Chicago Sun-Times: All posts by Allison Novelo2023-09-25T20:07:45.731-05:00https://chicago.suntimes.com/authors/allison-novelo/rss2023-09-25T20:07:45.731-05:002023-09-27T09:36:48-05:00Gina’s Italian Ice near Chicago closes its doors after 46 years
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<img class="Image" alt="Gina Tremonte at her Italian ice stand on July 15, 1998." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c8fdc01/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1972x1107+0+97/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2Fz1fZ-PjKYbWgXV1Gm42OK-wqyrg%3D%2F0x0%3A1972x1299%2F1972x1299%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28986x650%3A987x651%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24956106%2F7_15_Davis_Italian_Ice_3.JPG 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f32cfad/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1972x1107+0+97/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2Fz1fZ-PjKYbWgXV1Gm42OK-wqyrg%3D%2F0x0%3A1972x1299%2F1972x1299%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28986x650%3A987x651%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24956106%2F7_15_Davis_Italian_Ice_3.JPG 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Gina Tremonte is shown here in July 1998, when her Italian ice stand already had been open for about 21 years. She was open for another 25 years before closing this past weekend.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Robert A. Davis/Sun-Times file</p></div></div>
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<p>Marking the end of the summer and the end of an era, Gina’s Italian Ice served its final scoop Sunday, permanently closing its doors to the public after 46 years in Berwyn.</p><p>“It has been a pleasure serving you,” Gina Tremonte, the shop’s owner, posted on Instagram. “I hope memories of GINA’S make you smile as much as they do for me.”</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center><div class="Enhancement-item">
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</div></div><p>Tremonte was not available for comment.</p><p>On its final day, the bustling shop at 6737 Roosevelt Road, typically teeming with locals and visitors, saw a long line stretching down the block, as patrons patiently waited to bid the establishment farewell.</p><p>“Gina’s will be missed, I mean, there was people lined up all the way down Roosevelt Avenue,” said Jeffrey Schrieber, 70, an Oak Park resident who has lived near the Italian ice shop for 35 years. “I just hope that whatever happens next with the property, [it] will offer as much as Gina’s did to the community over the years.”</p><p>Schrieber said Gina’s was always full of customers and that his daughter, a fan of Gina’s cherry Italian ice, had frequently visited the establishment with her friends as a young girl. She was saddened to hear of the shop’s closing, he said.</p><p>“She just moved back to Oak Park from Chicago and was sad to hear the news because, you know, she was hoping to eventually have kids and bring them there,” Schrieber said.</p><p>Elena Doyle, 53, who has lived down the street from Gina’s for 18 years, said the shop is “just part of the summer here.”</p><p>“It’s really sad to most of us who live here because it’s one of the last few stores that’s owned by a family and run by a family,” Doyle said.</p><p>“You can go to Dunkin’ Donuts and get ice cream, but it’s not the same as standing in line with all your neighbors outside and getting your favorite flavor,” she added.</p><p>Gina’s provided a community experience and even helped other businesses in the area, Doyle said.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center>
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<img class="Image" alt="Gina’s Italian Ice at 6737 Roosevelt Road in Berwyn, Illinois," srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e44745e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4800x2694+0+399/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2F5BjqaholaV8c8bHryaSk_15Wo14%3D%2F0x0%3A4800x3492%2F4800x3492%2Ffilters%3Afocal%282400x1746%3A2401x1747%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24956536%2FGinas_Italian_Ice.jpeg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/255c07f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4800x2694+0+399/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2F5BjqaholaV8c8bHryaSk_15Wo14%3D%2F0x0%3A4800x3492%2F4800x3492%2Ffilters%3Afocal%282400x1746%3A2401x1747%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24956536%2FGinas_Italian_Ice.jpeg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>After 46 years at Roosevelt Road and Oak Park Avenue, Gina’s Italian Ice in Berwyn has closed its doors. Sunday was its last day.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Allison Novelo/Sun-Times</p></div></div>
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</div><p>On Wednesday nights, customers could ask for a “Friendly Gina’s” at the Italian ice shop, then walk over to Friendly Tap, a bar next door, where you could ask the bartender to “spike” your ice for you, she said.</p><p>“It’s a neat experience for parents, and you’re supporting two awesome, local establishments. We’re really going to miss Gina’s,” Doyle said.</p><p>Mia Moore, 38, who moved to Oak Park three years ago, said her 14-year-old daughter quickly developed a fondness for the Italian ice spot. </p><p>“When we heard that they were selling Gina’s, we wondered if someone was going to keep the legacy going and keep it alive, but who knows at this point,” Moore said. “We’re definitely just sad to see it leave because we definitely loved going whenever the summer hit.”</p><p>Tremonte is asking for $850,000 for Gina’s Italian ice, according to an online property listing. The price includes the building and ownership of the business.<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/9/25/23890017/ginas-italian-ice-berwyn-chicago-closes-after-46-yearsAllison Novelo2023-09-20T20:21:23.115-05:002023-09-22T15:57:47-05:00Romeoville family’s suspected killer dead from gunfire after car crash
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<img class="Image" alt="Zoraida Bartolomei y Alberto Rolón y sus dos hijos en 2017. La familia fue encontrada muerta a tiros en su casa de Romeoville el domingo." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4429b4c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/874x491+0+0/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2Ft3OhOaBFOqFfiBtm-QUClUmjpxU%3D%2F0x0%3A874x619%2F874x619%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28428x218%3A429x219%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24938997%2FROMeoville_family_2.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9e3cde3/2147483647/strip/true/crop/874x491+0+0/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2Ft3OhOaBFOqFfiBtm-QUClUmjpxU%3D%2F0x0%3A874x619%2F874x619%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28428x218%3A429x219%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24938997%2FROMeoville_family_2.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Zoraida Bartolomei and Alberto Rolon and their two sons in 2017. The family was found shot to death in their Romeoville home Sunday.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Facebook</p></div></div>
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<p>A Streamwood man identified as “a credible suspect” in the slayings of a Romeoville family was killed and a woman dubbed “a person of interest” was wounded by gunfire and later died of her injuries on Wednesday after a fiery crash in Oklahoma.</p><p>During a news conference in Romeoville, Deputy Police Chief Chris Burne said they had identified two people they wanted to question about the weekend slayings in the far southwestern suburb. He named one of them as Nathaniel Huey Jr., 31, from Streamwood. The other is a woman associated with Huey who Burne declined to name.</p><p>Burne also would not elaborate on a possible motive in the slayings of Alberto Rolon, 38, Zoraida Bartolomei, 32, and their two sons, 7 and 9, who were found shot to death in their Romeoville home Sunday. Three dogs were also found dead.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center>
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<img class="Image" alt="Zoraida Bartolomei holds one of two sons, and Alberto Rolon holds a coffee cup, in this casual family portrait inside a home." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/cb0b6ad/2147483647/strip/true/crop/720x404+0+158/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FcW4EfTxDB2qUGninbm1C61AexXI%3D%2F0x0%3A720x720%2F720x720%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28360x360%3A361x361%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24938992%2F107362111_10223231852167599_1712607823118276759_n__1_.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8a7566b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/720x404+0+158/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FcW4EfTxDB2qUGninbm1C61AexXI%3D%2F0x0%3A720x720%2F720x720%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28360x360%3A361x361%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24938992%2F107362111_10223231852167599_1712607823118276759_n__1_.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Zoraida Bartolomei (left), Alberto Rolon and their two sons are shown in a 2020 photo. The four were found shot to death in their Romeoville home Sunday. </p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Facebook</p></div></div>
