A 17-year-old boy killed a man in Austin after the pair argued and struggled over a gun, Cook County prosecutors said Wednesday.
Tyler Perkins fired two shots as he wrestled Ricard Soward for control of a .40-caliber handgun on Sept. 26, prosecutors said.
Soward, 20, suffered 12 gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene, in the 200 block of North Latrobe Avenue.
A fanny pack that Soward was wearing when he was killed contained a loaded .380-caliber handgun, but witnesses never saw him take the weapon out during the fight, prosecutors said.
Perkins and Soward had been a part of a larger group of friends that left a club in the city around 4 a.m. that morning, prosecutors said.
The two arrived on the Latrobe Avenue block in separate vehicles, but began arguing with each other outside a home, possibly over a relationship Perkins was having with the mother of Soward’s child, prosecutors said.
Multiple people saw Perkins waving around a gun as he argued with the unarmed Soward, prosecutors said. Soward rushed for the gun, causing both men to struggle and fall against a car before they tumbled onto the street, prosecutors said. That’s when the first two shots rang out.
Police couldn’t find witnesses who’d cooperate with their murder investigation until they received an anonymous tip in December identifying Perkins as the shooter, prosecutors said.
The tip helped investigators track down others who were on the block at the time of the shooting, including several witnesses who identified Perkins as the gunman and later testified before a grand jury, prosecutors said.
An arrest warrant against Perkins was issued earlier this month. He was taken into custody for Soward’s murder on Tuesday.
Perkins is a high school junior who lives with his father, as assistant public defender told Judge John F. Lyke Jr. Wednesday.
“I would also point out that the victim did have a loaded weapon on him,” the defense attorney added.
Lyke ordered Perkins held without bail.
“To allegedly stand over someone and pump 10 bullets in, for a total of 12 bullets, shocks the conscience,” the judge said.
A man was shot and killed Wednesday afternoon in Austin on the West Side, police said.
A gunman in a black Jeep fired shots at the man as he stood on a sidewalk in the 5500 block of West Corcoran Place, according to Chicago police.
The man, 25, was shot about 1 p.m. and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
The Cook County medical examiner’s office hasn’t released details.
Chicago police’s 15th District, which covers Austin, has reported 28 shootings this year through March 28, according to police statistics. That’s one less shooting than the district saw over the same period in 2020.
A coalition of worker rights organizations and legislative allies Wednesday urged passage of a state law that would bar employers from firing workers without good reason.
The proposal, dubbed the Secure Jobs Act, would overturn in Illinois a longstanding principle in force in almost all states — that jobs are given “at will” and can be withdrawn without liability. There are exceptions, however, including whether a union contract applies or whether the firing is otherwise illegal, such as because of discrimination.
The act’s proponents, organized by the Raise the Floor Alliance, said at-will rules unduly affect Black and Latino workers, who are often afraid of retaliation and are unlikely to complain to government agencies. They said the pandemic has worsened conditions for many low-wage workers.
“At-will employment is very clear. Workers can be fired for any or for no reason at all,” said state Rep. Carol Ammons, D-Urbana, lead sponsor of the bill in the House. In the Senate, the bill’s lead sponsor is Celina Villanueva, D-Chicago.
“At its core, this is a racial justice and economic justice issue that can no longer be ignored,” Villanueva said.
State Rep. Carol Ammons, D-UrbanaZoom
State Sen. Celina Villanueva, D-ChicagoZoom
Joining a virtual meeting about the legislation were three workers who said they were unjustly fired. Martha Rios said she lost a job as a school custodian when she complained about her hourly pay being shorted. “We face threats for fighting back and speaking up, and they try to force us to quit,” she said via a Spanish translator provided by the legislation’s backers.
Yolanda Gomez said she was fired from a day care provider when she objected that her $14-an-hour rate was reduced to $11. She said her boss threatened to report her to immigration officials.
“In the at-will employment system, workers are treated as disposable,” said Sophia Zaman, executive director of Raise the Floor.
