At a news conference Wednesday, Mayor Brandon Johnson estimated the cost of extending the contract he had just cancelled for seven months followed by a two-month “wind-down” period would cost “roughly $8 million or so.”

A report in the Chicago Sun-Times fixed the exact cost at $8.6 million over the course of nine months. That’s more than the city paid for the whole of last year, and it brings the total value of ShotSpotter Contract with SoundThinking to over $57 million.

“It really came down to, ‘Is it providing a real, true benefit in what it promised to do?'” Johnson said.

But critics on Friday said the mayor’s zeal to fulfill campaign promises is costing the city too much money.

“I think the mayor has handled this poorly from the get-go,” said 15th Ward Ald. Raymond Lopez. “You shouldn’t have announced anything until you had the deal set in stone and signed.”

Lopez said ShotSpotter may not deter crime, but it does detect it and report it to police. He said it’s especially important in neighborhoods like his where he says it has saved lives.

There is a system sensor on top of a light pole right outside of his office.

“Oftentimes the politics of public safety and the politics of this administration hampers the execution of what we are trying to do for the people of the city of Chicago,” he said.

Chicago Police Supt. Larry Snelling has said he was in favor of keeping ShotSpotter. Johnson said they have had conversations, but he is looking for better ways to respond that don’t always involve the police.

“I personally would like to see a system where EMTs respond,” the mayor said Wednesday.

Some alderpersons are asking that the data collected from the last months of the ShotSpotter program be used to analyze not whether it is a tool to fight crime, but rather a technology that can save lives.

Those videos were played in open court Tuesday, one week before the trial of the alleged shooter, Emonte Morgan, is set to begin, to determine if a jury should ever see them.

“You will see a cold-blooded murder and attempted murder of two officers and it’s irrefutable,” said John Catanzara, president of Lodge 7 of the Fraternal Order of Police. He sat with the families of the victims, who watched painful video along with Judge Ursula Walowski.

Morgan’s public defenders had sought to keep the jury from hearing the audio from three of the videos, including those from French’s and Yanez’s cameras. They claimed the audio, on which you can hear shots fired and the officers gasping for air, would be prejudicial to their client.

Walowski disagreed saying, “I find this video of the actual event, which is extremely relevant.”

Catanzara said the video is very clear in showing there was no excessive force used by the officers during the August 2021 traffic stop that led to murder. Yanez can be heard explaining that there was an open bottle of alcohol visible in the back seat of the car and that was the reason everyone was being ordered out of the vehicle.

“Carlos was extremely polite,” Catanzara said. “It was as textbook a traffic stop as you can have. Up until the point that it wasn’t.”  

Morgan’s brother Eric took a plea deal and is currently serving a seven-year sentence for his role in the shootings.

French’s mother Elizabeth was in court Tuesday along with Officer Yanez.

“There is always going to be that survivor’s guilt of why me and not her and could I have done anything different to save Ella?” Cantanzara said.

Jury selection in Morgan’s murder trial is scheduled to start on Monday at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse at 26^th and California.

Just days after viral video showed a man leaving shrimp on a Red Line seat, new video captured a crab taking a trip on the city’s transit system.

The footage was captured by Ryder Kennedy, who said he spotted the unusual animal while taking a CTA Red Line train towards Howard. It was later shared by the popular account Secret Chicago.

“Just a casual day on the CTA,” the caption for the video read.

What exactly happened to the crab after the video remains unclear. The CTA declined to comment on the video.

It would appear openly carrying a crab onto a CTA train does, however, violate the agency’s code of conduct.

“Only small pets, inside of a closed protective carrier designed for travel and able to be carried by one person, are allowed on CTA buses and trains,” the rules state.

It’s the latest incident involving the SeaTA this month.

Last week, video showed a man appearing to eat and leave a pile a of cooked shrimp on a Red Line seat in viral video.

In that incident, the CTA offered a humorous response.

“Not only is this behavior fishy and extremely shellfish, it’s shrimply unacceptable as it violates CTA’s Rules of conduct, which prohibits eating and littering on trains,” the agency said in a statement.

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Let’s jump right in with five Chicago sports updates to know heading into Monday, Feb. 19:

Steve ‘Mongo’ McMichael responding well to antibiotics, family says

Chicago Bears legend Steve “Mongo” McMichael is showing improvement and is responding well to antibiotics as he battles a MRSA diagnosis.

According to family spokesperson Betsy Shepherd, the hope is for McMichael to be sent home later this week as he undergoes the antibiotic treatment.

“Steve is responding to the antibiotics and his condition is improving,” she said. “We hope to have him home Tuesday with IV antibiotics. He’s one tough guy. He’s Mongo and his DNA is different!”

After being hospitalized due to a urinary tract infection, McMichael was diagnosed with MRSA, according to family members. He was also given a blood transfusion as part of his treatment of the illnesses.

“Steve and his family and close friends believe in the power of prayer. Thank you for your love and continued support for our Mongo,” Shepherd’s statement said.

Click here to read more.

Blackhawks assign Lukas Reichel to AHL’s Rockford IceHogs

The Chicago Blackhawks have assigned forward Lukas Reichel to the Rockford IceHogs, the team announced on Sunday morning.

Reichel, 21, has been a healthy scratch for the last two games after his year-long slump continued post-bye week and All-Star break. He’s been a healthy scratch five times altogether this season.

Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson recently talked about the possibility of sending Reichel to Rockford and wanting to see more “competitiveness” from him.

“It is a tool for sure and I’m sure that can be something that we’ll exercise if we need,” Richardson said. “But we’ve been so banged up, I don’t think we could’ve really up until this point. Maybe that is an option going forward, just to help someone get out of the rut. 

Click here to read more.

Christopher Morel to focus on third base

The big news on Saturday came as Craig Counsell evaluated his options at third base for the North Siders, with Christopher Morel’s name figuring prominently in that conversation.

Counsell hinted at the idea of giving Morel time at the hot corner during the offseason, and now that the team has reported to Mesa, he is still sounding those same notes.

“Let’s evaluate that as we go, but let’s give him a chance at third base, let’s give him some consistency at third base,” he said. “See where we’re at roster-wise at some point in camp and then go forward from there.”

More Cubs spring training updates here.

Luke Getsy offers highly complimentary words for Justin Fields

Luke Getsy recently spoke with the media in Las Vegas for his opening press conference as the Raiders’ new offensive coordinator.

There, he was asked about Bears quarterback Justin Fields, who he failed to fully develop, but worked with side-by-side over the past two seasons. He only had high praise for Fields, who is known for his coachability and leadership.

“Tremendous growth for Justin. … Like I said when I was there, he’s one of the best human beings I’ve ever got to work with,” Getsy said. “It’s just the mentality that he brought every day, the consistent approach, the kind of man that he is. Just really, it was a blessing to work with him and he was someone that just came to work every day to get better and better, and I think he’ll continue to do so.”

Check out more here.

Jerry Reinsdorf prepared to ask for $1 billion in public money for new stadium

The White Sox are reportedly prepared to ask for $1 billion in public funding from the state to construct a new stadium at “The 78” near the South Loop, according to an extensive report from Crain’s Chicago Business.

Team owner Jerry Reinsdorf is reportedly confident in his chances of winning over the state’s approval for his complex financial plan to fulfill the goal of building an entirely new Sox stadium, in collaboration with real estate firm Related Midwest, along the Chicago River.

Reinsdorf has not officially met with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, though the report made it clear the White Sox have been in contact with state officials on the subject. 

“The two [Reinsdorf and Related Midwest President Curt Bailey] are bullish they can win state support by arguing the stadium subsidies will bring along billions more in private investment, and the deal is structured in a way to not require new or increased taxes,” the report states.

Read more of that here.

The helicopter landed at around 5:20 p.m., at which point the pilot exited and added oil to the engine.

Video shared with NBC Chicago showed the helicopter at the beach before taking off.

The aircraft was able to safely return to its base, according to police.

Additional information wasn’t immediately available.

The Chicago Department of Public Health initially said the boy, identified as Jean Carlos Martinez Rivero, died from a medical emergency, and not an infectious disease.

On Friday, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office revealed what caused his death.

The office’s report showed the child died of sepsis from Strep Throat (A) and COVID-19. They said he also had two other viruses that were contributing factors.

“It’s too much for a little body. It really is sad,” said Dr. Juanita Mora, an allergist and immunologist. “We have to remember that a 5-year-old has a very small amount of volume when it comes to bodily fluids. So, when an overwhelming infection like COVID-19 hits his body, and at the same time he gets strep throat, it starts going into the blood stream, it starts affecting the rest of the organs.”

Mora said she has seen a lot of kids with strep this season, and it’s likely that Martinez Rivero experienced symptoms leading up to his death.

“I always tell parents to watch for three things: One, fever that doesn’t resolve. Two, fatigue, a child that is sleeping a lot and three, loss of appetite.”

She said these viruses and bacteria spread easily, especially in shared living spaces like shelters.

 “They’re also in a migrant shelter where there’s not a lot of attention, and maybe the parent felt helpless,” Mora said. “It’s a very, very sad outcome. And as a doctor I never want to see a child go through this ever again. And I think it’s a lesson for all of us in the medical community, as a community itself, we need to do better in recognizing the symptoms, when to take a child to the emergency room, when to seek help fast.”

Fire Department officials told NBC Chicago they transported several other sick children to the hospital later that week from the Pilsen shelter.

Mayor Brandon Johnson’s Office released the following statement Saturday morning.

“The City of Chicago again expresses our deepest condolences to the family of Jean Carlos Martínez Rivero. This is a tragic loss, and we appreciate the work of community partners supporting the Martínez Rivero family during this difficult time.  

The report issued by the Cook County Medical Examiner determined that the cause of death was sepsis, a rare complication due to invasive Streptococcus pyogenes, also known as Group A Strep, that rapidly became fatal. Sepsis can lead to serious complications in as little as 24 hours.

Ambulance services were called immediately when the family reported a medical emergency. Shelter staff performed chest compressions on the child but he tragically died shortly after arriving at the hospital.  

The City of Chicago coordinates medical screenings for all shelter residents, weekly on-site provider support, on-site vaccination events for COVID, varicella, and flu, and partnerships with a network of community health centers for other healthcare needs. All shelter residents are offered comprehensive medical examinations and care.  

The City has prioritized the health and well-being of asylum seekers throughout the New Arrivals Mission in partnership with community healthcare providers and Cook County Health, and the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) will continue to monitor and respond to all reportable cases of infectious disease across the City’s temporary shelter system.”

A viral TikTok showed images of a man eating shrimp off a Chicago Transit Authority train seat, and now, the CTA has responded in the best way.

The unexpected footage, which has been viewed more than 1 million times, shows a man sitting on a Red Line train with what appears to be five containers of shrimp.

In the images, the man dumps some of the shrimp directly onto the uncovered seat next to him and proceeds to eat some, before leaving the remaining uneaten items on the chair after he leaves.

Many commenters have questioned the reason for the surprising treat left behind.

“But what was his intention/motive ? like how do you plan this ?” one commenter wrote.

“What was the REASON?!” another said.

NBC Chicago reached out to the CTA, and their response was an unexpected twist on the tale… or tail.

“Not only is this behavior fishy and extremely shellfish, it’s shrimply unacceptable as it violates CTA’s Rules of conduct, which prohibits eating and littering on trains,” the agency said in a statement.

According to the CTA’s code of conduct, “consuming any food or non-alcoholic beverages, excluding medicine” is prohibited on transit vehicles.

“We are heartbroken and devastated to announce the fire last night caused extensive damage and we will remain closed until further notice,” the Palace Grill posted to Facebook. “Special thanks to the Chicago Fire Department for saving the restaurant / getting the fire out quickly and to the Chicago Police Department for keeping us safe throughout the night.”

The restaurant near the United Center has been a fixture for first responders, politicians and Blackhawks players, and it even welcomed celebrities, like Vice President Al Gore and Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin throughout its many years in business.

“It’s the backbone of Chicago that comes here,” said Katrina Vlasich, a Palace Grill regular and Blackhawks season ticket holder who created a fundraiser to help the restaurant recover. “They know there is good food and a smile waiting to greet them there.”

Owner George Lemperis vowed last week that the restaurant would survive and reopen after the fire that caused extensive damage to the kitchen around 10 p.m. Thursday.

The fundraiser was started Tuesday with a goal of raising $15,000. Vlasich said many Blackhawks fans and others associated with the team banded together to support the beloved diner.

“It’s time to pull together and rally around the Palace Grill, George, and the staff, as Blackhawks fans and a city,” Vlasich wrote. “Let’s help George rebuild an iconic diner where so many memories have been made, so it can help build more.”

The restaurant opened in 1938 as De Mar’s Grill and has been in the Lemperis family since 1955. George and his father, Peter, who died in 1992, took over in 1979.

The cause of the fire was still under investigation Tuesday, but Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said it was determined to be accidental.

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The lawsuit claims a young skater was sexually assaulted by her coach and that more should have been done to protect her.

A 47-page civil lawsuit filed this week claims a former figure skating coach who worked out of the Darien Park District’s Sportsplex sexually assaulted a young girl he was training.

Attorneys for the girl said she was a member of the MA Figure Skating Academy, which rented space at the facility. The girl alleges the inappropriate contact happened several times between 2016 and 2018.

“It is going to be something she deals with now and for rest of her life – emotionally,” said her attorney Allyson West of Hale & Monico. “We have named several individuals, including coaches and [the] skating entity that employed the coaches, as well as Sportsplex where it happened.”

“We feel like there should have been proper policies and procedures in place to ensure that this didn’t happen,” West said, “so the parents are entrusting individuals and this facility with their child, essentially, and hope that they ensure her safety and prevent this from happening to them.”

The girl’s parents filed a police report in 2021, but no criminal charges were filed against the coach, which is why NBC Chicago is not naming him.

The DuPage County State’s Attorney’s Office told NBC Chicago in a statement: “Following a thorough investigation into these allegations, the decision was made not to pursue criminal charges as we would not be able to meet our burden of guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”

The family is seeking monetary damages, but attorneys also said they want to know if there are other victims out there.

NBC Chicago reached out to MA Figure Skating Academy and other plaintiffs named in the lawsuit but didn’t hear back.

An attorney for the Darien Park District told NBC Chicago in a statement that it only recently had been made aware of the lawsuit and will be reviewing the allegations.

“A doughnut has water, salt, sugar, yeast. Paczek has eggs, yolks, lemon oil, milk, butter, and lots of eggs,” Bielnski said. “You can see the difference.”

Bielinski also noted that paczek has only a thin glaze on top. “We eat it for the dough as much as the filling,” she said. “When you eat it, it doesn’t collapse. It fluffs right back up.”

In a Smithsonian article from February of 2023, Bielinski noted that paczki dough is richer and denser than a doughnut. It’s complemented by a sweet fruit preserve filling, a thin glaze on top, a hint of orange or lemon peel, or even a trace of rose.