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</div><p>Relatives created a <a class="Link" href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/zoraida-bartolomei-and-family" target="_blank" >GoFundMe page</a> to cover funeral expenses for the couple and their two children, identified as Adriel and Diego. As of Wednesday night, it had raised more than $33,000, more than $5,000 above the target of $28,000.</p><p>“These were hardworking people that had just bought their first home,” the organizers wrote. “Their kids were the sweetest most innocent angels who could hug your worries away.”</p><p>Police believe the family was killed sometime between 9 p.m. Saturday and 5 a.m. Sunday.</p><p>Two days after the Rolon-Bartolomei family was found slain, the Streamwood woman on Tuesday night was “reported by family as a missing/endangered person,” police said.</p><p>Information was entered into a national law enforcement database, and Romeoville police distributed a “bulletin to law enforcement agencies believing Huey to be a credible suspect in this investigation.”</p><div class="RelatedList Enhancement" data-module data-align-center>
<div class="RelatedList-title">Related</div>
<ul class="RelatedList-items">
<li class="RelatedList-items-item">
<a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2023/9/18/23878876/2-adults-2-children-fatally-shot-romeoville" target="_blank" >Slaying of Romeoville family was ‘not a random incident,’ police say</a>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p>On Wednesday morning, police in Catoosa, Oklahoma, received an alert regarding a vehicle in their area that matched the description of one linked to Huey and the woman being sought.</p><p>Officers tried to conduct a traffic stop, but the vehicle sped off and ultimately crashed, causing a fire. Police reported hearing what they believed to be two gunshots, Burne said.</p><p>It was not clear who fired the shots.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center>
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<img class="Image" alt="Romeoville house Rolon-Bartolomei family" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7205b3b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FoQj4Sd4XdgEoOjP7ahfAvp_T3tI%3D%2F0x0%3A6122x4083%2F6122x4083%2Ffilters%3Afocal%283061x2042%3A3062x2043%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24933267%2FROMEOVILLE_091923_07.JPG 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/7f158fa/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FoQj4Sd4XdgEoOjP7ahfAvp_T3tI%3D%2F0x0%3A6122x4083%2F6122x4083%2Ffilters%3Afocal%283061x2042%3A3062x2043%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24933267%2FROMEOVILLE_091923_07.JPG 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>The Romeoville home where the Rolon-Bartolomei family was found dead Sunday.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times file</p></div></div>
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</div><p>In the car, Catoosa police found a woman wounded by gunfire in the passenger seat. She was taken to a hospital and later died of her injuries, authorities said.</p><p>The driver, who police believe was Huey, was found shot to death.</p><div class="RichTextSidebarModule Enhancement" data-module data-align-floatRight><a class="AnchorLink" id="module-150000" name="module-150000"></a>
<div class="RichTextSidebarModule-title">La Voz Sidebar</div>
<div class="RichTextModule-items RichTextBody"><br><i>Lea este artículo en español en </i><a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/la-voz/" target="_blank" ><i>La Voz Chicago</i></a>, <i>la sección bilingüe del Sun-Times.</i><br><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center>
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</div><p>Burne said there was “a nexus between our suspect and the victims as well as a possible” motive for the slaying, but he declined to elaborate. He did say they had no evidence of additional suspects.</p><p>But he said police had gathered “a tremendous amount of physical evidence” and that their investigation was ongoing.</p><p>Relatives of the Rolon-Bartolomei family issued a statement Wednesday thanking the public for its support.</p><p>“We want to express our heartfelt gratitude for the outpouring of solidarity and support following the tragic loss of Zoraida Bartolomei, her husband Alberto Rolón, and their sons Adriel and Diego,” the family wrote.</p><p>“At this moment, our primary focus is on channeling support, assistance and love for our family and loved ones. We appreciate the understanding and we take this opportunity to once again express our profound gratitude for the solidarity and support extended by people during this period.”<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/9/20/23882860/suspects-slaying-romeoville-family-shot-oklahoma-crash-suspectsAllison Novelo2023-09-20T16:06:11.365-05:002023-09-26T09:42:09-05:00Chicago’s tipped workers have mixed feelings on higher minimum wage
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<img class="Image" alt="Ashonti Brown, a server at Margaritaville, stands in front of the restaurant on Sept. 19, 2023." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0a1ab0e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3373x1893+0+0/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FhscCSu1PYwlAdNAtWaz7hSv7dDk%3D%2F0x277%3A3373x2750%2F3373x2473%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281352x1202%3A1353x1203%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24938128%2FAshonti_Brown.jpeg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/abd7e22/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3373x1893+0+0/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FhscCSu1PYwlAdNAtWaz7hSv7dDk%3D%2F0x277%3A3373x2750%2F3373x2473%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281352x1202%3A1353x1203%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24938128%2FAshonti_Brown.jpeg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Ashonti Brown, a server at Margaritaville on Navy Pier, said a higher minimum wage would help her and other servers have more reliable income.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Isabel Funk/Sun-Times</p></div></div>
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<p>Ashonti Brown was the only server working at Margaritaville’s Navy Pier location during her Tuesday afternoon shift.</p><p>On a good day, she brings home enough in tips to make “more than the average person would working a 9-to-5.” When people don’t tip, the East Side resident tries to tell herself they might not be able to afford it.</p><p>“But if you can’t afford it, don’t come out to eat, because at the end of the day, this is still how we pay our bills,” said Brown, 24.</p><p>Brown has been a server for four years. She said customers don’t always recognize that servers depend on tips to make at least minimum wage.</p><p>“I used to serve at Hooters, and sometimes I had tables that just don’t tip at all,” Brown said. “Some people don’t tip when the bill be like $200, $300.”</p><p>Now, an ordinance that would help make up for that inconsistency could be approved early next month by the Chicago City Council.</p><p>That proposal would raise the minimum wage for Brown and other workers more than 7,300 restaurants in Chicago. The lower wage for tipped workers would increase gradually over five years until it matches Chicago’s regular minimum wage. </p><p>Some employees, like Brown, hope the increase will help, overall. Some restaurant owners, however, worry about increased costs.</p><p>Here are some of their voices.</p><h3>Aaron Bilgin, owner of Standard Bar and Grill, 1332 N. Milwaukee Ave.</h3><p>The proposed ordinance will hurt small restaurant owners, said Bilgin, 50.</p><p>“I want everybody to have a decent lifestyle, but the mayor’s move is completely wrong because he’s putting everything on small-business owners,” Bilgin said. “It’s very expensive to be a small-business owner these days because taxes are already high.”</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center>
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<img class="Image" alt="Guests at Standard Bar and Grill, 1332 N. Milwaukee Ave., n Wicker Park, on Sept. 19, 2023." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/42111e5/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1684+0+158/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FObKdITZh03ArG7NhAlsMgREl570%3D%2F0x0%3A3000x2000%2F3000x2000%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281500x1000%3A1501x1001%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24937708%2FMINWAGE_092123_5.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/f9eef95/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1684+0+158/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FObKdITZh03ArG7NhAlsMgREl570%3D%2F0x0%3A3000x2000%2F3000x2000%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281500x1000%3A1501x1001%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24937708%2FMINWAGE_092123_5.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Guests at Standard Bar and Grill, 1332 N. Milwaukee Ave., in Wicker Park.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times</p></div></div>
