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Chicago Riverwalk begins reopening: See what opens today and moreon April 9, 2021 at 3:02 pm

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Chicago Riverwalk begins reopening: See what opens today and more

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Will the pandemic stigmatize an entire generation of children?on April 9, 2021 at 3:21 pm

The Barbershop: Dennis Byrne, Proprietor

Will the pandemic stigmatize an entire generation of children?

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Infant critically hurt in Jane Byrne Interchange crashon April 9, 2021 at 1:56 pm

An infant was critically hurt in a Friday morning crash that shut down the Jane Byrne Interchange ramp from the northbound Dan Ryan to westbound Eisenhower.

Four adults were also injured in the two-car crash, which happened about 7 a.m., according to preliminary information from Illinois State Police spokeswoman Elizabeth Clausing.

The ramp from Interstate 94 northbound to Interstate 290 westbound remained closed for an investigation, Clausing said.

A citizen attempted to drive the infant to the hospital themselves, but then pulled over and awaited an ambulance, which took the infant in critical condition to Stroger Hospital, according to Chicago fire spokesman Larry Merritt.

Merritt said four other adults, three male and one female, were taken in either fair or serious condition to Stroger and Mount Sinai Hospitals.

Additional details weren’t immediately available.

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CPD moves to fire officers involved in shooting of unarmed man on Red Line platformon April 9, 2021 at 2:00 pm

The Chicago Police Department is moving to fire two officers involved in the shooting of an unarmed man last year on a busy CTA Red Line platform.

Administrative charges were filed Tuesday against Officers Melvina Bogard and Bernard Butler that allege the shooting was unnecessary and that the officers engaged in an “unjustified action.”

Federal authorities also have opened a criminal investigation into the high-profile police shooting.

The Civilian Office of Police Accountability completed its investigation in October and sent its recommendations to police Supt. David Brown.

The officers confronted Ariel Roman after they saw him walking between train cars — in violation of CTA rules — on a northbound Red Line train.

A bystander’s video of the officers struggling with Roman before Butler tells Bogard to “shoot him” quickly drew harsh criticism.

An evidentiary hearing will be held in the case before it is ultimately decided by the Chicago Police Board, a process that can take several years.

The officers, who were both assigned to the CPD Mass Transit Unit, are also accused of violating police rules that prohibit “disrespect or maltreatment of any person” and “incompetency or inefficiency in the performance of duty.”

Shortly after 4 p.m. Feb. 28, 2020, Bogard shot Roman, 34, on a platform of the Grand Red Line station.

The Grand station is among the busiest in the CTA rail system, and the shooting occurred just as Friday evening rush was beginning.

Roman got off the train at Grand and was followed by the two officers. Bogard and Butler tried to arrest him at the foot of the stairs leading up to the station’s main concourse, but Roman struggled with Butler and was eventually able to stand up. Video footage showed two deployed stun guns laying on the station’s floor.

Following her partner’s order to open fire, Bogard fired once at Roman while he stood just a few feet away at the base of the stairs. Roman ran up the escalator, and Bogard fired again.

Roman was wounded once in the hip and once in the buttocks. He was taken into custody and briefly faced resisting arrest and narcotics charges. The charges were later dropped. Roman has undergone several surgeries, and one of the bullets is still lodged near his sciatic nerve, according to his attorneys.

Less than two weeks after he was shot, Roman filed a federal lawsuit against Bogard, Butler and the city.

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CPD moves to fire officers involved in shooting of unarmed man on Red Line platformon April 9, 2021 at 2:00 pm Read More »

Breaking down Week 4’s top high school football gameson April 9, 2021 at 2:10 pm

No. 6 Marist at No. 11 Nazareth, noon Saturday

Nazareth’s roster is a lot different than expected because of the pandemic. Players have moved out of state to play, graduated early or did both (quarterback JJ McCarthy, a national champ last fall at IMG Academy and early enrollee at Michigan). But the Roadrunners (2-0) still have plenty of talent, including by four-star receiver Tyler Morris. Coastal Carolina-bound quarterback Dontrell Jackson Jr. leads Marist (2-1), which is playing a third straight high-profile game after beating neighborhood rival Brother Rice and falling to Mount Carmel the past two weeks.