The act would require employers to provide a written reason for terminations and progressive discipline to allow workers to improve. It would ban actions designed to force workers to quit, such as reducing hours, and would prevent companies from using electronic monitoring as evidence in employee discipline.
The state’s Labor Department would be authorized to investigate violations and mete out penalties.
The proposal might not be a priority for all labor organizations and is expected to draw determined opposition from business groups. The Chicago Federation of Labor had no comment on the legislation and the Illinois AFL-CIO had no immediate reaction.
The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce said in a bill analysis that the proposal would add new burdens on companies and subject them to lawsuits. The Illinois Chamber of Commerce could not immediately be reached.
A labor source said unions that form a powerful lobby in Springfield are satisfied with the many exceptions to the at-will rule and prefer to focus on other legislative priorities.
Zaman said several progressive unions such as SEIU Healthcare and the Chicago Teachers Union are backing the legislation. She said the group has “opened lines of communications” with other labor advocates.
The CFL and SEIU Healthcare have ownership stakes in Sun-Times Media.
Supporters, including the National Employment Law Project, said there are still too many loopholes that allow at-will firings.
They commissioned a survey by Hart Research Associates in which 37% of Illinois workers reported being fired for unfair reasons. Of those fired, 42% were given no reason, said the January survey of more than 800 people.
In the state House, the proposed act is HB3530 and has been assigned to the Rules Committee. In the Senate, SB2332 is in the Executive Committee. There are several co-sponsors in each chamber, all Democrats.
Both committees are traditional burying grounds for legislation, but Ammons said lawmakers are just now being alerted to the bills’ intent. She pointed to a House labor committee hearing Wednesday where various worker protections were discussed.
The National Council of State Legislatures has reported that the at-will doctrine applies in 49 states, the exception being Montana. It said most nations worldwide allow dismissals only for cause.
MINNEAPOLIS — To the prosecution, the witnesses who watched George Floyd’s body go still were regular people — a firefighter, a mixed martial arts fighter, a high school student and her 9-year-old cousin in a T-shirt emblazoned with the word “Love” — going about their daily lives when they happened upon the ghastly scene of an officer kneeling on a man’s neck.
“Normal folks, the bystanders,” prosecutor Jerry Blackwell called them in his opening statement. “You’re going to see these bystanders, a veritable bouquet of humanity.”
But some of the same people are being portrayed as unruly, angry, even threatening by Eric Nelson, the attorney for Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis officer charged with murder and manslaughter in Floyd’s death. Nelson has told the jury about the hostility the officers faced, how they were distracted and perhaps frightened by people at the scene — repeatedly describing the bystanders as a “crowd,” and calling the neighborhood a “high crime area.”
“As the crowd grew in size, seemingly so too did their anger,” Nelson said in his opening statement on Monday. “And remember, there’s more to the scene than just what the officers see in front of them. There are people behind them, there are people across the street, there are cars stopping, people yelling. There is a growing crowd and what officers perceive to be a threat.”
The carefully calibrated language by each side is no accident. As Nelson cross-examined Donald Williams, a former wrestler and a mixed martial arts fighter who has also worked security, he peppered his questions with the word “crowd”: “Have you ever had to deal with a crowd of people?” “Have you ever had to deal with a crowd of people that was upset?” and “Is it easier or harder to deal with a crowd that is upset?”
Video of the scene suggests something less than a crowd — around 15 people can be seen on surveillance video on the sidewalk in front of Cup Foods, where Chauvin pinned Floyd to the street. That camera shows Darnella Frazier, who made the most widely seen bystander video, walking past with her 9-year-old cousin, then returning to begin filming, one of the first people to stop and watch. Others gather, one by one.
A still image of body-camera footage from Officer Tou Thao, who was facing the bystanders and admonishing them to stay on the sidewalk, shows 14 people. At least five are female, including Frazier, her cousin and two teenagers. One bystander is a small child. At least three people have their phones out to capture the scene. Of the 14, only one — a teenage girl two steps into the street with her phone out — is off the sidewalk at that point, although the live video shows others stepping into the street at times.