One of the customers in line at the Chicago bakery agreed.

“It’s got the real deal,” Joseph Litza said, before breaking out into his family’s special Paczki song. “If a place has rose filling in it, it’s the real deal. That comes directly from my wife, and she’s from Poland.”

While many in the Chicago area Tuesday will be celebrating Fat Tuesday with traditional Mardi Gras food, others will enjoying delicious Polish pastries known as Paczki.

The fried pastries, pronounced “puhnch-kee,” date back to the 1700s, when people would traditionally use up foods “luxurious” foods like lard and sugar to ensure they wouldn’t be wasted during Lent, a 40-day period of fasting in Christianity.

“Families would use up their eggs, butter and sugar and fruit by treating themselves one last time before Lent began with these rich donuts,” an article from the Michigan State University extension said.

Early Tuesday morning, bakers at Delightful Pastries wearing pink “Got Paczki?” shirts had their hands full in the kitchen, preparing hundreds of paczki orders ahead of opening at 6 a.m. Outside, a line had already formed.

“People love our paczki,” Bielinski told NBC Chicago. “It’s a nice celebration. As they say at Mardi Gras, ‘let the good times roll.’ It’s a great wonderful tradition that goes back, and it’s nice to follow in the steps of others — and it’s fun stuff.”

The paczki tradition quickly expanded to Chicago and other communities where a large number of Polish individuals settled during the 20th century. Since then, many people have come to enjoy paczki — regardless of their background or religion.

The fried pastries, pronounced “puhnch-kee,” date back to the 1700s, when people would traditionally use up foods “luxurious” foods like lard and sugar to ensure they wouldn’t be wasted during Lent, a 40-day period of fasting in Christianity.

“Families would use up their eggs, butter and sugar and fruit by treating themselves one last time before Lent began with these rich donuts,” an article from the Michigan State University extension said.

But they aren’t quite doughnuts.

Early Tuesday morning, bakers at Delightful Pastries wearing pink “Got Paczki?” shirts had their hands full in the kitchen, preparing hundreds of paczki orders ahead of opening at 6 a.m. Outside, a line had already formed.

MORE: What’s the difference between paczki and doughnuts? Chicago Polish bakery explains

“People love our paczki,” Delightful Pastries owner Dobra Bielinski told NBC Chicago. “It’s a nice celebration. As they say at Mardi Gras, ‘let the good times roll.’ It’s a great wonderful tradition that goes back, and it’s nice to follow in the steps of others — and it’s fun stuff.”

And while it does resemble a doughnut, it’s hugely different, Bielinksi said. “A doughnut has water, salt, sugar, yeast. Paczek has eggs, yolks, lemon oil, milk, butter, and lots of eggs. You can see the difference.”

Bielinski also noted that paczek has only a thin glaze on top. “We eat it for the dough as much as the filling,” she said. “When you eat it, it doesn’t collapse. It fluffs right back up.”

The paczki tradition quickly expanded to Chicago and other communities where a large number of Polish individuals settled during the 20th century. Since then, many people have come to enjoy paczki — regardless of their background or religion.

Looking to get your hands on some paczki, or maybe you want to try it for the first time? Here’s a list of more than 30 bakeries and grocery stores in the Chicago area serving up the sweet treats.

Where to find paczki in and around Chicago:

Chicago:

• Ace Bakery, 3241 S. Halsted St.
• Alliance Bakery, 1736 W. Division St.
• Andy’s Deli & Bakery Mikolajczyk Sausage Shop, 5442 N Milwaukee Ave.
• Bridgeport Bakery 2.0, 2907 S. Archer Ave.
• Big Kids, 2545 N Kedzie Blvd.
• Delightful Pastries, 5927 W. Lawrence Ave.
• Do-Rite Donuts, multiple locations at 1027 W. Addison St., 835 N. Michigan Ave., 181 N. Morgan St., 233 E. Erie St. and 50 W. Randolph St.
• Firecakes Donuts, multiple locations including 68 W. Hubbard St., 2453 N. Clark St. and 205 W. Wacker Drive
• Kolatek’s Bakery, 2445 N. Harlem Ave. and in Palatine
• Huck Finn Restaurants, Oak Lawn, South Archer and South Pulaski
• Racine Bakery, 6216 S. Archer Ave.
• Roeser’s Bakery, 3216 W. North Ave.
• Smack Dab Chicago, 6730 North Clark Street
• Stan’s Donuts, multiple locations including 1560 N. Damen Ave., 28 E. Roosevelt Road, 2800 N. Clark St. and 259 E. Erie St.
• Vanille Patisserie, Lincoln Park and West Loop Gate (Partnership with Benninson’s Bakery)
• “Original” Ferrara Bakery, 2210 W. Taylor St.
• Toni Patisserie and Café, Hinsdale and Loop locations
• Weber’s Bakery, 7055 W. Archer Ave.

Suburbs:

• Bennison’s Bakery, Evanston
• Chicago Pastry, Bloomingdale
• Deerfields Bakery, 813 Waukegan Road, Deerfield
• DeEtta’s Bakery, Naperville
• Donut Den, Joliet
• Kolatek’s Bakery, 2445 N. Harlem Ave. and in Palatine
• Gurnee Donuts, 4949 Grand Ave., Gurnee
• Harner’s Bakery, North Aurora
• Fleckenstein’s Bakery, Mokena and New Lenox
• Kirsten’s Danish Bakery, Burr Ridge
• Kuppie’s Bakery, Villa Park
• Toni Patisserie and Café, Hinsdale and Loop locations
• Oak Park Bakery, 904 S. Oak Park Ave.
• Orland Park Bakery, 14850 S. LaGrange Road, Orland Park
• Palermo Bakery, Norridge
• Wolf’s Bakery, Evergreen Park

Indiana:

• Beck’s Crown Bakery, Crown Point, Indiana
• Henze’s Bakery, Valparaiso, Indiana

Grocery stores

• Angelo Caputo’s Fresh Markets
• Deli 4 You Market
• Jewel
• Mariano’s
• Meijer
• Pete’s Fresh Market
• Tony’s Fresh Market

However, there’s a brief period each year when the Polish pastries are in the spotlight. And that time is upon us.

Like clockwork on Fat Tuesday, bakeries serve dozens upon dozens of the deep-fried pastries, which are often filled with jam, cream or custard. While the tradition dates back centuries, it still holds strong in Chicago to this day.

So, the question begs: What exactly sets paczki apart from your typical dougnut?

Dobra Bielinski, the owner of Chicago’s Delightful Pastries bakery, previously told the Smithsonian magazine that while similar to other fried pastries, paczki aren’t just a doughnut with another name. Paczki dough is richer and heavier than what you’ll find in a typical American doughnut.

MORE: What’s the difference between paczki and doughnuts? Chicago Polish bakery explains

The richness can be chalked up to the ingredients: yeast, eggs, milk and plenty of butter.

Paczki, pronounced “puhnch-kee” date back to the 1700s, when people would traditionally use up foods to ensure they wouldn’t be wasted during Lent, a 40-day period of fasting in Christianity.

“Families would use up their eggs, butter and sugar and fruit by treating themselves one last time before Lent began with these rich donuts,” according to an article from the Michigan State University extension.

The tradition expanded to Chicago and other communities where a large number of Polish individuals settled during the 20th century. Since then, many people have come to enjoy paczki — regardless of their background or religion.

They’ve gotten so popular, most major grocery stores stock paczki weeks ahead of Fat Tuesday.

Looking to get your hands on some paczki or maybe you want to try it for the first time?

Here are more than 30 businesses serving up the treats in the Chicago area.

The home of Kelly Kessler, a DePaul professor, was louder than usual one night in early November. She and her wife Elizabeth Flauto were preparing chicken and dumpling soup to share with who they call their new family. 

The Venezuelan couple and their young son had just landed in Chicago five months before, after a long journey from their home country. 

The sound of cards flipping — while Kessler and Pablo, the young boy, played cards — intertwined with the sounds of pots clanking, knives cutting cheese and laughter.

When Emilio Mota came to the U.S. with his partner Albani Rivero and their 4-year-old son, Pablo Mota, they had high hopes of finding safety and a home for Pablo. They were escaping extreme poverty and misery caused by Venezuela’s political turmoil.

They didn’t immediately find a home but they did find Kessler and her wife, who opened their house and heart to them a few days after arriving in the city. Thanks to the couple’s support, the migrant family has a lawyer helping them with their asylum case, and they also have an apartment after months of struggling in the city-run shelters. 

Leaving their native country wasn’t easy.

It took Rivero and Mota months to prepare, and the day they decided to make the trek north was “a day of much thinking,” Rivero said.

After their son ingested a poisonous chemical, they realized they could not afford to take him to the doctor. This pushed them to make a definitive decision to say goodbye to their loved ones in Guarico, Venezuela.

For months, the family traveled through South and Central America on foot. When they finally arrived in Chicago, they found themselves feeling hopeless. 

Though they had found safety in a migrant shelter at Wilbur Wright College on Chicago’s Northwest Side, they were lost as they tried to navigate life in a new city. 

That’s when Flauto, Kessler’s wife, found them in June. The family was standing underneath a tree outside their house in Jefferson Park. Rivero said they were trying to find a way to Skokie to fill out paperwork required by the shelter.

When Rivero saw Flauto come outside, she felt an instinct to ask her for help. 

“It was our moment of blessing,” Rivero said.

Neither of them spoke the other’s language. 

Mota opened a translator app on his phone. He used it to explain where they needed to go. 

Flauto invited the family into her backyard. She offered them fruit and tortilla chips. Her mother-in-law grilled chicken and gave the family as much food as they could carry to take with them.

Flauto arranged transportation for them to get to Skokie and before they left, they exchanged phone numbers. 

“So that was day one,” Kessler said. “And it just kind of went from there.”

Later that same week, Mota went to their house to do yard work. But the side job would turn into family dinners. 

“He was so dedicated to finding a job and taking care of his family…” Flauto said. “I sort of fell in love with them.”

By November, after countless dinners together, the two families seemed to have become just one. 

Before they had dinner once more at Kessler and Flauto’s house on Nov. 5, Rivero sat on the couch and turned to Flauto’s mother, Cissy Hubbard, to say, “I love you” in English.

As Flauto prepared soup in a vibrant orange kitchen, Rivero came in and out, helping to prepare the table in the dining room.

It took a few months for the family to feel that comfortable in the Kessler-Flauto house, and those months consisted of a few moments of give and take on both sides.

Kessler and her wife quickly realized that the Mota-Rivero family also needed financial help. So they created a GoFundMe account that raised nearly $10,000 to pay for the lawyers to file their asylum case. Much of their family, friends and DePaul community donated to the fund.

In October, the family was notified that their asylum case was in process, and now Mota has a work permit. This is something that seemed distant and unattainable when they first arrived in the city. 

They could not have done it without Kessler and Flauto’s support, the migrant couple said.

Beyond legal difficulties, the Mota-Rivero family faced struggles living in two different migrant shelters before finding a home of their own.

In one shelter, Pablo became sick after getting an infection, Rivero said. Flauto and Kessler gave the family ointments and helped the parents find medical care for the young boy. 

Eventually, Kessler took the parents to apply for the public health insurance for Pablo, through the Illinois program for kids. 

It has not been easy for anyone, Kessler included. There were long nights when Kessler and her wife would drive the family to Walgreens to get medicine or to take blankets to them in the shelter. 

But they all agree it’s been worth it.

“We’ve been really thankful for the ways we’ve been able to help them…” Kessler said. “They’re smart, and they’re kind, and they’re hustling so hard to do all of the things that they’re supposed to do.”

In December, Flauto and Kessler co-signed a lease on an apartment for the migrant family. When Mota and Rivero settled into their new home, they felt “peace.”

Walking down the stairs to their apartment, there is a red toy car that Pablo drives as he plays in the snow. Mota laughed when he talked about how Pablo had adjusted to the snow much more quickly than they had. The living room is towards the left, where there’s a couch, some chairs and a table with roses displayed. The room looks onto their kitchen with a table sitting in the middle.

The kitchen in their new home feels sacred to them. They were finally able to make a home-cooked meal. 

“We made caraotas,” Rivero said, referring to a traditional Venezuelan black bean meal. She smiled as she remembered that moment.

Since then, Mota has gotten a job at Whole Foods. The family also bought a car with some of the remaining money from the GoFundMe donations. 

Kessler and Flauto tell them that they will always support them. 

As they sat for dinner, Flauto looked at the pictures of her family on the wall behind her and turned towards her phone to translate. Flauto told Mota and Rivero she needed a picture of them on the wall now, and she smiled.

“We adopted a family,” Kessler said. 

It was not just about providing financial support. She and her wife wanted the Mota-Rivero family to feel they had a home with them.

“They are our American family,” Rivero said while sitting in the Kessler-Flauto family’s living room.

Luisela Alvaray, a professor of media and cinema studies at DePaul, who is also from Venezuela, has watched the bond between the families grow. Throughout their relationship, she has served as a translator, allowing them to talk more fluidly than the phone app they have used allows.

Last August, right after the families met, Alvaray sat with the families and helped Mota and Rivero to more fully share their story. It was then that Kessler and Flauto understood how their new friends ended up under the tree in their front yard.

“Everybody cried,” Kessler said.

While at first the family was tentative and shy when coming into Kessler-Flauto’s house, now they sometimes come in unannounced. The Mota-Riveros miss their family in Venezuela the most, but they are grateful they were able to meet Kessler and Flauto. 

“Truthfully, they’ve been our angels,” Rivero said. “They’re people who have filled us with gratitude and given us unconditional support. They’ve given us so much love.” 

This piece could only be written with the help and translations of Alyssa N. Salcedo.

Pan de Vida Fresh Market, a food pantry in Little Village, has played a crucial role in providing food to its neighbors since 2010. However, they are now running out of food as they see an increase in community need with newly arrived migrants coming to the area.

Four days a week, the pantry serves 250 people with food and other supplies like toiletry items. In the last few months, they have almost doubled the amount of people they serve per day. 

New Life Centers, under which Pan de Vida operates, are helping to house migrants living in shelters and providing families with food through a new program called New Vecinos.

When guests walk into the food pantry, they are greeted with the sound of music and the colorful sight of fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers.

It looks like any other fresh market.

“This is the only kind of food pantry that there is out there that brings dignity, that brings, like, ‘I’m happy to be here and I have the right to be here to get free food,’” said Diana Franco, the food pantry’s coordinator. 

Franco said the pantry is greatly needed in the community.

In July, Pan de Vida’s purpose was taken to a new level, becoming vital to serving the new migrants that have arrived in the city, mostly from Venezuela and other Latin American countries. They do this all while still balancing the needs of residents in the neighborhood.

