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Sports fans usually get a fair share of small incentives if their team wins, like a free taco or burger or bagel.

Thursday's 11-2 win against the Chicago White Sox meant much more to a select group of Cleveland Indians fans.

The Indians' franchise-record 15th win in a row is going to cost Universal Windows Direct around $2 million, per Cleveland.com. The company had offered a tantalizing promotion to its customers during July: If the Indians staged a 15-game winning streak from Aug. 1 to the end of the season, any business done with the store -- window installation, siding, doors and other services -- would be free. Cleveland's streak began Aug. 24.

More MLB: Corey Kluber helps Cleveland Indians get franchise-record 15th straight win

We have a problem: MLB must fix its September baseball problem: Uneven rosters, unfair races, terrible games

Thursday's promotion-punching win left customers/fans ecstatic.

"I never believed it was going to happen, so I only started paying attention yesterday," Lorianne Sevic, a customer poised to receive a $34,000 rebate for windows, siding, doors and gutters, said via ESPN.

Universal Windows co-owners William Barr and Mike Strmac had a watch party on Thursday with their customers at Progressive Field. The idea for the promotion derived from the company celebrating its 15th anniversary.

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Indians' 15-game win streak will cost window company around $2 million in rebates

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CLOSE Sports fans usually get a fair share of small incentives if their team wins, like a free taco or burger or bagel. Thursday's 11-2 win against the Chicago White Sox meant much more to a select group of Cleveland Indians fans.

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JOLIET, IL - The site of burning buildings and people being caught trespassing at the old Joliet Prison on Collins Street is getting old and tiresome for Joliet's public officials. Around 9 a.m. Monday, another building behind the perimeter of the limestone fortress went up in orange flames and thick black smoke. The Joliet Fire Department spent six hours in total extinguishing the fire. State Senator Pat McGuire went to the scene on Monday afternoon to survey the damage.

"These episodes of fire and vandalism have got to stop," McGuire said. "They endanger first responders and threaten to make the old prison useless for anything.

"State government needs to secure the site day-in and day-out, not just when it's on the fire," McGuire added.

Senator McGuire
The old Joliet Prison just had a full-blown fire in late May. That particular fire destroyed a structure that was built in 1858 and had functioned as an inmate holding facility in recent times. Monday's fire destroyed an old prison support building. This week's blaze is now being investigated by the Office of the State Fire Marshal.

In January, a teenage girl exploring the shuttered Joliet Correctional Center on Collins Street with a friend accidentally found themselves locked themselves into one of the old cells. The girls called the fire department and it took firefighters about 45 minutes to break through the concrete to free them.

The Joliet Correctional Center closed in 2002 and it remains under the ownership and control of the Illinois Department of Corrections.

During an interview Tuesday, Joliet City Councilman Larry Hug echoed the sentiments of Senator McGuire.

"First and foremost, the state of Illinois has to secure the property so these things can't happen," Hug told Joliet Patch.

In recent weeks, Joliet's elected officials have weighed the pros and cons of acquiring the Joliet Prison property from the state. Some elected officials even went on a guided tour of the property to get a first-hand view of the current condition of the prison buildings scattered around the yard.

Supporters say the Joliet Prison would generate millions in tourism revenue for Joliet. Others worry the massive limestone prison would turn into a huge legal liability and isn't worth the city's trouble.

"I'll be open-minded (about acquiring the land), but is there a true plan?" Hug asked. "If this is going to cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars, that's a no go with the budget situation we are currently in."

Last week, Joliet announced it is halting all non-emergency overtime for Joliet city employees effective immediately to combat a projected $2.6 million cut in funding from the state of Illinois.

Hug fears the longer the Joliet Prison property remains susceptible to vandals, trespassers and arsonists, it's only a matter of time before someone will get seriously hurt or die out there.

"I'm very concerned for the safety of our firefighters and our police officers," Hug said. "And this appears avoidable. I don't want to see anyone get hurt. I would hate to see some young person get hurt after they think it's cool to get in there."
Patch file images of Hug, McGuire

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Sen. McGuire Bothered By Latest Joliet Prison Fire

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JOLIET, IL - The site of burning buildings and people being caught trespassing at the old Joliet Prison on Collins Street is getting old and tiresome for Joliet's public officials. Around 9 a.m. Monday, another building behind the perimeter of the limestone fortress went up in orange flames and thick black smoke.

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http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-chicago-cop-shot-decades-ago-dies-met-20170907-story.html

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http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-heroin-dealer-sentenced-prison-met-20170907-story.html

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DEAR ABBY: I have been happily married to "Roger" for 20 years and have two kids still at home. They are pretty independent now, but my husband was very involved in coaching and volunteering when they were younger.

Sometimes when Roger and I take walks, we run into children playing in a yard or biking up and down the block. If they initiate conversation, I'll smile at them and respond with a quick "hi" or "nice bike" and keep walking, but my husband will stop to chat or listen to what they say.

I have told him not to do that regardless of whether they seem willing. My fear is that an overprotective mom (like many of us moms) glancing out the window and seeing a middle-aged stranger talking to their child may assume the worst.

I know Roger loves kids, and we both sometimes miss the younger years when kids could be more open and talk with adults, but times have changed.

This used to happen more often when we'd go swimming with our kids and other kids who were bored and not closely supervised would be looking for other people playing together to join. I used to worry then that if I wasn't there it could be misconstrued, although my fears never came to pass.

Do you agree that adults (and especially male adults) have to be overly cautious about engaging in any communication with an unaccompanied child? - CHANGING TIMES IN THE MIDWEST

DEAR CHANGING TIMES: I think (regrettably) that the answer to your question is yes. Because fears of molestation are so prevalent now, males do have to be more circumspect with minor children than they did years ago. Frankly, that's a shame, because kids gain so much confidence by knowing an adult is interested in what they have to say.

Consider staying with your husband during these friendly instances as a "buffer."

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have two homes. We summer in Michigan and winter in Florida. To save money on maintenance, I'd like to sell the house in Michigan and move permanently to Florida. My husband doesn't want to be in Florida during the summer, but he also does not want to be in Michigan in the winter. He won't make a decision, but he leans toward living in Michigan full time.

Because I don't like living up north in the winter, I have told him I'll be staying all year in Florida starting in January to see how it is. He plans to return to Michigan. Our Florida home is older, so to come out ahead financially, we would need to sell our place in Michigan in order to buy a newer one in Florida.

Any ideas on how this could be settled? - WARMER WEATHER

DEAR WARMER WEATHER: Your idea about living for a "trial year" in Florida isn't a bad one. After spending a hot, humid summer there, you might change your mind about relocating permanently.

You state that your reason for wanting to sell the Michigan home is you want a newer one than the place you presently own down south. Perhaps you could satisfy yourself and your spouse by simply spending some money to update the old one a bit. Please consider it.
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at http://www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
For an excellent guide to becoming a better conversationalist and a more sociable person, order "How to Be Popular." Send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $7 (U.S. funds), to: Dear Abby, Popularity Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. (Shipping and handling are included in the price.)

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Dear Abby: Man's chats with kids might be misconstrued

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DEAR ABBY: I have been happily married to "Roger" for 20 years and have two kids still at home. They are pretty independent now, but my husband was very involved in coaching and volunteering when they were younger. Sometimes when Roger and I take walks, we run into children playing in a yard or biking up and down the block.

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http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-4-killed-43-wounded-in-weekend-shootings-20170626-story.html

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The owners of The Boulevard Pub and Grill are not only bringing a taste of Wisconsin to the Sauk Valley, but Gramma's potato salad, too.

When Heath and Beth Warner decided to add another item to the city's menu of dining options, they headed north, not only for their restaurant's theme but its location.

The Sterling couple knew they wanted to bring a restaurant to the north side of town, where they said there weren't a lot of dining options. They also knew they wanted to look north for their menu.

"My family is from Wisconsin and I went up in the summers as a kid. I wanted to do something different that we didn't have here and I wanted to do a Wisconsin supper theme," Heath, 39, said.

The restaurant offers Wisconsin-themed foods, including cheese curds, a gargantuan pretzel, an authentic Philly cheese steak and homemade potato salad - courtesy of a recipe that comes from someone who's sliced and diced a lot of taters in her time: Heath's grandmother.

The Boulevard Pub and Grill had its soft opening on Aug. 11 at 2501 Ave. E, in the former home of the Cook's Corner, a kitchen supply store that closed last year.

"Business has been unbelievable, it has been packed and better than we expected," said Heath. The couple also owns the MVP Lounge at 3 E. Third St. in downtown Sterling.

Heath said he and Beth are really big on atmosphere at the pub, something they instill in their staff of 18. "Our servers and bartenders are super friendly and always greet customers with a smile. We offer a personal touch you don't get a lot of places."

Beth, 38, said the business also is very family oriented, all the way down to the couple's kids, Nathaniel, 16, and Bailey, 13. "Our kids are a big help," she said. The pub also offers The Big Al, a 23-ounce draft named after Heath's uncle.

On the pub side, the bar offers a dozen drafts on tap. In addition to some perennial favorites - like Angry Badger Pale Ale from Bent River in Rock Island - they change out craft and seasonal beers monthly.

"We try to give customers good beer options." Heath said.

On the grill side, the Warners are boosting business with specials, a children's night, and delivery to local businesses.

They also plan to open a private gaming room for customers.

"The waitress will go to them, so they won't have to leave the room," Heath said. They hope to have the gaming room open by the end of this month and plan to offer complimentary donuts and coffee starting at 9 a.m.

The Warners said they enjoy meeting new people and interacting with the community.

"We are open late so after local sports games, families can come eat here as well as those who work second shift. We pride ourselves on keeping our staff here to serve the public," Heath said.

"We are trying to accommodate most people by offering them something unique and giving them an experience that they can't get somewhere else."

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The owners of The Boulevard Pub and Grill are not only bringing a taste of Wisconsin to the Sauk Valley, but Gramma's potato salad, too. When Heath and Beth Warner decided to add another item to the city's menu of dining options, they headed north, not only for their restaurant's theme but its location.

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A Lewis University instructor was killed in a Wednesday morning crash on Interstate 80, according to authorities and the school.

Joseph Tomsic, 76, of Munster, Ind., was headed west on I-80 approaching Interstate 355 when the Nissan Murano he was driving crossed the center line into the right lane of traffic, hitting the rear of a freightliner truck, police said.

According to Illinois State Police, traffic was "stop-and-go" due to a prior crash that was being handled on the shoulder of the road. Tomsic was traveling in the left lane of traffic and the freightliner was in the right lane when Tomsic crossed the center line.

Tomsic was taken to Silver Cross Hospital with "life-threatening" injuries. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital, according to state police.

The driver of the freightliner declined treatment at the scene, according to police.

Tomsic was a longtime instructor of management of information systems at Lewis University in Romeoville. He also served on a committee addressing the university's technology.

"Joe touched the lives of many students over his 17 years of service at Lewis University," President David Livingston wrote in a notice sent to the Lewis community. "He served as a mentor to his fellow faculty members and an inspirational educator to his students."
Alicia Fabbre is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.

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I-80 crash kills longtime Lewis University instructor from Munster, Ind.

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A Lewis University instructor was killed in a Wednesday morning crash on Interstate 80, according to authorities and the school. Joseph Tomsic, 76, of Munster, Ind., was headed west on I-80 approaching Interstate 355 when the Nissan Murano he was driving crossed the center line into the right lane of traffic, hitting the rear of a freightliner truck, police said.

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It's a rare occasion for Pierre Glover to miss a Bears game. The Chicago native has been glued to his TV every Sunday for as long as he can remember.

But he won't be watching the Bears this Sunday.

Glover and other Chicagoans will be outside of Soldier Field for a rally to support former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and the messages about racial inequality he attempted to draw attention to by kneeling during the national anthem last season.

"If I missed a Bears game, it's because something drastic happened," said Glover, who now prefers to use "X" as his last name. "It's not an easy thing to do, but I'm fed up. If (the Bears are) not in support of this, then they're no longer my favorite team and I no longer support them at all. It's very disappointing that you can support the NFL for this many years and then it's like they spit in my face."

The "Standing 4 Kaepernick Protest" was created by Tim Clark, an activist in New York who is organizing similar rallies across the nation for NFL home openers.