Nelson has suggested there were others off camera — across the street and on the other side of the intersection — though the broadest camera view so far does not show a crowd at the intersection. He has also highlighted passing cars that may have heightened officers’ stress.
Mike Brandt, a local defense attorney closely watching the trial, said Nelson “obviously needs to come up with some explanation as to why the cops kept doing what they were doing.” He said he did not think it would be persuasive.
“When you look at the ‘crowd’ you have visions of two or three people deep fanning out 180 degrees (if not more) around the officers,” Brandt said. “That really wasn’t the case.”
Video shot by Frazier and others showed people upset by what they were seeing. Blackwell said bystanders first sought to “intercede with their voices,” then began taking video. Before long, some were imploring Chauvin to have mercy on Floyd.
“You got him down — let him breathe,” someone yelled. A woman said, “How long y’all going to hold him down?”
Concern grew when Floyd went silent. “He’s not responsive right now,” someone said. Onlooker Genevieve Hansen, a firefighter, urged officers to check his pulse. Another asked, “Did they (expletive) kill him?”
Hansen said she was on her way home from a walk when she saw the police vehicles.
“I was concerned to see a handcuffed man who was not moving, with officers with their whole body weight on his back, and a crowd that was stressed out,” she said.
She said she identified herself as a firefighter but officers refused to let her come to Floyd’s aid. She admitted raising her voice and using foul language “because I was desperate” to help Floyd. In cross-examination, Nelson asked her how she would react if she was fighting a fire and a crowd of bystanders took issue with her work. Hansen said she wouldn’t have a problem.
No bystander was more vocal than Williams, and Nelson worked to draw him out.
Nelson asked if Williams grew angrier as the arrest continued, and the mixed martial arts fighter agreed that he did. Nelson also noted that Williams called Chauvin names — “tough guy,” “real man.” He called him a “bum” 13 times. When Williams appeared to step off the curb and Thao touched him, Nelson said Williams threatened the officer.
Williams didn’t disagree.
“Yeah, I did,” he said without hesitation. “I meant it.” But he said his anger was directed at what was happening to Floyd.
“You can’t paint me out to be angry,” he told Nelson.
Frazier, too, was at the center of a notable exchange with Nelson. She confirmed to him that as time went on, more people gathered, voices became louder, and people got more angry.
But Blackwell followed up by asking Frazier whether anyone threatened police, became violent, acted unruly or could be fairly called a “mob.” No, she responded.
Did she see any onlooker “do anything to attack or threaten Mr. Chauvin?”
“No,” she replied.
“Did you see a single thing that indicated to you that Mr. Chauvin was afraid of you, your little cousin or a single one of the bystanders?” Blackwell asked.
The Cubs’ Marquee Sports Network announced Wednesday it has reached an agreement with streaming service FuboTV, giving it a second over-the-top provider one day before Opening Day. Marquee had been available only on AT&T TV among streamers.
FuboTV is a sports-focused service with about 90 channels, including local channels, 30 of the top 35 cable channels and regional sports networks, according to the website The Streamable, which tracks and reports on the steaming industry.
“We are thrilled to have fuboTV offering Marquee Sports Network to Cubs fans. FuboTV has prioritized live sports, and we look forward to them carrying Cubs baseball all season long,” Marquee Sports Network general manager Mike McCarthy said.
FuboTV normally costs $64.99 per month and offers add-on packages. In the Chicago market, all subscribers will pay an additional $6 regional sports fee. In the coming weeks, Marquee will be available in fuboTV’s basic English language channel package in the Chicago area and surrounding regions, including Indianapolis, South Bend, Indiana, and Des Moines, Iowa.
In Chicago, FuboTV already carries ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, Telemundo and Univision affiliates, as well as ESPN, FS1, CBS Sports Network, Big Ten Network, MLB Network, NBA TV, NFL Network and NHL Network among many others.
