to sell the cars immediately. “Big Rob Style” was “a living lie,” they told a judge. And Thursday, U.S. District Judge Elaine Bucklo sentenced the 28-year-old Gorodetsky to 28 months in prison for wire fraud.

“You are very young,” Bucklo noted before handing down the sentence. “But it’s just a massive, massive fraud.”

The sentencing hearing on the 23rd floor of the Dirksen Federal Courthouse made for an ignominious ending for a career that once prompted USA Today to ask, “Is this the future face of sports gambling?”

A lengthy 2017 profile in the newspaper described Gorodetsky as having “emerged as one of the most compelling and controversial, albeit largely unknown, figures in sports.” It said Gorodetsky and his inner circle thought he could go on to be “America’s leading sports bettor.”

But that was before federal prosecutors filed charges against Gorodetsky in January 2020, accusing him of swindling $9.6 million out of a single investor between 2014 and 2018. Though the investor has not been named, he is described in court papers as a successful New Jersey ophthalmologist and the father of a onetime girlfriend of Gorodetsky’s.

Gorodetsky pleaded guilty shortly after the charges were filed. Before he was sentenced Thursday, Gorodetsky spoke to the judge in a voice that was barely audible inside the courtroom. He apologized to the investor he stole from, and he said there was “nothing I can say or do that will ever make it right.”

The feds say Gorodetsky falsely made himself out to be a successful day trader, convincing the investor to hand over $953,000 between February and July 2014 with the understanding that they would share in the profits from the investments Gorodetsky would make. Instead, prosecutors said Gorodetsky invested only $215,000 and put another $747,388 to other use.

And while Gorodetsky told the investor the $953,000 had grown to $2 million, the money Gorodetsky had sunk into an E-Trade account was worth less than $72,000 by July 2014, records show.

Still, Gorodetsky convinced the investor to hand over another $8.74 million between July 2014 and November 2017 for sports wagering. Prosecutors said Gorodetsky used more than $2.2 million of that on travel and entertainment, as well as a Rolls Royce, a Bentley, two Lamborghinis and watch and jewelry purchases in excess of $324,000.

Prosecutors also said Gorodetsky failed to report nearly $7 million between 2014 and 2017. And before he scammed his girlfriend’s father, they said he managed to talk $516,570 out of at least eight other investors between 2011 and 2012, putting $231,500 to his own use and losing the rest in trading.

Defense attorney Chris Gair wrote in a court memo last year that Gorodetsky began his life as an “incredibly shy child” who was introduced to poker in middle school and began to gamble whenever he had the opportunity. USA Today wrote that Gorodetsky went to New Trier High School in Winnetka, and Gair wrote that Gorodetsky was suspended from school “for taking his classmates’ money at poker games and setting up a gambling hall in high school.”

Gair wrote that the USA Today profile turned out to be Gorodetsky’s undoing, prompting investigations by the Nevada Gaming Commission and the FBI.

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Lawrence, the most unimpeachable draft prospect since Andrew Luck, was picked first overall, as expected, by the Jaguars.

A night primed for melodrama didn’t start that way.

Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence, the most unimpeachable draft prospect since Andrew Luck, was picked first overall, as expected, by the Jaguars. Lawrence has been the presumptive top pick for more than a year, prompting fan bases to implore their teams to “Tank for Trevor.” The Jaguars did just that, winning in Week 1 and not again.

One year after conducting its draft virtually, the NFL held Thursday’s first round in Cleveland, at an outdoor stage on the shore of Lake Erie. Fans were allowed to attend both the draft and its surrounding fan festival, albeit socially distanced and with masks.

The hours leading up to the draft provided an offseason’s worth of fireworks. Early Thursday afternoon, ESPN reported that Aaron Rodgers, the reigning MVP, wanted out of Green Bay. The Packers reportedly rebuffed a trade offer from the 49ers, who hold the No. 3 overall pick, for their star quarterback.

Rodgers was angered by the Packers’ drafting of Utah State quarterback Jordan Love in last year’s draft; he had hoped they’d give him a wide receiver in the first round for the first time in his career.

If Rodgers isn’t dealt during the draft, he’ll join a list of some of the NFL’s biggest stars who have, at least through intermediaries, shared their displeasure with their own teams. The Bears made a trade offer for Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, only for coach Pete Carroll to scuttle any movement.

Wilson’s agent told ESPN earlier this offseason that the Bears were one of four teams — the Raiders, Cowboys and Saints were the others — to which he’d accept a deal. Deshaun Watson has wanted out of Houston for most of the offseason, but the Texans quarterback’s future is complicated by accusations of sexual misconduct.

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Standing near where 13-year-old Adam Toledo was fatally shot by cops just two days before Alvarez was killed, Alvarez’s cousin detailed a list of questions she had about the shooting.

The family of Anthony Alvarez gathered with community activists Thursday in Little Village to demand answers about the 22-year-old’s fatal shooting at the hands of a Chicago police officer last month on the Northwest Side.

Standing in the parking lot near where 13-year-old Adam Toledo was fatally shot by police just two days before Alvarez was killed, Alvarez’s cousin, Roxana Figueroa, detailed a list of questions she had about the shooting — and rebutted a videotaped statement by police union President John Catanzara claiming it was “100% a good shooting.”

“He started his video not even knowing the right age of my cousin … you don’t even have his information correct,” Figueroa said. “He said that the first time Anthony fell … that closed the gap between the cops and Anthony, so why not just tase him? Why not just tackle him down? Why shoot him five times?

“We thought we were going to get more clarity on the case after watching the videos but it has brought nothing but more questions,” Figueroa added. “They said the day before that he had already fled from police in his vehicle. Why didn’t they run the plates and try to get a warrant for his arrest? Why did they have to go to that extent and shoot him?”

Activists also took the opportunity to announce plans for a May Day march on Saturday at Union Park.

“I am a mother, and I call on all the mothers of our communities to bring out their families to march and rally for the promise May 1,” said Cecilia Garcia, a member of the Right 2 Family and Family Reunification campaigns.

After the press conference, Anthony’s mother, Veronica Alvarez, remembered her son as a loving father to his 2-year-old daughter.

“Anthony loved to play soccer, but after he became a father he dedicated all his time to his baby. He was a great son, a great brother, a great father. He loved cooking, he loved everything. He didn’t deserve to die that way, he shouldn’t be dead at all,” Veronica said in Spanish.

She said she still hasn’t been able to tell her granddaughter about what happened to her father.

“She’s little, but we’ve been thinking about it and we don’t know how we’re going to tell her. She asks for her dad, grabs his photo, kisses it and asks to speak with him. It’s really painful,” Veronica said.

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