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No injuries in Chatham fireSun-Times Wireon January 8, 2021 at 4:01 pm

File photo

Fire crews were called Friday morning to a home near 85th Street and Drexel Avenue.

No one was hurt in a fire Friday morning in Chatham on the South Side.

Fire crews were called about 4 a.m. to a home near 85th Street and Drexel Avenue, according to Chicago fire spokesman Larry Merritt.

The fire was quickly extinguished and there were no transports to hospitals, he said.

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No injuries in Chatham fireSun-Times Wireon January 8, 2021 at 4:01 pm Read More »

The winningest high school basketball programs of the decade: No. 26 FenwickJoe Henricksenon January 8, 2021 at 4:37 pm

Fenwick’s Jacob Keller (1) and Mike Smith (21) talk during a free throw.
Fenwick’s Jacob Keller (1) and Mike Smith (21) talk during a free throw. | Sun-Times file photo

The Sun-Times is counting down the 50 high school basketball programs with the most wins during the decade.

When high school basketball fans think back to the 1980s, programs like Quincy, Providence St. Mel, East St. Louis Lincoln and the arrival of city powers King and Simeon are easy to think back on.

The 1990s brought us memorable basketball giants in Peoria Manual and Thornton, a few steamrolling Proviso East teams and the continued dominance of King.

The first 10 years of the 2000s included Glenbrook North, Peoria High and the beginning of a Simeon juggernaut.

Now, with the calendar inching closer to wrapping up an unforgettable 2020, the end of this month closes out another decade. And it’s another high school basketball time period to look back on.

Earlier this year we broke down the decade’s best teams and best players. Now, with every season of the past decade complete, it’s time to look at the Chicago area programs who won the most.

This list is comprised of the 50 winningest programs over the past 10 years, starting with the 2010-11 season and concluding with the 2019-20 season. Every team in every class throughout the Chicago area will be broken down in a variety of ways. But total wins, with winning percentage used as tie-breaker, determined the rankings.

We present No. 26 Fenwick today and will add one program a day going forward.

26. FENWICK: 209-88

Decade’s biggest storyline: The two-year run from 2016-17 to 2017-18 was off-the-charts good. There were a combined 58 wins, including a school record 30 wins in 2016-17. This surpassed even the Corey Maggette-led days of the late 1990s.

What made the moment in 2016-17 was a program best state tournament run that concluded with an overtime loss to Morgan Park in the Class 3A state championship game.

Underrated highlight: From the end of the 2014-15 season to the beginning of the 2018-19 season the Friars won 40 consecutive Chicago Catholic League games, including the regular season league slate and postseason tournaments.

Player of the Decade: Bryce Hopkins (2021)

Fenwick’s Bryce Hopkins (23) shoots a free throw during the game against Westinghouse.
Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times
Fenwick’s Bryce Hopkins (23) shoots a free throw during the game against Westinghouse.

All-Decade Team: Scottie Lindsey (2014), Mike Smith (2016), Jacob Keller (2017), Jamal Nixon (2017) and Bryce Hopkins (2021)

Other decade highlights:

-The Fenwick program made big news with the hiring of Rick Malnati as coach in 2013. Malnati, who was highly-successful at New Trier and considered one of the finest coaches in the state, elevated the program to new heights. Malnati went 122-33 in his five years leading the Friars.

-Rick Malnati’s assistant, Staunton Peck, took over the program in 2018.

-Four different players in the program –– Mike Smith, Jamal Nixon, DJ Steward and Bryce Hopkins –– were Chicago Catholic League Lawless Award winners.

-Prior to this unprecedented season, Hopkins was on pace to break superstar Corey Maggette’s all-time scoring record at Fenwick.

-Fenwick won three straight Catholic League titles (2016, 2017 and 2018) and five regional championships in the decade.

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The winningest high school basketball programs of the decade: No. 26 FenwickJoe Henricksenon January 8, 2021 at 4:37 pm Read More »

5 Iconic Architects Who Helped Build ChicagoAlicia Likenon January 8, 2021 at 3:05 pm

Architects have left their indelible mark on the city of Chicago for centuries but none more so than these five iconic visionaries. I mean, have you ever looked at our gorgeous skyline and thought, “I wonder who built that building?” Well, great news. We have a few answers for you! Below are some of the GOAT (greatest of all time) Chicago architects who, quite literally, left their mark on the Windy City.

Edward J. Burling

Famous for his resiliency and classic designs, Mr. Burling was one of Chicago’s earliest settlers. Burling left a lasting impression with many structures erected between 1840s and 1890s. A lot of his early work was destroyed in the Chicago Fire of 1871 but that didn’t stop him. Some of his notable builds include St. James Cathedral, the DeKoven House, and Nickerson Mansion. 

William Le Baron Jenney

Add this to your random trivia knowledge: William Le Baron Jenney created the world’s first skyscraper. He was a pioneer and used metal-frame buildings in his work for the New York Home Insurance Company. The fire-resistant materials and stone columns helped make the 10-story structure fireproof. Because, ya know, fire was a big thing back then.

Louis Sullivan

Speaking of really tall buildings…meet the Father of skyscrapers, Louis Sullivan. As a mentor of Frank Lloyd Wright and founding member of the Prairie School, Sullivan built a legacy through his work with Carson Pirie Scott Department Store in 1899 at the intersection of State and Madison. We are not worthy.

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe

Called ‘Mies’ by architecture nerds, mid-century modernism was shaped by much of Mies work. Mies made a name for himself with his open-spaced and future-forward 1929 Barcelona Pavilion design and the Villa Tugendhat. When he arrived in Chicago in 1939, he was appointed the head of the architecture department at the Illinois Institute of Technology for several years. Mies’ designs include IBM Plaza on North Wabash, 860-880 Lake Shore Drive, and IIT’s S.R. Crown Hall. 

Frank Lloyd Wright

And last but not least, the Godfather of mid-century modernism! Frank Lloyd Wright became a legend for his Prairie-style homes and modern designs. The Robie House, Moore-Dugal Residence, Faillingwater in Mill Run, PA and the Taliesin studio in Spring Green, WI—all courtesy of our God Papa. 

Featured Image by Jürgen Polle from Pixabay 

The post 5 Iconic Architects Who Helped Build Chicago appeared first on UrbanMatter.

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5 Iconic Architects Who Helped Build ChicagoAlicia Likenon January 8, 2021 at 3:05 pm Read More »

It’s too late for the self-rehabilitation of Mike Penceon January 8, 2021 at 12:15 pm

I’ve Got The Hippy Shakes

It’s too late for the self-rehabilitation of Mike Pence

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It’s too late for the self-rehabilitation of Mike Penceon January 8, 2021 at 12:15 pm Read More »

Steve Earle says farewell to his son with the new J.T.James Porteron January 8, 2021 at 12:00 pm


Nothing is more precious than the relationship between parent and child, and it’s a hell of a thing when they’re separated by death—especially when the child is the one to go. Justin Townes Earle, the firstborn son of singer-songwriter Steve Earle, was a well-established Americana artist in his own right when he passed away from an accidental drug overdose last summer at age 38.…Read More

Steve Earle says farewell to his son with the new J.T.James Porteron January 8, 2021 at 12:00 pm Read More »