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</div><p>While the move can be helpful for tipped workers, Bilgin said raising wages could make small-business owners to want to close their doors altogether.</p><p>“To be honest with you, my bartenders are already making more money than me,” Bilgin said.</p><p>Being forced to increase wages will just encourage owners to raise their prices, which could drive away customers, he said.</p><h3>Josh Palafox, server at Iron Age Korean Steakhouse, 1265 N. Milwaukee Ave.</h3><p>Palafox, 23, had mixed emotions about how increased wages could affect him.</p><p>“Personally, it would help me because a lot of my money is just going to taxes,” Palafox said. “But there’s also a chance that restaurants lay off their servers, and I wouldn’t want the risk of losing my job because the owner can’t afford to pay me.”</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center>
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<img class="Image" alt="Josh Palafox is a server at Iron Age Korean Steakhouse, 1265 N. Milwaukee Ave., in Wicker Park on Sept. 19, 2023." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/15b04ee/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1684+0+158/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FBdwAPuQJ6jeZywwx2t2Wbk6XGpI%3D%2F0x0%3A3000x2000%2F3000x2000%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281500x1000%3A1501x1001%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24938210%2Fmerlin_115997282.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ae30d55/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1684+0+158/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FBdwAPuQJ6jeZywwx2t2Wbk6XGpI%3D%2F0x0%3A3000x2000%2F3000x2000%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281500x1000%3A1501x1001%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24938210%2Fmerlin_115997282.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Josh Palafox is a server at Iron Age Korean Steakhouse, 1265 N. Milwaukee Ave., in Wicker Park.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times</p></div></div>
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</div><p></p><h3>Cynshae Mitchell, 23, a bartender at Margaritaville at Navy Pier</h3><p>Mitchell said five years is too long a timeline for something she believes should already have been done. Mitchell, who lives in Bronzeville, said she often has to serve and host in addition to her main job, which is tending bar. </p><p>“Sometimes I have three jobs in one,” Mitchell said. “It’s not always just peaches and ice cream and making drinks.”</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center>
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<img class="Image" alt="Cynshae Mitchell, a bartender at Margaritaville at Navy Pier, stands in front of the restaurant on Sept. 19, 2023." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4de5e93/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3345x1877+0+342/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FYcJVom2VKHYHQiD9sq7iND4COis%3D%2F0x0%3A3345x2562%2F3345x2562%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281673x1281%3A1674x1282%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24938265%2FCynshaeMitchell.jpeg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/734ab5a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3345x1877+0+342/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FYcJVom2VKHYHQiD9sq7iND4COis%3D%2F0x0%3A3345x2562%2F3345x2562%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281673x1281%3A1674x1282%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24938265%2FCynshaeMitchell.jpeg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Cynshae Mitchell, a bartender at Margaritaville at Navy Pier, said she believes the subminimum wage for tipped workers should already have been increased.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Isabel Funk/Sun-Times</p></div></div>
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</div><p>She wants to make the full minimum wage sooner.</p><p>“We’re only getting $5 more. Minimum wage isn’t gonna feed my household,” Mitchell said. “It should be over at least a two to three year span, because it’s not going up $10, it’s not going up a drastic amount.”</p><h3>Ruhi Maha, 22, server at Cumin, 1414 N. Milwaukee Ave.</h3><p>Maha, who has worked for the restaurant nearly three years, said she worried about the restaurant’s ability to stay afloat if wages are raised.</p><p>“We’re small, and sometimes business isn’t that great,” Maha said.</p><p>“Yeah, it’d be nice to get paid more, but I wouldn’t want that if the owners couldn’t afford it,” Maha added. “If I give good service, then people leave tips.”</p><h3>Tram, 32, server at Lao Sze Chuan, 520 N. Michigan Ave.</h3><p>Like others, Tram, who wasn’t comfortable sharing her last name, didn’t approve of the five-year timeline, saying the change “should have been done five years ago.”</p><p>She said the restaurant she works at is often frequented by tourists who don’t tip as much. Tram, who lives in Logan Square, added that tips only make up enough to reach minimum wage about 60% of the time.</p><p>“We can’t really beg for money. But sometimes we make less because people don’t understand that we live off of gratuity,” she said. “Our clientele is mostly visitors from China who don’t have that in their culture of tipping.”</p><p></p> <h3>Nia Brown, 29, server at Pizzeria Uno, 29 E Ohio St.</h3><p>Brown, who lives in Englewood, supports the increased wage, but also believes it should have been done sooner. </p><p>“The pay rate for servers is not fair with all the work that we do,” Brown said. “We do a lot of work in the food industry, and I don’t think we get as much credit as we should.” </p><p>A recent raise at Pizzeria Uno just brought her up to about $7 an hour. This is her third job as a server, and she said it’s “hit or miss” if tips bring in enough to reach the full minimum wage.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center>
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<img class="Image" alt="Nia Brown, a server at Pizzeria Uno, stands in the restaurant on Sept. 19, 2023." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c8f73f4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4032x2263+0+381/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2F6yCEgQIDFyWmnwSled0RGENvK5k%3D%2F0x0%3A4032x3024%2F4032x3024%2Ffilters%3Afocal%282016x1512%3A2017x1513%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24938268%2FIMG_0649.jpeg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e682456/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4032x2263+0+381/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2F6yCEgQIDFyWmnwSled0RGENvK5k%3D%2F0x0%3A4032x3024%2F4032x3024%2Ffilters%3Afocal%282016x1512%3A2017x1513%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24938268%2FIMG_0649.jpeg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Nia Brown, who works at Pizzeria Uno, said servers like her don’t get enough credit for their work.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Isabel Funk/Sun-Times</p></div></div>
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https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2023/9/20/23882523/tipped-workers-reaction-higher-minimum-wage-ordinance-city-council-committee-voteIsabel FunkAllison Novelo2023-09-15T16:50:47.094-05:002023-09-15T21:01:59-05:00Proposed law would help firewall South Shore from gentrification near Obama Center
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<img class="Image" alt="South Shore and Woodlawn advocates gather outside City Hall in support of the South Shore Housing Preservation Ordinance." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0b206b6/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1908x1071+0+190/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2Fwoa5I7Jaq17t5tHNYE2h7vg1AqY%3D%2F0x0%3A1908x1450%2F1908x1450%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28954x725%3A955x726%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24922450%2FScreenshot_2023_09_14_at_3.11.47_PM.png 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b76aea1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1908x1071+0+190/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2Fwoa5I7Jaq17t5tHNYE2h7vg1AqY%3D%2F0x0%3A1908x1450%2F1908x1450%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28954x725%3A955x726%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24922450%2FScreenshot_2023_09_14_at_3.11.47_PM.png 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>South Shore and Woodlawn advocates gather outside City Hall in support of the South Shore Housing Preservation Ordinance, which aims to address the affordable housing crisis in the neighborhood and prevent the displacement of residents.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Elvia Malagón/Sun-Times</p></div></div>