Though they have managed to stay afloat through the last few months, leaders of the pantry said they are struggling to continue to feed low-income families and the new migrants who desperately search for fresh food. 

“We are running out of food,” Franco said. “We sometimes don’t have enough food for our own community members because we’ve run out of it.”

Franco said they have had weeks where food donated by other grocery stores has helped them restock. However, there are some weeks where they run out very quickly.

Pan de Vida is now serving 100 more people every day than their previous average of 150 before July. This is because of an increase in clients and a change in the amount of food that many people living in shelters are able to take with them.

Franco said the only reason the numbers have not staggered is because migrants living in shelters are able to bring limited types and amounts of food with them. While residents take about 10 bags, migrants typically take only three bags of food. 

Most fill their bags with canned goods and non-perishable items because of the limited space in city-run shelters.

Many times, migrant children enter the store looking for snacks and when they see the fresh fruits on stands, they immediately start to eat them, Franco said. 

“The need is huge right now,” Franco said. 

Earlier this year, Pan de Vida had already seen an upsurge of customers because the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) allotments, provided during the COVID-19 pandemic, ended in March, Franco said.

While Franco said they were able to manage that surge, during the summer, they saw a new increase in clientele in July with the beginning of New Vecinos.

“Little Village is an area built by immigrants, still run by immigrants. We also are faith based, so we are called to love on people,” said Joana Dyckman, a community leader with New Vecinos.

As people walk through the U-bend grocery store, they are able to grab fresh apples, meats, eggs and vegetables from the stocked stands around the store. At the front, people grab fresh flowers that Trader Joe’s donates occasionally, and in the back of the store, people can grab toiletry items. 

“Our main focus, I mean, it’s to try and help out the food insecurity, but this opens doors to more things, to more doors that these people need help,” Franco said.

Franco said that she would like to see more funds from the city to support the work New Life Centers are doing. She said she is also worried that the new shelter that recently opened at an old CVS site, located at 2634 S. Pulaski Rd., near Pan de Vida will bring even more people to the pantry.

La DePaulia spoke with Ald. Michael Rodriguez (22nd), whose ward includes the food pantry. Rodriguez is one of the leaders in City Council tasked with allocating resources to migrant families in the city.

“I don’t have the power to take private dollars or philanthropy dollars and put them places,” Rodriguez said. “I can certainly suggest and highlight good things going on, and Pan de Vida is definitely one of them.”

Though he supports expanding access to food pantries across neighborhoods, Rodriguez said there remains “no timeline” in place to do so.

As Pan de Vida leaders remain hopeful for more funds from the city and donors, Franco said that she hopes long-time residents remain patient while they help support the new migrants integrating into the neighborhood. 

“Little Village is a space where migrants can come, they are welcome, and they will feel welcome,” Franco said. “It’s a space where you won’t be afraid that other people are going to come in and take you away from here. I mean, it’s not their culture, but we can [in] some type of way, understand what they’re going through.”

Despite their worry to provide food to those in need, many celebrate the role that New Life Centers has had in helping their new neighbors settle in place. 

The city hired the New Life Centers to help resettle migrant families living in shelters through New Vecinos. Since starting in May, the organization has been able to help 2,180 families and 8,950 individuals since January 2024.

New Vecinos partners with Chicago Furniture Bank to buy furniture and furnish apartments that new migrants rent through the city and state rental assistance program. 

With $500, New Vecinos finds new and used furniture to help families start a new life.  

“The city and state are doing everything they can with little resources and with this huge, massive human crisis that happened,” Dyckman said. “We’re one of the few cities that are allowing people to come in so I think people need to, or audiences need to know that the city and state are doing a lot.”

At New Life Centers, migrants are also able to come to the center at 2657 S Lawndale Ave. to stay warm, eat and receive access to different resources. The center also provides diapers, baby formula, toys, school supplies and jackets. 

New Vecinos was only supposed to last one month but has now been extended until June 2024, Dyckman said.

You can learn more about New Vecinos through their website.

Illinois State Police confirmed that just after 6 a.m. officers were called to the expressway near Irving Park for reports of a shooting.

No injuries were reported at the scene but three northbound lanes of the highway were temporarily shut down for an investigation.

Just after 7:30 a.m. police said lanes were reopening, but no additional details on the potential shooting were released.

The closures led to traffic backups that continued well into the morning rush hour. Heightened backups were still reported as of 8 a.m.

State lawmakers in Springfield on Tuesday announced proposed legislation that would raise the hourly rate for tipped workers to minimum wage, as opposed to the subminimum wage many currently make.

In Illinois, the minimum wage for 2024 rose to $14. The minimum wage for tipped employees sits at $8.40, with employers required to make up the difference if tips don’t boost that pay rate to the standard minimum wage.

The proposal mirrors one recently passed in Chicago, which raised the minimum wage for tipped workers from $9 to $15.80 per hour, though such employees could still get tips.

“These workers need to be paid a full living wage that starts with guaranteeing minimum wage with tips on top,” State Rep. Kevin Olickal of the 16^th District in Skokie said.

The Illinois proposal, which was announced in partnership with the “One Fair Wage” organization, would not take away tips for such workers, but would raise their hourly pay.

“We have tracked 6,000 restaurants across the country, including several hundred here in Illinois that have voluntarily moved from paying a subminimum to paying a full, livable wage with tips on top because that is the only way to recruit staff in the worst staffing crisis in Illinois and national restaurant industry history,” the organization said.

Some advocates say the move will offer a fair wage for many restaurant workers who have long gone underpaid, but others have acknowledged the change could put increased pressure on restaurants.

The Illinois Restaurant Association said it “wholeheartedly” disagrees with the idea.

“The removal of the tip credit will hurt tipped workers, restaurants, and customers across the entire state of Illinois when we should be doing what we can to help them,” the association said in a statement. “This legislation will do more harm than good as it will fundamentally change the way all restaurants operate, hurting our smaller, family-run and minority-owned businesses the most. The notion that tipped employees make less than minimum wage is simply not true. In fact, the median wage for full-service tipped restaurant workers is over $28 per hour. These changes will lead to job cuts, an increase in labor costs, and ultimately force restaurant owners to make difficult decisions that will negatively impact their workers and result in higher prices for customers. We are opposed to this legislation.”

Some have cautioned that changes to labor costs could end up costing consumers even more, as many already battle surcharges due to inflation and more. Meanwhile, lawmakers in favor of the bill noted that many tipped workers were not eligible for unemployment insurance during the coronavirus pandemic “because their wages were too low.”

Franco Francese, the owner of Coarse Italian & Mattone said the legislation could lead to fewer tips for such workers.

“I just don’t know how customers will react,” he said, adding that “ultimately it’s going to be the consumer that pays” for the changes.

“We’re hopeful they’re able to stomach that,” he said.

According to One Fair Wage, the proposal would phase out the subminimum wage over a two-year period if passed. Employers who violate the bill would be fined up to $1,5000 per day for each violation.

Lawmakers say seven other states have already passed similar legislation.

“Research shows that these seven states have higher restaurant job growth rates, small business growth rates,” State Rep. Lisa Hernandez of the 2^nd District in Cicero said.

It comes amid increased debate over tipping culture in the U.S.

BankRate reported recently that a survey found “roughly two in three U.S. adults have a negative view about tipping.” But at the same time, 41% of Americans said they believe “businesses should pay employees better rather than relying so much on tips.”

“In industry, an operator only has two things that he or she controls – that’s either product costs and, or labor costs because fixed costs are fixed costs,” Sam Toia, president of the Illinois Restaurant Association, told NBC Chicago in an interview last year.

Still, according to the BankRate survey, fewer people are tipping waitstaff every year, with only 65% saying they always tip a server when dining at a sit-down restaurant, down from 73% in 2022 and 75% in 2021.

The One Fair Wage movement looks to lobby for similar changes for tipped employees across the U.S.

Administration last week revealed the hospital was dealing with a “cybersecurity matter” that resulted in the loss of phone, email and computer services. Sources previously told NBC Chicago that the FBI was aware of a cybersecurity issue affecting the hospital and was providing assistance.

In a statement on Monday evening, the hospital said its “top priority remains providing safe, quality care to our patients and communities we serve” and it “recognizes the frustration of not having clarity on when this will be resolved.”

The investigation into the cybersecurity incident remained ongoing, and teams were “working around the clock to resolve this matter.”

“Please understand this process takes time and know that we have highly experienced, capable and empathetic teams of both internal and external experts responding to this matter,” the statement read in part.

The hospital was also “taking steps to mitigate the disruption and maintain continuity of care.”

Hospitals have become a favorite target of hackers according to cybersecurity experts. A recent study by Checkpoint Security found that hospitals are third behind education or research systems and government or military systems in the number of attacks launched each week.  “They are targeting hospitals because hospitals will pay,” said Pete Nicoletti of Checkpoint.

“There is usually a huge incentive for them to act quickly and work towards paying a ransom,” said John Bromfield of Vistrada Consulting Services. “When lives are in the balance, they have to act quickly,” he said.

Hospitals are targeted bot only because they pay ransom, Nicoletti said, but because their data is valuable to hackers on the dark web because patient data can be sold to hacker who could then stage their own phishing attacks using what appears to be legitimate bilking data from the hospital.

Lurie has established a call center to address the needs of patients’ families and community providers. People are urged to call 1-800-543-7362 for questions and concerns, such as non-urgent patient requests, information regarding scheduled appointments and prescription refill requests.

The call center is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Sunday.

The vandalism inside the Hillel Social Room inside the Damen Student Center was reported by students Friday morning. The university then sent a campus safety alert to students and shared more details later in the day about what it called a “heinous” incident.

“Let me be clear, Loyola University Chicago condemns this hateful act of antisemitism and discrimination absolutely and unequivocally,” Vice President for Student Development Keith Champagne said in a statement to students.

The latest finding follows other “obscene items” found drawn in the room earlier this week, the university said.

“Hillel at Loyola is outraged by the repeated acts of vandalism committed inside the Jewish Life space on campus,” Metro Chicago Hillel at Loyola said in a statement. “This is a violation of the security of our community and comes at a time when Jewish students already feel unsafe to express their identity on campus.”

The university’s Office for Equity and Compliance is investigating the incident.

“It is incumbent upon all of us as a community to stand clearly and strongly against antisemitism. We are unwavering in our commitment to ensuring that our Jewish community feels safe and supported on our campus,” Champagne said.

Students are encouraged to connect with the university’s CURA Network, led by staff members available to support students in distress and are available to meet either in person or remotely.

Hate crime reports have shot up across Chicago the past two years, with 204 in 2022 and 302 in 2023 after previous years hovered around 100, according to police data. Anti-Jewish hate crimes had the second-most reports last year, behind anti-Black hate crimes.

In a news release late Friday night, the more than 100-year-old company announced a restructuring plan that includes shuttering stores in Peoria, Illinois, Kenosha, Wisconsin and six in central Indiana. The company said the restructuring, which will utilize protections of a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, will align costs with “projected sales and economic realities.”

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The move, CEO Bruce Berman said, will allow The RoomPlace to refocus on strengthening its 18 Chicago-area stores, which will remain open under regular hours.

“We are determined to become better and stronger in Chicagoland by continuing to offer consumers the largest selection of stylish brands at the market’s best prices,” Berman said in the release.

As of Sunday afternoon, the Kenosha, Peoria and Indianapolis-area locations remained open and were still accepting orders. Customers who make a purchase until Planned Furniture Promotions, the company contracted for store closing sales, takes over will receive their orders, according to a spokesperson.

A specific date for store closing sales hasn’t been announced.

The following stores are included in the closures:

Illinois

2200 W. War Memorial Dr. – Peoria

Indiana

14640 Greyhound Plaza – Carmel

5651 E. 86th St. – Indianapolis

7609 Shelby St. – Indianapolis

8401 Michigan Rd. – Indianapolis

8301 E. Washington St. – Indianapolis

2575 E. Main St. Suite 198 – Plainfield

Wisconsin

7014B Green Bay Rd. – Kenosha

“We are taking this very seriously, are investigating with the support of leading experts, and are working in collaboration with law enforcement agencies. As part of our response to this matter, we have taken network systems offline,” the hospital said in a statement Thursday night.

Sources at the FBI say that the agency is aware of a cybersecurity issue affecting Lurie Children’s Hospital, and is providing assistance.

Lurie has established a call center to address the needs of patients’ families and community providers. People are urged to call 1-800-543-7362 for questions and concerns, such as non-urgent patient requests, information regarding scheduled appointments and prescription refill requests.

The call center is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Sunday.

Hospitals have become a favorite target of hackers according to cybersecurity experts. A recent study by Checkpoint Security found that hospitals are third behind education or research systems and government or military systems in the number of attacks launched each week.  “They are targeting hospitals because hospitals will pay,” said Pete Nicoletti of Checkpoint.

“There is usually a huge incentive for them to act quickly and work towards paying a ransom,” said John Bromfield of Vistrada Consulting Services. “When lives are in the balance, they have to act quickly,” he said.

Hospitals are targeted bot only because they pay ransom, Nicoletti said, but because their data is valuable to hackers on the dark web because patient data can be sold to hacker who could then stage their own phishing attacks using what appears to be legitimate bilking data from the hospital.

Experts say they are numerous ways hackers can exploit hospital systems, but they are most often targeted by malicious emails. They can also take advantage of connected devices like MRI scanners and heart monitors that don’t have sufficient protections.

Nicoletti said almost every hospital keeps a backup of its data, but recoveries can be a lengthy process. “I like to say that a lot of hospitals are using floppy drives to do back up and then sending it to a stagecoach to a cave somewhere because it takes days and weeks to do recovery,” he said.

As of Friday afternoon, the luriechildrens.org website is still down. “This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks,” a statement on the page said.

If it seems like you’ve seen this group of people before, you’re not stuck in a “Groundhog Day” loop, it’s actually the cast of the iconic movie reuniting.

Woodstock Willie and Punxsutawney Phil have made their winter predictions and now it’s time to look ahead to another epic moment in the popular February day.

On Groundhog Day itself, the first-ever “Groundhog Day movie cast reunion” will take place at Chicago’s Navy Pier at Harry Caray’s Tavern, according to a press release. (Watch it live in the player above)

The event, the release said, is also meant to commemorate Chicago-born Harold Ramis, co-writer and director of the 1993 cult favorite “Groundhog Day” movie.

“When the alarm clock flips from 2:59 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and ‘I Got You Babe’ plays, all will gather to commemorate Harold Ramis’ life and accomplished career in film,” the release said, adding that Ramis’ wife, Erica Mann Ramis, will also be in attendance.

At least seven cast members from the movie will be onsite, organizers said: Brian Doyle Murray — Bill Murray’s brother — who plays Mayor Buster Green; Stephen Tobolowsky who plays Ned Ryerson; Marita Geraghty who plays Nancy Taylor; David Pasquesi who plays the psychiatrist, Peggy Roeder who plays the piano teacher, and Richard Henzel who plays the DJ.