No. 21 Hillcrest at No. 1 Loyola, 3 p.m. Saturday

One of the unexpected consequences of COVID-era football is on-the-fly scheduling of intriguing replacement games that never would happen in a typical season. This north suburban/south suburban matchup is a good example. Hillcrest (3-0) has one of the state’s premier backs in Minnesota recruit Mar’Keise Irving. Loyola (3-0) faces its fourth straight ranked opponent after earning wins over St. Rita, Mount Carmel and Brother Rice. Vaughn Pemberton’s running and a throwback defense have been among the keys to the Ramblers’ success.

No. 16 Wheaton North at St. Charles North, 6:30 p.m. Friday

The second half of the DuKane Conference season kicks off with a good one. Wheaton North (3-0) is solid now and will be even better this fall, with sophomore linebacker Ross Dansdill sparking the defense and a bunch of junior playmakers — quarterback Mark Forcucci and running back Brayton Maske among them — on offense. St. Charles North (2-1), the only team to test Batavia this season, is experienced with 17 starters back. Receiver/defensive back Jordan Nubin will be a preferred walk-on at Minnesota.

No. 8 Naperville Central at No. 20 DeKalb, 2 p.m. Saturday

It’s been a scramble in the DuPage Valley Conference, with the three top teams (Naperville Central, DeKalb and Neuqua Valley) playing only four of nine scheduled league games so far. That raises the stakes for this one between the Redhawks (3-0, 1-0) and Barbs (2-0, 2-0). Naperville Central has some gamebreakers on offense, including a pair of juniors: four-star receiver Reggie Fleurima, a Northwestern recruit, and running back Antonio Torres. Tucker Ikens , Toriano Tate and Trenton Kyler have combined for seven rushing TDs in two games for DeKalb.

Wauconda at Antioch, 7 p.m. Friday

The winner of this matchup of 3-0 teams has an inside track to the Northern Lake County Conference title. Antioch coach Brian Glashagel might have his best team ever — and he’s had four clubs go unbeaten in the regular season. Minnesota-bound brothers Athan and Dino Kaliakmanis, a quarterback and receiver respectively, lead a potent offense. Wauconda has a productive quarterback in senior Nick Bulgarelli.

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5 seriously hurt in Stony Island Avenue crashon April 9, 2021 at 2:20 pm

Five people were seriously injured in a traffic crash Friday morning in the Calumet Heights neighborhood.

A car occupied by three people in their 20s struck another car about 7:30 a.m. at Stony Island Avenue and 87th Street, according to preliminary information from Chicago police.

Two women in the other car, ages 70 and 63, were gravely injured in the crash, according to preliminary information from police.

Three others, all in their 20s, were taken to hospitals in serious condition, according to police and Chicago fire spokesman Larry Merritt.

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5 Things to Do This Weekend in Logan Squareon April 7, 2021 at 3:11 pm

Thinking of making a change? Do you wish you could walk to the park in 5 minutes, or that there was somewhere just around the corner to grab good coffee? Logan Square has no shortage of things to do, convenient public transit, pleasant side streets, and parks. If you’re are debating about moving to the city, we have compiled a list of attractions and parks you need to be familiar with in Logan Square.

California and Milwaukee

The intersection itself is pretty busy, but the neighborhood surrounding is a great place to be. There’s a Blue Line stop here for extremely convenient transportation, and you’ll only be a few minutes east of Palmer Square Park and south of Haas (Joseph) Park. Within just the Fullerton-California-Milwaukee triangle, you’ll find the excellent vegetarian Chicago Diner, cafe and music venue Cafe Mustache, and the Revolution Brewpub. 