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<p>A South Side alderperson has introduced a sweeping ordinance to help residents worried about being priced out of their neighborhoods because of the Obama Presidential Center’s development in Jackson Park.</p><p>Introduced byAld. Desmon Yancy (5th) on Thursday and drafted by the Obama CBA Coalition, the measure seeks to address the South Shore neighborhood’s affordable housing crisis — an <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/9/28/22699063/obama-presidential-center-cba-south-shore-home-prices-rents-affordability" target="_blank" >issue that has been festering for years</a>. </p><p>Although members of the Obama CBA Coalition believe the presidential center, scheduled to open in 2025, will usher in investments to the South Side, they have concerns that it will lead to increased home prices and rents that long-term residents will find unaffordable.</p><p>“The South Shore Housing Preservation Ordinance ensures that we can have development without displacement, protecting renters, homeowners, and condo owners alike,” said Dixon Romeo, executive director of Not Me We, a housing advocacy organization that focuses on South Shore and surrounding neighborhoods.</p><p>“South Shore residents deserve to be able to stay in their neighborhood to benefit from the Obama Center and future development — not to be pushed out and replaced,” Romero added.</p><p>The 54-page ordinance seeks to centralize housing enforcement responsibilities currently carried out by multiple city departments, creating a single point of contact for residents in South Shore. </p><p>The ordinance would also pilot a rental registry, where renters can obtain housing information, such as unit prices and lease terms.</p><p>That would level the playing field for tenants in their negotiations with landlords, and help hold landlords accountable for any misconduct, said Brandon Peterson, an advocate for the coalition’s ordinance. </p><p>Additionally, the ordinance would help South Shore fend off the threat of gentrification by mandating the allocation of all city-owned vacant lots for affordable housing, setting aside 30% of new developments for affordably priced home construction and implementing a preference policy to assist displaced and at-risk residents during the leasing process.</p><p>For years, organizers from the Obama CBA Coalition have advocated to prevent displacement of residents near the Obama Center. The Woodlawn Housing Preservation Ordinance <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2020/9/9/21428936/obama-presidential-center-jackson-park-residents-housing-community-gentrificaton-woodlawn" target="_blank" >was passed by the City Council in 2020</a>. </p><p></p><p>Since 2021, the coalition has focused on South Shore, where over 75% of residents are predominantly low-income and rent-burdened.</p><p>At an Obama Presidential Center community event in 2017, ex-President Barack Obama told activists he opposed signing an agreement that would legally bind the center to providing benefits for the surrounding communities because it would not be inclusive enough of all the interests of the community.</p><p>“The concern I have with respect to a community benefit agreements in this situation is that it’s not inclusive enough because I would then be signing with who?” he said. “What particular organizations would end up speaking for everybody in that community?”</p><p>In February, South Shore residents voiced overwhelming support for the proposed ordinance, passing a ballot referendum about the measure with 89% support, organizers said.</p><p>Woodlawn residents also showed strong support, passing a referendum concerning the development of affordable housing on vacant lots at 63rd Street and Blackstone Avenue with 92% support. Yancy’s measure also proposes earmarking an area at 63rd and Blackstone for affordable housing.</p><p>“Since 2020, the city has failed to allocate the vacant lots at 63rd and Blackstone for affordable housing development, despite it being mandated by law as part of the Woodlawn Housing Preservation Ordinance,” said Linda Tinsley, a member of South Side Together Organizing for Power.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2023/9/15/23873656/south-shore-woodlawn-displacement-obama-center-desmon-yancyAllison Novelo2023-09-13T19:18:17.976-05:002023-09-13T20:28:00-05:00Exploring Rosh Hashanah: The Jewish New Year celebration begins at sundown Friday
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<img class="Image" alt="Foods that are served at Rosh Hashanah for their symbolism — honey, apples, fish heads, carrots. " srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/a5e94f1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3451x1937+0+448/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FbonJrqIFe1tiW8WCxcXfD4apV9o%3D%2F0x0%3A3451x2832%2F3451x2832%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281726x1416%3A1727x1417%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24920048%2Fmerlin_22945865.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/abbdaf2/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3451x1937+0+448/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FbonJrqIFe1tiW8WCxcXfD4apV9o%3D%2F0x0%3A3451x2832%2F3451x2832%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281726x1416%3A1727x1417%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24920048%2Fmerlin_22945865.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Foods that are served at Rosh Hashanah for their symbolism — honey, apples, fish heads, carrots. </p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Rich Hein, Sun-Times (file)</p></div></div>
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<p>As the weekend approaches, millions of Jewish people around the world are preparing to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, one of the most significant holidays in the Jewish calendar.</p><h3>What is Rosh Hashanah?</h3><p>Rosh Hashanah, which means “Head of the Year” in Hebrew, marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year and is a time for reflection, repentance and renewal. Rosh Hashanah is a two-day holiday, which typically occurs in September or early October. This year, the holiday begins at sunset on Friday, Sept. 15, and ends on Sunday night, Sept. 17. It’s followed by Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, on Sept. 24.</p><p>Rosh Hashanah inaugurates a 10-day period marked by a rich tapestry of rituals and customs. Yom Kippur, revered as the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, involves seeking forgiveness from both God and fellow individuals for any transgressions committed.</p><h3>Celebrating Rosh Hashanah</h3><p>Rosh Hashanah is a time for spiritual introspection and self-examination. Jewish people and communities come together to pray, seek forgiveness and renew their commitment to living a righteous life. One of the central themes is the concept of <i>teshuva</i>, or repentance, which involves reflecting on past actions and striving to make amends.</p><p>Traditional customs and practices associated with Rosh Hashanah include the blowing of the shofar, a ram’s horn trumpet, in synagogue services. The sound of the shofar serves as a wake-up call for individuals to examine their lives and make positive changes.</p><p>Another essential aspect of Rosh Hashanah is the consumption of symbolic foods. Apples and honey are a popular combination, symbolizing the hope for a sweet and fruitful year ahead. Bitter foods are avoided to prevent a year filled with bitterness.</p><p>Challah bread is often baked in a round shape to represent the cycle of life and the unity of the Jewish community. </p><p>Some individuals opt to consume the head of a fish or a ram during this time to symbolize the “beginning of the year.” Additionally, fish is favored not only for its association with the new year, but also for its symbolism of fertility and the promise of abundance. </p><h3>The Tashlich Ceremony</h3><p>A unique tradition during Rosh Hashanah is the Tashlich ceremony, which involves casting breadcrumbs into a flowing body of water, symbolizing the casting away of sins and mistakes. Participants take this opportunity to meditate on their actions and seek spiritual cleansing.</p><h3>Family and Community Celebrations</h3><p>Rosh Hashanah is also a time for family gatherings and festive meals. Families come together to share special dishes, offer blessings and enjoy each other’s company. It is a time to strengthen family bonds and reaffirm connections with loved ones.</p><h3>Reflecting on the Past Year</h3><p>Rosh Hashanah is a time for introspection and seeking forgiveness from God and one another. The holiday is intended as a day for rest, where labor is set aside. </p><p>“It is a solemn time to assess our actions in the past year, to commit to improving ourselves and how we behave, and to pray for a good new year,” said Rabbi Levy Mostofsky, executive director of the Chicago Rabbinical Council. </p><p>In the aftermath of the pandemic, the rabbi said he was especially grateful for the holiday and is expecting a good turnout at synagogues this year.</p><p>The Chabad network, a Jewish religious organization, will host “<a class="Link" href="https://www.baismenachemchicago.org/shofar-street" target="_blank" >Shofar in the Streets</a>” events at various locations throughout Chicago, where people can gather to exchange joyous greetings and to hear the blowing of the shofar.</p><p>Traditionally, people exchange greetings with the hope of having their names inscribed in the Book of Life.</p><p>To wish someone “a good year” in Hebrew, one can say “Shanah Tovah.”</p><p></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/9/13/23869885/exploring-rosh-hashanah-the-jewish-new-year-celebration-begins-at-sundown-fridayAllison Novelo2023-09-13T18:44:06.282-05:002023-09-13T19:32:42-05:00Private school leaders fight to keep state scholarship program from expiring.