Kaepernick, a free agent, went unsigned during the offseason, prompting his supporters to accuse the league of blackballing him for his outspokenness on subjects such as racial injustice and police brutality.

Critics have pointed out NFL teams' frequent lack of hesitancy to sign players with histories of crime, including domestic violence. Many found hypocrisy in teams signing quarterbacks with little experience or subpar performance records while Kaepernick - who had a 90.7 passer rating and 16-4 touchdown-interception ratio in 12 games for the 49ers last year - remained out of the game.

It has put Commissioner Roger Goodell and team owners in the awkward position of trying to explain why Kaepernick remained unsigned, with Goodell asserting there is no coordinated plan to keep Kaepernick out of the league.

Kaepernick supporters aren't buying it and are organizing to voice their frustration as the national sports conversation about the quarterback has bled into the national discourse on politics and race.

The rally in Chicago, which organizers are emphasizing on social media as a peaceful gathering, begins at Roosevelt and Michigan avenues at 10 a.m. Sunday before participants march to demonstrate outside the stadium, where the Bears kick off against the Falcons at noon.

Last month several hundred, including film director Spike Lee, showed up outside NFL headquarters in New York to protest the Kaepernick situation. A small group of demonstrators holding signs such as "Blacklist: What is it good for?" protested outside of M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, encouraging the Ravens to sign Kaepernick.

There has been a movement by Kaepernick supporters to boycott the NFL.

Chicago bar owner Kenny Johnson said he decided to put his conscience over business when he announced he would not show NFL games at the Bureau Bar and Velvet Lounge.

"I can't in good conscience promote the NFL like we usually do for people coming to watch the games and create revenue on Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays when they're not on the right side of this thing," Johnson said. "It was a moral decision. I was just thinking, how can I support Colin Kaepernick?"

He said the bar has received numerous threatening messages after he posted the announcement on social media with a graphic of a red X over the NFL logo. But he said he has also heard an outpouring of support, estimating 70 percent he heard from are in favor of his decision.

"It's brought in a whole new set of people who might not have been to the bar," he said. "On the other hand, it's alienated some people who may have wanted to come to the bar to see the games. I understand, but I'm not worried about that. We'll be fine."

Giants owner John Mara said, while explaining to reporters why his team didn't sign Kaepernick, that he received an abundance of "emotional" mail from fans saying they would not come to Giants games if they signed him.

Tanya Watkins, who is organizing Sunday's Chicago rally, said the league didn't account for the legions of pro-Kaepernick fans, many of whom are black, also having an economic impact on the NFL.

"Our dollars matter," she said. "Our investment in organized sports makes a big difference. We have to be willing to turn it off and turn our backs on an industry that doesn't support our lives and turns a blind eye when our children are murdered on the street, an industry that doesn't allow the voices of people of color to talk about justices and injustices.

"We have the right and the privilege to turn away. I don't think they understood the magnitude of what was happening. It's our responsibility to hold them accountable and make sure that they do."

Johnson said he felt Kaepernick voiced concerns for people of color.

"He's only trying to talk about injustices against African-American and Latino men with police brutality," he said. "I'm an African-American man and I have two sons. I'm trying to raise them in an environment that's not always as safe for them as it is other folks."

While some have said Kaepernick's anthem protests would be a distraction for teams, his supporters say he has united many.

Indeed, last year Kaepernick's 49ers teammates voted to grant him a leadership award. While he mostly kneeled alone last season, several other NFL players have joined his protest.

And fans are rallying on his behalf.

"I don't understand how people see him as negative," Glover said. "It's only if you don't agree that there's a problem with the police (and racial injustice). I can only see (Kaepernick) as a positive. It's courageous.

"It's disappointing to see people who support him but still want to watch the NFL. A game is more important than people's lives?"
sryan@chicagotribune.com Twitter @sryantribune

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Chicagoans plan to rally for Colin Kaepernick at Bears opener

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It's a rare occasion for Pierre Glover to miss a Bears game. The Chicago native has been glued to his TV every Sunday for as long as he can remember. But he won't be watching the Bears this Sunday.

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Chicago News, Sports, Politics, Entertainment, Weather and More

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The National Office of Disaster Services in Antigua said the storm was moving west-northwest at 18 miles per hour on Thursday, but was expected to slow down slightly in the coming days.

"Based upon the latest observation and analysis, Hurricane Jose could come very close to the Leeward Islands by early Saturday," the center said in a statement. It urged island residents to closely monitor the news "as even a slight shift in the current track to the west could bring it dangerously close to the islands."

The National Hurricane Center also said a tropical storm watch was in effect for the island nation of St. Kitts and Nevis, the British territories of Anguilla and Montserrat, and the islands of Saba and St. Eustatius, which are part of the Netherlands.

Hurricane Jose was not the only storm looming over the Caribbean Sea or the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday. Hurricane Katia churned 215 miles east of Tampico, Mexico, with maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center.

It said a hurricane warning was in effect for parts of the Mexican state of Veracruz between Cabo Rojo and Laguna Verde, where it could dump 10 to 15 inches of rain. A tropical storm watch was in effect for the area between Cabo Rojo and the Panuco River and for the area between Laguna Verde and Puerto Veracruz.

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Hurricane Jose Is Next on Radar, With Fresh Alert for Antigua and Barbuda

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The National Office of Disaster Services in Antigua said the storm was moving west-northwest at 18 miles per hour on Thursday, but was expected to slow down slightly in the coming days. "Based upon the latest observation and analysis, Hurricane Jose could come very close to the Leeward Islands by early Saturday," the center said in a statement.

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It's a rare occasion for Pierre Glover to miss a Bears game. The Chicago native has been glued to his TV every Sunday for as long as he can remember.

But he won't be watching the Bears this Sunday.

Glover and other Chicagoans will be outside of Soldier Field for a rally to support former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and the messages about racial inequality he attempted to draw attention to by kneeling during the national anthem last season.

"If I missed a Bears game, it's because something drastic happened," said Glover, who now prefers to use "X" as his last name. "It's not an easy thing to do, but I'm fed up. If (the Bears are) not in support of this, then they're no longer my favorite team and I no longer support them at all. It's very disappointing that you can support the NFL for this many years and then it's like they spit in my face."

The "Standing 4 Kaepernick Protest" was created by Tim Clark, an activist in New York who is organizing similar rallies across the nation for NFL home openers.

Kaepernick, a free agent, went unsigned during the offseason, prompting his supporters to accuse the league of blackballing him for his outspokenness on subjects such as racial injustice and police brutality.

Critics have pointed out NFL teams' frequent lack of hesitancy to sign players with histories of crime, including domestic violence. Many found hypocrisy in teams signing quarterbacks with little experience or subpar performance records while Kaepernick - who had a 90.7 passer rating and 16-4 touchdown-interception ratio in 12 games for the 49ers last year - remained out of the game.

It has put Commissioner Roger Goodell and team owners in the awkward position of trying to explain why Kaepernick remained unsigned, with Goodell asserting there is no coordinated plan to keep Kaepernick out of the league.

Kaepernick supporters aren't buying it and are organizing to voice their frustration as the national sports conversation about the quarterback has bled into the national discourse on politics and race.

The rally in Chicago, which organizers are emphasizing on social media as a peaceful gathering, begins at Roosevelt and Michigan avenues at 10 a.m. Sunday before participants march to demonstrate outside the stadium, where the Bears kick off against the Falcons at noon.

Last month several hundred, including film director Spike Lee, showed up outside NFL headquarters in New York to protest the Kaepernick situation. A small group of demonstrators holding signs such as "Blacklist: What is it good for?" protested outside of M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, encouraging the Ravens to sign Kaepernick.

There has been a movement by Kaepernick supporters to boycott the NFL.

Chicago bar owner Kenny Johnson said he decided to put his conscience over business when he announced he would not show NFL games at the Bureau Bar and Velvet Lounge.

"I can't in good conscience promote the NFL like we usually do for people coming to watch the games and create revenue on Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays when they're not on the right side of this thing," Johnson said. "It was a moral decision. I was just thinking, how can I support Colin Kaepernick?"

He said the bar has received numerous threatening messages after he posted the announcement on social media with a graphic of a red X over the NFL logo. But he said he has also heard an outpouring of support, estimating 70 percent he heard from are in favor of his decision.

"It's brought in a whole new set of people who might not have been to the bar," he said. "On the other hand, it's alienated some people who may have wanted to come to the bar to see the games. I understand, but I'm not worried about that. We'll be fine."

Giants owner John Mara said, while explaining to reporters why his team didn't sign Kaepernick, that he received an abundance of "emotional" mail from fans saying they would not come to Giants games if they signed him.

Tanya Watkins, who is organizing Sunday's Chicago rally, said the league didn't account for the legions of pro-Kaepernick fans, many of whom are black, also having an economic impact on the NFL.

"Our dollars matter," she said. "Our investment in organized sports makes a big difference. We have to be willing to turn it off and turn our backs on an industry that doesn't support our lives and turns a blind eye when our children are murdered on the street, an industry that doesn't allow the voices of people of color to talk about justices and injustices.

"We have the right and the privilege to turn away. I don't think they understood the magnitude of what was happening. It's our responsibility to hold them accountable and make sure that they do."

Johnson said he felt Kaepernick voiced concerns for people of color.

"He's only trying to talk about injustices against African-American and Latino men with police brutality," he said. "I'm an African-American man and I have two sons. I'm trying to raise them in an environment that's not always as safe for them as it is other folks."

While some have said Kaepernick's anthem protests would be a distraction for teams, his supporters say he has united many.

Indeed, last year Kaepernick's 49ers teammates voted to grant him a leadership award. While he mostly kneeled alone last season, several other NFL players have joined his protest.

And fans are rallying on his behalf.

"I don't understand how people see him as negative," Glover said. "It's only if you don't agree that there's a problem with the police (and racial injustice). I can only see (Kaepernick) as a positive. It's courageous.

"It's disappointing to see people who support him but still want to watch the NFL. A game is more important than people's lives?"
sryan@chicagotribune.com Twitter @sryantribune

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Chicagoans plan to rally for Colin Kaepernick at Bears opener

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It's a rare occasion for Pierre Glover to miss a Bears game. The Chicago native has been glued to his TV every Sunday for as long as he can remember. But he won't be watching the Bears this Sunday.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
It's a rare occasion for Pierre Glover to miss a Bears game. The Chicago native has been glued to his TV every Sunday for as long as he can remember.

But he won't be watching the Bears this Sunday.

Glover and other Chicagoans will be outside of Soldier Field for a rally to support former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick and the messages about racial inequality he attempted to draw attention to by kneeling during the national anthem last season.

"If I missed a Bears game, it's because something drastic happened," said Glover, who now prefers to use "X" as his last name. "It's not an easy thing to do, but I'm fed up. If (the Bears are) not in support of this, then they're no longer my favorite team and I no longer support them at all. It's very disappointing that you can support the NFL for this many years and then it's like they spit in my face."

The "Standing 4 Kaepernick Protest" was created by Tim Clark, an activist in New York who is organizing similar rallies across the nation for NFL home openers.

Kaepernick, a free agent, went unsigned during the offseason, prompting his supporters to accuse the league of blackballing him for his outspokenness on subjects such as racial injustice and police brutality.

Critics have pointed out NFL teams' frequent lack of hesitancy to sign players with histories of crime, including domestic violence. Many found hypocrisy in teams signing quarterbacks with little experience or subpar performance records while Kaepernick - who had a 90.7 passer rating and 16-4 touchdown-interception ratio in 12 games for the 49ers last year - remained out of the game.

It has put Commissioner Roger Goodell and team owners in the awkward position of trying to explain why Kaepernick remained unsigned, with Goodell asserting there is no coordinated plan to keep Kaepernick out of the league.

Kaepernick supporters aren't buying it and are organizing to voice their frustration as the national sports conversation about the quarterback has bled into the national discourse on politics and race.

The rally in Chicago, which organizers are emphasizing on social media as a peaceful gathering, begins at Roosevelt and Michigan avenues at 10 a.m. Sunday before participants march to demonstrate outside the stadium, where the Bears kick off against the Falcons at noon.

