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This week’s high school basketball scheduleon February 15, 2021 at 6:55 pm

Please send updates and corrections to [email protected]

Monday, February 15, 2021

BIG NORTHERN

Dixon at Winnebago, 7:00

Mendota at Genoa-Kingston, 7:00

North Boone at Byron, 7:00

Oregon at Rockford Lutheran, 7:00

Rockford Christian at Stillman Valley, 7:00

CATHOLIC – CROSSOVER

De La Salle at Leo, 7:00

Marmion at St. Laurence, PPD

Montini at Fenwick, 2-16 PPD

Providence at Mount Carmel, 2-18 PPD

Providence-St. Mel at DePaul, CNL

St. Ignatius at St. Rita, 2-16 PPD

St. Joseph at Brother Rice, PPD

LITTLE TEN

DePue at LaMoille-Ohio, 7:00

Earlville at Hinckley-Big Rock, 2-20 PPD

Indian Creek at Leland, 3-10 PPD

Serena at Newark, 7:00

Somonauk at Hiawatha, PPD

NORTHEASTERN ATHLETIC

Christian Life at Schaumburg Christian, 7:30

Harvest Christian at South Beloit, 6:00

Our Lady Sacred Heart at Alden-Hebron, 5:30

Parkview Christian at Christian Liberty, 7:30

RIVER VALLEY

Gardner-So. Wilmington at Donovan, 7:00

SOUTH SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Argo at Thornton Fr. North, PPD

Lemont at Eisenhower, 12:00

Oak Lawn at Hillcrest, 12:00

Reavis at Bremen, PPD

Shepard at Thornton Fr. South, 6:00

NON CONFERENCE

Dwight at Marquette, 7:00

Elgin at IC Catholic, 7:00

Evanston at Loyola, 2:30

Flanagan-Cornell at Yorkville Christian, PPD

Hersey at Maine South, 3:00

HRK HmSch at Westlake Christian, 7:30

Lake Forest at Carmel, PPD

Rock Falls at DeKalb, 7:00

Stevenson at Lake Forest Academy, 6:00

Waubonsie Valley at St. Charles East, 4:00

Wheaton Academy at Christ the King, 6:30

Tuesday, February 16, 2021

CATHOLIC – CROSSOVER

Montini at Fenwick, 7:00

St. Ignatius at St. Rita, 7:15

CENTRAL SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Maine West at Maine South, 8:00

Vernon Hills at Niles West, 7:30

Deerfield at Glenbrook North, 7:30

Highland Park at Glenbrook South, 7:30

Niles North at New Trier, CNL

Maine East at Evanston, 7:30

DU PAGE VALLEY

DeKalb at Waubonsie Valley, 7:00

Metea Valley at Neuqua Valley, PPD

Naperville Central at Naperville North, 7:00

EAST SUBURBAN CATHOLIC

Benet at Carmel, 7:00

Marian Catholic at Nazareth, 7:00

Marian Central at St. Viator, 7:00

Marist at Joliet Catholic, 7:00

Notre Dame at St. Patrick, 7:00

FOX VALLEY

Cary-Grove at Hampshire, 7:00

Crystal Lake Central at Prairie Ridge, 7:00

Huntley at Crystal Lake South, 7:00

Jacobs at Burlington Central, 7:00

McHenry at Dundee-Crown, 7:00

ILLINOIS CENTRAL EIGHT

Coal City at Herscher, 7:00

Lisle at Manteno, 7:00

Reed-Custer at Peotone, 7:00

Wilmington at Streator, 6:45

KISHWAUKEE RIVER

Harvard at Marengo, 7:30

Woodstock at Johnsburg, 7:30

Woodstock North at Richmond-Burton, 7:30

METRO SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Aurora Christian at Westmont, 7:30