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<img class="Image" alt="Shaka Rawls, principal of Leo Catholic High School, speaks during a rally at St. Sabina Academy in Auburn Gresham calling for the Illinois General Assembly to preserve the Invest in Kids Act program." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5304f92/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FnMapy0adr9u92O1552ZgQcgFXtY%3D%2F0x0%3A6122x4083%2F6122x4083%2Ffilters%3Afocal%283061x2042%3A3062x2043%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24919473%2Fmerlin_115857752.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c12a853/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FnMapy0adr9u92O1552ZgQcgFXtY%3D%2F0x0%3A6122x4083%2F6122x4083%2Ffilters%3Afocal%283061x2042%3A3062x2043%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24919473%2Fmerlin_115857752.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Shaka Rawls, principal of Leo Catholic High School, speaks during a rally at St. Sabina Academy in Auburn Gresham calling for the Illinois General Assembly to preserve the Invest in Kids Act Tax Credit Scholarship Program.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times</p></div></div>
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<p>Private school leaders, students and parents gathered on Wednesday to fight for a private school scholarship program that appears to be on the chopping block. </p><p>Unless lawmakers extend the Invest in Kids program, slated to sunset on Dec. 31, advocates say about 9,500 students from low-income families will be in jeopardy of losing their private school scholarships.</p><p>“Families should have the ability to choose the right school, especially those from low-income communities of color,” said the Rev. Michael Pfleger, longtime pastor of St. Sabina Catholic Church. “If legislators don’t do their job and vote to continue the program, children will be hurt, and their education disrupted.”</p><p>Backed by Republican lawmakers and local religious leaders, the program was ultimately slipped into <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/rauner-signs-historic-bill-waging-war-on-poverty-in-the-classroom/amp/" target="_blank" >what became the school funding bill</a> in 2017 — which was intended to put new money for education into the state’s<a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/republicans-say-school-funding-deal-reached/amp/" target="_blank" > poorest and neediest districts</a>. The Invest in Kids Act provides a tax credit of 75 cents for every dollar donated to fund scholarships for Illinois students from low-income families to attend private schools. </p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center>
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<img class="Image" alt="Students, parents and faculty chant and hold signs during a rally at St. Sabina Academy in Auburn Gresham calling for the Illinois General Assembly to take action to save the Invest in Kids Act Tax Credit Scholarship Program. " srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/8ffbe6c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FyZmUxQA7vFzPYyFI26Zf6i0V9I0%3D%2F0x0%3A6122x4083%2F6122x4083%2Ffilters%3Afocal%283061x2042%3A3062x2043%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24919566%2Fmerlin_115857728.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/63eb2dc/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6122x3436+0+324/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FyZmUxQA7vFzPYyFI26Zf6i0V9I0%3D%2F0x0%3A6122x4083%2F6122x4083%2Ffilters%3Afocal%283061x2042%3A3062x2043%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24919566%2Fmerlin_115857728.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Students, parents and faculty chant and hold signs during a rally at St. Sabina Academy in Auburn Gresham calling for the Illinois General Assembly to take action to save the Invest in Kids Act Tax Credit Scholarship Program. </p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times</p></div></div>
</figure>
</div>
</div><p>Teachers unions have fervently opposed the program, saying the state shouldn’t provide tax credits for individuals to fund private educational institutions until it fully funds Illinois public schools.</p><p>But for many students, it has provided a school alternative. Theantae Jones, a senior at Leo Catholic High School, said the scholarship gave him the opportunity to attend a better school than the public school near him. Jones said he commutes from the West Side to the South Side during the week.</p><p>“Every morning I start my day at 5 a.m., and I leave the house at 6 a.m. for an hour and half commute,” Jones said. “I do my homework on the bus, miss out on sleep. I make the sacrifices to attend Leo [High School] because it’s the best place for me.”</p><p>The program has its share of opponents. Cassie Creswell, director of Illinois Families for Public Schools, argues there is no data reported by the Illinois State Board of Education to compare the standardized test scores of students in private schools versus those in public schools. </p><p>“Public funds are for public schools that serve everyone,” Creswell said. “And there’s really just not the same sort of overview and accountability and regulation of these schools, even though they’re getting millions of public dollars.”</p><p>Lawmakers left Springfield in late May without extending the sunset provision on the scholarship program, meaning it will end on Dec. 31 unless action is taken during the veto session, which begins Oct. 24.</p><p>Gov. J.B. Pritzker in July gave advocates for the program some hope — despite <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2018/4/3/18406208/pritzker-blasts-rauner-s-private-school-scholarship-plan-as-really-bad-idea" target="_blank" >calling it a “really bad idea”</a> when he ran for governor in 2018. </p><p>“I’m willing to work with the program if it gets extended or to figure out how we would wind down the program if it doesn’t get extended,” Pritzker told reporters in July. </p><p>Pritzker’s noncommittal statement means he won’t be actively working to kill or support the program. In the past, it had been used as leverage during bill negotiations.</p><p>But teachers unions this year requested that Illinois Senate President Don Harmon and Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch carry the program in a standalone bill and not include it in a budget bill, making its passage even more difficult. That would have been a risky move, with primary elections approaching and lawmakers’ votes being picked apart, according to a Democratic lawmaker with direct knowledge of the bill. </p><p>There have been discussions about enacting a wind-down period so as not to negatively affect the children already enrolled in the program, the lawmaker said.</p><p>Illinois Senate Republican Leader John Curran, R-Downers Grove, is among those fighting to keep the program alive. Curran said Senate Republicans are <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2023/6/7/23752516/pritzker-early-education-funding-signs-illinois-state-budget" target="_blank" >committed to making the program permanent</a> during the veto session. </p><p>Chicago Teachers Union President Stacy Davis Gates last week faced criticism after confirming that she sent her eldest child to a private high school.</p><p><a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/education/2023/9/7/23863532/ctu-president-defends-sending-her-son-private-school-result-unfair-choices-south-side-families" target="_blank" >In an interview with WBEZ,</a> Davis Gates said she is critical of school choice initiatives that take away money from public schools and blamed them partly for a lack of resources available to neighborhood schools. </p><p>She also defended her decision to send her son to a private school, saying it was the result of “unfair choices” she and other South and West Side parents face.</p><p></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/politics/2023/9/13/23872222/invest-in-kids-act-scholarship-expiration-pritzker-veto-sessionAllison NoveloTina Sfondeles2023-09-12T14:24:16.314-05:002023-09-14T10:49:00-05:00‘Rare and elusive’ bowmouth guitarfish pups take the stage at Shedd Aquarium
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Three critically endangered bowmouth guitarfish pups, all females, joined the Shedd Aquarium’s Wild Reef exhibit after their mother was accidentally caught in a fishing net last summer in Taiwan.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Shedd Aquarium</p></div></div>
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<p>Swimming into the spotlight, three critically endangered bowmouth guitarfish pups have turned the Shedd Aquarium’s Wild Reef exhibit into an underwater nursery, reminding the public that every young fin counts in the fight for ocean conservation.</p><p>“Apart from the wonder they inspire for guests, caring for this critically endangered species offers a unique opportunity to learn about their needs, experience their spectacular behaviors and better advocate for their protection in the wild,” said Noel Heinsohn, Wild Reef manager.</p><p>Born in Taiwan last summer after their mother was accidentally caught in a fishing net, the pups have found a safe haven at the aquarium and are living alongside several Indo-Pacific species of sharks and other fish, the aquarium said.</p><p>All three are females, and around 11 months old. They range in length from 4.5 to 5 feet and weigh 79 to 85 pounds. But the fish can grow up to 8 feet in their adult years.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center>