Last month several hundred, including film director Spike Lee, showed up outside NFL headquarters in New York to protest the Kaepernick situation. A small group of demonstrators holding signs such as "Blacklist: What is it good for?" protested outside of M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, encouraging the Ravens to sign Kaepernick.

There has been a movement by Kaepernick supporters to boycott the NFL.

Chicago bar owner Kenny Johnson said he decided to put his conscience over business when he announced he would not show NFL games at the Bureau Bar and Velvet Lounge.

"I can't in good conscience promote the NFL like we usually do for people coming to watch the games and create revenue on Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays when they're not on the right side of this thing," Johnson said. "It was a moral decision. I was just thinking, how can I support Colin Kaepernick?"

He said the bar has received numerous threatening messages after he posted the announcement on social media with a graphic of a red X over the NFL logo. But he said he has also heard an outpouring of support, estimating 70 percent he heard from are in favor of his decision.

"It's brought in a whole new set of people who might not have been to the bar," he said. "On the other hand, it's alienated some people who may have wanted to come to the bar to see the games. I understand, but I'm not worried about that. We'll be fine."

Giants owner John Mara said, while explaining to reporters why his team didn't sign Kaepernick, that he received an abundance of "emotional" mail from fans saying they would not come to Giants games if they signed him.

Tanya Watkins, who is organizing Sunday's Chicago rally, said the league didn't account for the legions of pro-Kaepernick fans, many of whom are black, also having an economic impact on the NFL.

"Our dollars matter," she said. "Our investment in organized sports makes a big difference. We have to be willing to turn it off and turn our backs on an industry that doesn't support our lives and turns a blind eye when our children are murdered on the street, an industry that doesn't allow the voices of people of color to talk about justices and injustices.

"We have the right and the privilege to turn away. I don't think they understood the magnitude of what was happening. It's our responsibility to hold them accountable and make sure that they do."

Johnson said he felt Kaepernick voiced concerns for people of color.

"He's only trying to talk about injustices against African-American and Latino men with police brutality," he said. "I'm an African-American man and I have two sons. I'm trying to raise them in an environment that's not always as safe for them as it is other folks."

While some have said Kaepernick's anthem protests would be a distraction for teams, his supporters say he has united many.

Indeed, last year Kaepernick's 49ers teammates voted to grant him a leadership award. While he mostly kneeled alone last season, several other NFL players have joined his protest.

And fans are rallying on his behalf.

"I don't understand how people see him as negative," Glover said. "It's only if you don't agree that there's a problem with the police (and racial injustice). I can only see (Kaepernick) as a positive. It's courageous.

"It's disappointing to see people who support him but still want to watch the NFL. A game is more important than people's lives?"
sryan@chicagotribune.com Twitter @sryantribune

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Chicagoans plan to rally for Colin Kaepernick at Bears opener

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It's a rare occasion for Pierre Glover to miss a Bears game. The Chicago native has been glued to his TV every Sunday for as long as he can remember. But he won't be watching the Bears this Sunday.

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Bernard "Bernie" Domagala, a Chicago cop who was shot and badly wounded 29 years ago by a former officer on the South Side, has died of his wounds.

Domagala died Tuesday at Kindred Lakeshore Hospital in Edgewater. He was 66.

On Thursday, the Cook County medical examiner's office ruled his death a homicide due to complications caused by the gunshot wound to his head.

He is survived by his wife and three sons - one who was 4 and twins who were just 4 months old when Domagala was shot while responding to the home of Tommie Lee Hudson, a former Chicago cop who had barricaded himself inside his home at 7237 S. Stony Island.

On July 14, 1988, Cook County sheriff's officers had gone to the home to evict Hudson - who was armed with a shotgun and five handguns - for failing to pay his mortgage.

A standoff ensued, and the Chicago Police Department's Hostage, Barricade and Terrorist Unit, which Domagala was a part of, was called out. Officers surrounded the property.

Domagala, 37 years old at the time, peeked around the corner of the garage, and Hudson shot him in the forehead from 100 feet away, leaving him with lasting brain injuries. He required medical care the rest of his life, according to the police.

A mover, sent there to help evict Hudson, was shot in the arm.

Hudson ultimately gave himself up and was charged with attempted murder. In 1990, he was found incompetent to go to trial and was committed to a state psychiatric hospital. He died in 1994.

"On behalf of the entire Chicago Police Department, we extend our deepest condolences to his loved ones for the loss of a true hero," First Deputy Police Supt. Kevin Navarro said Thursday. "He will never be forgotten."

Messages left with Domagala's family were not returned Thursday afternoon.

In announcing Domagala's passing, the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation wrote that being a Chicago Police officer "was one of the two most important things in his life. The other was his family."

"He loved his job as he knew he would, and always said, 'Every day is something different, a new challenge.'"

Domagala was struck in the temple with a "big black ball" fired from a .44-caliber, Italian-made replica of a "cap and ball" pistol.

"It's like getting hit in the head with a 16-pound sledgehammer," former Area 1 Detective Cmdr. August Sylvain said at the time.

The standoff in which Domagala was shot lasted 7½ hours. It ended when police launched about 30 rounds of tear gas into the two-story brownstone, prompting Hudson to surrender, walking out of the home waving a white flag on a stick.

Police speculated that Hudson - an Air Force veteran employed by the CPD from 1966 to 1971 - was wearing a gas mask when they fired tear gas into the building because the "amount they put in there would kill him," the Chicago Sun-Times reported at the time.

Inside Hudson's home, prosecutors said, police found several guns, three homemade bombs and assorted ammunition.

Despite not making his mortgage payments, Hudson's family said at the time that he was not in financial trouble, but instead suffered from mental health problems after he himself was shot years earlier.

His sister said that while still employed as an officer, Hudson's partner accidentally shot him in the temple as they were subduing a vicious dog.

In 1986, police said, Hudson was arrested for shooting two dogs in his house. A detective who investigated that shooting called Hudson "a mental case."

Former Chicago Police Supt. LeRoy Martin said at the time that Hudson had exhausted his medical leave while with the Police Department and still was sick, so he was terminated.

Hudson's sister said that relatives had warned the Sheriff's Department several times in 1986 and 1987 that there might be an incident if they tried to evict Hudson, because he collected guns. They asked that they be notified of such an eviction so they could be present.

A cousin of Hudson's told the Sun-Times he was angry that the Sheriff's Department never alerted the family before they tried to evict Hudson.

The cousin added that Hudson had turned into "a hermit" in the years preceding the shooting and that he "drifted in and out" of being coherent. Relatives hadn't been allowed in his house in four years.

Visitation services for Domagala will be held from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday at Blake Lamb Funeral Home in Oak Lawn. His funeral is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday at Queen of Martyrs Church in Evergreen Park.

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Former Chicago cop, a 'true hero,' dies 29 years after ex-cop shot him

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Bernard "Bernie" Domagala, a Chicago cop who was shot and badly wounded 29 years ago by a former officer on the South Side, has died of his wounds. Domagala died Tuesday at Kindred Lakeshore Hospital in Edgewater. He was 66.

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The date Sept. 9 always held special significance for Lawrence Matthews.

It was his birthday, his first day as a Dolton firefighter and this year, it will become the day a village street is rededicated in his honor.

Dolton on Saturday will rename the portion of Park Avenue that runs past Fire Station No. 1 "Firefighter Lawrence Matthews Way" and unveil a plaque designed in honor of the eight-year department veteran who died in the line of duty in June.

The public ceremony, which will be attended by village officials, area firefighters and Matthews' family and friends, starts at 12:30 p.m. in front of the fire station, 14022 Park Ave.

"We want to honor Lawrence, his wife, his kids, his entire family, and we want to be able to show that his legacy was for the community," Dolton fire chief Steven McCain said. "That's part of our mission statement - having a community orientated fire department - and Lawrence fit that bill to a 'T' with his own passion to the community."

Matthews, a heart transplant recipient, went into cardiac arrest and died while fighting a house fire in Harvey on June 10.

Neighbors said he was rushing to put out fires in nearby trees and brush piles to keep the blaze from spreading to other homes when he collapsed. The Cook County medical examiner's office ruled that Matthews died from "complications of heart transplantation (remote) due to dilated cardiomyopathy of unknown etiology."

Matthews, who is survived by his wife Rachel, their three young kids and two stepchildren, was sworn in as a Dolton firefighter in 2009 - with the blessing of his doctors - just two years after receiving a new heart.

"The (transplant) team often reminded me, before and after the transplant, about the need to live a normal life again," Matthews recalled in a patient story posted on the University of Chicago Medicine website shortly before his death. "I believed I could become a firefighter. The doctors gave me the confidence to do so. They told me to go for it. And that's all I needed to hear."

In addition to fighting fires, Matthews served as the department's public safety education officer, teaching kids and seniors about fire prevention, and also coached youth sports.

"He liked being out in the community as far as with the school and the youth," McCain said. "He wanted to give back to the community."

He said Matthews' death had been devastating for the Dolton fire department and questioned whether it could ever fully recover from the loss.

"We're still in the transition," he said. "We have to work through this for Larry and his family, and come out on top and pray (a line of duty death) never happens again."

McCain, who said he and Matthews connected over their shared love of Michael Jordan and giving back to the community, said he appreciated the showing of support Dolton firefighters had received from neighboring departments over the past three months.

"Every once in a while you run into someone and they ask how your department is doing," he said. "You don't know them, but they know you because of what happened.

"It's nice to know people care about what happened."
Twitter @ZakKoeske

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Dolton to rededicate street for fallen firefighter

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The date Sept. 9 always held special significance for Lawrence Matthews. It was his birthday, his first day as a Dolton firefighter and this year, it will become the day a village street is rededicated in his honor. Dolton on Saturday will rename the portion of Park Avenue that runs past Fire Station No.

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Mayweather-McGregor breaks U.K. PPV record

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Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather's Aug. 26 fight broke the record for most pay-per-view purchases in the United Kingdom, broadcaster Sky Sports confirmed to MMA Fighting's Dave Meltzer.Sky Sports says the August crossover bout featuring Ireland's biggest athlete exceeded 1 million purchases.The previous record was set in April by the heavyweight championship bout between British boxer Anthony Joshua and Wladimir Klitschko of Ukraine that took place in London's Wembley Stadium.Showtime has yet to announce the U.S.

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Footage of a police officer violently arresting University of Utah nurse Alex Wubbels for refusing to give in to his unconstitutional demands for a patient blood sample has shocked the nation's nursing community and underscored a sad truth about nursing in the U.S.: The health care workers closely identified with their role as patient advocates are frequently victims of assault in their own workplace, and as a consequence of simply doing their job.

"Nurses should not be subject to any kind of violence, whether it's from a coworker, a patient, a family member, or in this case another" public servant, said Pam Cipirano, president of the American Nurses Association. "That's part of why we feel so strongly, particularly in this situation, where another type of worker who the public needs to trust acted in an unconscionable way."

National studies estimating the extent of violence against nurses are hard to come by, but smaller surveys paint a shocking picture of what nurses and other health care workers endure. A 2014 survey of 762 nurses found that 76 percent had experienced some kind of violence, like verbal assault or physical abuse, from patients or visitors. Another 2014 survey conducted by the American Nurses Association of more than 10,000 nurses and nursing students found that 25 percent had been physically assaulted by either a patient or a patient's family member, and that 9 percent were worried about their physical safety at work.

"That's a startling number, even if its unscientific," Cipriano said of her organization's findings.

Nurses appear to be at higher risk than other health care professionals. Compared with other health care workers like doctors, nurses and nurse assistants had higher rates of violent injuries from 2012 to 2014, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Research into the reasons for the assaults is even more difficult to come by, but Cipriano has a few ideas.

The nursing industry is 91 percent female, and high rates of assault against nurses may mirror a broader social trend of violence against women. Cipriano also suspects that because nurses are, at their base, caregivers, they may be targets for people who want to lash out at someone or something without the possibility of retaliation.

"The expected relationship that the health care worker acquiesces, that the health care worker is expected to make a good situation out of a bad one, that the health care worker is willing to understand that the person is under stress, creates this false sense that this [nurse] should be able tolerate whatever another human being dishes out at them," Cipriano said.