Chicago Christian at St. Edward, 7:30

IC Catholic at Ridgewood, CNL

Riverside-Brookfield at Elmwood Park, 6:00

St. Francis at McNamara, 7:30

Timothy Christian at Aurora Central, 7:30

MID-SUBURBAN – EAST

Elk Grove at Wheeling, PPD

Hersey at Buffalo Grove, 7:30

Rolling Meadows at Wheeling, 7:30

MID-SUBURBAN – WEST

Conant at Barrington, 7:30

Hoffman Estates at Palatine, 7:30

Schaumburg at Fremd, 7:30

NIC – 10

Belvidere at Harlem, 7:30

Belvidere North at Auburn, 7:30

Freeport at Boylan, 7:30

Jefferson at Hononegah, 7:30

Rockford East at Guilford, 7:30

NORTHEASTERN ATHLETIC

Christian Liberty at Harvest Christian, 6:00

NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY

Grant at Wauconda, 7:00

Grayslake North at Antioch, 6:15

North Chicago at Lakes, 6:45

Round Lake at Grayslake Central, 7:15

RIVER VALLEY

Beecher at Illinois Lutheran, 7:00

Donovan at Grace Christian, 5:30

Gardner-So. Wilmington at Grant Park, 7:00

St. Anne at Tri-Point, 7:00

SANGAMON VALLEY

Dwight at Clifton Central, 7:30

Momence at Cissna Park, 7:00

Paxton-Buckley-Loda at Watseka, 7:30

SOUTH SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Evergreen Park at Tinley Park, 5:00

Oak Forest at Richards, 6:30

SOUTHLAND

Rich at Crete-Monee, 4:30

Thornton at Bloom, 5:00

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE – EAST

Joliet West at Joliet Central, 7:00

Plainfield Central at Romeoville, 7:00

Plainfield South at Plainfield East, 7:00

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE – WEST

Minooka at Yorkville, 7:00

Oswego at Oswego East, 7:00

West Aurora at Plainfield North, 7:00

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN – BLUE

Homewood-Flossmoor at Sandburg, 6:15

Lockport at Bolingbrook, 6:30

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN – RED

Bradley-Bourbonnais at Andrew, 6:45

Stagg at Lincoln-Way West, 6:30

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Lincoln-Way Central at Lincoln-Way East, 6:30

TRI-COUNTY

Lowpoint-Washburn at Henry-Senachwine, 5:30

Midland at Putnam County, 7:00

Seneca at Roanoke-Benson, 7:00

Woodland at Marquette, 7:00

Henry-Senachwine at Roanoke-Benson, 7:00

UPSTATE EIGHT

Bartlett at Streamwood, 7:30

Elgin at Glenbard East, 7:30

Glenbard South at West Chicago, 7:30

WEST SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Addison Trail at Hinsdale Central, 7:30

Downers Grove North at Downers Grove South, 7:

Hinsdale South at York, 7:00

Leyden at Proviso West, 6:30

Morton at Oak Park-River Forest, 7:00

Proviso East at Lyons, 6:00

Willowbrook at Glenbard West, 7:00

Wednesday, February 17, 2021

BIG NORTHERN

Byron at Rockford Christian, 7:00

Dixon at North Boone, 7:00

Genoa-Kingston at Stillman Valley, 7:00

Rock Falls at Mendota, 7:15

Winnebago at Oregon, 7:00

CATHOLIC – CROSSOVER

Brother Rice at St. Ignatius, 7:00

DePaul at De La Salle, PPD

Fenwick at Providence, 7:00

Leo at Providence-St. Mel, 7:00

Loyola at Marmion, PPD

Mount Carmel at Montini, 7:00

St. Rita at St. Joseph, 7:00

CHICAGO PREP

Rochelle Zell at Christ the King

DU KANE

Geneva at St. Charles North, 7:00

Glenbard North at Batavia, 7:00

Lake Park at Wheaton North, 7:00

Wheaton-Warr. South at St. Charles East, 7:00

ILLINOIS CENTRAL EIGHT

Streator at Herscher, 7:00

INTERSTATE EIGHT

Ottawa at LaSalle-Peru, 6:00

Plano at Morris, 6:00

Sandwich at Rochelle, 6:00

Sycamore at Kaneland, 6:00

LITTLE TEN

DePue at Newark, 7:00

Hiawatha at Earlville, 6:45

Serena at LaMoille-Ohio, 7:00

Somonauk at Indian Creek, 6:45

Leland at Hinckley-Big Rock, 6:45

NORTH SUBURBAN

Mundelein at Libertyville, 8:00

Warren at Stevenson, at Woodlawn MS, 7:30

Waukegan at Lake Forest, 7:30

Zion-Benton at Lake Zurich, 7:30

RIVER VALLEY

St. Anne at Beecher, 7:00

Tri-Point at Grace Christian, 7:00

SOUTH SUBURBAN – BLUE

Bremen at Oak Forest, 5:30

Lemont at Hillcrest, 5:00

SOUTH SUBURBAN – RED

Eisenhower at Argo, 6:00

Richards at Shepard, 6:00

SOUTH SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Oak Lawn at Thornton Fr. South, 7:00

Reavis at Tinley Park, 6:00

Thornton Fr. North at Evergreen Park, 7:30

NON CONFERENCE

Georgetown-RidgeFarm at Watseka, 7:30

Northridge at Lake Forest Academy, 6:00

Northridge at Nazareth, 7:00

Riverside-Brookfield at St. Laurence, 7:15

West Aurora at Neuqua Valley, 7:00

Westlake Christian at Christian Heritage, 6:30

Westminster Christian at Yorkville Christian, 7:00

Thursday, February 18, 2021

CATHOLIC – CROSSOVER

Providence at Mount Carmel, 7:00

NIC – 10

Boylan at Belvidere North, 7:30

Harlem at Auburn, 7:30

Hononegah at Guilford, 7:30

Jefferson at Belvidere, 7:30

Rockford East at Freeport, 7:30

NORTHEASTERN ATHLETIC

Christian Life at Harvest Christian, 6:00

Our Lady Sacred Heart at Schaumburg Christian, 5:

Parkview Christian at Alden-Hebron, 7:30

South Beloit at Christian Liberty, 7:30

NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY

Grant at Antioch, 6:45

Grayslake Central at North Chicago, 7:00

Lakes at Grayslake North, 6:45

Round Lake at Wauconda, 6:45

SOUTHLAND

Thornridge at Kankakee, 7:00

Thornton at Rich, 5:00

Thornwood at Crete-Monee, 4:30

UPSTATE EIGHT

Fenton at Larkin, 7:30

NON CONFERENCE

Iroquois West at Armstrong-Potomac, 7:30

Prairie Central at Dwight, 7:00

South Elgin at Bartlett, 7:30

Friday, February 19, 2021

BIG NORTHERN

Mendota at Winnebago, 7:00

North Boone at Rock Falls, 7:00

Oregon at Byron, 7:00

Rockford Christian at Genoa-Kingston, 7:00

Stillman Valley at Rockford Lutheran, 7:00

CATHOLIC – CROSSOVER

De La Salle at Brother Rice, 7:00

Marmion at Mount Carmel, 7:00

Montini at Loyola, 6:30

Providence at St. Laurence, 7:15

Providence-St. Mel at St. Rita, 7:00

St. Joseph at Leo, 7:00

CENTRAL SUBURBAN – NORTH

Maine West at Maine East, 5:30

Niles North at Deerfield, 5:30

Vernon Hills at Highland Park, 5:30

CENTRAL SUBURBAN – SOUTH

Maine South at Niles West, 5:30

Glenbrook North at Evanston, 5:30

Glenbrook South at New Trier, 5:30

CHICAGO PREP

Walther Christian at Hope Academy, 6:30

DU PAGE VALLEY

Naperville Central at DeKalb, 7:00

Naperville North at Metea Valley, 7:00

Waubonsie Valley at Neuqua Valley, 7:00

EAST SUBURBAN CATHOLIC

Benet at Marian Central, 7:00

Carmel at Nazareth, 7:00

Joliet Catholic at St. Patrick, 7:00

Marian Catholic at St. Viator, 7:00

Marist at Notre Dame, 7:00

FOX VALLEY

Crystal Lake South at McHenry, 7:00

Dundee-Crown at Crystal Lake Central, 7:00

Hampshire at Burlington Central, 7:00

Huntley at Jacobs, 7:30

Prairie Ridge at Cary-Grove, 7:00

ILLINOIS CENTRAL EIGHT

Herscher at Wilmington, 7:00

Lisle at Reed-Custer, 6:45

Manteno at Coal City, 7:00

Streator at Peotone, 7:00

INTERSTATE EIGHT

Kaneland at LaSalle-Peru, 6:00

Ottawa at Morris, 6:00

Rochelle at Plano, 6:00

Sycamore at Sandwich, 6:00

KISHWAUKEE RIVER

Johnsburg at Woodstock, 7:30

Marengo at Harvard, 7:30

Richmond-Burton at Woodstock North, 7:30

LITTLE TEN

Hiawatha at Indian Creek, 6:45

Hinckley-Big Rock at DePue, 7:00

LaMoille-Ohio at Earlville, 7:00

Newark at Leland, 7:00

Serena at Somonauk, 7:00

METRO SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Aurora Central at Aurora Christian, 7:30

Elmwood Park at Timothy Christian, 7:00

McNamara at Wheaton Academy, 7:30

Ridgewood at St. Francis, CNL

St. Edward at Riverside-Brookfield, 7:00

Westmont at IC Catholic, 7:30

MID-SUBURBAN – EAST

Buffalo Grove at Elk Grove, 7:30

Rolling Meadows at Hersey, 7:30

Wheeling at Prospect, 7:30

MID-SUBURBAN – WEST

Conant at Hoffman Estates, 7:30

Fremd at Barrington, 7:30

Palatine at Schaumburg, 7:30

NORTHEASTERN ATHLETIC

Schaumburg Christian at Christian Liberty, 7:30

RIVER VALLEY

Gardner-So. Wilmington at St. Anne, 7:00

Grace Christian at Grant Park, 7:00

Illinois Lutheran at Donovan, 7:00

Tri-Point at Beecher, 5:30

SANGAMON VALLEY

Cissna Park at Watseka, 7:30

Clifton Central at Momence, 7:00

Iroquois West at Paxton-Buckley-Loda, 7:00

SOUTH SUBURBAN – BLUE

Hillcrest at Tinley Park, 5:00

Oak Forest at Lemont, 7:00

Thornton Fr. South at Bremen, 5:00

SOUTH SUBURBAN – RED

Argo at Reavis, 7:30

Eisenhower at Evergreen Park, 7:30

Shepard at Oak Lawn, 6:00

SOUTH SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Richards at Thornton Fr. North, 6:00

SOUTHLAND

Crete-Monee at Thornton, 5:00

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE – EAST

Joliet Central at Plainfield Central, 7:00

Joliet West at Plainfield South, 7:00

Romeoville at Plainfield East, 7:00

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE – WEST

Minooka at West Aurora, 7:00

Oswego East at Plainfield North, 7:00

Yorkville at Oswego, 7:00

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN – BLUE

Bolingbrook at Sandburg, 6:15

Lincoln-Way East at Lockport, 6:30

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN – RED

Andrew at Lincoln-Way Central, 6:30

Stagg at Bradley-Bourbonnais, 6:45

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Lincoln-Way West at Homewood-Flossmoor, 6:30