Actor Ken Hudson Campbell — who plays the “man in the hallway,” in Groundhog Day but is also known for his role as Santa in the John Hughes film “Home Alone” — is also expected to be there.

Bill Murray, who, of course, plays Phil Connors, is also expected make a surprise appearance.

The event, which is open to the public, will be a “truly immersive Groundhog Day experience,” the release said, featuring food and drinks inspired by the movie’s “Tip Top Café,” ice sculptures similar to those seen in the film, shooting scripts and more.

The black Armani jacket Murray wears in the movie will be on display for fans to see, as well the jumpsuits Murray and Ramis wear in “Ghostbusters.”

The rest of Navy Pier will join in on the super-fan Groundhog Day fun, too. The film and soundtrack will play inside the Fifth Third Bank Family Pavilion, the release said, and Navy Pier’s Sable Hotel will change its name to the “Pennsylvanian Hotel” for the day, in honor of the hotel featured in the flick.

The event wouldn’t be complete, however, without a Groundhog.

When the clock strikes 3 p.m., Brian Doyle-Murray will initiate a Groundhog Day Ceremony with a live groundhog named “Chicago Harry,” organizers said. At that time, Harry will emerge from his tree stump to precisely predict how many more weeks of winter the area is set to see.

NBC Chicago will offer a live stream of the event. Watch it live in the player above.

Chicago Ald. Brendan Reilly will close out the ceremony by reading a City of Chicago proclamation declaring it Harold Ramis Day in Chicago, the release said.

More information on how to attend the event can be found here.

While the movie Groundhog Day is set in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, many of its filming locations were in the Chicago suburb of Woodstock, Illinois.

House bill 4603, a bill that would restrict the reasons a copy can pull you over, was introduced by Justin Slaughter, who represents parts of Chicago’s South Side and south suburbs.

And while the contents of the bill have been raising eyebrows, some officials, including Slaughter, say it’s unlikely it will go much further.

What is HB4603?

House bill 4603 would change the motor vehicle code to prohibit police stops for minor offenses like failing to display license plates or expired stickers, as well as excessively tinted windows, defective mirrors, defective bumpers or excessive exhaust.

Advocates for criminal justice reform have often pointed to minor traffic stops as a source of tension between police and the community.

But the most controversial part of the bill involves stops for speeding that would not result in misdemeanors or felonies. In Illinois, that means speeding 25-35 miles an hour over the limit.

What are experts saying about it?

Many experts say the largest issue with the bill centers on the speeding guidance.

“If you think about that,” said Jim Kaitschuk, executive director of the Illinois Sheriff’s Association, “you are in a 30-mile-an-hour speed zone in a residential area and somebody’s going 50 and we can’t stop the vehicle?”

Kaitschuk said that could create a huge safety issue when there are children playing in the neighborhood.  

He also worries that drunk driving enforcement could be handcuffed by the bill, which also limits an officer’s ability to pull over a vehicle for improper lane changes. Weaving from lane to lane, he said, is often a tell-tale sign of a DUI.  

“And under this, we wouldn’t have been able to stop them,” Kaitschuk said.

Isaac Waddell of Pilsen said he supports the measure because it shows respect for the community.

“Doing arbitrary traffic stops wastes time and money,” he said. “There are other things they should be doing like engaging with the community rather than harassing them.”

Arturo Garza said he sees it another way. “It’s going to be pure chaos, crime is going to go up; violations are going to go up; accidents are going to go up,” he said.

What’s next for the bill?

Slaughter introduced the bill on Monday, but it has attracted no co-sponsors.

So far, he has not responded to repeated calls and emails from NBC 5. However, Kaitschuk said Slaughter called him Wednesday morning to tell him he was not going to move forward with the bill in its current form.

“I appreciated the conversation I had with Rep. Slaughter,” Kaitschuk said. “His indication was this bill went way too far for where he intended for it to go.”

Slaughter has yet to say if or when he will bring the bill back or what changes he might make.

On Groundhog Day itself, the first-ever “Groundhog Day movie cast reunion” will take place at Chicago’s Navy Pier at Harry Caray’s Tavern, according to a press release.

The event, the release said, is also meant to commemorate Chicago-born Harold Ramis, co-writer and director of the 1993 cult favorite “Groundhog Day” movie.

“When the alarm clock flips from 2:59 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and ‘I Got You Babe’ plays, all will gather to commemorate Harold Ramis’ life and accomplished career in film,” the release said, adding that Ramis’ wife, Erica Mann Ramis, will also be in attendance.

At least seven cast members from the movie will be onsite, organizers said: Brian Doyle Murray — Bill Murray’s brother — who plays Mayor Buster Green; Stephen Tobolowsky who plays Ned Ryerson; Marita Geraghty who plays Nancy Taylor; David Pasquesi who plays the psychiatrist, Peggy Roeder who plays the piano teacher, and Richard Henzel who plays the DJ.

Actor Ken Hudson Campbell — who plays the “man in the hallway,” in Groundhog Day but is also known for his role as Santa in the John Hughes film “Home Alone” — is also expected to be there.

According to organizers, Bill Murray, who, of course, plays Phil Connors, could make a surprise appearance.

The event, which is open to the public, will be a “truly immersive Groundhog Day experience,” the release said, featuring food and drinks inspired by the movie’s “Tip Top Café,” ice sculptures similar to those seen in the film, shooting scripts and more.

The black Armani jacket Murray wears in the movie will be on display for fans to see, as well the jumpsuits Murray and Ramis wear in “Ghostbusters.”

The rest of Navy Pier will join in on the super-fan Groundhog Day fun, too. The film and soundtrack will play inside the Fifth Third Bank Family Pavilion, the release said, and Navy Pier’s Sable Hotel will change its name to the “Pennsylvanian Hotel” for the day, in honor of the hotel featured in the flick.

The event wouldn’t be complete, however, without a Groundhog.

When the clock strikes 3 p.m., Brian Doyle-Murray will initiate a Groundhog Day Ceremony with a live groundhog named “Chicago Harry,” organizers said. At that time, Harry will emerge from his tree stump to precisely predict how many more weeks of winter the area is set to see.

Chicago Alderman Brendan Reilly will close out the ceremony by reading a City of Chicago proclamation declaring it Harold Ramis Day in Chicago, the release said.

More information on how to attend the event can be found here.

While the movie Groundhog Day is set in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, many of its filming locations were in the Chicago suburb of Woodstock, Illinois.

Justin Slaughter, who represents parts of Chicago’s South Side and south suburbs, has introduced House bill 4603, which would change the motor vehicle code to prohibit police stops for minor offenses like failing to display license plates or expired stickers, as well as excessively tinted windows, defective mirrors, defective bumpers or excessive exhaust.

But the most controversial part of the bill involves stops for speeding that would not result in misdemeanors or felonies. In Illinois, that means speeding 25-35 miles an hour over the limit.

“If you think about that,” said Jim Kaitschuk, executive director of the Illinois Sheriff’s Association, “you are in a 30-mile-an-hour speed zone in a residential area and somebody’s going 50 and we can’t stop the vehicle?”

Kaitschuk said that could create a huge safety issue when there are children playing in the neighborhood.  

He also worries that drunk driving enforcement could be handcuffed by the bill, which also limits an officer’s ability to pull over a vehicle for improper lane changes. Weaving from lane to lane, he said, is often a tell-tale sign of a DUI.  

“And under this, we wouldn’t have been able to stop them,” Kaitschuk said.

Isaac Waddell of Pilsen said he supports the measure because it shows respect for the community.

“Doing arbitrary traffic stops wastes time and money,” he said. “There are other things they should be doing like engaging with the community rather than harassing them.”

Arturo Garza said he sees it another way. “It’s going to be pure chaos, crime is going to go up; violations are going to go up; accidents are going to go up,” he said.

Slaughter introduced the bill on Monday, but it has attracted no co-sponsors.

So far, he has not responded to repeated calls and emails from NBC 5. However, Kaitschuk said Slaughter called him Wednesday morning to tell him he was not going to move forward with the bill in its current form.

“I appreciated the conversation I had with Rep. Slaughter,” Kaitschuk said. “His indication was this bill went way too far for where he intended for it to go.”

Slaughter has yet to say if or when he will bring the bill back or what changes he might make.

Ald. Daniel La Spata announced to residents last week that the city is on track to begin a new pilot program that would bring public bathrooms to the city. The city is under contract with JCDecaux to build the bathrooms, with four setups “ready for installation.”

“We have never been closer to having a public bathroom pilot in Chicago!” La Spata wrote in a newsletter to constituents. “Meeting with JCDecaux today, they confirmed that the first four high quality public bathrooms are ready for installation as part of their contract with the City. I’m excited to see the City work with such an experienced operator and hopeful that we can determine appropriate locations in the very near term. It’s a great opportunity to bring new services to our residents!”

The news comes years after officials first promised changes to the lack of access to public bathrooms in the city.

A 2021 Chicago Tribune investigation found the city lacked access to free public bathrooms, with “swaths of the city” containing few or even none.

The contract between Chicago and JCDecaux was announced early last year.

“There is a straightforward path to providing clean and safe bathrooms for every Chicagoan, and this remains the most popular policy that I have worked on from 1st Ward residents, advocacy groups, Chambers of Commerce, and other professional associations,” La Spata told residents in May.

Details on where and when the new bathrooms will be available are expected to be announced at a later date.

According to police, the 40-year-old man was alerted around 5:30 a.m. that three people were trying to break into his vehicle, which was parked outside a home in the 500 block of East 38th Place.

As the man went outside, one person in the group fired shots in his direction, police said.

Two people fled the scene in a silver SUV while the third fled on foot, authorities said.

The man, who fire officials confirmed is a firefighter in the city, suffered wounds throughout his body and was taken to an area hospital in stable condition, according to officials.

Police said no one was in custody as of 9 a.m. Wednesday, but an investigation remained ongoing.

Three Mexican nationals had directed recent Venezuelan migrants to steal items from Magnificent Mile stores in exchange for identity cards that would allow them to get jobs, Sheriff Tom Dart said Tuesday.

Police discovered the pattern after speaking to dozens of migrants with nearly identical stories, Dart said.

“They were being either told to steal things to get money, or specifically directed to steal specific things … to either buy or trade for Social Security cards or American permanent residency cards,” Dart said.

The ID fraud ring is a sign of a bigger problem, Dart said.

“We have no illusions that this is the only one going on out there,” he said.

More migrants are being arrested every month for retail theft in River North, Dart said. Monthly arrests were in the single digits a year ago, but have risen to 92 migrant arrests for shoplifting in December, according to the sheriff’s office. That number is expected to keep rising.

“The numbers are staggering,” Dart said. “They’re increasing exponentially every month.”

The ID fraud ring was uncovered as part of the sheriff office’s investigations begun three years ago in response to rising retail theft and other crimes in the downtown area, he said.

After noticing the pattern of migrants shoplifting in exchange for IDs, the sheriff’s police began undercover operations. In a couple of weeks, police were buying the phony ID cards themselves, Dart said. The sheriff’s office executed a search warrant last week that uncovered nearly 500 fraudulent IDs, he said.

The three alleged ringleaders were charged with felony counts of duplicating identity cards. Dart said they had been carrying on the scheme “for some time.”

The sheriff’s office identified them as Facundo Donato Meneses-Garcia, 51, Francisco Javier Otero-Rosas, 42, and Keneth Jareth Ulloa-Rodriguez, 19, all of the 2700 block of South Hamlin Avenue in Little Village.

The ID cards were being sold to migrants for about $150 apiece, Dart said. In some cases, the stolen goods were given to the ringleaders, he said. In others, the migrants were told to sell the stolen items and hand over the money.

The crime ring was different than other types of high-end retail theft that have hit downtown shops, Dart said. In these cases, migrants were told to steal less expensive items, such as deodorant, from pharmacies and other stores, Dart said.

The theft ring highlights larger issues regarding the migrant crisis, Dart said, including how to get them work permits.

“A lot of these folks are purely trying to steal so they can get IDs so they can get a job so they can make some money,” Dart said. “This complex issue that people in Washington talk a great deal about needs to be addressed. … It’s impacting our local communities.”

‘They’re vulnerable’

Migrant advocates say migrants are vulnerable to scams because of their desperate position.

More than 35,000 migrants have arrived in Chicago since the fall of 2022, according to city officials. Nearly 14,000 of them are staying in city-run shelters.

But about 27% of people in those shelters are reportedly eligible for work permits. Despite the federal government’s attempt to speed up the distribution of permits, only about 1,000 people had received them in Chicago.

“They’re targeting these people because they’re so desperate to work,” said Maria Perez, a public health ambassador for the Southwest Collective, which aids migrants staying in city shelters.

Migrants have also been scammed into performing day labor for free, she said.

“They’re vulnerable,” she said.

Erika Villegas, who volunteers to help migrants, said she warned a migrant on Monday of a home sale scam. The person said they were offered a home for $1,100, Villegas said.

“That’s what we keep telling people. If it’s too good to be true, it probably is,” she said. “I’ve seen too many scams out here. It takes a village to help people out in situations like this.”

Feb. 2, the first-ever “Groundhog Day movie cast reunion” will take place in Chicago, at Harry Caray’s Tavern at Navy Pier, a press release said.

The event, the release said, is also meant to commemorate Chicago-born Harold Ramis, co-writer and director of the 1993 cult favorite “Groundhog Day” movie.

“When the alarm clock flips from 2:59 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and ‘I Got You Babe’ plays, all will gather to commemorate Harold Ramis’ life and accomplished career in film,” the release said, adding that Ramis’ wife, Erica Mann Ramis, will also be in attendance.

At least seven cast members from the movie will be onsite, organizers said: Brian Doyle Murray — Bill Murray’s brother — who plays Mayor Buster Green; Stephen Tobolowsky who plays Ned Ryerson; Marita Geraghty who plays Nancy Taylor; David Pasquesi who plays the psychiatrist, Peggy Roeder who plays the piano teacher, and Richard Henzel who plays the DJ.

Actor Ken Hudson Campbell — who plays the “man in the hallway,” in Groundhog Day but is also known for his role as Santa in the John Hughes film “Home Alone” — is also expected to be there.

According to organizers, Bill Murray, who, of course, plays Phil Connors, could make a surprise appearance.

The event, which is open to the public, will be a “truly immersive Groundhog Day experience,” the release said, featuring food and drinks inspired by the movie’s “Tip Top Café,” ice sculptures similar to those seen in the film, shooting scripts and more.

The black Armani jacket Murray wears in the movie will be on display for fans to see, as well the jumpsuits Murray and Ramis wear in “Ghostbusters.”