According to the company, it had 548,000 paid subscribers at the end of 2020, representing a 73% year-over-year increase and exceeding its expectations of up to 510,000 subscribers by the end of the year. AT&T TV reported it had 656,000 subscribers in September.
Hulu Live TV (4 million), YouTube TV (3 million) and Sling TV (2.47 million) are the top three live-TV streaming services in terms of subscribers. Marquee, which is owned jointly by the Cubs and Sinclair, was on Hulu Live TV last season but was dropped in October.
RSNs have had problems appearing on the top streaming services. The 19 former Fox regional sports networks that Sinclair owns – which were rebranded as Bally Sports on Wednesday – also aren’t on Hulu, YouTube or Sling. They’re only on AT&T TV.
Streaming services differentiate themselves from cable and satellite providers by their price. They generally have one tier of programming, and because they don’t have the volume of channels that cable and satellite do, they cost much less. They also rarely have the RSN fees that accompany linear TV.
Marquee and other RSNs can’t cut the streamers a break because of what’s called a “most favored nation” clause, which prevents programmers from giving one provider a better deal than another. Also, programmers such as Sinclair don’t have the leverage with streamers that they do with other providers. In fact, Hulu dropped Sinclair’s 23 CBS affiliates for six weeks before reaching an agreement in January.
Fubo launched as a soccer streaming service in 2015 and began broadcasting all sports in 2017 before becoming a virtual multichannel video programming distributor (vMVPD).
LARGEST LIVE-TV STREAMING SERVICES IN U.S. (most recent reports)
Not to drag new Cubs starting pitcher Zach Davies into this, but his assessment of the team’s rotation the other day probably won’t keep many opposing hitters up at night.
“People talk about how it’s not a great group of starters, or whatnot, just because of velocity and strikeouts and whatever,” he said in a video conference with reporters. “I’ll take five guys that are going to work their ass off in the rotation and compete every single game, compared to guys with just pure stuff.”
Well, sure, hard work and competitiveness are good things. But is there really any selling a Cubs rotation without any oohs-and-aahs arms — without a Yu Darvish — as good enough or well-rounded enough? Isn’t having both the willingness and the whiplash-inducing stuff the key to the whole operation?
But this column is off to a terrible start because it’s Opening Day at Wrigley Field and we’re supposed to be happy and hopeful. Kyle Hendricks will be on the mound against the Pirates, and he is the very embodiment of what Davies described. There’s nothing lacking in Hendricks. OK, maybe 8-10 mph, but who’s counting?
This Cubs season could be all about believing in what you don’t see. You don’t see any pitchers who look like typical aces. You don’t see a third baseman in Kris Bryant who resembles his MVP self anymore. You don’t see Bryant and fellow infield stars Javy Baez and Anthony Rizzo knowing where their futures stand with the organization in this, the mother of all walk years.
You don’t see the new left fielder, Joc Pederson, looking especially different in any way from the old left fielder, Kyle Schwarber. You don’t see Pederson’s new team, the Cubs, looking anywhere near as potent as his old team, the world champion Dodgers.
You don’t see 90-plus-win expectations surrounding the Cubs.
“We don’t care about that, honestly,” pitcher Jake Arrieta said. “That’s it, really. … It’s irrelevant.”
It’s as irrelevant as you want it to be. You can believe whatever you want to believe. Or not believe whatever you don’t want to believe. That’s the beauty of Opening Day.
And speaking of the weather, is it true what the hardy folks say about it being merely a state of mind? I have my doubts. I’m expecting to scan an 80% empty ballpark on a day with temperatures in the 30s and see several thousand freezing, miserable fans asking one another, “Did we really miss live baseball this much? What the hell were we thinking?”
But what do I know? Those same fans might gaze at the green grass through the icicles in their eyelashes and be stirred deep in their souls by how gorgeous and wonderful it is. They might even look at all the things that aren’t there with these Cubs and nevertheless, powered by positive thinking, see another World Series on the horizon. Talk about Opening Day magic.