Though Logan Boulevard (which loops around the park) is widely considered to be a harrowing driving experience, the area both in and around Logan Square Park is beautiful and full of things to do. Coffee shops and eateries like New Wave Coffee and Longman & Eagle line nearby streets, and Logan Theatre is just steps away. Art gallery and music venue Comfort Station maintains a small but mighty presence in the park itself. Transportation is easy here, with the Logan Square Blue Line stop sitting just north of the park.

Kedzie and Armitage

Another intersection that’s hopping on a Friday night, Kedzie and Armitage is adjacent to relatively quiet, tree-lined residential streets. If you’re searching for things to do in Logan Square, walk northeast of here and you’ll run into pleasant spots like the Whipple Community Garden amid the apartments and houses. Northwest, Maple Playlot Park sits just off of Spaulding. When you want to liven things up, Scofflaw will be sitting right on the southwest corner waiting for you, and the 606 Trail is just a few blocks south.

Living in the area that sits north of North Avenue, south of the 606 (and de Burgos Park), east of Kedzie and west of Humboldt Boulevard, you’ll be surrounded by green spaces while tucked into a quiet residential area. Not only is the 606 Trail extremely close, but Humboldt Park (encompassing Humboldt Park Lagoon, basketball courts, tennis courts, a bird and butterfly sanctuary, and more) is just across North Avenue. 

This area of Logan Square overlaps with parts of Belmont Gardens and Irving Park, and guarantees a sizable green space within easy walking distance of tons of places to live. A little further from the highway and the Blue Line, Kosciuszko Park and its surrounding neighborhood provide plenty of things to do (including La Catrina and Brew Brew Coffee) without quite so much hustle and bustle.

Featured Image Credit: Time Out

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Chicago Bulls pick up third straight win over the Toronto Raptorson April 9, 2021 at 1:15 pm

(Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
(Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

The Chicago Bulls picked up their third straight win on Thursday night against the Toronto Raptors, winning 122-113.

A run of wins seems to be in place for the Bulls now that their offense and rotations are filling out. Bulls fans saw a lot of positive things from their win on Thursday night.

  1. Garrett Temple was the only notable player left out of the game due to injury, still dealing with his hamstring issue.
  2. Head coach Billy Donovan only played nine total players. Lauri Markkanen, Troy Brown, Daniel Theis, and Coby White were the four to come off the bench.
  3. The Raptors had just eight available players, who all played. Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet, and Rodney Hood headlined the eight missing players.
  4. The cutting offense worked extremely well for the Bulls. The team was able to put up 35 assists on the night, 16 of them coming in the first half. Zach LaVine attributed a team-high 13 assists, which is a career-high with the Bulls.
  5. Post-ups continue to be a high-volume asset to their offense. Vucevic, Theis, and Markkanen all worked extremely well in the post on offense. They received many feeds inside the paint and went to work on the Raptors’ frontcourt. Vucevic embraced many double teams.
  6. My last article alluded to the fact that Markkanen and White should start putting up better figures off the bench. They did just that. Markkane had 18 points and four rebounds on 80 percent shooting. White had 15 points, three rebounds, and one assist on 50 percent shooting.
  7. Daniel Theis recorded his first double-double with the Bulls — recording 14 points and 10 rebounds. The bench put up 47 points from three players, shooting 19/29 from the field.
  8. The offense dominated from every aspect of the field. The Bulls shot made one more shot from distance than the Raptors, shooting 40 percent from downtown. They also dominated in the paint, winning that battle 64-56 in points in the paint.
  9. LaVine and Nikola Vucevic worked plenty off each other on the pick-and-roll. LaVine ended the night with 22 points, shooting 50 percent from the field, and tacking 13 assists. Vucevic also put in 22, making 9/19 field goals and adding seven rebounds and four assists.
  10. Brown showed excellent flashes of strong defense, guarding OG Anunoby in the second half of the game. He even posted one block on him.
  11. Chris Boucher was unstoppable from all over the floor. He put up a whopping 38 points, shooting 58.3 percent from the field.
  12. The Bulls’ struggles to close games still haunt them, even with an injured and rebuilding Raptors team. The Raptors were able to cut their once 22-point lead down to seven in the fourth quarter. The Bulls turned the ball over 11 times in the second half.
  13. LaVine scored the Bulls’ last five of seven points, scoring a driving layup and a contested three-point shot to put the nail in the coffin. His will-to-win is unmatched and the need for his clutch factor is still dramatically high.
  14. The Bulls forced the Raptors to miss three straight shots during the Raptors’ comeback in the fourth quarter. While the Bulls let their foot up off the gas for a moment, they regained and took over.
  15. The Raptors are now three games behind the Bulls, leaving the Bulls a comfortable spot in 10th place in the Eastern Conference — enough for them to see a play-in tournament spot.
Related Story: Chicago Bulls: Lauri Markkanen and Coby White are key to success