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<img class="Image" alt="Screenshot_2023_09_12_at_12.28.03_PM.png" srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/77e05fa/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2160x1212+0+111/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FXU2k0BhtSJ0V3gPVbQEWs95-wPg%3D%2F0x0%3A2160x1434%2F2160x1434%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281080x717%3A1081x718%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24916257%2FScreenshot_2023_09_12_at_12.28.03_PM.png 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/0d99a65/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2160x1212+0+111/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FXU2k0BhtSJ0V3gPVbQEWs95-wPg%3D%2F0x0%3A2160x1434%2F2160x1434%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281080x717%3A1081x718%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24916257%2FScreenshot_2023_09_12_at_12.28.03_PM.png 2x" width="490" height="275"
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</picture>
<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Shedd aquarists have observed the behavior of the bowmouth guitarfish pups and monitored their diets to ensure that they acclimate well and continue to grow.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Shedd Aquarium</p></div></div>
</figure>
</div>
</div><p>Shaped like a guitar and resembling a wooden hand-drawn bow, these large fish sport spiky thorns above their eyes and along their back and shoulders to defend themselves.</p><p>Their coloring, grayish brown with white spots near their fins and darker spots near their head, helps to camouflage them in their sandy or muddy environments by the ocean floor at depths of around 65 feet. </p><p>Still, bowmouth guitarfish face numerous threats in the wild related to overfishing and bycatch, habitat degradation and pollution, according to the aquarium. </p><p>Shedd, in collaboration with the International Union for Conservation of Nature, field researchers and other accredited aquariums, is forging a unified front to craft a strategy for the conservation and revival of this endangered fish species.</p><p>“We are grateful for the opportunity to provide sanctuary for these rare and elusive animals to thrive here at Shedd,” said Heinsohn.<br></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/9/12/23870260/three-critically-endangered-bowmouth-guitarfish-pups-shedd-aquarium-wild-reef-exhibitAllison Novelo2023-09-09T13:00:07.491-05:002023-09-09T13:21:15-05:00Bally’s temporary Chicago casino opens at Medinah Temple
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<img class="Image" alt="People enter Bally’s temporary casino as it opens, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/09b5de1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7008x3933+0+222/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FGWnkzou4AM7r81uhTqD5LndLDWc%3D%2F0x0%3A7008x4672%2F7008x4672%2Ffilters%3Afocal%282450x2189%3A2451x2190%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24908418%2FCASINO_091023_4.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/bae0afe/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7008x3933+0+222/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FGWnkzou4AM7r81uhTqD5LndLDWc%3D%2F0x0%3A7008x4672%2F7008x4672%2Ffilters%3Afocal%282450x2189%3A2451x2190%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24908418%2FCASINO_091023_4.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>People enter Bally’s temporary casino as it opens, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Pat Nabong/Sun-Times</p></div></div>
</figure>
<p>After decades of political wrangling by past Chicago mayors, years of City Hall jockeying by potential developers for the lucrative deal and months of preparation by the lucky bidder, <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/casinos-gambling" target="_blank" >Bally’s temporary Chicago casino</a> took the city’s first legal wagers from the betting public Saturday morning. </p><p>Not that the lengthy political backstory was any concern for the dozens of people who lined up outside the landmark Medinah Temple in <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/river-north" target="_blank" >River North</a> ahead of its 8 a.m. opening. </p><p>Those among the city’s first crew of casino gamblers were focused on one thing: to “win a grand,” said Chatham resident Erick Andrews, whose 53rd birthday landed on Bally’s opening date. </p><p>“I’m feeling lucky,” he said. </p><div class="RelatedList Enhancement" data-module data-align-center>
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<a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/9/8/23865097/chicago-casino-ballys-medinah-temple-what-to-know" target="_blank" >Bally’s Chicago casino at Medinah Temple: What to know if you go</a>
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<p>First in line was Steven Henry, who showed up at 6:30 a.m. for first dibs on a “Dancing Drums” slot machine. It took him only 20 minutes to get to the new downtown casino from <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/austin" target="_blank" >Austin</a>: “That’s what excites me — it’s close.” </p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center>
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<img class="Image" alt="Steven Henry, who was first in line, waits for Bally’s temporary casino to open Saturday." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/6466559/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6335x3555+0+334/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FBi_SgphkIF76_sk6rEN5buP8TSw%3D%2F0x0%3A6335x4223%2F6335x4223%2Ffilters%3Afocal%283168x2112%3A3169x2113%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24908419%2FCASINO_091023_11.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/42d4368/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6335x3555+0+334/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FBi_SgphkIF76_sk6rEN5buP8TSw%3D%2F0x0%3A6335x4223%2F6335x4223%2Ffilters%3Afocal%283168x2112%3A3169x2113%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24908419%2FCASINO_091023_11.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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>
</picture>
<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Steven Henry, who was first in line, waits for Bally’s temporary casino to open Saturday.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Pat Nabong/Sun-Times</p></div></div>
</figure>
</div>
</div><p>One group of friends of a certain age — who called themselves the “Thirty Dirty” club from <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/bronzeville" target="_blank" >Bronzeville</a> — exclaimed in line: “We’re seniors… We’re in there to get this money.” </p><p>“If you see me walking out like this, it means I lost,” one woman said, melodramatically slouched over. </p><p>Beyond that, there was little fanfare when security workers started waving patrons inside the glass doors at 600 N. Wabash Ave., which will serve as Bally’s <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/9/8/23864580/chicago-casino-opens-saturday-ballys-medinah-temple" target="_blank" >temporary casino</a> for three years while it builds a larger, permanent facility at the site of the Chicago Tribune printing plant in <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/river-west" target="_blank" >River West</a>. </p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center>
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<img class="Image" alt="A group of older adults who said they were from Bronzeville and call themselves “The Thirty Dirty Club” cheer while waiting for Bally’s temporary casino to open." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ac3919c/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7008x3933+0+369/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2Fs4q86bwIKMPxy1-pKTGrCFUs7s8%3D%2F0x0%3A7008x4672%2F7008x4672%2Ffilters%3Afocal%283504x2336%3A3505x2337%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24908420%2FCASINO_091023_6.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/70aec7f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7008x3933+0+369/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2Fs4q86bwIKMPxy1-pKTGrCFUs7s8%3D%2F0x0%3A7008x4672%2F7008x4672%2Ffilters%3Afocal%283504x2336%3A3505x2337%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24908420%2FCASINO_091023_6.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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>
</picture>
<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>A group of older adults who said they were from Bronzeville and call themselves “The Thirty Dirty Club” cheer while waiting for Bally’s temporary casino to open.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Pat Nabong/Sun-Times</p></div></div>
</figure>
</div>
</div><p>There was, however, an early indication of the possible congestion issues posed by the house of chance in the heart of a busy tourist district. Carolyn Williams, the fourth person in line, said she had trouble finding a parking garage open that early, and was miffed to learn it wasn’t free. </p><p>Nevertheless, she said she was still “excited to win.”</p><div class="RelatedList Enhancement" data-module data-align-center>