Soon, the weather will be more suitable for baseball by anyone’s definition. A smart, crafty Cubs rotation could flourish. Bryant could bounce all the way back. Bryant, Baez and Rizzo could sign extensions. Maybe at least one of the three? Pederson could homer nonstop like he did during spring training. The Cubs could rise as the Dodgers fall.
Possible? It depends how you see things. Are the stands 80% empty or are they 20% full?
Pass the hot chocolate. Even if it’s already cold.
Pat Nabong/Sun-TimesChicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks at a West Pullman neighborhood news conference Wednesday morning.
Illinois’ COVID-19 uptick took another step up Wednesday as Chicago’s “quantum leap” in cases raised more concerns of a potential third surge of the virus, officials said.
Another 2,592 residents across the state were diagnosed with the virus among 77,727 tests, which lowered Illinois’ average positivity rate to 3.3%, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.
But that key metric has shot up 57% overall in under three weeks, while COVID-19 hospitalizations have jumped 24% over the same time frame. More than 1,400 beds were occupied by coronavirus patients Tuesday night, the most the state’s hospitals have treated since Feb. 24.
1:04 p.m. Pfizer says its COVID-19 vaccine protects younger teens
Pfizer announced Wednesday that its COVID-19 vaccine is safe and strongly protective in kids as young as 12, a step toward possibly beginning shots in this age group before they head back to school in the fall.
Most COVID-19 vaccines being rolled out worldwide are for adults, who are at higher risk from the coronavirus. Pfizer’s vaccine is authorized for ages 16 and older. But vaccinating children of all ages will be critical to stopping the pandemic — and helping schools, at least the upper grades, start to look a little more normal after months of disruption.
In a study of 2,260 U.S. volunteers ages 12 to 15, preliminary data showed there were no cases of COVID-19 among fully vaccinated adolescents compared to 18 among those given dummy shots, Pfizer reported.
It’s a small study, that hasn’t yet been published, so another important piece of evidence is how well the shots revved up the kids’ immune systems. Researchers reported high levels of virus-fighting antibodies, somewhat higher than were seen in studies of young adults.
11:53 a.m. 26 Chicago restaurants chosen for DoorDash accelerator program
Geri Hernandez’s restaurant, Savory Crust Gourmet Empanadas, switched to solely takeout and delivery in October 2020 as the pandemic put a major strain on the costs of its branches in Morton Grove and Carol Stream.
As a small business “you’re hanging on a thread anyway,” said Hernandez, the CEO and co-founder. “When the pandemic hit, I thought we were done, that we were going to close. It was a scary time, scary for the whole year. Even now, you don’t know what’s going to happen, there’s a lot of uncertainty.”
Savory Crust is one of 26 Chicago-area restaurants picked to participate in DoorDash’s inaugural Main Street Strong Accelerator Program.
In all, 100 restaurants nationwide will receive a $20,000 grant, access to training support through an eight-week hands-on restaurant operator course that involves small business advising and mentorship, one-on-one financial, legal, and technological expert advice as well as free marketing and merchandising from DoorDash.
More than three-quarters of the Chicago-based restaurants picked for the program are owned by women, 92% by people of color and nearly 40% by immigrants.
Ms. B’s Kitchen & Catering owner and manager Tawanda Stange said she applied to the program for the financial assistance and the additional support services that come with the training, as well as access to the communities and networks of other restaurant owners participating.
“I was super excited. I’m still really excited. I really need this,” Stange said. “Just being involved in something like this will give me the extra push I need to take my business to another level, with confidence.”
10 a.m. City opening mass vaccination sites at Wrigley conference center, Chicago State
Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times
Chicago will open two new mass vaccination sites on Monday — one at Chicago State University, the other at a conference center adjacent to Wrigley Field.
The decision to open two more mass vaccination sites in addition to the one already operating in a United Center parking lot comes just one day after the city expanded vaccine eligibility to include all essential workers and adults with underlying medical conditions, excluding smokers.
The Wrigley Field site will be at the American Airlines Conference Center at Gallagher Way, the open-air plaza adjacent to the stadium. The Cubs play their home opener on Thursday.