The Bulls will travel to Atlanta to take on the Hawks on Friday night. The Hawks are fifth in the Eastern Conference standings and have won four of their last five games. Clint Capela and Danilo Gallinari and are questionable for the game. John Collins appears to be out.

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Chicagoans speak out on how anti-Asian violence coupled with the pandemic have affected their mental health (LIVE UPDATES)on April 9, 2021 at 1:08 pm

The latest

Kaylee Cong, 32, whose Vietnamese father was attacked, poses for a portrait outside a nail spa she manages in the Logan Square neighborhood, Saturday afternoon, March 27, 2021.
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times

The coronavirus pandemic sparked a mental health crisis. For Asians and Asian Americans also facing a rise in hate incidents across the country, it’s been “trauma upon trauma,” says Anne Saw, a Chicago psychologist.

“A lot of our communities are experiencing so many pandemic stressors that are then compounded by a lot of anti-Asian discrimination that we’re also experiencing,” says Saw, who teaches at DePaul University and directs the Chicago Asian American Psychology Lab.

“It’s tough to, like, get your head above water and get some room to breathe when every day we’re confronted with new traumas,” she says.

We talked to seven Chicagoans about how anti-Asian violence coupled with the pandemic have affected their mental health and their everyday lives. Among them was Kaylee Cong, 32, of Uptown, who manages a nail spa.

On March 20, four days after the Atlanta shootings, Cong says, her 60-year-old Vietnamese father was punched in the head as he walked alone that night near Broadway and West Ainslee Street. He turned to run, saw a white man holding a baseball bat watching him and called 911.

“We’re really scared,” says Cong, who’d been talking with her father about the Georgia shootings the day before he was attacked. “What if the person come back and do revenge? My entire life living here, it was so peaceful. There was no violence like this.”

She says her father hasn’t wanted to leave the house since that happened.

Older Asian Americans “just want to keep quiet and don’t want to make waves,” Cong says. “I have really different mentality. We deserve to, you know, feel safe. And we shouldn’t be afraid to stand up for ourselves.”

Read the stories of six more Chicagoans we spoke to here.

News

8:08 a.m. Spike in COVID-19 cases causes University of Chicago to announce stay-at-home period for students

University of Chicago announced a stay-at-home period for students Wednesday evening following the largest COVID-19 outbreak at the university since the start of the academic year.

After more than 50 cases of the coronavirus were detected among undergraduates in recent days, the university announced that students living on-campus must observe a week-long stay-at-home period immediately.

“We expect this number to increase,” university officials said in an email sent to members of the university community Thursday.

All undergraduate classes will be fully remote for at least a week starting Thursday and students can only leave their residence halls for food, medical appointments and short walks for exercise.

Read the full story from Zinya Salfiti here.

New cases and vaccination numbers

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