Good morning, Chicago.
Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration is significantly reducing staffing at a long-troubled downstate center for people with mental health issues and developmental disabilities, state and union officials said yesterday.
A statement from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, which represents employees at the Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center in Anna, said the state plans to let go “some 250 employees” and end most operations at the facility.
Read the full story from the Tribune’s Olivia Olander.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including what to expect from this weekend’s WNBA Live fan fest at McCormick Place, nine things to know about Buddy Guy as he turns 90 and why film enthusiasts are flocking to Woodridge to see “The Odyssey.”
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Illinois Legislative Ethics Commission votes to release report on Harry Benton harassment investigation
The state’s Legislative Ethics Commission voted unanimously yesterday to publish a report outlining an investigation into the conduct of disgraced ex-state Rep. Harry Benton, who resigned earlier this month amid allegations of sexual harassment, but a state law giving Benton a chance to comment on the report means it likely won’t be released until month’s end.
Chicago makes progress installing crossing signals for the blind, but fixes and more signals needed, monitor says
Pamela Berman, who is blind, got the scare of her life while walking across a Chicago street when she belatedly realized she had walked diagonally through the intersection. That meant she was risking her life by walking through traffic. Luckily, she crossed unharmed.
“It was very upsetting,” she said.
Now, she is thankful that the city of Chicago is installing audible traffic crossing signals for people with vision problems. “It’s fantastic,” she said.
Austin teen killed month before starting high school: It ‘should not have been a problem’
Lasiah Palmer was one of the few teenagers in his West Side neighborhood, his family ventures, who still had a curfew. The 15-year-old’s loved ones worked hard to ensure that he was safe, that he stayed far away from street violence.
So Tuesday night, he’d been at home, enjoying the summer air from his back porch.
Two retired suburban pastors asked to step back pending investigation into abuse allegations
The Rev. Kenneth Fleck and the Rev. Thomas Conde have been asked to cease ministry during investigations into allegations included in forthcoming lawsuits of past sexual abuse of minors, the Archdiocese of Chicago said in letters signed by Cardinal Blase Cupich.
US Sen. Tammy Duckworth pushes legislation to close ‘challenge’ for riders with disabilities
Dozens of Metra and CTA stations are inaccessible for riders with disabilities, records show.
“It is a real challenge,” explained U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, a veteran who uses a wheelchair after losing both legs in the Iraq War.
Endeavor’s Northwest Community Hospital gains approval for $175M cancer and neurological care center
Endeavor Health Northwest Community Hospital hopes to move forward with plans to build a new $175 million cancer and neuroscience center after a state board approved the project earlier this week.
The three-story, 104,000-square-foot facility would consolidate the Arlington Heights hospital’s outpatient cancer and neurological care. The building would be connected to the main hospital via a bridge.
Column: Patrick Kane’s return to the Chicago Blackhawks is a marketing coup — but will it help them win?
When it comes to promoting nostalgia, no one does it quite like the Blackhawks, writes Paul Sullivan.
So it’s not surprising the Hawks would bring back franchise legend Patrick Kane at 37 to re-create memories of the three-time Stanley Cup champions of the 2010s, pairing him with the next franchise savior — Connor Bedard — through the 2027-28 season.
Officials expect WNBA Live fan fest at McCormick Place to host 30,000 during All-Star weekend in Chicago
As WNBA All-Star weekend returns to Chicago this weekend at Wintrust Arena and the United Center, the league’s fan fest has grown to a sprawling three-day event at McCormick Place. Standing in front of a full-size basketball court that will be the site of youth clinics throughout the weekend, Smith said the WNBA expects 30,000 fans to attend the fest that features 34 brands.
The fest includes a number of basketball games, including a 3-point competition, a Pop-A-Shot section and a Google Pixel court that involves a basket that moves up and down and an eventual cereal box with the user’s photo on it.
Vintage Chicago Tribune: 9 things to know about blues legend Buddy Guy as he turns 90
Legendary Chicago blues guitarist George “Buddy” Guy told the Tribune two years ago he was retiring from the road. But apparently he couldn’t stay away.
Woodridge draws thousands of film enthusiasts from across the country to see ‘The Odyssey’ in IMAX 70 mm
John Marks admits he didn’t have to drive his family across state lines in the middle of the night to see “The Odyssey.” But as he stood in the lobby of Woodridge’s Cinemark Seven Bridges and IMAX at 2 a.m. yesterday, he couldn’t imagine seeing it anywhere else.
The Indiana resident is one of thousands flocking to the multiplex since the film’s release last week. One of only 25 theaters nationwide showing “The Odyssey” in IMAX 70 mm, the southwestern suburb has become an unlikely destination for cinephiles determined to watch the nearly three-hour film as director Christopher Nolan intended.