It will be operated by Advocate Aurora Health and have the capacity to administer roughly 2,000 daily doses of the coronavirus vaccine, by appointment only. Appointments will be posted on zocdoc.com/vaccine later this week with additional appointments added each day.
Chicagoans also will be able to book appointments by phone; details on that process will be announced in the coming days. There will be no on-site registration.
9:50 a.m. Reopening retreat: State’s move into less restrictive ‘bridge phase’ pushed back as cases rise, hospital beds fill
Reopening plans are being pushed back in Illinois as COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations rise yet again statewide, public health officials announced Tuesday.
With 70% of seniors vaccinated with at least one dose, the state had been on pace to see some business restrictions lifted this week under Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s “bridge phase” before a full reopening by May.
Not so anymore, as coronavirus cases mount and more people head to hospitals with the deadly respiratory disease. The governor’s intermediate reopening plan also required hospitalizations to “hold steady or decline over a 28-day monitoring period.”
That count has risen almost daily since hitting a one-year low of 1,082 beds occupied by COVID-19 patients March 12. A total of 1,396 beds were taken up Monday night — the most since late February.
“As long as new hospital admissions continue to increase, the state will not advance to the Bridge Phase and on to Phase 5 of the Restore Illinois Plan,” officials from the Illinois Department of Public Health said in a statement. “The number of cases of COVID-19 has seen an increasing trend as well. Health officials continue to urge all residents to continue to mask up, socially distance, and avoid crowds to reduce transmission and bring the metrics back in line to transition to the Bridge Phase.”
The state also reported 86,812 vaccine doses were administered Monday. About 105,040 shots are going into arms every day.
Analysis & Commentary
9:52 a.m. I didn’t expect ‘doom’ to be so exhausting
“Impending doom.”
I read the words aloud to my wife.
“Now there’s a phrase that you just don’t see very much,” I continued. “I wonder if other things ‘impend.’ Or is it just doom?”
She started to read something on her phone. The winds buffeted the old house, which groaned like a clipper ship rounding the Horn Monday night, as we fished the internet for news which, despite an upswing in positive developments — vaccines rolling out more and more, weather improving, that ship stuck in the Suez Canal finally freed — suddenly seems grim.
“The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned of ‘impending doom’ from a potential fourth surge of the pandemic,” I read. “CDC director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, appeared to fight back tears as she pleaded with Americans to ‘hold on a little while longer’ and continue following public health advice, like wearing masks and social distancing, to curb the virus’s spread.”
When government officials start to cry, that’s usually bad, right? Despite everything that’s gone on for the past … ah … year plus, the people in charge do not generally weep.
Chicago police’s 15th District, which covers Austin, has reported 28 shootings this year.
A man was shot and seriously wounded Wednesday afternoon in Austin on the West Side.
A gunman in a black Jeep fired shots at the man as he stood on a sidewalk in the 5500 block of West Corcoran Place, according to Chicago police.
The man, 25, was shot about 1 p.m. and taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, police said.
Chicago police’s 15th District, which covers Austin, has reported 28 shootings this year through March 28, according to police statistics. That’s one less shooting than the district saw over the same period in 2020.
Chicago will open two new mass vaccination sites on Monday — one at Chicago State University, the other at a conference center adjacent to Wrigley Field.
The decision to open two more mass vaccination sites in addition to the one already operating in a United Center parking lot comes just one day after the city expanded vaccine eligibility to include all essential workers and adults with underlying medical conditions, excluding smokers.
The Wrigley Field site will be at the American Airlines Conference Center at Gallagher Way, the open-air plaza adjacent to the stadium. The Cubs play their home opener on Thursday.
It will be operated by Advocate Aurora Health and have the capacity to administer roughly 2,000 daily doses of the coronavirus vaccine, by appointment only. Appointments will be posted on zocdoc.com/vaccine later this week with additional appointments added each day.
Chicagoans also will be able to book appointments by phone; details on that process will be announced in the coming days. There will be no on-site registration.