TRI-COUNTY

Lowpoint-Washburn at Putnam County, 5:30

Marquette at Seneca, 7:00

Woodland at Midland, 7:00

UPSTATE EIGHT

Bartlett at Elgin, 7:30

East Aurora at Fenton, 7:30

Larkin at West Chicago, 7:30

South Elgin at Glenbard South, 7:30

Streamwood at Glenbard East, 7:30

WEST SUBURBAN – GOLD

Downers Grove South at Proviso East, 7:00

Morton at Hinsdale South, 7:00

Willowbrook at Addison Trail, 7:00

WEST SUBURBAN – SILVER

Hinsdale Central at York, 7:00

Oak Park-River Forest at Downers Grove North, 7:3

Proviso West at Glenbard West, 7:00

WEST SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Leyden at Lyons, 6:00

NON CONFERENCE

Mundelein at Round Lake, at Magee MS, 7:00

Northridge at Chicago Christian, 7:30

Orr at Christ the King, 7:30

Saturday, February 20, 2021

CATHOLIC – CROSSOVER

St. Ignatius at DePaul, 7:00

CENTRAL SUBURBAN – NORTH

Deerfield at Niles North, 4:00

Highland Park at Vernon Hills, 4:00

Maine East at Maine West, 4:00

CENTRAL SUBURBAN – SOUTH

Niles West at Maine South, 4:00

Evanston at Glenbrook North, 4:00

New Trier at Glenbrook South, 4:00

DU KANE

Batavia at Geneva, 6:00

Lake Park at Glenbard North, 6:00

St. Charles North at St. Charles East, 6:00

Wheaton North at Wheaton-Warr. South, 6:00

ILLINOIS CENTRAL EIGHT

Herscher at Peotone, 11:30

Manteno at Wilmington, 12:30

Streator at Reed-Custer, 3:15

INTERSTATE EIGHT

Morris at LaSalle-Peru, 1:00

LITTLE TEN

Earlville at Hinckley-Big Rock, 10:00

METRO SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Aurora Central at Riverside-Brookfield, 4:00

Elmwood Park at Chicago Christian, 5:30

McNamara at IC Catholic, 1:30

Ridgewood at Aurora Christian, CNL

St. Edward at Wheaton Academy, 7:30

Westmont at Timothy Christian, 6:00

MID-SUBURBAN CROSSOVER

Barrington at Rolling Meadows, 7:30

Conant at Elk Grove, 7:30

Fremd at Prospect, 7:30

Hoffman Estates at Wheeling, 7:30

Palatine at Buffalo Grove, 7:30

Schaumburg at Hersey, 7:30

NIC – 10

Auburn at Freeport, 1:00

Belvidere at Rockford East, 1:00

Belvidere North at Harlem, 1:00

Boylan at Hononegah, 1:00

Jefferson at Guilford, 1:00

NORTH SUBURBAN

Libertyville at Lake Forest, 3:00

Mundelein at Lake Zurich, 3:00

Stevenson at Zion-Benton, 3:00

Warren at Waukegan, 3:00

NORTHEASTERN ATHLETIC

Harvest Christian at Alden-Hebron, 1:00

South Beloit at Our Lady Sacred Heart, 12:00

RIVER VALLEY

Illinois Lutheran at Grant Park, 7:00

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE – EAST

Plainfield Central at Joliet West, 7:00

Plainfield East at Joliet Central, 7:00

Plainfield South at Romeoville, 7:00

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE – WEST

Oswego at Minooka, 7:00

Plainfield North at Yorkville, 7:00

West Aurora at Oswego East, 7:00

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Andrew at Bolingbrook, 12:45

Lockport at Stagg, 10:00

Sandburg at Lincoln-Way West, 12:00

TRI-COUNTY

Lowpoint-Washburn at Midland, 1:00

Putnam County at Marquette, 2:30

Roanoke-Benson at Woodland, 2:30

Seneca at Henry-Senachwine, 2:30

WEST SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Glenbard West at Lyons, 12:00 (Non-Conf)

Glenbard West vs. Hinsdale South, at Lyons, 1:00

Hinsdale South at Lyons, 2:00

Proviso East at Hinsdale Central, 12:00

NON CONFERENCE

Benet at Naperville North, 2:30

Hinckley-Big Rock at Oregon, 7:00

Lakes at Carmel, TBA

Naperville Central at Glenbard East, 4:00

Neuqua Valley at Burlington Central, TBA

Northridge at Walther Christian, 4:30

Notre Dame at Fenwick, 6:00

Prairie Ridge at Plano, 6:00

Schurz at Christ the King, 3:30

South Elgin at Jacobs, 1:30

St. Joseph at Nazareth, 3:30

Tolono Unity at Paxton-Buckley-Loda, 3:30

Tri-Point at Iroquois West, 7:00

Watseka at Bismarck-Henning-RA, 7:30

Woodstock at Elgin, 1:00

Read More

This week’s high school basketball scheduleon February 15, 2021 at 6:55 pm Read More »

High school basketball scoreson February 15, 2021 at 7:02 pm

Monday, February 15, 2021

BIG NORTHERN

Dixon at Winnebago, 7:00

Mendota at Genoa-Kingston, 7:00

North Boone at Byron, 7:00

Oregon at Rockford Lutheran, 7:00

Rockford Christian at Stillman Valley, 7:00

CATHOLIC CROSSOVER

De La Salle at Leo, 7:00

Marmion at St. Laurence, ppd.