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</ul>
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<p><a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall" target="_blank" >City officials</a> are hoping to win a steady stream of cash from the casino to Chicago’s nearly insolvent police and firefighter pension funds. </p><p>That’s been the goal since former Mayor Richard M. Daley first embraced the casino concept in 1992. But neither he nor his successor Rahm Emanuel could reach a deal with lawmakers for a Chicago casino license. </p><p>Mayor Lori Lightfoot finally sealed the deal in 2019 and <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2022/5/5/23058317/chicago-casino-ballys-lightfoot-selection-river-west-tribune-site" target="_blank" >picked Bally’s proposal</a> over three other bidders last year. Now, the city is banking on up to $50 million a year in tax revenue from Medinah Temple, the 111-year-old former headquarters of the Shriners fraternal organization that now houses almost 800 slot machines and 56 table games. </p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center>
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<img class="Image" alt="Special guests wait in line to enter Bally’s casino in River North during the casino’s test session on Wednesday. The casino opened to the public Saturday morning." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5b7ce1f/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1684+0+158/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2Fc4c1Us4Wy89ZtE4F2eaoBzXk3Rc%3D%2F0x0%3A3000x2000%2F3000x2000%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281500x1000%3A1501x1001%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24908173%2FCASINO_09XX23_1.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/b66ccb1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1684+0+158/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2Fc4c1Us4Wy89ZtE4F2eaoBzXk3Rc%3D%2F0x0%3A3000x2000%2F3000x2000%2Ffilters%3Afocal%281500x1000%3A1501x1001%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24908173%2FCASINO_09XX23_1.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Special guests wait in line to enter Bally’s casino in River North during the casino’s test session on Wednesday. The casino opened to the public Saturday morning.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times</p></div></div>
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</div><p>“I think anything that can help pay back some of the city’s debt is a good thing,” said Geoff Henao, a 36-year-old tech worker who came out for an early spin at Bally’s. </p><p>A steady stream of bettors — well short of the building’s capacity of 3,200 — kept the casino buzzing over its first few hours of operation. Game screens flashed and the occasional jingle of a jackpot rang out as gamblers tried their luck at slots and tables spread out across three gaming floors. </p><div class="RelatedList Enhancement" data-module data-align-center>
<div class="RelatedList-title">Related</div>
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<a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/9/8/23864580/chicago-casino-opens-saturday-ballys-medinah-temple" target="_blank" >Bally’s temporary casino at Medinah Temple opens Saturday</a>
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<p>Some gamblers said they didn’t see signs of the traffic nightmare that opponents — including local <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/fran-spielman-show/2022/5/6/23060393/medinah-temple-temporary-chicago-casino-ballys-ald-brendan-reilly-criticized" target="_blank" >Ald. Brendan Reilly (42nd)</a> — warned a gambling hall would bring to the bustling neighborhood. </p><p>“I don’t understand why anyone would be unhappy about it opening,” Giles said, pointing to the success of the new Hard Rock Casino in Gary, Indiana. “In the end, Chicago is going to win.”</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center>
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<img class="Image" alt="Games at Bally’s temporary casino are seen through a glass door, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4ea0aac/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4999x2806+0+264/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FLoijrj-20KXsT5lOqc0DkKio4a8%3D%2F0x0%3A4999x3333%2F4999x3333%2Ffilters%3Afocal%282500x1667%3A2501x1668%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24908618%2FCASINO091023_1.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/87ada92/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4999x2806+0+264/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FLoijrj-20KXsT5lOqc0DkKio4a8%3D%2F0x0%3A4999x3333%2F4999x3333%2Ffilters%3Afocal%282500x1667%3A2501x1668%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24908618%2FCASINO091023_1.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Games at Bally’s temporary casino are seen through a glass door, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Pat Nabong/Sun-Times</p></div></div>
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</div><p>Martin Arzate, 33, a resident aid who assists migrants in Chicago, waved off public safety concerns as he explored the new casino. </p><p>“There’s bars everywhere. There’s clubs everywhere. It’s the same thing,” he said, opining that Bally’s leaders seemed to “know what they’re doing.”</p><p>“Everything looks great. It smells good, it feels good, everyone working is nice,” Arzate said. “And it doesn’t smell like cigarettes, so that’s always good.”</p><p>Andrews, the birthday boy who was among the first inside the casino, said he showed up with $10, and “if I lose that, I’m leaving.”</p><p>Less than an hour later, he made his way to another slot machine, grinning and waving a ticket. “I’m at $150.”</p><p>The casino is open 8 a.m. until 4 a.m. seven days a week and will eventually be a 24/7 operation, Bally’s said. </p><p>For help with problem gambling, call 1-800-GAMBLER or text ILGAMB to 833234 to be connected with <a class="Link" href="https://e.helplineil.org/areyoureallywinning/" target="_blank" >licensed addiction counselors</a>.</p><p></p><p></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/9/9/23865521/chicago-casino-opening-ballysAllison NoveloMitchell ArmentroutPat Nabong2023-09-06T17:59:53.332-05:002023-09-07T13:42:37-05:00Teen who saved 10-year-old’s life in South Chicago shooting in 2020 shot dead on Labor Day
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<img class="Image" alt="Swaysee Rankin, left, was dropped off at South Shore Hospital on Monday with multiple gunshot wounds. Three years ago, he saved the life of his close friend La’Mya Sparks, right, who was struck by a stray bullet." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/25e0d20/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1596x896+0+81/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FLV2qnbT-a2cAd8aKTcRRT7UR4Tc%3D%2F0x0%3A1596x1058%2F1596x1058%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28798x529%3A799x530%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24901980%2FScreenshot_2023_09_06_at_5.40.17_PM.png 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/075fa61/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1596x896+0+81/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FLV2qnbT-a2cAd8aKTcRRT7UR4Tc%3D%2F0x0%3A1596x1058%2F1596x1058%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28798x529%3A799x530%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24901980%2FScreenshot_2023_09_06_at_5.40.17_PM.png 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Swaysee Rankin, left, was dropped off at South Shore Hospital on Monday with multiple gunshot wounds. Three years ago, he saved the life of his close friend La’Mya Sparks, right, who was struck by a stray bullet.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Provided photos</p></div></div>
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<p>At just 15 years old, Swaysee Rankin met a tragic end by gunfire Monday night, but three years ago, he heroically saved a girl’s life after she was struck by a stray bullet.</p><p>Swaysee rushed up to his 10-year-old friend, La’Mya Sparks, after she was shot in her back in Russell Square Park in South Chicago. Taking off his shirt to apply pressure to the girl’s gunshot wound, the teen stayed by his friend’s side until paramedics arrived. </p><div class="RelatedList Enhancement" data-module data-align-center>
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<p>Six months later, Swaysee himself was wounded in a shooting. He recovered. He was shot again on Labor Day. An unknown man dropped the teen at South Shore Hospital with multiple gunshot wounds, according to a police report. </p><p>This time, Swaysee was pronounced dead about 9 p.m., the report said.</p><div class="RelatedList Enhancement" data-module data-align-center>
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<p>“He was the sweetest boy with the biggest heart, and I love him for being there for my daughter,” said Shawnta Williams, La’Mya’s mother. “He acted like a real big brother, and I would thank him for what he did in that park.”</p><p>Williams said she didn’t know if the teen had been involved with any gangs, but she added, “Young boys in this generation grow up around so much violence. Swaysee was a good kid, and I don’t want people to just label him as a gang-banger. He didn’t deserve what happened to him.”</p><div class="RelatedList Enhancement" data-module data-align-center>