1:04 p.m. Pfizer says its COVID-19 vaccine protects younger teens
Pfizer announced Wednesday that its COVID-19 vaccine is safe and strongly protective in kids as young as 12, a step toward possibly beginning shots in this age group before they head back to school in the fall.
Most COVID-19 vaccines being rolled out worldwide are for adults, who are at higher risk from the coronavirus. Pfizer’s vaccine is authorized for ages 16 and older. But vaccinating children of all ages will be critical to stopping the pandemic — and helping schools, at least the upper grades, start to look a little more normal after months of disruption.
In a study of 2,260 U.S. volunteers ages 12 to 15, preliminary data showed there were no cases of COVID-19 among fully vaccinated adolescents compared to 18 among those given dummy shots, Pfizer reported.
It’s a small study, that hasn’t yet been published, so another important piece of evidence is how well the shots revved up the kids’ immune systems. Researchers reported high levels of virus-fighting antibodies, somewhat higher than were seen in studies of young adults.
11:53 a.m. 26 Chicago restaurants chosen for DoorDash accelerator program
Geri Hernandez’s restaurant, Savory Crust Gourmet Empanadas, switched to solely takeout and delivery in October 2020 as the pandemic put a major strain on the costs of its branches in Morton Grove and Carol Stream.
As a small business “you’re hanging on a thread anyway,” said Hernandez, the CEO and co-founder. “When the pandemic hit, I thought we were done, that we were going to close. It was a scary time, scary for the whole year. Even now, you don’t know what’s going to happen, there’s a lot of uncertainty.”
Savory Crust is one of 26 Chicago-area restaurants picked to participate in DoorDash’s inaugural Main Street Strong Accelerator Program.
In all, 100 restaurants nationwide will receive a $20,000 grant, access to training support through an eight-week hands-on restaurant operator course that involves small business advising and mentorship, one-on-one financial, legal, and technological expert advice as well as free marketing and merchandising from DoorDash.
More than three-quarters of the Chicago-based restaurants picked for the program are owned by women, 92% by people of color and nearly 40% by immigrants.
Ms. B’s Kitchen & Catering owner and manager Tawanda Stange said she applied to the program for the financial assistance and the additional support services that come with the training, as well as access to the communities and networks of other restaurant owners participating.
“I was super excited. I’m still really excited. I really need this,” Stange said. “Just being involved in something like this will give me the extra push I need to take my business to another level, with confidence.”
9:50 a.m. Reopening retreat: State’s move into less restrictive ‘bridge phase’ pushed back as cases rise, hospital beds fill
Reopening plans are being pushed back in Illinois as COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations rise yet again statewide, public health officials announced Tuesday.
With 70% of seniors vaccinated with at least one dose, the state had been on pace to see some business restrictions lifted this week under Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s “bridge phase” before a full reopening by May.
Not so anymore, as coronavirus cases mount and more people head to hospitals with the deadly respiratory disease. The governor’s intermediate reopening plan also required hospitalizations to “hold steady or decline over a 28-day monitoring period.”
That count has risen almost daily since hitting a one-year low of 1,082 beds occupied by COVID-19 patients March 12. A total of 1,396 beds were taken up Monday night — the most since late February.
“As long as new hospital admissions continue to increase, the state will not advance to the Bridge Phase and on to Phase 5 of the Restore Illinois Plan,” officials from the Illinois Department of Public Health said in a statement. “The number of cases of COVID-19 has seen an increasing trend as well. Health officials continue to urge all residents to continue to mask up, socially distance, and avoid crowds to reduce transmission and bring the metrics back in line to transition to the Bridge Phase.”
The state also reported 86,812 vaccine doses were administered Monday. About 105,040 shots are going into arms every day.
Analysis & Commentary
9:52 a.m. I didn’t expect ‘doom’ to be so exhausting
“Impending doom.”
I read the words aloud to my wife.
“Now there’s a phrase that you just don’t see very much,” I continued. “I wonder if other things ‘impend.’ Or is it just doom?”