The rest of Navy Pier will join in on the super-fan Groundhog Day fun, too. The film and soundtrack will play inside the Fifth Third Bank Family Pavilion, the release said, and Navy Pier’s Sable Hotel will change its name to the “Pennsylvanian Hotel” for the day, in honor of the hotel featured in the flick.

The event wouldn’t be complete, however, without a Groundhog.

When the clock strikes 3 p.m., Brian Doyle-Murray will initiate a Groundhog Day Ceremony with a live groundhog named “Chicago Harry,” organizers said. At that time, Harry will emerge from his tree stump to precisely predict how many more weeks of winter the area is set to see.

Chicago Alderman Brendan Reilly will close out the ceremony by reading a City of Chicago proclamation declaring it Harold Ramis Day in Chicago, the release said.

More information on how to attend the event can be found here.

While the movie Groundhog Day is set in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, many of its filming locations were in the Chicago suburb of Woodstock, Illinois.

Two Chicago-area food agencies were selcted to provide food services to Chicago-run shelters on the North and South Sides.

Food catering company Seventy-Seven Communities and Hyde Park restaurant 14 Parish were picked by the city of Chicago and the Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) to help feed heavily populated migrant shelters.

The city of Chicago and the DFSS said they felt the companies were the right choice after evaluating their ability to meet logistical needs as well as preparation and delivery capacities.

Seventy-Seven Communities are set to serve the north region shelters. According to a city of Chicago news release, the catering company has delievered meals in the Chicagoland area for decades. Prior to this new assignment, the company created specific menus for groups with complex needs, such as Chicago Public Schools (CPS) students.

“We are humbled to be chosen for this opportunity and excited to get to work feeding people nutritious meals and providing quality service,” Mike Iovinelli Director of Seventy-Seven Communities, said in a statement. “We are proud to put hundreds of people to work from neighborhoods across the city and unite Chicagoans to successfully navigate this challenging time.”

Before it was officially announced that 14 Parish would cater to the South region shelters, the restaurant already answered the call to service. The city of Chicago notes that the restaurant was heavily involved in providing meals to the migrant population with great success.

“As a local restauranteur, I’ve always believed that good food has the power to build bridges. Teaming up with the City of Chicago to feed and welcome newcomers aligns perfectly with this philosophy. Let’s break bread and celebrate the rich diversity that makes Chicago extraordinary,” Racquel Fields, CEO of 14 Parish, said in a statement.

Through these new vendors, the city of Chicago reported that the new direction in food servicing is proving to be cost efficient. The new price the city will pay for providing to the shelters is $15-17 per person. Prior to the new contract the price per person was $21-$23 with Greater Chicago Food Depository and Open Kitchens.

“We know that the New Arrivals Mission is very complex and being able to provide healthy, nutritious, and culturally relevant meals at a time when we know people need our help the most is an important part of this work,” DFSS Commissioner Brandie Knazze said in the release.

Chicago has taken in nearly 35,000 new arrivals since the mission began, and currently houses over 14,000 new arrivals in 28 city-run shelters. 

The Department of Streets and Sanitation announced finalists for its snowplow-naming contest Monday. Voting ends Feb. 2. Chicago residents can vote for up to six names on the city’s website.

The six names with the most votes will be featured on a snowplow in each of the city’s six snow districts, joining the named snowplows announced last year. Those who submitted winning names will get the chance to take a photo with the plow they named.

Some of the names have a Chicago twist, with names like “Arctic Institute of Chicago,” “Deep Dish Plowzza,” “Plowapalooza” and “The Magnificent Pile.”

Former Mayor Lori Lightfoot launched the annual snowplow-naming contest in 2022. Last year’s winning names included “Mrs. O’Leary’s Plow,” “Salter Payton,” “Sears Plower,” and “Jean Baptiste Point du Shovel.”

Once the six winners are chosen, residents will be able to view their newly named vehicles through the city’s snowplow tracker. Those who submitted the winning names will get the chance to take a photo with the snowplow they named.

The Secure Community Network in Chicago tracks and reports threats against Jewish communities across the country.  

“Vandalization and harassment, threats of mass attacks and shootings, and certainly a dramatic increase in swatting incidents and bomb threats directed at Jewish institutions,” said Michael Masters, CEO of the Secure Community Network.

The Secure Community Network said antisemitic incidents nationwide have more than doubled from 2,551 in 2022 to 5,404 in 2023 and most of those happened after the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack in Israel.

“Part of the increase we know is because we are getting much more diligent as a community in reporting,” said Masters. “But there is no question there has been a dramatic increase in threats.”

Masters also just joined the FBI Terrorism Task Force Executive Board in Chicago.

“We’re often seeing threats that are connected domestically and often internationally,” Masters said. “We’re coordinating very closely with state, local, and federal law enforcement.”

The rise in antisemitism is concerning for the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center in Skokie.

“I think it’s important for people to remember what is possible when hatred and bigotry and prejudice are left unchecked,” said Kelley Szany, Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center senior vice president of education & exhibits. “How can we learn and maybe shift our thinking, shift how we might be responding in a particular way, education about antisemitism today?”

Saturday is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp Auschwitz.

“What we hope people will take away is what happens when we see silence. What happens when we see indifference,” Szany said. “When people come here, they are indeed learning what they can do and how they can use their voice to speak out against antisemitism or any issue that affects them.”

The Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center will offer free admission Friday.

“We need to remember and pledge never to forget as we look at the resurgence of antisemitism, as we look at the ideology of hate and Holocaust denial,” Szany said.

Police found the victim, Andrew Hulburt, unresponsive on the sidewalk at around 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 15. He later died from a head injury. On Jan. 18, Chicago police arrested Jamie Miller, 29, who was identified as one of the people involved in Hulburt’s death.

Miller is charged with one count of felony murder with the probability of death or injury.

A source told NBC Chicago that Miller is part of a member of a gang known as the “flyer boys,” who pass out flyers and demand cash or pickpocket victims.

Hulburt’s mother, Anita, described him as a “very friendly person.”

“…He got along well with people,” she said. “He enjoyed life, and after college he moved to Chicago.”

Hulburt grew up in Iowa and most recently lived in Chicago.

“Oh I miss him terribly,” she said. “He came to see me once a month from Chicago.”

Anita said the news of the arrest is bittersweet, but has stirred up more pain.

“It’s almost like it’s starting over again you know,” she said.

According to Chicago police, Miller was the only one in custody for Hulburt’s death as of Saturday, and their investigation was ongoing.

“My mind was… ‘I don’t want to get shot.’ I didn’t say it, but I didn’t want to get shot,” Radcliffe said.

Radcliffe’s vehicle was parked outside his home, near the intersection of 61^st and Ellis, just steps away from the University of Chicago campus.

Radcliffe is the baseball coach at Morgan Park High School, the director of the Show Travel baseball program, and the director of the South Side Wolfpack football program. He’s been coaching for over 20 years.

Everything he needs to coach his teams was inside his vehicle: his computer, calendar notes, bats, balls, apparel, and more.

Police say one man got out of a vehicle and entered Radcliffe’s vehicle before fleeing the scene. The case remains under investigation.

“I am trying to mentally be strong about this, but this is a situation nobody should ever be in,” he said.

A parent of one of his player’s was notified a box of baseball apparel was found in the middle of a residential street shortly after his car was stolen. Coach Radcliffe was able to retrieve some of the uniforms, but the rest of his gear is gone.

“We are an inner-city program and we try to do the best we can,” he said. “Making sure our young people have the best stuff and everything, so it gets costly.”

Radcliffe is now on the hook to replace the equipment so his players can get back to practicing this weekend.

Though this crime is a set-back, he said it won’t keep him from continuing his mission of helping hundreds of Chicago’s kids each year. 

He believes similar programs could have helped the young men who commited the crime.

“These were young guys that probably need guidance. Probably, if they were in a program of positive environment, playing sports, with some discipline, they probably wouldn’t be out there doing this,” Radcliffe said of the crime. “We can’t save them all, but we can try and save as many as we can.”

If you want to help Radcliffe, email NBC 5 reporter Lexi Sutter at lexi.sutter@nbcuni.com.

The Office of Emergency Management and Communications said the lower level of Harold Washington Library, 400 S. State St., will open as an around-the-clock warming center for anyone in need through Wednesday. Migrants who are temporarily staying at the “landing zone” on the city’s West Side will be transported there, according to OEMC.

Ahead of the dangerous cold, the Department of Family and Support Services activated warming areas at the six community service centers across the city. The locations are listed below:

• Englewood Community Service Center – 1140 W. 79th St.
• Garfield Community Service Center – 10 S. Kedzie Ave.
• Dr. Martin Luther King Community Service Center – 4314 S. Cottage Grove Ave.
• North Area Community Service Center – 845 W. Wilson Ave.
• South Chicago Community Service Center – 8650 S. Commercial Ave.
• Trina Davila Community Service Center – 4312 W. North Ave.

Individuals in need of emergency shelter can visit the Garfield Community Service Center, which is open 24/7 to both residents and families. The location is also available for time-limited warming during non-business hours, according to OEMC.

The city has opened an additional six overnight shelters to temporarily house children and adults through Wednesday morning. Individuals experiencing homelessness can visit any of the following daytime drop-in centers, which will operate on extended hours through Thursday.

Windy conditions and cold temperatures will lead to wind chill values between 15 and 30 degrees below zero beginning Saturday night and lasting through Tuesday, according to NBC 5 Storm Team meteorologists.

As temperatures drop, it’s important to be prepared, take precautions and know your resources.

Here’s a look at safety recommendations and some helpful reminders ahead of the brutal cold:

Know Your Cold Weather Symptoms and Warning Signs

When the extreme cold occurs, people typically experience one of two weather-related health problems – hypothermia or frostbite.

Hypothermia

Hypothermia, dangerously low body temperature, is the most common “winter weather killer,” according to the National Weather Service.

Hypothermia is caused by prolonged exposure to very cold temperatures and is considered a medical emergency, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. A person might not know it’s happening, become confused, and then it might be too late.

Infants and the elderly are particularly at risk, though hypothermia can be deadly at any age if not treated promptly.

The following are warning signs to keep an eye out for:

Adults:

• shivering, exhaustion
• confusion, fumbling hands
• memory loss, slurred speech and drowsiness

Infants:

• hot red, cold skin
• very low energy

If you notice any of the aforementioned signs, take the person’s temperature. If it’s below 95 degrees, the person is having a medical emergency and make sure to get medical assistance immediately.

While you wait for medical assistance, or if help isn’t available, the American Red Cross recommends you do the following:

• Gently move the person to a warm place.
• Monitor breathing and circulation.
• Give rescue breathing and CPR if needed.
• Remove any wet clothing and dry the person.
• Warm the person slowly by wrapping in blankets or by putting dry clothing on the person.
• Hot water bottles and chemical hot packs may be used when first wrapped in a towel or blanket before applying. Do not warm the person too quickly, such as by immersing him or her in warm water.
• Warm the core first (trunk, abdomen), not the extremities (hands, feet).

Frostbite

A type of injury caused by freezing, frostbite leads to a loss of feeling and color. It typically affects extremities like the nose, ears, fingers, cheeks and toes, and can lead to amputation in severe cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

If you notice redness or pain in any skin area, get out of the cold; that could be a sign frostbite is developing.

Any of the following signs may point to frostbite:

• A white or grayish-yellow skin area
• Skin that feels unusually firm or waxy
• Numbness

If you notice signs of frostbite on yourself or someone else, you should do the following:

1. Move the person to a warm place.
2. Handle the area gently; never rub the affected area.
3. Warm gently by soaking the affected area in warm. water (100–105 degrees F) until it appears red and feels warm.
4. Loosely bandage the area with dry, sterile dressings.
5. If the person’s fingers or toes are frostbitten, place dry, sterile gauze between them to keep them separated.
6. Avoid breaking any blisters.
7. Do not allow the affected area to refreeze.

In a previous article published by Carle Health in central Illinois, Dr. Amol Naik explained that it is important to protect yourself against the elements, so you don’t need to seek medical treatment.

“When you’re not dressing warm for the elements, your body will try to correct itself by pushing blood to important organs like your lungs and heart,” he said. “This is why you see a change in the color of your skin on your hands, feet and ears.”

Naik said if you’re going to be outside, make sure you are conscious of exposed skin, like fingers, ears, nose and more.

“It really is shocking how quickly frostbite can settle in,” he said. “You can be shoveling, walking your dog or standing in line in freezing temperatures, and frostbite will begin to set in as little as 20-30 minutes. You may notice grayish-yellow skin, skin that feels waxy or unusually firm, or numbness.”

Safety recommendations

If you’ll need to brave the conditions and venture outdoors, the American Red Cross has several pieces of advice:

• Drink plenty of warm fluids or warm water but avoid caffeine and alcohol.
• Stay active tomaintain body heat.
• Take frequent breaks from the cold.
• Avoid unnecessary exposure of any part of the body to the cold.

Dressing for the extreme cold

IDPH offered the following suggestions to help you stay warm if you have to leave home:

• Wear several layers of lightweight clothing rather than one or two layers of heavy garments.  The air between the layers of clothing acts as insulation to keep you warmer.
• Cover your head.  You lose as much as 50 percent of your body heat through your head.
• Wear mittens rather than fingered gloves.
• Wear warm leg coverings and heavy socks or two pairs of lightweight socks.
• Wear waterproof boots or sturdy shoes that give you maximum traction.
• Cover your ears and the lower part of your face.  The ears, nose, chin, and forehead are most susceptible to frostbite.  Cover your mouth with a scarf to protect the lungs from directly inhaling extremely cold air.

Safe heating tips

If you’re in need of alternative heating sources, IDPH urges you to keep a few things in mind:

• Any heater that uses wood, coal, natural gas, or kerosene produces carbon monoxide (CO), so adequate ventilation is essential.
• Never use a generator indoors, even with open doors or windows.
• Do not use charcoal or gas grills indoors.
• Do not use a gas oven to heat your home.

Remember that you cannot see or smell carbon monoxide, but at high levels it can kill a person in minutes. Symptoms of mild to moderate poisoning include headaches, dizziness, nausea and lethargy, according to IDPH. Higher levels of exposure can cause fainting, confusion and collapse.

Warming centers

When temperatures are at 32 degrees or below – warming areas are available at the city’s six community service centers from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, according to the city of Chicago website. To find a warming center near you in Illinois, click here.

• The warming areas are available for all residents in need of safe refuge and relief from extreme cold weather.
• Residents must wear a cloth face covering while in the warming areas due to COVID-19 safety precautions.
• City-operated libraries and park facilities also may activate warming areas, if needed, including during evening hours, weekends and holidays.
• For assistance after hours, residents should call 311 to be connected to available services – including placement to an available shelter bed.
• The Garfield Community Service Center at 10 South Kedzie, is open on a 24-hour basis to connect families and residents to emergency shelter.