Montini at Fenwick, ppd. (NEW DATE: 2/16)

Providence at Mount Carmel, ppd. (NEW DATE: 2/18)

Providence-St. Mel at DePaul, ppd.

St. Ignatius at St. Rita, ppd. (NEW DATE: 2/16)

St. Joseph at Brother Rice, ppd.

Niles North at Highland Park, 1:00

LITTLE TEN

DePue at LaMoille-Ohio, 7:00

Earlville at Hinckley-Big Rock, ppd. (NEW DATE: 2/20)

Indian Creek at Leland, ppd. (NEW DATE: 3/10)

Serena at Newark, 7:00

Somonauk at Hiawatha, ppd.

NORTHEASTERN ATHLETIC

Christian Life at Schaumburg Christian, 7:30

Harvest Christian at South Beloit, 6:00

Our Lady Sacred Heart at Alden-Hebron, 5:30

Parkview Christian at Christian Liberty, 7:30

RIVER VALLEY

Gardner-So. Wilmington at Donovan, 7:00

SOUTH SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Hillcrest 61, Oak Lawn 27

Lemont 57, Eisenhower 46

Argo at TF North, ppd.

Reavis at Bremen, ppd.

Shepard at TF South, ppd.

NONCONFERENCE

Dwight at Ottawa Marquette, 7:00

Elgin at IC Catholic, 7:00

Evanston at Loyola, 2:30

Flanagan-Cornell at Yorkville Christian, ppd.

Hersey at Maine South, 3:00

Lake Forest at Carmel, ppd.

Rock Falls at DeKalb, 7:00

Stevenson at Lake Forest Academy, 6:00

Waubonsie Valley at St. Charles East, 4:00

Wheaton Academy at Christ the King, 6:30


Many schools livestream games on the NFHS Network, which often charges fans to watch. However, several local schools stream games on their own that are free to watch. Some schools do all the games, some just home games and some select games.

If your school streams games, please send a link to the channel or home page to [email protected]. Here’s a list of all the schools that have submitted links so far.

RELATED

High school basketball livestreams

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High school basketball scoreson February 15, 2021 at 7:02 pm Read More »

COVID a killer for the obese: ‘Like pouring gasoline on top of a fire’on February 15, 2021 at 7:31 pm

When the Rev. Robert Biekman was diagnosed with COVID-19 last month, he couldn’t help but think what would have happened if he had still weighed more than 360 pounds — realizing how his condition four years ago would have hurt his ability to fight the virus and potentially cost him his life.

“If I was as big as I was, this thing would’ve probably taken me out,” said Biekman, 61, who after a 2017 surgery, change in diet and a commitment to run 5 miles every other day, now keeps his weight around 190 pounds or less. He recovered from the virus and now tests negative.

Biekman used to weigh 360 pounds.
Provided

Obesity is a killer in Black communities, contributing to heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and all causes of death. It’s among the factors making heart disease the No. 1 cause of death among Black men in the U.S.

The pandemic exposed another deadly threat from obesity: A higher risk of complications or death from COVID-19.

After old age, underlying health conditions often spurred by being overweight or obese contribute the most to complications and death in COVID patients, U.S. health officials say. Obesity can triple the risk of being hospitalized with COVID and the risk of death rises with higher measures of body fat. The reasons range from poor lung function to suppressed immune systems from related health conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes.

Cook County Medical Examiner records list obesity as a contributing cause for 760 COVID deaths through January 10, or about 1 in 11 of the more than 8,500 deaths for that period.

The data also reveals a trend among younger people who have died. Those who are 40 or under account for only 2.5% of COVID deaths. However, almost 40% of the death records for that group indicate obesity was a contributing cause of death.

All demographic groups impacted

Obesity is a major health concern across all demographic groups in the U.S. About 40% of Blacks, 30% of whites and 34% of Hispanics are considered obese, U.S. health data show. Obesity is defined by a metric known as body mass index, or BMI, which calculates a score based on weight and height. A person who is 5-foot-9 and weighs 203 pounds or more would be considered obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

In Chicago and Cook County, it’s a problem that’s pushed health providers and Black community leaders to wage war on obesity. Blacks make up about 23% of the county population, yet account for 38% of the COVID deaths with obesity as a contributing factor, records show.