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<a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2023/9/4/23857684/chicago-labor-day-weekend-gun-violence-4-killed-30-wounded-crime-shooting-cpd-holiday" target="_blank" >Labor Day violence: 10 killed, 34 wounded in Chicago, including 6-year-old boy</a>
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<p>Staff at South Shore Hospital told police that the man who dropped Swaysee off looked to be between 18 and 20 years old. </p><p>He had a gun tucked into his waistband, and after leaving Swaysee in the lobby, he sped off in a red car heading south on Crandon Avenue, the report said.</p><p>Swaysee was among seven young people shot in Chicago over Labor Day weekend, according to Sun-Times data. </p><p>“Our kids are not making it to 18,” Williams said. “I’ve thought about this a lot, and I’m trying not to cry. This is something that happens, like, every day.”</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/9/6/23861411/teen-who-saved-10-year-olds-life-in-south-chicago-shooting-in-2020-shot-dead-on-labor-dayAllison Novelo2023-09-06T09:04:01.014-05:002023-09-06T09:16:40-05:00Chicago teen recounts shooting after Mount Carmel-Morgan Park football game
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<img class="Image" alt="Damario Ferguson, 15, is recovering after being shot in the abdomen after a Friday night football game at Mount Carmel high school." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/042b81a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/576x323+0+78/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FO4X8rWCzMDePq-EMXvq7nLm1CpE%3D%2F0x0%3A576x720%2F576x720%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28264x240%3A265x241%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24900329%2FDamarioFerguson.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/03e06a4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/576x323+0+78/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FO4X8rWCzMDePq-EMXvq7nLm1CpE%3D%2F0x0%3A576x720%2F576x720%2Ffilters%3Afocal%28264x240%3A265x241%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24900329%2FDamarioFerguson.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Damario Ferguson, 15, is recovering after being shot in the abdomen after a Friday night football game at Mount Carmel high school.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Provided/Rhonda Matthews</p></div></div>
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<p>Damario Ferguson said he was “feeling good” Tuesday afternoon, despite losing a kidney and part of his colon and large intestine as a result of a shooting Friday night after a Mount Carmel-Morgan Park football game.</p><p>Damario, 15, was one of seven young people who were shot over the weekend in a spate of attacks as the school year gets underway. </p><p>“I wasn’t scared. I wasn’t nervous. I just kept my calm. It was toward the end of the game, we were just leaving, and I just heard shots and started running,” Damario told the Sun-Times. </p><p>Damario, a varsity football player at Percy Julian High School, was recovering at University of Chicago Medical Center. His mom and grandmother were at his bedside after <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/news/2023/9/1/23856404/mount-carmel-morgan-park-gunshots-high-school-football-chicago" target="_blank" >the attack outside Mount Carmel High School</a> in Woodlawn. A 16-year-old girl was also wounded. </p><p>“I got hit once, and I kept running. I didn’t know I got hit until blood started coming from my hoodie,” said Damario.</p><p>Once he saw blood, he stopped running, and a friend and others with him called for help. </p><p>Damario said he was at the game to scout the other teams. </p><p>He said he still plans to attend his team’s games, and isn’t thrilled about taking time off to recuperate from the shooting. </p><p>“I don’t want to, but I might have to,” he said of having to sit out games. </p><p>“He has a long road ahead of him,’’ said his grandmother, Rhonda Matthews. </p><p>Shot in the same attack was 16-year-old Gyanna Reed, who was there with her 15-year-old sister, who was not injured. </p><p>Gyanna and her sister, Morgan Park fans, said they were waiting near a parking lot for their aunt, Rashida White, to pick them up. </p><p>“I got a phone call and rushed over,’’ White told the Sun-Times. </p><p>Gyanna, shot in her foot, couldn’t walk, and she was bleeding.</p><p>“She’s really kind of traumatized,” White said. “It’s horrible.”</p><p>Shortly after 7 p.m. Sunday, a 13-year-old boy was setting up a speaker at an outdoor party with his friends when a black Kia SUV pulled up, and someone inside shot him in his head, leaving a pool of blood at the corner of South Elizabeth and West 60th streets, according to a police report. Six shell casings were found at the scene. </p><p>John Webb, a longtime Englewood resident, said he returned home hours after the shooting to find police tape everywhere and party remnants scattered in his yard. </p><p>“It was some sort of party, because there was chips bags, juice bottles and shoes,” Webb said. “There was a bloody rag in the grass, and I had to clean it all up.”</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center>
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<img class="Image" alt="Englewood resident John Webb shows a blood-soaked blanket that he found in his yard after a shooting Sunday evening outside his home. Webb was away when the shooting occurred and returned to find remnants of a party. A 13-year-old boy was shot in the head." srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/10d737e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7008x3933+0+369/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FeZ08awIfFVhdCZ4wiUJjr0zKvGY%3D%2F0x0%3A7008x4672%2F7008x4672%2Ffilters%3Afocal%283504x2336%3A3505x2337%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24898857%2Fmerlin_115614556.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/34d2b47/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7008x3933+0+369/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fthumbor%2FeZ08awIfFVhdCZ4wiUJjr0zKvGY%3D%2F0x0%3A7008x4672%2F7008x4672%2Ffilters%3Afocal%283504x2336%3A3505x2337%29%2Fcdn.vox-cdn.com%2Fuploads%2Fchorus_asset%2Ffile%2F24898857%2Fmerlin_115614556.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275"
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<div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Englewood resident John Webb shows a blood-soaked blanket that he found in his yard after a shooting Sunday evening outside his home. Webb was away when the shooting occurred and returned to find remnants of a party. A 13-year-old boy was shot in the head.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Pat Nabong/Sun-Times</p></div></div>
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</div><p>Webb said he didn’t know the boy who was shot, but he couldn’t believe the shooting had occurred just outside his home.</p><p>“I’ve been here 23 years. I always sit on the porch, and it’s quiet around here,” Webb said. “I was very surprised.”</p><p>Less than two hours earlier, a 6-year-old boy had been shot during a family gathering in Washington Heights on the South Side.</p><p>The boy was in a home in the 9100 block of South Racine Avenue when he was shot in his right hip, Chicago police said. His mom began driving him to the hospital, but she pulled over and called police, and an ambulance took him the rest of the way to Comer Children’s Hospital. He was listed in good condition, police said.</p><p>About 11:30 p.m. Friday, another 15-year-old boy was shot twice in his lower back in the 2200 block of West 21st Street, police said. The boy, a student at Chicago Bulls College Prep, was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital but was transferred to Stroger Hospital, where he was listed in serious condition. Witnesses told police that someone in a white vehicle that looked like a Kia Soul shot him.</p><p>Meanwhile, two 15-year-old boys were shot and killed over the weekend:<br></p><ul><li id="i1uOch">A still-unidentified 15-year-old boy was <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2023/9/4/23859249/boy-15-dropped-at-south-shore-hospital-with-gunshot-wounds-dies" target="_blank" >brought to South Shore Hospital</a> at 7:40 p.m. Monday with multiple gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead. The location of the shooting was unknown, according to police.</li><li id="8a68d2">Tyler West-Moreland died after he was shot Sunday in East Garfield Park on the West Side. West-Moreland was shot multiple times about 5:05 p.m. in the <a class="Link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2023/9/4/23859140/15-year-old-boy-dies-hours-after-shooting-in-east-garfield-park" target="_blank" >2900 block of West Walnut Street, </a>police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he died Monday, officials said.</li></ul><p></p>
https://chicago.suntimes.com/crime/2023/9/5/23860120/young-victims-of-weekend-gun-violenceAllison NoveloRosemary Sobol