Finally, nurses are often the first and last line of defense for patients. If someone wants to harm a vulnerable patient, go against a patient's wishes for treatment, or violate a patient's legal rights ― like what happened in the Utah case ― it's the nurse's job to step in and put a stop to it.

"They are the ones that, in the moment, will say, 'No, stop, we're not going to do this. It's my job to protect the patient,'" said Cipriano.

Usually, law enforcement is a valuable ally in a charged and stressful medical situation. Police officers often help nurses take charge of a tense confrontation, and they help calm patients who are angry, mentally ill or going through a drug-fueled violent episode. That's why Wubbels' assault at the hands of Salt Lake City Detective Jeff Payne is so distressing, said Cipriano.

National Nurses United, the largest nurses' union in the U.S., also denounced the assault on Wubbels.

"At a time of a growing problem of workplace violence against RNs and other hospital employees, it is especially appalling to see police assaulting an RN for properly, and legally, doing her job," the union's co-president, Jean Ross, said. "It is particularly disgraceful to see violence in a hospital perpetrated by a law enforcement officer against a registered nurse who is advocating for her patient."

The day after Wubbels' press conference describing the assault, Salt Lake City Police Chief Mike Brown issued a statement expressing sadness and regret for what happened to her. He noted that his officers may one day depend on nurses - who he called "brothers and sisters in white."

"Salt Lake City Police Officers have a very soft spot in our hearts for all medical professionals." the chief said. "We know that if we are ever hurt in the line of duty, it is their caring hands that will perhaps save our lives one day."

ALSO ON HUFFPOST

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Nurses Endure A Shocking Amount Of Violence On The Job

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Footage of a police officer violently arresting University of Utah nurse Alex Wubbels for refusing to give in to his unconstitutional demands for a patient blood sample has shocked the nation's nursing community and underscored a sad truth about nursing in the U.S.: The health care workers closely identified with their role as patient advocates are frequently victims of assault in their own workplace, and as a consequence of simply doing their job.

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Ruling expected Friday on whether he'll get to go to trial

SYCAMORE - William P. "Billy" Curl testified Thursday that he wasn't "right in the head" during interviews with police after he was arrested for the October 2010 murder of Antinette "Toni" Keller.

[Photos by Matthew Apgar - mapgar@shawmedia.com]
He also claimed his public defenders ignored his requests to seek to suppress those interviews in the 2 ½ years that they represented him. Curl ultimately pleaded guilty and received a 37-year prison sentence for the murder of Keller, an 18-year-old Northern Illinois University freshman from Plainfield. Curl is an inmate at Menard Correctional Center.

"What beliefs made you feel your attorneys, as well as yourself, were not prepared to proceed to trial in April 2013?" Curl's court-appointed lawyer, Dan Transier, asked him.

"One, he wasn't confident," Curl, 41, said, referring to Public Defender Tom McCulloch. "He did not want to be in front of the media, and he really wouldn't tell me anything about my case."

Curl testified at the end of the second day of a DeKalb County court hearing on his petition for post-conviction relief. Curl tried to withdraw his guilty plea in July 2013, but a 30-day deadline to change his mind already had passed. Now he wants a judge to throw out his plea on the grounds that he was coerced by county prosecutors, who he claims threatened to charge his son in connection with the crime.

The bulk of the first two days were made up of video interviews with law enforcement in which Curl changed his story multiple times, leading detectives to dismiss his claims, calling them "too far-fetched."

Curl testified that he's been mentally ill since he was a child, and that he has taken a variety of medications over the years for bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

He said he was on Depakote, typically used to treat bipolar disorder, at the time of Keller's murder. When he fled DeKalb for Mexico in his mother's car and later was arrested in Louisiana, he didn't have his meds with him.

"I knew where I was, but I wasn't always right in the head," he said. "I hear things sometimes. I see things, and the things I think are real aren't real."

He testified that he asked his lawyers, counselors and others to get him back on his meds.

"For almost two years, from the time I was locked up, I begged for my medication, and I was denied the whole time," Curl said. "[McCulloch] told me he didn't want me in here being drugged up."

McCulloch, along with fellow Public Defender Chip Criswell and former Public Defender Regina Harris, are among seven witnesses prosecutors have subpoenaed and could call Friday.

Also among the possible witnesses is former DeKalb County State's Attorney Richard Schmack, whom Curl testified gave him an ultimatum about a week before the case was set to go to trial in April 2013.

"He said that I take a deal or he was going to go after my son," Curl said, referring to his son, Michael, who was 16 at that time. "He said he'd charge my son for being an accessory to a crime."

Curl entered a special plea agreement in April 2013 and is required to serve all 37 years of his sentence, which would see him released at age 71.

In May 2015, Curl filed a 14-page handwritten petition for post-conviction relief, since he'd exhausted all his other appeal options.

[Matthew Apgar / Daily Chronicle]
Chief Judge Robbin Stuckert could rule Friday on whether Curl's plea can be voided and he'll be granted a trial. Most of the first two days of his three-day evidentiary hearing keyed on hours of video of Curl's interviews with members of the DeKalb Police Department.

Keller, an art student at NIU, last was seen Oct. 14, 2010, when she told friends she was going for a walk in Prairie Park.

Curl was interviewed by DeKalb police days after her remains were found, and he was supposed to have another interview with police, but he fled to Mexico in his mother's car. He later returned to the U.S. and was arrested in Louisiana.

In a video interview with police in Louisiana after his arrest, Curl told DeKalb Detectives Bob Redel and Michael Stewart that he'd discovered Keller's body along the path in Prairie Park, and that as he rolled her body over, her fingernails scratched his chest. Pressed by the officers, he changed his story, telling them he'd run into Keller, and they had sex after she took Ecstasy. On the video, Curl told police that Keller had a seizure, dug her nails into his chest and fell and hit her head on a log, and died as she foamed at the mouth.

He repeated details of the story after detectives left the interrogation room.

Curl told the detectives that he and Keller had spent 45 minutes together, and that once he thought she was dead, it took him about 10 minutes to build a fire on top of her body, and that he left immediately after setting it ablaze.

"I freaked out," he told police on the video. "I'm going to lose everything in the world - my kid - just because I didn't call 911."

[Matthew Apgar / Daily Chronicle]
The detectives pressed him on why a nearby business owner heard a woman scream at the time he said he was in the park, and that the owner said anyone in the park would have heard it. Once Curl was flown back to DeKalb County, he was interviewed by Detectives Steve Lekkas and Craig Woodruff, who told him they didn't believe his story.

"This stuff is too far-fetched," Lekkas told him. "I want to give you an opportunity to say what really happened. No one's going to believe your story. It's too far-fetched to believe."

At that point Curl refused to go on with the interview, asking for a lawyer.

In cross-examination, First Assistant State's Attorney Stephanie Klein went to great length to point out to Curl that he'd remembered many details about the scene, including a nearby tree with a burn mark on it, in order to refute Curl's compromised mental capacity during the interviews.

After Curl had testified he smoked the psychedelic plant salvia minutes before being arrested in Louisiana, Klein reminded him that he'd told the officers he was clean, and that the only drug he used anymore was marijuana.

She also pointed out that Curl previously had pleaded guilty to three other charges: retail theft in 1999, criminal damage to property - a felony - in 2000, and a drug possession charge in 2004.

The evidentiary hearing is scheduled to resume at 10:30 a.m. Friday.

You might be interested in...

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Curl: I wasn't 'right in the head' when talking to police

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SYCAMORE - William P. "Billy" Curl testified Thursday that he wasn't "right in the head" during interviews with police after he was arrested for the October 2010 murder of Antinette "Toni" Keller.

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Bad news, Democrats. There is no such thing as courage on Capitol Hill. As a guy who worked as a legislative aide to Democratic House and Senate members for almost 20 years, I should know:

Let me explain. You know how we often applaud our favorite legislators for their "courage" on choice, GLBTQ issues, guns, immigration, civil and equal rights, and climate change?

With few (if any) exceptions, these heroes are only courageous on issues that won't cost them a dime in campaign contributions. In other words, these senators and House members (invariably from progressive states and districts) are only courageous on the cheap. They only get away with it because progressives either don't know or don't care that virtually all of them are cowards on the Israel-Palestine issue, taking their orders from AIPAC (the Israel lobby) in order not to jeopardize the campaign donations they get from its members.

Now maybe you don't care about Israel/Palestine, or just look away when Israel is bombing the hell out of Gaza or working to undo President Obama's Iran nuclear deal. (In the case of the latter, two top Democrats, both tied at the hip to AIPAC and its affilated donors, Chuck Schumer of New York and Ben Cardin of Maryland, joined the Republicans in a failed to attempt to defeat their own president's initiative.) Even if you don't care about that, you should care when supposed progressives can so easily be bought on a critical issue. After all, if they sell out on one issue to please donors now, what will they sell out on next? How are they different than Republicans who toe the NRA line to please that lobby and its donors? For Democrats, AIPAC is the NRA.

Examples of progressive cowardice are all around us. Both Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders defended Israel's 2014 bombardment of Gaza which resulted in the deaths of 1,462 civilians of whom 495 were children. Both opposed any action by the Obama administration to stop the killing, refusing to support any cuts to Israel's massive aid package over Gaza, settlement expansion, routine human rights abuses or anything else.

To be fair, Warren and Sanders are far from the worst progressives on this issue. In fact, they are better than most Democrats who offer full-throated support to anything Israel does. A list of Israel shills in Congress would fill up all my space so suffice it to note that when Keith Ellison, a true hero on this issue despite all the threats from AIPAC, tried to get the House progressive caucus to join him in a letter to then Secretary of State Kerry calling for a ceasefire, only 5 of 57 members joined him. No senator spoke out.

And now the latest outrage.

In Illinois this week, State Sen. Daniel Biss dropped Chicago Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa as his running mate in his campaign to become governor of the state. Ramirez-Rosa, 28, was a Sanders delegate to the Democratic convention and proudly calls himself a Democratic Socialist. His choice for the #2 slot was viewed as a big step forward for the progressive wing of the party.

But then Brad Schneider, a congressman from suburban Chicago, heard that Ramirez-Rosa's progressiveness did not stop at Israel's borders. In fact in 2014, Ramirez-Rosa said the following:

You know, for too long the U.S. government has subsidized the oppression of the Palestinian people, and it's time that that's stopped, And we have seen a shift internationally in favor of justice for the Palestinian people. You know, people stand with Israel, but they also want to make sure the Palestinian people have [justice].

Schneider, one of AIPAC's top lieutenants in the House went ballistic, instantly demanding that Ramirez-Rosa be kicked off the ticket. His ostensible reason was that Ramirez-Rosa was a member of the Democratic Socialists of America movement which supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Accordingly Ramirez-Rosa had to go:

"Following conversations with Senator Biss and Alderman Ramirez-Rosa, I have informed the campaign of the withdrawal of my support," Schneider said. "I remain hopeful that as Alderman Ramirez-Rosa learns more about the importance of the U.S.-Israel partnership to both our nations, the unique challenges Israel faces as the only democracy in a very dangerous neighborhood, and the commitment of the vast majority of the Israeli people to peace and a two-state solution, he will reconsider his position."

Seventy-two hours later Ramirez-Rosa was kicked off the ticket. Gubernatorial candidate Bliss said that if he knew of his former running-mate's position on Israel, he never would have chosen him.

No doubt that is true. For Democrats, including progressives, Israel is the one issue on which no deviation from a lobby's line is permitted. In fact, Democrats are worse than Republicans whose support for the occupations and bombing Palestinians fit in with their hawkish and Islamophobic worldviews. Their support for everything Israel does is not bought (it doesn't have to be). Democrats, however, sell their souls for AIPAC dollars.

And they will continue to do so until progressives tell them that regardless of their other positions they will not have progressive support in Democratic primaries until and unless they apply the same standards to Israel that they apply to the rest of the world, including to our own country. Progressives must stand for equal rights and equal justice everywhere in the world, including in the Middle East. That means standing with brave Israelis and Palestinians who are fighting injustice, not with those who fight to preserve the ugly, immoral status quo. If your "progressive" representative doesn't understand that, he is nothing but a hack.

Along these lines, read about Senator Ben Cardin's ongoing effort to criminalize speech critical of Israel.