The city previously implemented a 60-day limit for migrants staying at city-operated shelters, but Mayor Brandon Johnson said on Friday that the thousands currently residing at shelters won’t have to leave until Jan. 22.

As of Friday afternoon, more than 100 migrants were staying inside tents or warming buses at the landing zone on the city’s West Side, which is meant as a temporary drop-off site. Johnson said that the city has not opened any new shelters since late December, and it’s adjusting rules on how long migrants can stay.

Johnson said “the harsh reality is there are some limitations on what government can do.”    

The mayor held his first media briefing in three weeks on Friday, with the questions focused on the city’s response to the migrant crisis.

As first reported by Capitol Fax, city officials informed lawmakers it is pausing opening new shelters “as the city makes plans to right size budget constraints.” 

Johnson told reporters “obviously it’s well documented that we have not opened a shelter since December.”

“We have $150 million that I’ve appropriated for this mission,” he said. “Now, as you all know, we spent $138 million from 2023; I’m going to work hard to stay within the confines of that budget.”

Also, with wind chill values expected to plunge to 30 degrees below zero, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker sent a letter to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, asking him to hold off on sending more migrants to Chicago – at least for now.  

“You seem to have no interest in working on bipartisan solutions to the border crisis because that would put an end to your cruel political game, but I am writing to you today hoping to appeal to your humanity,” Pritzker said, in part.

Next week, Johnson will meet with suburban mayors to ask them to step up and take in migrants — whether that be 20 or 100 people per community.   

“This is an international crisis that requires federal intervention, of which local government is subsidizing them,” he said. “Never designed to do it, but yet here we are still standing.”

Speaking in Vietnamese, Minh Doan shared his story for the first time about how he was nearly killed driving for Uber.

“I was bleeding so much,” he said, speaking through a translator. “I couldn’t believe that I survived.”

The 51-year-old said he believes it was a set up and that a passenger created a fake profile to rob him.

“They’re like little kids,” he said. “They were wearing face masks, big jackets, and had their hoods on.”

Doan told NBC Chicago that he was confronted by three suspects at around 10 p.m. on Wednesday night near Iowa Street and LeClaire Avenue in the city’s Austin neighborhood.

“I was waiting for about three minutes when they came from the back, pointed the gun at me and told me to get out of the car and when I got out of the car—they shot me,” he said.

The rideshare driver said he stood in the middle of the street, bleeding from his chest, and pleading for help.

“I was waving and yelling for help really loud,” he said. “I was waving so neighbors could see me. I was yelling help, help.”

A neighbor came out minutes later, called 911, and gave him a towel to stop the bleeding as they waited for an ambulance to arrive.

“Police said I’m lucky. I survived,” he said. “The previous victim from the week before shot was killed.”

Police said at least three rideshare drivers have been shot in Austin since December. Two of the incidents were deadly, including one that killed Lyft driver Adriana Arocha Duque. She was fatally shot the day after Christmas.

Doan, meanwhile, has been driving for Uber for five years. The company released a statement to NBC Chicago: “This violent attack is sickening, and our hearts are with the driver. We’re in touch with law enforcement and will continue to assist in their investigation in any way we can.”

The father of three has been held at gunpoint twice before while on the job and said he is ready to give it up.

“Driving for Uber gives you the freedom and flexibility,” he said. “But driving for Uber is not worth it.”

He said the three suspects took off running after the shooting, left the car and got away with his phone.

As of Friday night, Chicago police only had a vague description of the suspects. Area Four detectives were investigating.

According to Chicago police, at around 3:27 p.m., a person was found unresponsive on the tracks near Terminal 5. The individual, who hasn’t been identified, was pronounced dead by paramedics. Video taken by an NBC Chicago photographer showed a large emergency presence on the scene.

In a service alert, the CTA said Blue Line service was temporarily suspended at O’Hare due to a medical emergency on the tracks. Shuttle buses were operating in place of trains between the O’Hare and Rosemont stations.

The transit agency said it was “working to restore normal operations as quickly as possible.”

The automaker’s decision effectively ends the fan-favorite Camp Jeep test track’s nearly 20-year run. Stellantis, the Dutch company whose brands also include Maserati and FIAT, said it’s canceling participation in major auto shows, including Chicago, Los Angeles and the SEMA show in Las Vegas. 

In a statement, Stellantis spokesperson Rick Deneau said, “to be as efficient as possible in our media spend, we are evaluating participation in auto shows on a case-by-case basis, while prioritizing opportunities for consumers to experience our vehicles first-hand.”

“Obviously the Stellantis news is disappointing to us,” said Chicago Auto Show General Manager Dave Sloan. “But we are working to fill that space and make the show everything Chicagoans have come to love.”

Many attendees had come to love the elaborate test tracks that Jeep, Chrysler and Dodge had brought to the show in recent years. Camp Jeep included obstacle courses and hills that recreated the challenging environments where the off-road vehicles thrive. The drag strip showcased the acceleration of Dodge’s muscle cars.

Sloan said other manufacturers will be attending the show and will have test tracks of their own.

“Thankfully, the Ford Bronco track is back, right there near the front door,” he said. “I am sure they will add one or two more Broncos to that track to take care of all those people who want to go up a hill and enjoy it like that.”

There will also be outdoor test drive experiences and indoor tracks for electric vehicles, which are expected to be a major part of the 2024 show. Eight manufacturers will participate in the EV track for this year’s show, up from five last year.

While there will be no Stellantis vehicles on the floor at this year’s Chicago Auto Show, the Chicago Automobile Trade Association remains hopeful the company will return in coming years.

The automaker said it is working to optimize its marketing strategy as it relates to auto shows.  

“Stellantis remains committed to building products customers love, ensuring freedom of mobility for all, and becoming second to none in value creation for its employees and all other stakeholders,” according to the company’s statement.

Sloan said the 120-year-old Chicago Auto Show will fill the South building at McCormick Place instead of using portions of both the North and South buildings as it typically has in past years.

“We even managed to pull off a show during the pandemic,” he said. “So, everything that Chicago has been coming to love about the show will be there.”

According to officials, the program begins Saturday and continues through Jan. 20, offering up 27 locations for residents to bring their Christmas tree and, in some cases, receive free mulch.

“The holiday tree recycling program is just one of the many ways Chicagoans can divert unnecessary waste from local landfills,” Department of Streets and Sanitation Commissioner Cole Stallard said in a statement. “We are very proud of the progress we’ve made and the commitment from residents who continue to participate in the program since it launched in 1990.” 

As part of the program from DSS and the Chicago Park District, residents can drop off live and natural holiday trees at designated locations for recycling. Six locations will also offer up free mulch in exchange for the recycled trees beginning on Jan. 8.

City officials noted that all ornaments, lights, tinsel and tree stands must be removed before the tree is dropped off.

This year, 27 citywide drop-off locations are available for residents, with six locations offering free mulch beginning Monday, January 8, denoted by asterisks. 

Here’s the full list of locations:

(* = mulch offered beginning at Jan. 8)

• Bessemer Park, 8930 S. Muskegon Avenue 
• Clark Park, 3400 N. Rockwell Street 
• Forestry Site, 900 E. 103rd Street* 

• Garfield Park, 100 N. Central Park Avenue 
• Grant Park, 900 S. Columbus Drive 
• Hiawatha Park, 8029 W. Forest Preserve Drive 
• Humboldt Park Boathouse, 1369 N. Sacramento Avenue 
• Jackson Park, 6300 S. Cornell Avenue 

• Kelvyn Park, 4438 W. Wrightwood Avenue 
• Kennedy Park, 2427 W. 113th Street 
• Lake Meadows Park, 3117 S. Rhodes Avenue 
• Lincoln Park, Cannon Drive at Fullerton Avenue (East Side of Cannon Drive)* 
• Mahalia Jackson Park, 8385 S. Birkhoff Avenue 

• Margate Park, 4921 N. Marine Drive* 
• Marquette Park, 6700 S. Kedzie Avenue 
• McKinley Park, 2210 W. Pershing Road 
• Mount Greenwood Park, 3721 W. 111th Street* 
• North Park Village, 5801 N. Pulaski Road* 

• Norwood Park (Service Yard), 5800 N. Avondale Avenue 
• Portage Park, 4100 N. Long Avenue 
• Riis Park, 6201 W. Wrightwood Avenue 
• Rowan Park, 11546 South Avenue L 
• Sheridan Park, 910 S. Aberdeen Street 

• Walsh Park, 1722 N. Ashland Avenue 
• Warren Park, 6601 N. Western Avenue* 
• Wentworth Park, 5701 S. Narragansett Avenue 
• West Chatham Park, 8223 S. Princeton Avenue 

According to the judge’s ruling, 34-year-old Omotayo Kassim will be required to surrender all weapons within 24 hours of his release, and will not be allowed to drive as part of his pretrial release.

Around 8 p.m. Sunday, Kassim was driving a Chevrolet Tahoe in the 5200 block of North Clark Street when a man driving a Jeep struck his SUV, made a three-point turn and fled the scene, according to a police report obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times.

Kassim “chased” the Jeep for several blocks and rammed into the black 2008 Jeep, causing the 35-year-old Jeep driver to lose control and crash into parked cars in the 1600 block of West Foster Avenue, according to the report.

Police say Kassim jumped out of the 2018 Tahoe brandishing a gun.

At a nearby church, Philip Fahey, 63, and a friend were preparing for an event and saw what happened next.

“Don’t move or I’ll shoot,” the firefighter yelled, according to Fahey.

“We heard a pop,” Fahey told the Sun-Times. “The guy in the Tahoe realizes he left his truck in gear, and it was rolling down the street.”

After firing once, hitting the Jeep driver in the left jaw area, the gun jammed, the police report said.

“I thought [the pop] was part of the car accident,” Fahey said. “When he said he got shot and there was a shooting, I realized it was actually a gunshot.”

A cab driver in the area called 911, and Kassim began arguing with the Jeep’s passenger, a 34-year-old West Ridge man who stepped out with his hands up, according to the police report.

They argued until paramedics arrived, according to Fahey. The passenger declined to comment when reached by the Sun-Times.

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The Jeep driver was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center in critical condition, and a relative said he was on life support.

Kassim was charged with one count each of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and aggravated discharge of a firearm at an occupied vehicle, police said.

“It just seems kind of unreasonable that this guy got shot for a traffic altercation,” Fahey said.

The firefighter was arrested at the scene a short time later.

Chicago Fire Department spokesperson Larry Langford said Kassim, who has been with the department since 2019, has been removed from duty pending the results of the investigation. His gun, which he had holstered in his waistband, was taken by police.

In August of 2015, a warrant was issued for Kassim’s arrest after he fled Colorado on charges of trespassing a vehicle with intent to commit a crime. The case was dropped a month later, court documents showed.

The victim’s father told the Sun-Times that his son was still sedated and intubated Tuesday afternoon.

“All of our family, we’re just praying,” said the victim’s father, who didn’t want to be named for fear of retaliation. “We’re stunned by this, especially, I mean, the way it happened.”

The man’s father saw his son Sunday morning, hours before he was shot.

“He said, ‘I love you guys’ like he always does and just left,” he said.

Choking back tears, he described his son as someone who is “a very loving person and is always happy.

“He makes you smile no matter what.”

Charges were filed Tuesday evening. Fire officials confirmed the firefighter has been sidelined during the investigation, and he remains in police custody.

Around 8 p.m. Sunday, Omotayo Kassim, 34, was driving a Chevrolet Tahoe in the 5200 block of North Clark Street when a man driving a Jeep struck his SUV, made a three-point turn and fled the scene, according to a police report obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times.

Kassim “chased” the Jeep for several blocks and rammed into the black 2008 Jeep, causing the 35-year-old Jeep driver to lose control and crash into parked cars in the 1600 block of West Foster Avenue, according to the report.

Police say Kassim jumped out of the 2018 Tahoe brandishing a gun.

At a nearby church, Philip Fahey, 63, and a friend were preparing for an event and saw what happened next.

“Don’t move or I’ll shoot,” the firefighter yelled, according to Fahey.

“We heard a pop,” Fahey told the Sun-Times. “The guy in the Tahoe realizes he left his truck in gear, and it was rolling down the street.”

After firing once, hitting the Jeep driver in the left jaw area, the gun jammed, the police report said.

“I thought [the pop] was part of the car accident,” Fahey said. “When he said he got shot and there was a shooting, I realized it was actually a gunshot.”

A cab driver in the area called 911, and Kassim began arguing with the Jeep’s passenger, a 34-year-old West Ridge man who stepped out with his hands up, according to the police report.

They argued until paramedics arrived, according to Fahey. The passenger declined to comment when reached by the Sun-Times.

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The Jeep driver was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center in critical condition, and a relative said he was on life support.

Kassim was charged with one count each of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm and aggravated discharge of a firearm at an occupied vehicle, police said.

“It just seems kind of unreasonable that this guy got shot for a traffic altercation,” Fahey said.

The firefighter was arrested at the scene a short time later.

Chicago Fire Department spokesperson Larry Langford said Kassim, who has been with the department since 2019, has been removed from duty pending the results of the investigation. His gun, which he had holstered in his waistband, was taken by police.

Kassim is expected to appear in court Wednesday.

In August of 2015, a warrant was issued for Kassim’s arrest after he fled Colorado on charges of trespassing a vehicle with intent to commit a crime. The case was dropped a month later, court documents showed.

The victim’s father told the Sun-Times that his son was still sedated and intubated Tuesday afternoon.

“All of our family, we’re just praying,” said the victim’s father, who didn’t want to be named for fear of retaliation. “We’re stunned by this, especially, I mean, the way it happened.”

The man’s father saw his son Sunday morning, hours before he was shot.

“He said, ‘I love you guys’ like he always does and just left,” he said.

Choking back tears, he described his son as someone who is “a very loving person and is always happy.

“He makes you smile no matter what.”

For those looking to indulge in the chilly weather, indoor and outdoor ice skating rinks in the Chicago area give plenty of options for everyone from beginners to seasoned skaters.

Here’s a look at where you can visit to catch some time on the ice this winter.

Maggie Daley Skating Ribbon

This winter, those in the Chicago area will have the chance to loop around the Maggie Daley Skating Ribbon on a unique track that takes visitors throughout the park. Tickets are released on a rolling basis based on the following schedule:

Jan. 8, 2024 for Jan. 22 to Feb. 4

Jan. 22 for Feb. 5 to Feb. 19

Feb. 5 for Feb. 20 to March 3

Feb. 26 for March 4 to March 10 (Closing Day)

Learn more and reserve tickets here.

McCormick Tribune Ice Rink

Skate in Millennium Park’s McCormick Tribune Ice Rink. Admission is free but tickets must be reserved online in 90-minute time slots. Skate rental prices vary based on the day.

The rink will be open through March 3, and more information can be found here.