As the season of Lent approaches, the Rev. Otis Moss III, senior pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ on the South Side, urges his 7,500 members to honor the holy period with healthy living, including weekly adherence to nutritious eating.

“It’s part and parcel of our mission and our vision,” Moss said. “One of the things we worked very hard on is not only healthy choices but diet, exercise, spiritual and emotional state of health.”

Promoting healthy living is “part and parcel” of the mission at the Rev. Otis Moss III’s church Trinity United Church of Christ.
Provided

During Lent in 2019, more than 40 members of Trinity United, encouraged by Moss, agreed to eat only a plant-based diet while a team of doctors monitored them. Examining blood samples, researchers found that in just five weeks of eating a plant-based diet the participants not only lost weight, they showed metabolic evidence of improved cardiovascular health.

“They lost a lot of weight, their risk factors went down, all the metabolic markers improved,” said study researcher Dr. Kim Williams Sr., chief of cardiology at Rush University Medical Center. “We made a difference.”

Dr. Terry Mason, former Cook County chief medical officer and a member of Trinity United who helped conduct the research, said the doctors hope to run an even larger study of at least 200 people in the future.

Williams and Mason, both vegans, promote the merits of eating only plant-based foods and avoiding processed and sugar-loaded items. Both have been stressing the vegan lifestyle for more than 20 years, and both men are worried about the impact diet has on the health of Black Chicagoans.

Preventative care, including exercise and healthy eating, is a better approach than “maintenance” through medicines, Williams said.

“If we were to follow that, we’d fight coronavirus better, we’d fight cardiovascular disease better and we wouldn’t have this problem in the African-American community so much,” Williams said.

Dr. Kim Williams, who heads cardiology at Rush University Medical Center, encourages a vegan diet.
Provided

Because of its impact on already stressed organs in the body of obese people, COVID-19 is just the latest bad outcome from poor eating habits, Mason said.

“Imagine it’s like pouring gasoline on top of a fire when you have COVID,” Mason said. “It creates these horrific situations in our bodies. That’s why most of these people who died from COVID, most of them have these underlying issues. If we really want to get to the core of the problem, we have to change what we eat.”

Even patients who are overweight just enough to be at the low end of being classified obese can face complications from COVID, said Dr. Holly Lofton, an obesity medicine specialist at NYU Langone Health in New York.

The more obese the patient, even procedures such as medical imaging and placement of breathing tubes can be difficult. What’s more, the more belly fat a patient carries can put pressure on the lungs, she said.

“Many people with obesity carry more fat around the midsection, which pushes up on the lungs,” Lofton said. “Patients can’t expand their lungs enough and that can very quickly lead to respiratory failure and death.”

Even slight obesity can create complications for COVID patients, Dr. Holly Lofton says.
Provided

The pandemic exposed discrimination in the U.S. health system. COVID is ravaging Black communities, disproportionately infecting and killing more people than in white neighborhoods. This is happening for a number of reasons, including a lack of access to medical care and overall poor health.

Funding sought to improve access to healthy foods

There are two major initiatives to improve health care on the city’s South and West sides, which are each seeking millions of dollars in state funding. Both efforts stress preventive health care and the West Side initiative proposes spending health care dollars to build a grocery store and boost access to healthy foods.

In a number of the city’s Black neighborhoods, convenience stores sometimes substitute for grocers but lack nutritious food options.

“There’s access to food but not food that’s beneficial to a child’s growth,” Moss said.

Both Moss and Biekman have been involved in forming the South Side initiative, illustrating the role of religious leaders.

Biekman, who is now an executive with the Metropolitan Chicago Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, lost his weight when he was a pastor at Maple Park United Methodist Church on the South Side.

At the time, he openly talked with his congregation about the decision to address his obesity and transform his health, a discussion that inspired some of his church’s members, he said.

“With the faith community, we journey together,” he said.