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Progressive Illinois Candidate Knocked Off Ticket For Israel Views

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Bad news, Democrats. There is no such thing as courage on Capitol Hill. As a guy who worked as a legislative aide to Democratic House and Senate members for almost 20 years, I should know: Let me explain.

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As Mayor Rahm Emanuel ramps up his campaign fundraising toward a possible third term, he continues to rely on donors who have received City Hall benefits, ranging from contracts and zoning approvals to appointments and personal endorsements from the mayor, the Chicago Tribune has found.

With the February 2019 mayoral election still a year and a half away, Emanuel has collected $3.1 million in high-dollar contributions. And more than $2.1 million of it - nearly 70 percent - has come from 83 donors who have benefited from actions at City Hall.

Among the contributors: law firms seeking approval for their clients' projects or lucrative bond business for themselves, developers needing City Hall permission to build here, an events promoter negotiating the financial details of a major music festival and restaurateurs wanting coveted space at Chicago's airports.

It's a fundraising pattern that emerged as Emanuel built the most prolific campaign fundraising operation in Chicago history. The mayor raised $24.4 million for a 2015 re-election bid that relied on expensive television ads in which he appealed to Chicagoans to give him "a second term, a second chance," as he would go on to call it in his victory speech.

In the midst of that campaign, the Tribune took an unprecedented look at the intersection of Emanuel's campaign fundraising and his public duties. The investigation found that nearly 60 percent of the mayor's roughly 100 most loyal contributors received City Hall benefits and showed that many of those top donors regularly met with Emanuel, a level of access provided to few in the city.

If the mayor is to win another term, he'll again need a formidable campaign fund to advocate for his stewardship of the city. During his second term, Chicago has seen a resurgent economy and academic gains, but also a surge in gun violence and widespread calls to reform the Police Department after the release of the Laquan McDonald police shooting video and subsequent federal investigation into the city's policing.

Ahead of the 2019 contest, the mayor has started fundraising earlier than last time, saying he's preparing as if he'll run without publicly setting a time frame for making a final decision.

On the day he took office in May 2011, Emanuel issued executive orders aimed at cracking down on the pay-to-play politics that long served as a staple at City Hall. He banned business owners with city contracts and registered City Hall lobbyists from giving to the mayor.

In practice, the orders have proven to be narrowly drawn, allowing Emanuel to accept contributions from donors who benefit from his administration's actions. For example, registered lobbyists at a law firm can't give, but their colleagues can. The owners of companies with city contracts can't give, but their employees can.

Emanuel declined an interview request to discuss his fundraising efforts. Asked why the mayor heavily relies on individuals and firms who do business with the city for campaign contributions, Emanuel spokeswoman Shannon Breymaier issued a statement.

"On Mayor Emanuel's first day in office, he enacted several executive orders that set the highest ethical standards in the city's history," Breymaier said. "These orders include a first-of-its-kind ban on mayoral contributions from lobbyists and a prohibition on mayoral contributions from contractors doing business with the city of Chicago."

For its analysis, the Tribune reviewed more than 500 contributions to Emanuel of at least $5,000 made since July 2015. So far, Emanuel is limited in how much he can collect from individual donors because a $5,600 contribution limit still applies to the 2019 contest. In the last election, the mayor and others were able to collect unlimited contributions after a candidate put in $100,000 of his own money, lifting the cap.

Whatever the rules, campaign fundraising long has been at the core of Emanuel's political DNA. Raising cash for former Mayor Richard M. Daley in 1989 and former President Bill Clinton in 1992 helped launch Emanuel's career. That aggressive fundraising style has been part of Emanuel lore ever since.

The mayor recently discussed the importance of campaign fundraising with friend and CNN commentator David Axelrod on his "The Axe Files" podcast. The two worked on Paul Simon's 1984 U.S. Senate bid, and Axelrod recalled arriving at the campaign office to find Emanuel on the phone "shaking down a captain of industry for a contribution."

"The fundraising - there's no campaign without it," Emanuel said. "It's not my desire to always do it. I don't want to do it, but I'm obviously good at it."
Law firm money
One of the ways Emanuel sought to limit political influence at City Hall was to ban the fundraising practice of "bundling." That's when a single firm or individual collects - and gets credit for pooling - a cluster of contributions together and delivering them to a campaign fund.

Bundlers can be viewed as having outsized sway over politicians, especially in Chicago, where names such as Antoin "Tony" Rezko are associated with the practice. Rezko was a bundler for Rod Blagojevich, and both ended up in prison as part of the corruption case that took down the disgraced former governor.

Emanuel, though, still attends fundraisers at law firms where dozens of employees write checks to his political fund. The mayor's campaign, however, has said it doesn't consider that bundling because the law firm or a single individual isn't delivering all the donations. Instead, an Emanuel political staffer collects the money from each donor, the campaign has said.

For example, Emanuel has received blocks of campaign contributions from DLA Piper, one of the go-to firms for real estate developers to get zoning approval at City Hall. The firm's zoning law practice was built up by David Reifman, a onetime zoning attorney who now holds substantial approval power over all new projects as the city's commissioner of planning and development.

During Emanuel's first run for mayor, DLA Piper lawyers and relatives gave him $54,000 in political contributions. In his bid for a second term, it was more than $75,000. This time around, 15 of the firm's lawyers gave $35,700 after Emanuel stopped by DLA Piper's downtown office for a Sept. 13 breakfast his official calendar listed as "non-city," the label often given to campaign events or fundraisers.

Emanuel's fundraiser took place as DLA Piper zoning attorneys were lobbying City Hall to sign off on the new West Loop headquarters of McDonald's Corp. The Emanuel administration approved the plans the day after the fundraiser.

The firm has represented developers on at least 13 other projects in the booming West Loop since January 2016, all within blocks of the McDonald's project. Six of the projects have received City Hall approval and seven are pending. For their zoning help, DLA Piper stands to make hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments from the developers of those projects, city records show.

DLA Piper declined to comment. While the law firms and developers gain financially from the zoning approvals, Emanuel has a political benefit that comes from allowing the higher-density developments.

The mayor has seized on the surging real estate market and high developer demand by allowing taller buildings to be erected in the once-gritty meatpacking district just west of the Loop. At the same time, Emanuel directed Reifman, the planning commissioner, to devise a new program that requires the developers to pay more in order to take advantage of the new ability to build higher.

Emanuel's new initiative, referred to as the density bonus program, sets aside 80 percent of the money the developers pay for the extra height into a new Neighborhood Opportunity Fund, an account the mayor can tap to pay for projects in neighborhoods on the South and West Sides. Lack of new development in those areas was something his opponents criticized him for not doing enough of before the last election. Aldermen approved the new program despite one publicly knocking it as a mayoral "slush fund."

Nearly all of the 13 West Loop projects involving DLA Piper have sought a more dense zoning classification than previously allowed, with at least three of them scheduled to pay a total of more than $5 million into the mayor's neighborhood fund, city records show.

Schiff Hardin is another firm whose lawyers have contributed to the mayor's campaign and benefited from decisions made by the Emanuel administration.

The firm made at least $205,000 serving as co-counsel on the city's January $1.2 billion bond issue, a massive borrowing plan to patch city debt, records show. About three months later, Emanuel attended a lunch at the firm's offices on South Wacker Drive, another event labeled "non-city" on the mayor's calendar. A week later, Emanuel's campaign deposited $17,800 from 11 of the firm's lawyers, records show.

Schiff Hardin partner Bruce Weisenthal said the mayor was invited to speak at the firm. He said Emanuel spoke for about an hour, giving an uplifting talk about the state of Chicago and where the city is going. "He was very generous with his time," Weisenthal said.

That lunchtime event came after a fundraiser in 2013. That year, Schiff Hardin made $96,000 in fees from a $276 million city wastewater revenue bond project. Three months later, Emanuel collected more than $16,000 from 13 Schiff Hardin lawyers at a campaign event.

Weisenthal said this year's speech was different from the event four years ago, which was meant as a fundraiser. He said this time around, there was no outward request for money. Weisenthal said he instructed anyone who wanted to make a contribution afterward on how to do so.

"People who wanted to support him did," Weisenthal said. "The firm itself doesn't take positions on any kind of political things."

Another law firm that has contributed to Emanuel and received city bond business is Winston & Strawn, which was paid more than $100,000 for legal work on a November 2011 bond issuance.

In January 2016, Emanuel's administration also hired the firm to conduct an outside review of the city Law Department spurred by a controversy stemming from judges issuing sanctions against city attorneys for suppressing evidence in police shooting cases. The firm's high-powered co-executive chairman Dan Webb billed the city $1.6 million for his review, which recommended better training but found no widespread problems.

This summer, Emanuel's campaign has reported cashing $21,000 in campaign checks from 17 Winston & Strawn attorneys, including $3,000 from Webb. Winston & Strawn representatives did not respond to requests for comment.

The mayor's office did not respond to questions about Webb's campaign contribution, but addressed giving from attorneys generally.

"Individual attorneys are not prohibited from contributing to candidates at any level, unless they are city lobbyists or have an ownership stake in the firm of at least 7.5 percent - which, I'd remind you, are both additional restrictions that the mayor enacted when he took office," Breymaier said.
Lollapalooza cash
While Emanuel bans contributions from the owners of businesses with City Hall contracts, he has accepted them from businesses that have contracts or permits with so-called "sister agencies," such as the Chicago Park District. In such cases, the mayor's campaign has contended there is no contract directly with City Hall, though Emanuel controls the sister agencies and appoints their leaders.

And so Emanuel has taken contributions from C3 Presents, an Austin, Texas-based concert promotions company that puts on the massive Lollapalooza music festival in Grant Park.

In 2014, the Tribune reported that Charlie Jones, one of C3's founders, threw an Emanuel fundraiser at his Austin home during the city's signature South by Southwest festival. Soon after, Emanuel reported pulling in nearly $104,000 in campaign contributions from Texas donors.

This time around, Emanuel reported receiving more than $106,000 from Texas donors in December and January, including maximum $5,400 contributions from Jones, fellow C3 founder Charlie Walker and their wives.

Permits for C3 to hold Lollapalooza require the approval of Emanuel's Park District, and the festival has grown on the mayor's watch. Last year, Lollapalooza expanded from three days to four, drawing an estimated 100,000 people per day, and the expanded time frame will continue next year.

In 2012, the Emanuel-appointed park board inked a new 10-year deal with the owners of Lollapalooza, which includes C3, LiveNation and William Morris Endeavor, the Hollywood agency where the mayor's superagent brother Ari Emanuel is co-CEO. As such, Ari Emanuel has a financial stake in the festival, and he also serves on the board of LiveNation.

The mayor's campaign said during the 2011 contest that if elected, Emanuel would ask the City Council to appoint "an outside negotiator" for issues involving Lollapalooza, LiveNation or Ari Emanuel to avoid "even a question of favortism," Chicago Public Radio reported at the time. The latest Lollapalooza deal - and a 2015 change allowing the extra day - were negotiated by Emanuel's park board.

Asked why the mayor did not appoint an outside negotiator, Breymaier did not directly respond.

The city receives payments from Lollapalooza based on how much money the event brings in, and records show the festival's owners and city have made more money under the new deal. For the 2013 festival, the city received $2.9 million in payments, while last year's expanded four-day event brought in double that - nearly $6 million.

The Tribune reported in 2015 that Emanuel's administration waived nearly $1 million in fees to allow the NFL access to Grant Park for 22 days. That agreement was with C3, which the NFL hired to help put on the event.

At times, Emanuel has helped promote C3's events, including its Chicago Food + Wine Festival that was held in Lincoln Park in 2015, but canceled for 2016 and 2017.

"Chicago Food + Wine Festival will give every Chicagoan - and millions of visitors - a chance to mix and mingle with some of the most acclaimed chefs and culinary personalities from our city and across the country," Emanuel said in a C3 news release.

Texas celebrity chef Tim Love, a partner in the festival, made a $9,600 "event catering" contribution to Emanuel for his Austin fundraiser last December, records show. Representatives for C3 and Love did not respond to requests for comment.

Asked about the contributions and fundraiser from C3, the mayor's spokeswoman noted that Lollapalooza, the NFL draft and the food festival all received city permits and "there is no prohibition on campaign contributions from those who pull city permits."