She started to read something on her phone. The winds buffeted the old house, which groaned like a clipper ship rounding the Horn Monday night, as we fished the internet for news which, despite an upswing in positive developments — vaccines rolling out more and more, weather improving, that ship stuck in the Suez Canal finally freed — suddenly seems grim.
“The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned of ‘impending doom’ from a potential fourth surge of the pandemic,” I read. “CDC director, Dr. Rochelle Walensky, appeared to fight back tears as she pleaded with Americans to ‘hold on a little while longer’ and continue following public health advice, like wearing masks and social distancing, to curb the virus’s spread.”
When government officials start to cry, that’s usually bad, right? Despite everything that’s gone on for the past … ah … year plus, the people in charge do not generally weep.
The largest firehouse in Chicago history — and the first new multi-apparatus facility in decades on the Far South Side — opened for service Wednesday despite Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s once-bitter feud with the local alderman.
The $30 million, 27,000-square-foot firehouse at 1024 W. 119th St. that will serve as the new headquarters for Engine Co. 115 is a personal and very emotional triumph for Ald. Carrie Austin (34th).
She has campaigned for a new firehouse for 16 years and feared that Lightfoot’s election might bring that crusade to a dead-end.
After all, Lightfoot dumped Austin as chairman of the City Council’s Budget Committee in retaliation for Austin’s decision to support Toni Preckwinkle in the 2019 mayoral runoff.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot greets Ald. Carrie Austin (34th) on Wednesday at Engine Co. 115’s new firehouse in the West Pullman neighborhood.Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
“When our mayor came into office, I was the first one [to start begging], ‘Ma’am, please don’t let my fire station go to waste.’ She did not. She had just as much compassion … for this station to be a reality,” Austin said.
“I knew that when we had our groundbreaking and she came out. The weather wasn’t so favorable to us. It was very cold. But she came and stood with us to make this station a reality.”
Choking back tears, Austin said, “We fought hard for this. … And I’m grateful that it is a reality. Mayor Lightfoot, I cannot thank you enough for the blessing that you’ve given to my community. … Right down the street is the Salvation Army [center]. That was our only safe haven. Now, we have the city of Chicago [creating] a safe haven for the people of this community.”
Austin noted that during her most recent health scare, she was treated by an ambulance from Engine Co. 115.
“The young man said, ‘Alderman, you’re in good hands. When you see somebody that you recognize and you’ve fallen, that means a lot. The same company did their best to save my husband. The same company in 1994 did their best to save Lemuel. And here it is, Lemuel’s widow. You did your best to get me to safety,” Austin said.
Lightfoot offered what she called a “friendly amendment” to Austin’s praise.
“I didn’t give this firehouse to the residents of this ward and these communities. … I ran on a pledge to make sure that I would see the entirety of the whole city. Not just the downtown and the North Side,” the mayor said.
“This community has been neglected for way too long. Residents here pay their taxes, work hard and deserved to benefit from their hard-earned tax dollars like any other resident across our city. So we are here to fulfill the aspirations and the needs of the people in this community. And I am grateful to be a part of it.”
Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks to Chicago Fire Commissioner Richard C. Ford II on Wednesday after cutting a ribbon for a new firehouse with Ald. Carrie Austin (34th).Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
The grand opening came just in time for retiring Fire Commissioner Richard C. Ford II.
His mandatory retirement, at the age of 63, takes effect Friday.
Ford noted the new single-story firehouse includes a radio communications tower that will enhance data and voice communications, greatly reducing dead spots that hampered operations in the past.
“This firehouse is beautiful, state of the art, and what the community from the Far South Side has needed for more than a couple of decades. And more importantly, what it deserves. We’re replacing a combined, 300 years of facilities,” Ford said.
“Because of its location and amenities, this new firehouse will allow a more efficient use of resources for personnel on the South and Southeast Sides. … Our communications are markedly improved because of the equipment being installed. … Nothing can lead to tragedy more than a gap in communication, and this new facility will help enhance communications for both the police and fire departments.”
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