Wrigley Field

The Winterland at Gallagher Way pop-up brings a one-of-a-kind opportunity to skate across Wrigley Field on the 12,000-square-foot Gallagher Ice Rink. Purchase tickets to access the Wrigley Field portion of Winterland and buy additional tickets to various attractions like a carousel, ice bumper cars, an infield express train and a teacup ride.

While the Christmas festivities may be over, Winterland will remain open until Jan. 7.

Learn more here.

Sky Rink at The Peninsula Chicago

Glide over ice against the city skyline at The Peninsula Chicago’s Sky Rink. Open on select nights throughout December, the Sky Rink offers the unique experience of skating above Michigan Avenue.

Adults can rent skates for $20 and children 12 and under can rent skates for $10, with all skate rental proceeds donated to two Chicago children’s charities: Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, and Hephzibah Children’s Association.

Hot beverages will also be available for purchase for visitors.

View the Sky Rink schedule here.

Navy Pier

Visitors can skate next to Lake Michigan at Navy Pier’s Light Up The Lake ice rink.

Open daily, ice skates are available to rent and entry to the rink is free for those with skates. Navy Pier is also offering axe throwing and Ferris wheel rides. Rent skates and purchase tickets to the other two activities in a bundle deal here.

Hyde Park Midway Plaisance Skating Rink

Pre-registration is required to skate on this outdoor rink. Admission is free for those of all ages and skate rentals are $7. You can also sign up for Rat Hockey and Stick & Puck and Pond Hockey games.

Take a look at the rink’s open skate days from December to February and learn more about pre-registering here.

Fifth Third Arena

This winter, fans will have the chance to skate like the Chicago Blackhawks on the same ice used by the team for practice at Fifth Third Arena.

Public skate times occur on weekdays at various times. The ice rink does not take reservations or presale tickets for public skate sessions and rather functions on a first-come first-serve basis.

Check out the schedule here.

Parkway Bank Park

Skate at Rosemont’s Chicago Wolves Ice Rink in the Parkway Bank Park entertainment district. Admission to the rink is free, but guests can rent skates for $8. Learn more about public skate times here.

McKinley Park Ice Rink

Pre-register to skate in McKinley Park’s outdoor rink on select days from December through February. Admission is free for those of all ages and skate rentals are $7. You can also sign up for Rat Hockey and Stick & Puck and Pond Hockey games. The rink also offers drop-in lessons for those looking to get started.

View the skating schedule and pre-register here.

More Chicago Park District ice rinks

The Chicago Park District has made an interactive map of nine ice rinks in the city. View the map here.

The collision occurred at around 5:37 p.m. in the 2000 block of West Washington. According to Chicago police, a black Infiniti traveling westbound on Washington disregarded a traffic signal and struck a CTA bus traveling southbound on Damen. The impact caused the bus to veer off the roadway and strike a fence and building.

The people inside the Infiniti ran from the scene, and one of those individuals was later arrested, police said. Five people onboard the bus were taken to area hospitals with minor injuries.

It wasn’t immediately clear how many people were wanted for the hit-and-run.

Video posted to the Citizen app, taken at around 3 a.m., showed smoke along Wacker Drive at Franklin Street as drivers performed donuts and one nearly hit a police officer.

“I think it’s crazy,” said Allison Stiefel, who lives nearby. “I saw a video of it and I was shocked, especially in this part of town where there are holiday revelers and people walking around.”

Later on Monday, hours after the chaotic scene unfolded, black marks remained on the pavement.

“It is upsetting to hear about it in areas where it would be way too easy for a pedestrian to get hit,” resident Jeff Doane said. “I am out here walking most days, and I think that should be controlled.”

Chicago has tried to crack down on illegal street racing in the past by implementing a number of ordinances, including those that permit heavy fines and allow a vehicle to be impounded – even after an incident occurs.

“These vehicles fled the scene immediately when police showed up,” said Ald. Brian Hopkins, who represents the city’s 2nd Ward. “And I think that’s because they don’t want their vehicle impounded. It’s that simple.”

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But Hopkins said the video reveals a disturbing trend.

“Clearly, there was an attempt to strike one of the responding officers with the vehicle,” he said. “That’s nothing less than attempted murder.”

Police said the driver who nearly struck the officer got away, but one Indiana man was arrested and charged with two misdemeanors. Officers did impound one car.

“We had a strong presence downtown last night,” Hopkins said. “After the Navy Pier fireworks were over, police that were in that area disbursed into the downtown business district.”

Residents agreed that police responded quickly, but once they arrived, there was little they could do.

“I live right here,” Stiefel said. “I see them doing their job. I see them patrolling, but feel they are stretched thin and possibly outnumbered.”

Less than an hour after the city rang in 2024, Chicago saw its first homicide of the year. At around 12:45 a.m., three people were shot when gunfire tore through a window and struck three people inside a home in the 7000 block of South Wabash in Greater Grand Crossing. A 53-year-old man was shot multiple times and died on the scene, police said.

Citing initial data, Chicago police asserted certain types of violence crime decreased throughout the past year. Shooting incidents dropped across the city in 2023, with the number of gunshot victims down nearly 18%, according to CPD.

Murders also dropped citywide. A total of 671 people were shot and killed in Chicago throughout 2023 compared to 709 people a year prior, marking a more than 12% decrease.

“In a city as big as Chicago, 12% is a lot of people,” said Roseanna Ander with the University of Chicago Crime Lab. “That means families that are not grieving the loss of a loved one and the huge ripple effect that those homicides have. So I think it is a place to really celebrate, but not lose sight of the work still ahead.”

The University of Chicago Crime Lab released its annual crime report last week, which found Black Chicagoans are 20 times more likely to become victims of crime than white Chicagoans.

“That gap has gotten smaller but it is still shockingly large,” Ander said. “It shows progress is possible, but we still have a ways to go.”

According to Chicago police, robberies were up 23% over the past year, but robbery arrests increased as well – by more than 20%. Vehicle-related arrests, including for car thefts, rose almost 19% throughout 2023, but carjackings dropped 20%, data revealed.

Chicago police emphasized the statistics provided were preliminary and final numbers were expected to be released on Tuesday.

The city of Chicago is offering christmas tree recycling at 27 locations from Jan. 6 to 20. Only natural – not artifical – trees will be accepted. Also, make sure to take off all the lights, ornaments and garland before dropping your tree off.

The trees will later be turned into mulch, which will be available for free at certain locations on a first-come, first-serve basis.

A complete list of dropoff locations is available below, courtesy of Recycle by City.

• Bessemer Park, 8930 S. Muskegon Ave.
• Clark Park, 3400 N. Rockwell St.
• *Forestry Site, 900 E. 103rd St.
• Garfield Park, 100 N. Central Park Ave.
• Grant Park, 900 S. Columbus Dr.
• Hiawatha Park, 8029 W. Forest Preserve Dr.
• Humboldt Park Boathouse, 1369 N. Sacramento Ave
• Jackson Park, 6300 S. Cornell Ave.
• Kennedy Park, 2427 W. 113th St.
• Kelvyn Park, 4438 W. Wrightwood Ave.
• Lake Meadows Park, 3117 S. Rhodes Ave.
• *Lincoln Park, Cannon Dr. at Fullerton Ave. (East side of Cannon Dr.)
• Mahalia Jackson Park, 8385 S. Birkhoff Ave. 
• *Margate Park, 4921 N. Marine Dr.
• Marquette Park, 6700 S. Kedzie Ave.
• McKinley Park, 2210 W. Pershing Rd.
• *Mt. Greenwood Park, 3721 W. 111th St.
• *North Park Village, 5801 N. Pulaski Rd.
• Norwood Park (Service Yard), 5800 N Avondale Ave. 
• Portage Park, 4100 N. Long Ave.
• Riis Park, 6201 W. Wrightwood Ave.
• Rowan Park, 11546 S. Avenue L
• Sheridan Park, 910 S. Aberdeen St.
• Walsh Park, 1722 N. Ashland Ave. 
• *Warren Park, 6601 N. Western Ave.
• Wentworth Park, 5701 S. Narragansett Ave.
• West Chatham Park, 8223 S. Princeton Ave. 

Starting Jan. 8, mulch will be available at the above locations marked with a star.

But we’ll look at both the positive and the not-so-positive moments of 2023. If you’d like to check out the most viral moments from 2023, check that out here.

But, without further ado, Here are the top 10 most significant Chicago sports moments of the 2023 year.

Liam Hendriks beats cancer

Eight days into 2023, White Sox closer Liam Hendriks announced he was diagnosed with Stage 4 non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a form of blood cancer.

He was diagnosed and began treatment in December. From December to April, Hendriks underwent four rounds of chemotherapy, with the final round on the same day as the White Sox’ home opener on April 3.

In late April, he announced his remission or his cancer-free status. Quickly, in May he began rehabbing for a return to the mound. On May 29, he made a return to the major league mound in the eighth inning of the White Sox’ bout against the Los Angeles Angels. He pitched one inning and, unfortunately, allowed two earned runs.

He finished the season with an improved 5.40 ERA from five games. Unfortunately, he required Tommy John surgery in August, ending his season just as it was starting.

Still, he defeated cancer and returned to the mound in a rapid six months. This, undeniably, is one of the year’s greatest Chicago sports moments.

Morel walks off over the Sox

The stage? The final game of the Crosstown classic between the Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs.

To this point, the Cubs hadn’t won this season series in two years. But, they were up 2-1 on the season series after winning both games against the Sox in July at Guaranteed Rate Field.

On Aug. 16, the Cubs were staring down the barrel of a second-straight loss to the White Sox. Right-hander Gregory Santos entered the game for the White Sox in the bottom of the ninth to try and close things for the South Side.

Down 3-1 with two men on base, Christopher Morel stepped up to the plate to face Santos. Santos got him down in the count, 0-2, to start the at-bat. But a fourth pitch, a 99 mph sinker right down the middle, was eaten up by Morel’s bat 411 feet into right-center field.

He jacked the ball over the netting in center field and won the Cubs the game. An improbable home run, Morel did the unthinkable to win the North Side the Crosstown Cup and bring it back to Wrigleyville.

Blackhawks win draft lottery, draft Connor Bedard

After finishing with the third-fewest number of points (59) from the 2022-23 season, the Chicago Blackhawks owned the third-best odds to win the NHL draft lottery. Their odds stood at 11.5 percent, behind Anaheim (25.5) and Columbus (13.5).

In what felt like a miracle, the Blackhawks won the lottery.

Their win marked the second time in franchise history the Blackhawks won the lottery. The only other time was in 2007. Then, the Blackhawks selected Patrick Kane. They found their next franchise cornerstone with this pick.

The Blackhawks drafted Connor Bedard of the Regina Pats with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL draft.

Bedard, then 17, is considered a generational talent in the sport of hockey. He scored 143 points in his final season in the WHL. He became the first WHL player to earn exceptional status to enter the NHL early.

Thus far, he has 15 goals and 17 assists, giving him 32 points in his rookie season.

He’s the franchise cornerstone for the Blackhawks. Hopefully, Kyle Davidson and the Blackhawks front office can construct a championship-caliber team around the right-handed center.

Jonathan Toews’ last game

On April 14, longtime captain and fan-favorite Jonathan Toews played his final game with the Chicago Blackhawks.

The morning of the game, general manager Kyle Davidson announced the Blackhawks would not be re-signing Toews to the team after his contract finished at the end of the season. That meant Toews would play in his final game in a Blackhawks sweater that night.

At home at the United Center, the Blackhawks fell 5-4 against the Philadelphia Flyers, a fitting opponent, as Toews and the 2010 Blackhawks earned their first of three Stanley Cups over the Flyers.

He scored a goal and nearly scored an overtime winner to lift the Hawks to a win. Unfortunately, they couldn’t come out on top for the captain’s final game.

“I’m blown away,” Toews said after the game. “I really felt almost unworthy of a moment like that. I was just telling Sharpie in the hallway, I hope that guys like him and Duncs and Seabs and Kaner and go down the list, if they were lucky enough to watch the game tonight that they could feel that love from the fans.

“I’ll always be a Blackhawk for the rest of my life. You grow up dreaming of being an NHL hockey player and you idolize your heroes and you live for those big moments and when things like that happen, you realize it’s more than a game. And it makes it all worthwhile. So it’s pretty special.”

Craig Counsell hiring

In a stunning offseason move for the Chicago Cubs, the front office decided to hire Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell and simultaneously relieve David Ross of his duties as the team’s skipper.

Not thought to be in the market for a new manager, Jed Hoyer & Co. pulled off the unthinkable, bringing in one of baseball’s top minds to manage their team. They signed Counsell to record dollars, inking him to a five-year contract worth $40 million, making him the richest manager in baseball.

Counsell has nine years of experience as a manager, all with the Brewers. He has a 707-625 record leading the team. The Brewers won the NL Central three times over his tenure and made the playoffs five times. The furthest the Brewers ever made it in the postseason under Counsell was the NLCS in 2018.

Now, he has the keys to the Cubs’ operations during a rather silent offseason for the North Side.

Alan Williams resigns

Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams resigned from his position as the team’s defensive coordinator under Matt Eberflus on Sept. 20. His untimely departure was met with rumors of criminal activity and involvement with the FBI.

Williams was in the middle of his second season with the Bears as the team’s defensive leader. Previously, Williams was the defensive backs coach with Eberflus in Indianapolis with the Colts for four seasons.

He released a full statement citing his health and family issues as a reason for his mid-season departure.

White Sox fire Rick Hahn, Kenny Williams

The Chicago White Sox decided to relieve then-general manager Rick Hahn and Vice President Kenny Williams of their respective front office duties on Aug. 22.

“This is an incredibly difficult decision for me to make because they are both talented individuals with long-term relationships at the White Sox,” said Jerry Reinsdorf, White Sox chairman, in a statement. “Ken is like a son to me, and I will always consider him a member of my family. I want to personally thank Ken and Rick for all they have done for the Chicago White Sox, winning the 2005 World Series and reaching the postseason multiple times during their tenures. I have nothing but the greatest respect for them as people and appreciate the commitment and passion for the White Sox they exhibited over the years.

“Ultimately, the well-worn cliche that professional sports is results-oriented is correct,” Reinsdorf said. “While we have enjoyed successes as an organization and were optimistic heading into the competitive window of this rebuild, this year has proven to be very disappointing for us all on many levels. This has led me to the conclusion that the best decision for the organization moving forward is to make a change in our baseball department leadership.”

Williams had been with the White Sox since 1992 and had served as an executive vice president since 2011. He was the general manager when the White Sox won the World Series in 2005, snapping an 88-year drought. He held that role from 2001-to-2011, overseeing clubs that went to the playoffs on two different occasions.

Hahn has served as the team’s GM since 2011 and has overseen a rebuild that resulted in back-to-back playoff appearances in 2020 and 2021.