"Such a prohibition would ban contributions from people hosting a child's birthday party in a park or closing a street for a neighborhood block party," Breymaier said.
Developer donations
Emanuel has long accepted campaign contributions from real estate developers, with the mayor's representatives drawing a distinction between firms doing business in the city and those doing business with it.

While developers may not have city contracts, the Emanuel administration must sign off on their building permits and zoning.

Take the case of Magellan Development Group, which has contributed $243,000 to Emanuel's campaign fund since 2011, records show.

Magellan is putting up what will become the city's third-tallest building - the Vista Tower, a 98-story staggered skyscraper. The project is bankrolled by Chicago-based Magellan and Dalian Wanda, China's largest real-estate development firm. Magellan has remade much of the area where the Chicago River meets Lake Michigan with its redevelopment of a onetime golf course into what is known as Lakeshore East.

The firm's campaign contributions to Emanuel didn't ramp up until 2014, as it pursued the Vista project, records show.

To date, Emanuel has had three city events for the Vista Tower - each of them before construction cranes were even anchored on the site.

In December 2014, Emanuel held a ceremonial signing for the development agreement deal between Magellan and Dalian Wanda. That came four months after Magellan co-CEO Joel Carlins hosted a campaign fundraiser for Emanuel at his home, an event the mayor had requested the wealthy developer hold, the Tribune reported in its 2015 investigation.

Carlins and two other Magellan executives later gave a combined $100,000 to Emanuel's campaign fund in March 2015 during the final days of the mayor's run-off campaign against Cook County Commissioner Jesus "Chuy" Garcia.

As the mayor considers a third term, his campaign has collected another $52,200 from Magellan employees and their wives. The June 2016 contributions came a month after Emanuel announced the developer would break ground, drawing attention to the project as Magellan had begun to sell the tower's 406 condos.

Standing in a vacant lot below Lower Wacker Drive, Emanuel proclaimed it was "a great day for the city of Chicago." The mayor called the building a "major destination" with a "beautiful design."

The actual groundbreaking took place last September, and Emanuel was on hand to call it a "historic investment." Standing before a large rendering of the skyscraper, Emanuel joked about relentlessly tracking the project's progress with Magellan President David Carlins before noting sales efforts.

"I've called David repeatedly - I think he's going to change his cell number after this - to make sure this project stays on course," Emanuel said. "To all those people selling the condos in it: Don't drop the phone. Keep going."

Asked about the mayor's practice of accepting contributions from developers, Breymaier pointed to Emanuel's executive orders, which do not ban political giving from real estate firms.

"These are individuals who are driving economic development throughout Chicago, creating jobs in our neighborhoods and creating thousands of affordable housing units for residents," she said.

A Magellan spokesman did not respond to requests for comment.
Airport business
Emanuel also has accepted campaign money from businesses that have benefited from major concessionaire contracts at O'Hare International and Midway International airports.

The mayor's office and his campaign say those contributions don't run afoul of Emanuel's executive orders because the businesses don't hold a contract directly with City Hall, but instead are licensees under two umbrella groups that have the contracts.

The restaurants at both airports do, however, stand to make millions of dollars from decisions made by Emanuel's Department of Aviation, where the mayor's hand-picked commissioner signs off on every souvenir shop, restaurant and book store at the airports.

Restaurant giant Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises has been granted access to travelers beyond security checkpoints under the two airport concession deals.

Company founder Richard Melman has been a longtime supporter of Emanuel, and several Lettuce restaurants - including Tallboy Tacos, Big City Chicken, Big Bowl, M Burger and R.J. Grunts - were selected for new spots at Midway under a contract approved Feb. 22.

The mayor's calendar shows Emanuel attending a "non-city" Jan. 12 lunch at Melman's RPM Steak restaurant in River North. Emanuel's calendar also shows the mayor meeting with Melman and Lettuce executive Christopher Meers at his fifth floor City Hall office Feb. 10 - less than two weeks before the Midway contract won City Council approval.

In March, Emanuel received 32 contributions tied to Melman's company totaling $99,400, records show, including donations from Melman family members, the group's restaurants and employees. The timing of some of the contributions was reported earlier this year by the Chicago Sun-Times.

In addition, Richard Melman contributed $50,000 to Emanuel's campaign fund in June 2015 as the mayor paid bills from his re-election bid. Overall, Melman-tied donations to the mayor's campaign funds approach $554,000.

That includes $59,000 in contributions Emanuel collected from a March 2014 fundraiser that Lettuce held at the mayor's request. That fundraiser at Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab came a month before Emanuel cut the ribbon on a newly remodeled O'Hare terminal that included three new Melman restaurants, the Tribune reported.

A Lettuce spokesman declined to comment.

Another restaurant company included in the more recent Midway deal also chipped in to Emanuel's campaign this election cycle.

The mayor has collected $16,400 in contributions tied to Hubbard Inn, which has a sister establishment at Midway under the new concessions deal. That included a maximum $5,400 contribution from Hubbard co-owner Kevin Killerman in late December as the Aviation Department worked its way through the final stages of the bids for the airport contract. Within a week after the contract was approved, Emanuel's calendar listed three "non-city" evening events at Hubbard Inn. The company declined comment.

Asked about the contributions from companies with airport licensing agreements, Breymaier said "the mayor does not have any involvement in any type of contracting, including airport concessions."
Tax incentives, unions
Emanuel's executive orders do not limit campaign contributions from those who have received appointments or other incentives from the mayor.

On Dec. 29, Emanuel recorded receiving a maximum $5,400 campaign contribution from top campaign contributor Shahid Khan, the billionaire owner of auto parts manufacturer Flex-N-Gate and the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars.

A month later, Emanuel met with Khan, a University of Illinois alum, at the Urbana Country Club while in town to meet with students at the university. Less than two months after that, a top Emanuel staffer informed the mayor that the city had closed a deal to offer Flex-N-Gate city incentives to open a manufacturing facility on the South Side.

"Excellent work," Emanuel replied to his staff in a March 24 email.

At a May news conference, Emanuel and Khan stood side by side to announce Flex-N-Gate would hire 286 employees over three years and receive $1.5 million in city and Cook County grants to train employees.

"The incentives Chicago and the state offered were helpful. Were they the difference in choosing Chicago over a site just over the border in Indiana, which has very attractive and favorable new business benefits? No," Khan said in a statement. "In this instance we want to be in Chicago, where we're going to invest $30 million into the facility and hire around 300 people, because the South Side of Chicago is a good fit for our operation and I believe in what Rahm is doing."

All told, Khan has contributed $210,700 to Emanuel's political fund, while wife Ann Khan has given another $10,700. Khan said he frequently contributes to campaigns and supports Republicans and Democrats. The businessman contributed $1 million to President Donald Trump's inaugural.

Asked why Emanuel accepts campaign contributions from businesses that have received city incentives, Breymaier did not directly answer. Instead, she pointed to Flex-N-Gate's investment and planned jobs.

"The mayor fought hard to recruit this company - in this case, preventing it from opening in Indiana instead of Chicago - and offered assistance to help train its Chicago workforce to do so," Breymaier said. "He remains committed to recruiting corporations -and the jobs they create - to the city of Chicago."

Some of the mayor's largest contributors have received coveted appointments to the board of one of the city's most influential organizations. Emanuel's World Business Chicago operates as a quasi-public arm conducting economic development work, including attracting corporate headquarters here and helping them with site selection.

Among the appointees are Sam Mencoff, co-CEO of private equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners, and Michael Sacks, one of Emanuel's closest friends and confidants who is CEO of investment firm GCM Grosvenor. Sacks and Mencoff's companies are among Emanuel's top donors since the start of his second term.

As Emanuel raises money toward a third-term bid, organized labor has been a strong fundraising source. So far, a dozen unions have given $950,000. His overall top contributor, the operating engineers union, has contributed $333,400 through different political funds.

Like many of the unions, the operating engineers have benefited from Emanuel's new water and sewer tax that helped shore up their pensions. The tax will increase the average water and sewer bill by 30 percent over four years.

Asked in a phone call this week about the union's political support of the mayor, the legislative director for International Union of Operating Engineers Local 399 had little to say.

"I'm not ready to discuss that right now," he said before quickly hanging up.
jcoen@chicagotribune.com bruthhart@chicagotribune.com

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Weighing third term, Emanuel relies on campaign donors who get City Hall benefits

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As Mayor Rahm Emanuel ramps up his campaign fundraising toward a possible third term, he continues to rely on donors who have received City Hall benefits, ranging from contracts and zoning approvals to appointments and personal endorsements from the mayor, the Chicago Tribune has found.

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MEXICO CITY - The most powerful earthquake to hit Mexico in 100 years struck off the nation's Pacific Coast late Thursday, rattling millions of residents in Mexico City with its violent tremors, killing at least 32 people and leveling some areas in the southern part of the country, closer to the quake's epicenter.

About 50 million people across Mexico felt the earthquake, which had a magnitude of 8.2, the government said. In the capital, the force of the temblor sent residents of the megacity fleeing into the streets at midnight, shaken by alarms blaring over loudspeakers and a full minute of tremors. Windows broke, walls collapsed, and the city seemed to convulse in terrifying waves; the quake even rocked the city's Angel of Independence monument.

Lo dejaron bien amarrado en 1957 pic.twitter.com/ytl9yZSE51
- Alexis Milo Caraza (@alexismilo) Sept. 8, 2017

While Mexico City seemed to have been spared extensive damage to infrastructure, according to the government's preliminary assessment, the effects in the southern states of Chiapas and Oaxaca were probably more severe. The tally of damage - and death - probably will be difficult to assess initially, given that many areas are remote.

Alejandro Murat, the governor of Oaxaca, told the Televisa network that at least 23 people had died in the state, and local officials said residents were buried under the rubble of buildings.

Luis Manuel García Moreno, the secretary of civil defense for the state of Chiapas, said the toll there had risen to seven, and two children died in the state of Tabasco, one when a wall collapsed, the other after a respirator lost power in a hospital.

The effects were also felt in Guatemala, where at least one person died and homes along the border with Mexico were leveled.

Schools in at least 10 Mexican states and in Mexico City were closed on Friday as the president ordered an immediate assessment of the damage nationwide. In the hours after the quake, the National Seismological Service registered several aftershocks.

Still, the resounding feeling in the country was one, at least initially, of relief that the damage was not more widespread, given the nation's vulnerability to earthquakes and the capital's extreme density.

"We are assessing the damage, which will probably take hours, if not days," said President Enrique Peña Nieto, who addressed the nation just two hours after the quake. "But the population is safe over all. There should not be a major sense of panic."

Mexico is situated near several boundaries where portions of the earth's crust collide. The quake on Thursday was more powerful than the one that killed nearly 10,000 people in 1985.

While the quake on Thursday struck nearly 450 miles from the capital and off the coast of Chiapas State, the one in 1985 was much closer to the city - so the shaking, coupled with Mexico City being on an ancient lake bed, proved much more deadly.

After the 1985 disaster, construction codes were reviewed and stiffened. Today, Mexico's construction laws are considered as strict as those in the United States or Japan.

After the quake hit, people in Mexico City streamed out of their homes in the dark, wearing nightclothes, standing amid apartment buildings, cafes and bars in upscale neighborhoods and dense warrens of the city's working-class communities. In the Condesa area, neighbors watched in awe as power lines swayed alongside trees and buildings. In several neighborhoods, the power went out, though it was restored within an hour, at least in the wealthier parts of the capital.

For a city used to earthquakes, Thursday's quake left a lasting impression on residents, for both its force and duration.

"The scariest part of it all is that if you are an adult, and you've lived in this city your adult life, you remember 1985 very vividly," said Alberto Briseño, a 58-year-old bar manager in Condesa. "This felt as strong and as bad, but from what I see, we've been spared from major tragedy."

"Now we will do what us Mexicans do so well: take the bitter taste of this night and move on," he added.

The earthquake appeared to hit Juchitán, a city of about 100,000 people on the Pacific Coast of Oaxaca state, the hardest.