Contributing: Caroline Hurley

Brett Chase’s reporting on the environment and public health is made possible by a grant from The Chicago Community Trust.

Rev. Biekman’s weight loss has inspired some others in his church to do the same, he said.
Ashlee Rezin Garcia/Sun-Times

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Rivers Casino evacuated after kitchen fire; 1 taken to a hospitalon February 15, 2021 at 5:05 pm

One person was taken to a hospital after Rivers Casino in Des Plaines was evacuated Sunday for a fire on the property.

Firefighters extinguished a blaze about 10 p.m. in the Hugo’s Frog Bar kitchen cooking ventilation system and the rooftop, the Des Plaines Fire Department said in a statement.

One evacuated patron requested medical assistance and was treated and taken to Lutheran General Hospital with a non-life-threatening issue, the department said.

It was unclear if the injury was fire-related.

Damage was isolated to the kitchen hood and duct and a portion of the roof, the department said. There was also slight water damage.

A casino spokesman called it a “small late night kitchen fire.” Guests and employees were evacuated from the casino.

“We thank the Des Plaines Fire Department for their quick work and for working with Rivers and the Illinois Gaming Board on our reopen plan,” the casino said in a statement.

The casino reopened Monday morning but the restaurant remained closed, the fire department said.

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Eight of the area’s elite teams will participate in season-ending high school basketball tournamenton February 15, 2021 at 3:56 pm

The Chicago area’s top high school basketball teams may not have a state championship to play for at the end of this abbreviated season. But there will be a chance to play each other with something on the line in a tournament format.

While high school basketball is finally being played again, Covid-19 has wreaked havoc on the sport over the past 12 months. But former New Trier and Fenwick coach Rick Malnati went to work to try and find something for several of the state’s top teams to look forward to in 2021.

Malnati announced there will be a season-ending tournament the weekend of March 12-13, featuring eight highly-ranked teams: DePaul Prep, Evanston, Fenwick, Mundelein, Notre Dame, Simeon, St. Patrick and Young.

Currently those eight teams are all ranked among the top 10 teams in the Sun-Times Super 25 rankings, including the top six teams.

Malnati, who has worked as an analyst the past two years while doing high school basketball games on television with WCIU-The U, began brainstorming when he heard there could be a season. Regardless of the length of the season, Malnati believed creating a postseason opportunity to play for something was important.

He reached out to several coaches of top teams to gauge the interest. The response was pretty overwhelming and the process began.

“I thought it would be great to somehow create an ending to whatever season would be played,” said Malnati. “So when I talked with the coaches and told them, they said, ‘If there is a season, we are in.'”

While the logistics are still being ironed out in terms of tournament format and an official site, the plan is to have four quarterfinal games played on Friday, March 12, followed by the semifinals early the next day. The championship game will be played Saturday night. All the games will be streamed online.

Notre Dame was a team that was competing for a state championship last March and began the season ranked No. 1 in the Chicago area. Coach Kevin Clancy welcomes the idea of the tournament and calls it a “carrot at the end of the year” for a team with such high hopes and expectations.

“Winning conference is a priority and a goal for us, especially this season,” said Clancy. “This adds another dimension. This is a chance to play and compete at a high level, for our kids to be challenged while playing against some of the best teams and top talent in the state.”

Young is accustomed to playing in high-profile events across the country in preparation for a state championship run in March. This year it will have to settle for an end-of-the-season opportunity to play some of the best the state offers in an eight-team field.

“My overriding thought relates to the kids and having something for them to look forward to,” said Young coach Tyrone Slaughter. “There are no championships, really, to play for in this truncated season. This allows kids to have a chance to play quality opponents and against great coaches and players with one team being crowned champion.”

Although Malnati would have loved to have had a chance for an expanded tournament and included more teams, it just wasn’t possible with all the obstacles due to the pandemic and regulations.

“You make the most of what you can do, and I think this is a great opportunity for at least some of the teams,” said Malnati.

There were certain teams throughout the Chicago area who were unable to compete in the tournament due to either school district or conference policies and protocols. Geographically, the travel factor of playing teams within 30 miles was also a hinderance for a few teams.

“This should be a lot of fun for these teams,” said Malnati.

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