Bears earn No. 1 pick and trade it

Stunningly, the Bears earned the No. 1 draft pick in the 2023 NFL draft by way of a Lovie Smith miracle.

Smith, then head coach of the Houston Texans, led his team to a last week victory over the Indianapolis Colts, moving their record to 3-13-1 and gifting the Bears (3-14) the first pick in the draft.

The Texans’ season finale win didn’t come without rollercoaster-like thrills. They won the game on a fourth-down touchdown from quarterback Davis Mills to Jordan Akins with under one minute to go in the game. They won, 32-31.

About two months later, general manager Ryan Poles cooked up a trade with the pick. He traded the No. 1 overall pick to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for the No. 9 pick (Darnell Wright), a second-round pick (Tyrique Stevenson), a 2024 first-round pick (No. 1 pick, again), a 2025 second-round pick and wide receiver DJ Moore.

It was a blockbuster trade that not only loaded up the Bears’ war chest and gave them a No. 1 wide receiver but proved the Bears’ faith in quarterback Justin Fields.

Will their faith remain one year later amid a surefire losing season? Stay tuned.

Patrick Kane trade

As the dynasty era of the Blackhawks winded down, the team did right by Patrick Kane by trading him to the New York Rangers ahead of the 2023 NHL trade deadline. The Blackhawks were, and still are, in the middle of a full-scale rebuild that doesn’t fit Kane’s goals and timeline of winning another Stanely Cup.

Here’s the full three-team trade that sent Kane to his (kinda) hometown team:

• Blackhawks acquire: Andy Welinski, a second-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft and a fourth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft
• Rangers acquire: Patrick Kane, Cooper Zech
• Coyotes acquire: Conditional third-round selection in the 2025 NHL Draft

Kane approved the deal and teamed up with former Blackhawks’ Artemi Panarin. They failed to reach the Stanley Cup last season. They were eliminated from the first round of the playoffs by the New Jersey Devils.

Recently, Kane signed a one-year prorated deal with the Detroit Red Wings, teaming up with Alex DeBrincat. Here’s Kane’s statement after being traded back in 2023:

“I’m so thankful for everything the city, the Blackhawks organization, my teammates and the fans have done for me and my family over the last 16 years—the support was constant from day one and Chicago will forever be home for us.

“This has been an emotional time for me and my family, but I feel this decision puts me in the best spot to immediately win another Stanley Cup. This isn’t about me leaving the Blackhawks, but this is an opportunity for me—the Blackhawks did everything they could to put me in a great position and I will forever be grateful. It is bittersweet to leave a place that is so special to me, but I will always carry the memories we made in Chicago.

“I will miss the roar of the United Center, the deafening sound of the anthem and the people of Chicago. Together, we made memories that will last a lifetime like the three Stanley Cup Champions banners that will forever hang at the United Center. I look forward to this next step in my career and will forever be appreciative for all I have received from the Blackhawks and Chicago.”

NASCAR in Chicago

In July 2022, NASCAR announced they added a street series race to their schedule and planned to race in Chicago’s downtown setting around Grant Park in July 2023. And they did just that.

“Like the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, we seized an incredible opportunity to add an unprecedented element to our schedule and take center stage in the heart of another major metropolitan market,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR senior vice president of racing development and strategy, in a statement. 

“This is the ideal setting for the first-ever NASCAR Cup Series street race. The NASCAR Cup Series Next Gen cars and the IMSA machines will race along the shores of Lake Michigan in downtown Chicago, marking a truly historic moment for our sport.” 

NASCAR hosted races at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet from 2001 to 2019, but hasn’t hosted a race in the Chicago area since.

Shane Van Gisbergen won the race after it was shortened due to weather conditions. He made history, becoming the second driver to win their debut NASCAR race and the sixth racer born outside of the United States (Australia) to win a NASCAR cup series race.

NASCAR Chicago will return in the summer of 2024.

White Sox player makes LGBTQ history

White Sox minor leaguer Anderson Comas made history in February, becoming the third active minor leaguer to come out as gay. He announced the news with an Instagram post.

The White Sox tweeted out an image of Comas’ post with the message, “We are all so proud of you, Anderson! ❤️?️‍?.”

Moments later, White Sox assistant GM/player development Chris Getz shared a statement on Comas’ announcement.

“Anderson first shared his news with us last year,” Getz said in the statement. “And I was very pleased that he was comfortable sharing with us in player development. I also was happy at the reaction across the organization, which as you would expect was to support, help and congratulate a teammate.”

Chicago sports legends we lost in 2023

Sadly, the city of Chicago lost some sports icons in 2023.

Rocky Wirtz, former principal owner and CEO of the Chicago Blackhawks, died in July. He was 70.

Wirtz, who was also the owner of the Wirtz Corp, which included Breakthru Beverage Group, took over as the owner in 2007 after his father Bill passed away. Rocky was the fifth principal owner in franchise history; his grandfather Arthur purchased a stake of the Blackhawks in 1950 and acquired majority ownership in 1966.

Wirtz immediately revitalized hockey in Chicago, which started by televising home games and spending money, whether it was inside the organization or for the on-ice product. Shortly after he took over, the Blackhawks’ popularity exploded, they became a staple in outdoor games, and put together a dynastic run in the salary cap era by winning three Stanley Cups in six years.

During Wirtz’s tenure as the chairman, the Blackhawks made the postseason 10 times, won 17 rounds, reached five Conference Finals and won three Stanley Cups.

“Our hearts are very heavy today,” Rocky’s son and Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz said in a statement. “Our dad was a passionate businessman committed to making Chicago a great place to live, work and visit, but his true love was for his family and close friends. He was a loving father, a devoted husband to Marilyn, a brother, a nephew, an uncle and a doting grandfather to his six remarkable grandchildren. His passing leaves a huge hole in the hearts of many and we will miss him terribly.”

In October, one of the most ferocious Bears players in its history, Dick Butkus, died. He was 80.

Over his career, Butkus earned eight Pro Bowl nods, five All-Pro selections and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His No. 51 was retired by the Bears, and he has long been one of the team’s most iconic figures.

Before his NFL career, Butkus was a defensive star at the University of Illinois and is one of only two players to have their numbers retired by the university.

“Dick was the ultimate Bear, and one of the greatest players in NFL history. He was Chicago’s son. He exuded what our great city is about and, not coincidently, what George Halas looked for in a player: toughness, smarts, instincts, passion and leadership,” Bears Chairman George McCaskey said in a statement.

On Jan. 30, Blackhawks legend Bobby Hull died. He was 84.

Hull spent 15 of his 16 NHL seasons in Chicago, where he ranks first in goals (604), third in points (1,153), fifth in assists (549) and sixth in games played (1,036). Over that span, “The Golden Jet” won the Art Ross Trophy three times, the Hart Trophy twice, the Lady Byng Trophy once and was named a first-team NHL All-Star 10 times. 

Hull helped lead the Blackhawks to their third Stanley Cup win in franchise history in 1961, finishing third in the playoffs with 14 points.

Hull was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983 and had his No. 9 retired by the Blackhawks that same year. His statue, along with Stan Mikita, was unveiled outside the United Center in 2011.

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Here are some of the Chicago sports legends we lost in 2023.

Rocky Wirtz

The Blackhawks’ principal owner and CEO, Rocky Wirtz, died in July. He was 70.

Wirtz, who was also the owner of the Wirtz Corp, which included Breakthru Beverage Group, took over as the owner in 2007 after his father Bill passed away. Rocky was the fifth principal owner in franchise history; his grandfather Arthur purchased a stake in the Blackhawks in 1950 and acquired majority ownership in 1966.

Wirtz immediately revitalized hockey in Chicago, which started by televising home games and spending money, whether it was inside the organization or for the on-ice product. Shortly after he took over, the Blackhawks’ popularity exploded, they became a staple in outdoor games, and put together a dynastic run in the salary cap era by winning three Stanley Cups in six years.

Wirtz hasn’t made a public appearance since March 2022 when Blackhawks GM Kyle Davidson was introduced as the permanent general manager. The appearance came a month after Wirtz made headlines for his comments about the Kyle Beach sexual assault scandal.

During Wirtz’s tenure as the chairman, the Blackhawks made the postseason 10 times, won 17 rounds, reached five Conference Finals and won three Stanley Cups.

“Our hearts are very heavy today,” Rocky’s son and Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz said in a statement. “Our dad was a passionate businessman committed to making Chicago a great place to live, work and visit, but his true love was for his family and close friends. He was a loving father, a devoted husband to Marilyn, a brother, a nephew, an uncle and a doting grandfather to his six remarkable grandchildren. His passing leaves a huge hole in the hearts of many and we will miss him terribly.”

Dick Butkus

Dick Butkus, one of the most fearsome defensive players in Chicago Bears history, died in October. He was 80.

Over his career, Butkus earned eight Pro Bowl nods, five All-Pro selections and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His No. 51 was retired by the Bears, and he has long been one of the team’s most iconic figures.

Before his NFL career, Butkus was a defensive star at the University of Illinois, and is one of only two players to have their numbers retired by the university.

“Dick was the ultimate Bear, and one of the greatest players in NFL history. He was Chicago’s son. He exuded what our great city is about and, not coincidently, what George Halas looked for in a player: toughness, smarts, instincts, passion and leadership,” Bears Chairman George McCaskey said in a statement.

Bobby Hull

The Blackhawks’ all-time leading scorer, Bobby Hull, died in January 2023. He was 84.

Hull spent 15 of his 16 NHL seasons in Chicago, where he ranks first in goals (604), third in points (1,153), fifth in assists (549) and sixth in games played (1,036). Over that span, “The Golden Jet” won the Art Ross Trophy three times, the Hart Trophy twice, the Lady Byng Trophy once and was named a first-team NHL All-Star 10 times. 

Hull helped lead the Blackhawks to their third Stanley Cup win in franchise history in 1961, finishing third in the playoffs with 14 points.

Off the ice, Hull made some headlines for the wrong reasons. He was accused of domestic violence by two of his wives, and was also quoted by a Russian newspaper in 1998, allegedly making reprehensible comments. He vehemently denied those quotes in a statement published by the LA Times, saying he was “deeply offended” by the “false statements.”

Hull was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983 and had his No. 9 retired by the Blackhawks that same year. His statue, along with Stan Mikita, was unveiled outside the United Center in 2011.

Joey Meyer

Joey Meyer, a former DePaul University men’s basketball player and head coach, died. He was 74.

Meyer served over 30 years at DePaul University as a player, assistant coach and head coach of the men’s basketball team.

He played under his father, Ray Meyer, as a player before succeeding him as the head coach of the basketball team in 1984. He coached the Blue Demons through the 1996-97 season.

During his time as a head coach, he recorded a 231-158 record with the team. He brought the Blue Demons to seven NCAA tournament appearances in his first eight seasons as head coach. They qualified for the Sweet 16 portion, too, in back-to-back seasons in 1985-86 and 1986-87. They made three NIT tournament berths, also.

Johnny LuJack

Johnny LuJack, the 1947 Heisman winner and All-Pro quarterback for the Bears, died. He was 98.

In the 1940s, LuJack led Notre Dame to three different championships. He is considered one of the greatest Notre Dame players of all time, having won the Heisman in 1947 and leading the Irish to national titles in 1943, 1946 and 1947.

Lujack intercepted eight passes as a rookie with the Bears and in 1949 he threw for 468 yards and six touchdowns in a 52-21 win over the Chicago Cardinals. He played in the Pro Bowl his final two seasons before retiring.

George Frazier

George Frazier, former Cubs pitcher and acclaimed broadcaster, died in June. He was 68.

Frazier helped the Chicago Cubs win their first division title in 1984 and became a World Series champion with the 1987 Minnesota Twins, pitching two scoreless innings in Game 4 against St. Louis. He had a 4.20 ERA with 35 wins and 29 saves in 415 major league appearances.

After that, he spent 18 years as a television broadcaster with the Colorado Rockies.

Andrew McKenna

Andrew McKenna, partial owner and board member for the Chicago Bears, died at the 93-years-old. 

A Chicago native, McKenna earned his undergraduate degree in business administration and marketing from Notre Dame and a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from DePaul University College of Law.

Most notably, he was the chairman of McDonald’s from 2004-16. He wore many hats as a businessman, serving as the director of the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, the Big Shoulders Fund, the Ireland Economic Advisory Board, Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Museum of Science and Industry, Civic Committee and the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago.

“This afternoon we lost a friend of more than 40 years to our family and the Bears,” chairman George McCaskey said in a statement from the team. “Few people have had a larger impact on our great city. Andy spent his life dedicated to institutions across sports, media, museums, academia, health care and more sharing his insights and leadership.

“His guidance helped us make sound business decisions, most recently with our selection of Kevin Warren as our next President & CEO. We are grateful for his many contributions to the Bears and his wisdom will be missed. Our prayers are with his family.”

Gary Peters

Gary Peters, a star pitcher for the White Sox in the 1950s and 60s, died in January 2023. He was 85.

Peters made his MLB debut with the White Sox in 1959 but only pitched 21 innings over 12 games from 1959-1962. He became a fixture in the White Sox rotation in 1963 and found immediate success in his new role. Peters had a 19-8 record that year, led the A.L. with a 2.33 ERA and led all of baseball with a tiny 0.3 HR/9 rate. He was recognized with a Rookie of the Year award that year.

From that point forward, Peters was a force in the White Sox rotation. He led the league ERA again in 1966 (1.98) and led the league in wins in 1964 (20). Peters was a two-time All-Star and finished in the top-10 in MVP voting three times. His 1,098 strikeouts with the White Sox rank eighth in franchise history.

Peters was no slouch at the plate, either. He slashed .212/.240/.344 with 15 home runs and 71 RBI over his 11 seasons on the South Side. Peters even had one pinch hit, walkoff homer according to Baseball Almanac. That came off of Wes Stock in the 13th inning of a game against the A’s in 1964.

Donald Savage

Donald Savage, the Chicago Bears’ longest season-ticket holder, died in December. He was 106.

“One of our longest season ticket holders passed away [Thursday] at 106, Don Savage,” Bears head coach Matt Eberflus said. “I just wanted to recognize him. My deepest sympathies to his family and friends. Don was the head usher at Queen of All Saints for 50 years. One of our most loyal Bears fans. Just a special shoutout to him and his family.”

According to his obituary, Savage was quite the athlete himself. Savage was inducted into the 16-inch Softball Hall of Fame in 2014. He also worked for Gateway Erectors for 72 years in sales, retiring as vice president.

“Don Savage has been a member of a 16-inch softball team for 78 years, from 1935 to the end of the 2013 season. His teams have won more than 40 championships, and Don has played in or managed in approximately 35 senior leagues at parks throughout Chicago and the suburbs,” the Hall of Fame wrote of Savage years ago.