El municipio de #Juchitán en #Oaxaca, de los más afectados tras el fuerte sismo https://t.co/qWDnJZaWZw pic.twitter.com/3NEEovzqvL
- Oaxaca Político (@OaxacaPolitico) Sept. 8, 2017

The regional hospital, a church dedicated to the city's patron saint, San Vicente Ferrer, and half of the city's nineteenth-century city hall collapsed, said Juan Antonio García, the director of a local news website, Cortamortaja. Hospital staff managed to evacuate the patients in time and treated them by the light of their cellphones through the night in an empty lot, he said.

Juchitán's city hall was a handsome two-story building, famous for its 30 arches occupying the entire block of the city's central square. But as the earth shook just before midnight, half of the structure was reduced to rubble.

"Countless houses have collapsed," Mr. García said, adding that it was too early to say how extensive the damage was.

In a video posted on the Facebook page of a local television station, Pamela Terán, who introduced herself as a city councilor, begged the state and federal authorities for help.

"Please, we urgently need as much help as you can send," she said. "We need hands and manpower to try and dig out the people that we know are buried under the rubble."

The quake occurred near the Middle America Trench, a zone in the eastern Pacific where one slab of the earth's crust, called the Cocos Plate, is sliding under another, the North American, in a process called subduction.

The movement is very slow - about three inches a year - and over time stress builds because of friction between the slabs. At some point, the strain becomes so great that the rock breaks and slips along a fault. This releases vast amounts of energy and, if the slip occurs under the ocean, can move a lot of water suddenly, causing a tsunami.

Subduction zones ring the Pacific Ocean and are also found in other regions. They are responsible for the world's largest earthquakes and most devastating tsunamis. The magnitude 9 earthquake off Japan in 2011 that led to the Fukushima nuclear disaster and the magnitude 9.1 quake in Indonesia in 2004 that spawned tsunamis that killed a quarter of a million people around the Indian Ocean are recent examples.

Those quakes each released about 30 times as much energy as the one in Mexico.

Mexico's government issued a tsunami warning off the coast of Oaxaca and Chiapas after Thursday's quake, but neither state appeared to have been adversely affected by waves. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the largest wave recorded on Mexico's Pacific Coast measured less than four feet.

In his address, Mr. Peña Nieto said that aftershocks were of greater concern than the waves generated by the earthquake, which he said was the strongest to hit the country in a century.

Rudy Gomez, 28, who lives in the Condesa neighborhood of Mexico City, said that he spoke to relatives in Chiapas by phone after the quake and that they were all fine. They were worried, however, about the aftershocks.

"After the earthquake, there were three more," he said of the aftershocks in Chiapas. "They are just waiting to see if there is another one to come, but right now they are O.K."

In Guatemala, the military was out Friday morning assessing the damage, found mainly in the western part of the country.

In Huehuetenango, bricks and glass were strewn on the ground as walls in the city collapsed. Quetzaltenango, Guatemala's second-largest city, which was beginning to recover from a tremor in June, suffered more damage to its historic center.

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Elisabeth Malkin, Paulina Villegas and Azam Ahmed

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Mexico Earthquake, Strongest in a Century, Kills Dozens

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MEXICO CITY - The most powerful earthquake to hit Mexico in 100 years struck off the nation's Pacific Coast late Thursday, rattling millions of residents in Mexico City with its violent tremors, killing at least 32 people and leveling some areas in the southern part of the country, closer to the quake's epicenter.

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Chicago Tribune

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Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner announced plans Thursday to borrow $6 billion to work on paying down Illinois' massive backlog of unpaid bills, but he warned that he'll try to trim state spending in order to pay for the new debt costs.

The move comes months after Democrats and some Republicans gave the governor the borrowing authority as part of a budget they enacted over his objections.

Rauner initially resisted taking advantage, contending that there wasn't money included in the budget to make payments on new debt. Democrats dispute that, saying $350 million was set aside for that purpose.

Democrats tried to raise pressure on the governor this week, pointing to a late-August report that estimated that the state could save as much as $6 billion by selling bonds to pay down a portion of its about $14 billion backlog of bills. The report by the Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability also estimated that the state is paying $2 million in additional costs per day on the portion of those bills that are accruing interest.

Democratic Comptroller Susana Mendoza sent out a statement Wednesday charging that Rauner's delay in issuing the bonds had already cost taxpayers $120 million.

On Thursday, Rauner said in a news release that he had decided to proceed with the bond sale after concluding that "it's better to have Wall Street carry our debt than Main Street Illinois."

Unpaid bills can accrue as much as 12 percent interest per year. The state can more than cut that rate in half, even with its low credit rating, by refinancing the debt in the bond market.

In announcing his plans, Rauner held out the possibility that his office could make cuts to state spending, though he did not spell out what programs would be on the chopping block.

"The legislature-passed budget did not account for the increase in debt service costs to cover the bill backlog bond issuance," the Rauner statement said. "The governor's office is identifying several hundred million dollars in possible spending reductions to address this budgetary shortfall. The governor also would like the General Assembly to return to Springfield this fall to work with him to balance the budget and enact structural reforms that could save much more."

Rep. Greg Harris, a key budget negotiator for House Democrats, said Rauner's read of the budget legislation is incorrect. He said $350 million was set aside to help pay for the borrowing.

The budget gives the state the authority to issue up to $6 billion in general obligation bonds that must be issued by the end of the calendar year. The money raised must be used to pay down expenses that were incurred during the two-year budget stalemate that ended in July. That's when lawmakers overrode a Rauner's veto of the budget, enacting it.

Harris, of Chicago, said he was glad Rauner decided to move forward with the borrowing plan, which he credited to pressure put on the governor by Mendoza.

"His delay has cost us over $120 million in interest that could have been spent on actual services to the people of Illinois. But instead, he has essentially thrown it into the middle of the plaza at the Thompson Center and lit it on fire," Harris said.

Mendoza, whose job is to manage cash flow in the state's main checking account, praised the decision.

"Refinancing our debt at a much lower interest rate - just like any sensible homeowner with a high mortgage rate would do - will provide payment for services rendered to thousands of people across the state and save Illinois taxpayers billions of dollars over the life of the bonds," she said in a statement.

Also on Thursday, Mendoza announced that she had released $541 million in state aid payments to schools, bringing the state current on two payments that had been due in August. They were delayed because of the fight between Rauner and lawmakers over education funding formula legislation. That dispute was resolved last week.
kgeiger@chicagotribune.com mcgarcia@chicagotribune.com @moniquegarcia

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Rauner will borrow $6 billion to start paying off Illinois pile of unpaid bills

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Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner announced plans Thursday to borrow $6 billion to work on paying down Illinois' massive backlog of unpaid bills, but he warned that he'll try to trim state spending in order to pay for the new debt costs.

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The race to flee Hurricane Irma became a marathon nightmare as more than a half-million people were ordered to leave South Florida on Thursday.

With the storm barreling toward the tip of Florida for perhaps a catastrophic blow this weekend, normally quick trips turned into daylong journeys on crowded highways amid a constant search for gasoline and lodging. Airline seats out of Florida were in short supply as well.

Mari and Neal Michaud loaded their two children and dog into their small sport-utility vehicle and left their home near Cocoa Beach about 10 a.m., bound for an impromptu vacation in Washington, D.C. Using a phone app and calls to search for fuel along the way, they finally arrived at a convenience store that had gasoline nearly five hours later.

The 60-mile trip up Interstate 95 should have taken an hour, Mari Michaud said.

"There was no gas and it's gridlock. People are stranded on the sides of the highway," she said. "It's 92 degrees out and little kids are out on the grass on the side of the road. No one can help them."

Late Thursday, the National Hurricane Center issued the first hurricane warning for the Keys and parts of South Florida, including some of the Miami metropolitan area of 6 million people. It added a storm surge warning and extended watch areas along the east and west coasts.

As people along the Atlantic Coast anxiously watched the behemoth, Irma battered the northern Caribbean, killing at least 11 people and leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees.

At least 31,000 people fled the Florida Keys, which could begin seeing wind and rain from Irma as early as Friday night, Gov. Rick Scott said. He noted the size of the powerful Category 5 storm, and told residents not to become complacent.

"It is wider than our entire state and could cause major and life-threatening impacts from coast to coast. Regardless of which coast you live on, be prepared to evacuate," Scott said.

Scott ordered all schools and state offices to close Friday through Monday. Florida State and the University of Florida canceled their home football games scheduled for Saturday.

NASA secured Kennedy Space Center and SpaceX launched an unmanned rocket for an experimental flight. Kennedy closed its doors to all nonessential staff and a crew of about 120 people will ride out the storm on site.

Most of the critical buildings at Kennedy are designed to withstand gusts of up to 135 mph. Irma's wind could exceed that if it reaches Cape Canaveral.

With winds that peaked at 185 mph, Irma was the most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic.

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal ordered evacuations for all areas east of Interstate 95, including the city of Savannah, and authorized about 5,000 National Guard members to help with response and recovery.

Noel Marsden said he, his girlfriend, her son and their dog left Pembroke Pines north of Miami with plans to ride out Irma in Savannah, only to find the city was also shutting down because of Irma. Marsden isn't sure where they'll all end up.

"I've got a buddy in Atlanta and a buddy in Charlotte. We'll wind up one of those two places because there are not hotels, I can tell you that," he said.

The last time Georgia was struck by a hurricane of force Category 3 or higher happened in 1898.

Irma's eventual path and Florida's fate depends on when and how sharp the powerful hurricane takes a right turn, National Weather Service Director Louis Uccellini said.

"It has become more likely that Irma will make landfall in southern Florida as a dangerous major hurricane," the Hurricane Center said in a forecast discussion Thursday afternoon.

The last Category 5 storm to hit Florida was Andrew in 1992. Its winds topped 165 mph, killing 65 people and inflicting $26 billion in damage. It was at the time the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history.

President Donald Trump urged people to "be careful, be safe" during Hurricane Irma. In a tweet, Trump remarked that Irma "is raging but we have great teams of talented and brave people already in place and ready to help."

Trump's exclusive Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach - the unofficial Southern White House - sits in the path of the storm.

U.S. Air Force Reserve weather officer Maj. Jeremy DeHart flew through the eye of Irma at 10,000 feet Wednesday and through Hurricane Harvey just before it hit Texas last month.

He said Irma's intensity set it apart from other storms.

"Spectacular is the word that keeps coming to mind. Pictures don't do it justice. Satellite images can't do it justice," DeHart said.
Reeves reported from Ormond Beach. Associated Press writers Seth Borenstein in Washington; Gary Fineout in Tallahassee and David Fischer in Miami contributed to this report.

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Jay Reeves, Jennifer Kay, Freida Frisaro

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Traffic nightmare as 500K people told to leave South Florida ahead of Irma

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The race to flee Hurricane Irma became a marathon nightmare as more than a half-million people were ordered to leave South Florida on Thursday. With the storm barreling toward the tip of Florida for perhaps a catastrophic blow this weekend, normally quick trips turned into daylong journeys on crowded highways amid a constant search for gasoline and lodging.

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Welcome to Mega Buzz, your go-to place for the latest and greatest spoilers on your favorite TV shows. We know you have questions, and we have answers! If you're craving scoop on something in particular, e-mail us your question at mega_scoop@tvguide.com or drop us a line atTwitter.com/TVGuide. You can also catch up on all the latest Mega Buzz right here!

Most details about Season 2 of Stranger Thingsare being kept majorly under wraps -- except one. Hopper's daughter, who died in a flashback in Season 1, is going to play a major part in the second installment according to David Habour .

"Hopper's daughter will be the primary focus of Season 2, but not in the way that you think it will be," Harbour tells TV Guide. "Hopper's understanding of that relationship and Hopper's understanding of being a father and of being a man grows deeper and deeper in Season 2, and we get a lot of time to explore what that is, but it won't be in the literal way that you think it is. I don't want to tell you any more than that because it's good stuff."

2017 Returning Fall Shows: Where We Left Off

If that sounded like spoilery word soup to you, don't worry -- it was supposed to. Hopper's daughter's involvement in Season 2 is apparently being treated with code word clearance secrecy, which just makes us speculate the craziest kinds of theories.

Is her spirit somehow stuck in the Upside Down? Did her death have a supernatural element to it we're unaware of? Or is it all just an existential crisis for Hopper, where he learns to let her death and the pain it caused go?

Stranger Things Season 2 hits Netflix Friday, Oct. 27th.

David Harbour, Stranger Things" data-image-credit="Courtesy Netflix" data-image-alt-text="David Harbour, Stranger Things" data-image-credit-url="" data-image-target-url="" data-image-title="David Harbour, Stranger Things" data-image-filename="170829-david-harbour-stranger-things.jpg" data-image-date-created="2017/08/29" data-image-crop="" data-image-crop-gravity="" data-image-aspect-ratio="" data-image-height="1380" data-image-width="2070" data-image-do-not-crop="" data-image-do-not-resize="" data-image-watermark="" data-lightbox="">

Other Links From TVGuide.com Stranger ThingsDavid Harbour

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Stranger Things Mega Buzz: Hopper's Daughter is the "Primary Focus" of Season 2

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Welcome to Mega Buzz, your go-to place for the latest and greatest spoilers on your favorite TV shows. We know you have questions, and we have answers! If you're craving scoop on something in particular, e-mail us your question at mega_scoop@tvguide.com or drop us a line atTwitter.com/TVGuide.

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(Lake County News-Sun)

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Ishaun Walker's first goal for North Chicago is to get a good break on the ball when he's attempting to make an interception.

"And my second thought is, 'Take it back home,'" Walker said.

The senior defensive back thought he had returned an interception for a touchdown last year against Grant.

There was only one problem.

"It got called back," he said.

The 5-foot-11, 165-pound Walker is ready to cause more problems for opposing quarterbacks this fall. And he's also going to play wide receiver.

"Ishaun is unbelievable offensively and defensively," North Chicago coach Addonte Adams said. "He's the type of kid that can go to any school in the area and be the type of player that he is here.

"He makes a difference. When he's on the field, it's a big difference. And when he's not, you would know."

Walker, quarterback Dyshawn Gales and running back Garrett Turner are the leaders for the Warhawks, who finished 3-6 last season.

"They push me and we push each other," Walker said. "It's my last year, and I'm trying to go out with a bang. I feel like we've put more work in the weight room, and we are building together as a team."

They are focused on helping North Chicago return to the postseason for the first time since 2012.

"That next step is competing for the conference championship and making the playoffs," Adams said. "Last year we won three games and we feel like we left two on the table. We think this year those two we can get back and have the opportunity to make it to the playoffs."

And Walker's impact will be crucial. He led the Warhawks with five interceptions in 2016.

"He's a great athlete," Adams said of Walker. "He should get an opportunity at the next level due to his grades and his ability."

Walker attended some camps in the offseason, including a 7-on-7 event at Northern Illinois, to continue developing those abilities.

His biggest takeaway from the camps came in the form of leadership.

"It's not just football, it's more in life," Walker said. "Once you get to lead, you lead by example. I try to lead by example."

Adams said Walker's leadership starts in the classroom. Walker listed math and science among his favorite subjects.

"In order to go to the second level on the field, you have to have the grades in school," Walker said. "School is always first for me."

On the field, Walker is ready to do whatever he can to help prevent big plays.

"You have to be disciplined, no matter what," Walker said.

He's also ready to play a large role on offense.

"I want to build a better connection with my quarterback Dyshawn and get that duo thing going," Walker said. "We want to pick up that momentum."

Walker believes the momentum is building for a big final year at North Chicago.

"You don't get these downs again on a high school field and being a Warhawk," Walker said. "For me, it's giving my all every down."
lpope@post-trib.com Twitter @lamondpope

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Defensive back Ishaun Walker wants to make a difference for North Chicago

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Ishaun Walker's first goal for North Chicago is to get a good break on the ball when he's attempting to make an interception. "And my second thought is, 'Take it back home,'" Walker said. The senior defensive back thought he had returned an interception for a touchdown last year against Grant.

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Man accused of throwing bike at ex placed on house arrest

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SYCAMORE - A 30-year-old Sandwich man accused of choking his ex-girlfriend and throwing his bicycle at her was ordered to be released from jail on his signature and placed on electronic home monitoring.

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STERLING - A 17-year-old Sterling boy is the second person to be arrested in connection with Monday's armed robbery, police said in a news release.

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SAN DIEGO - Dexter Fowler struck out against Brad Hand with the bases loaded in the ninth inning, capping the San Diego Padres' 3-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night.

Hand allowed singles by Stephen Piscotty, Randal Grichuk and Carson Kelly to load the bases in the ninth inning before getting Fowler to whiff on a slider in the dirt. Hand got his 16th save.

Jose Pirela had a run-scoring infield single in the first inning, and that was all the cushion Clayton Richard (7-13) and relievers Craig Stammen, Kirby Yates and Hand needed. Richard got 11 groundball outs while allowing five hits and striking out five in six innings.

Wil Myers added his 25th homer of the season, a two-run shot in the seventh.

After Stammen struck out two in the seventh, Greg Garcia and pinch-hitter Breyvic Valera singled, with Valera's being his first in the majors. Manuel Margot then made a running catch on pinch-hitter Tommy Pham's sinking line drive in center.

Lance Lynn (10-7) tiptoed around trouble in the first, allowing a run on three infield hits, an error by Alex Mejia and a walk. Pirela's slow roller to third scored Margot after he opened the inning with a hit.

Lynn lasted through the sixth, giving up six hits and three walks, with three strikeouts on 118 pitches.

It was the second straight start the Cardinals failed to support Lynn. He pitched eight scoreless innings for the first time in three years but didn't prevail against the San Francisco Giants last week.

The Cardinals got a rare runner in scoring position when Paul DeJong doubled in the first. He didn't advance, though, and Richard induced double plays in the second and fourth innings. That gave Richard 27 groundball double plays, tying teammate Luis Perdomo for the most in the NL.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Cardinals: 2B Kolten Wong (sore back) is expected to return this weekend. ... 3B Matt Carpenter (right shoulder strain) should be back in the lineup Friday.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: Luke Weaver (4-1, 2.50) faces the Pirates as St. Louis kicks off a six-game homestand. Weaver is one of five rookies to have double-digit strikeout games this season. His 90 strikeouts through his first 17 career games are the most ever by a Cardinal.

Padres: RHP Jordan Lyles (0-2, 6.71) is making his second start of the season and his first on the road. He tossed a season-high 4 1/3 innings in his Padres debut last week, getting a no-decision after allowing two runs on six hits to the Dodgers.

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Fowler Ks with bases loaded in 9th as Cards lose to Padres

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SAN DIEGO - Dexter Fowler struck out against Brad Hand with the bases loaded in the ninth inning, capping the San Diego Padres' 3-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night.Hand allowed singles by Stephen Piscotty, Randal Grichuk and Carson Kelly to load the bases in the ninth inning before getting Fowler to whiff on a slider in the dirt.

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Antonio Cromartie welcomes 14th child, 3rd since vasectomy

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Free-agent cornerback Antonio Cromartie and his wife, Terricka, welcomed their sixth child together, a girl named Jhett Paxton, on Aug. 30. This is Cromartie's 14th child, and third since he underwent a vasectomy in 2013 while with the New York Jets.Terricka made the announcement Thursday in an Instagram post.

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Chicago tribune

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Latest news from Chicago and beyond. Find Chicago news and the world's top stories with the Chicago Tribune.

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As Mayor Rahm Emanuel ramps up his campaign fundraising toward a possible third term, he continues to rely on donors who have received City Hall benefits, ranging from contracts and zoning approvals to appointments and personal endorsements from the mayor, the Chicago Tribune has found.

With the February 2019 mayoral election still a year and a half away, Emanuel has collected $3.1 million in high-dollar contributions. And more than $2.1 million of it - nearly 70 percent - has come from 83 donors who have benefited from actions at City Hall.

Among the contributors: law firms seeking approval for their clients' projects or lucrative bond business for themselves, developers needing City Hall permission to build here, an events promoter negotiating the financial details of a major music festival and restaurateurs wanting coveted space at Chicago's airports.

It's a fundraising pattern that emerged as Emanuel built the most prolific campaign fundraising operation in Chicago history. The mayor raised $24.4 million for a 2015 re-election bid that relied on expensive television ads in which he appealed to Chicagoans to give him "a second term, a second chance," as he would go on to call it in his victory speech.

In the midst of that campaign, the Tribune took an unprecedented look at the intersection of Emanuel's campaign fundraising and his public duties. The investigation found that nearly 60 percent of the mayor's roughly 100 most loyal contributors received City Hall benefits and showed that many of those top donors regularly met with Emanuel, a level of access provided to few in the city.

If the mayor is to win another term, he'll again need a formidable campaign fund to advocate for his stewardship of the city. During his second term, Chicago has seen a resurgent economy and academic gains, but also a surge in gun violence and widespread calls to reform the Police Department after the release of the Laquan McDonald police shooting video and subsequent federal investigation into the city's policing.

Ahead of the 2019 contest, the mayor has started fundraising earlier than last time, saying he's preparing as if he'll run without publicly setting a time frame for making a final decision.

On the day he took office in May 2011, Emanuel issued executive orders aimed at cracking down on the pay-to-play politics that long served as a staple at City Hall. He banned business owners with city contracts and registered City Hall lobbyists from giving to the mayor.

In practice, the orders have proven to be narrowly drawn, allowing Emanuel to accept contributions from donors who benefit from his administration's actions. For example, registered lobbyists at a law firm can't give, but their colleagues can. The owners of companies with city contracts can't give, but their employees can.

Emanuel declined an interview request to discuss his fundraising efforts. Asked why the mayor heavily relies on individuals and firms who do business with the city for campaign contributions, Emanuel spokeswoman Shannon Breymaier issued a statement.

"On Mayor Emanuel's first day in office, he enacted several executive orders that set the highest ethical standards in the city's history," Breymaier said. "These orders include a first-of-its-kind ban on mayoral contributions from lobbyists and a prohibition on mayoral contributions from contractors doing business with the city of Chicago."

For its analysis, the Tribune reviewed more than 500 contributions to Emanuel of at least $5,000 made since July 2015. So far, Emanuel is limited in how much he can collect from individual donors because a $5,600 contribution limit still applies to the 2019 contest. In the last election, the mayor and others were able to collect unlimited contributions after a candidate put in $100,000 of his own money, lifting the cap.

Whatever the rules, campaign fundraising long has been at the core of Emanuel's political DNA. Raising cash for former Mayor Richard M. Daley in 1989 and former President Bill Clinton in 1992 helped launch Emanuel's career. That aggressive fundraising style has been part of Emanuel lore ever since.

The mayor recently discussed the importance of campaign fundraising with friend and CNN commentator David Axelrod on his "The Axe Files" podcast. The two worked on Paul Simon's 1984 U.S. Senate bid, and Axelrod recalled arriving at the campaign office to find Emanuel on the phone "shaking down a captain of industry for a contribution."

"The fundraising - there's no campaign without it," Emanuel said. "It's not my desire to always do it. I don't want to do it, but I'm obviously good at it."
Law firm money
One of the ways Emanuel sought to limit political influence at City Hall was to ban the fundraising practice of "bundling." That's when a single firm or individual collects - and gets credit for pooling - a cluster of contributions together and delivering them to a campaign fund.

Bundlers can be viewed as having outsized sway over politicians, especially in Chicago, where names such as Antoin "Tony" Rezko are associated with the practice. Rezko was a bundler for Rod Blagojevich, and both ended up in prison as part of the corruption case that took down the disgraced former governor.

Emanuel, though, still attends fundraisers at law firms where dozens of employees write checks to his political fund. The mayor's campaign, however, has said it doesn't consider that bundling because the law firm or a single individual isn't delivering all the donations. Instead, an Emanuel political staffer collects the money from each donor, the campaign has said.

For example, Emanuel has received blocks of campaign contributions from DLA Piper, one of the go-to firms for real estate developers to get zoning approval at City Hall. The firm's zoning law practice was built up by David Reifman, a onetime zoning attorney who now holds substantial approval power over all new projects as the city's commissioner of planning and development.

During Emanuel's first run for mayor, DLA Piper lawyers and relatives gave him $54,000 in political contributions. In his bid for a second term, it was more than $75,000. This time around, 15 of the firm's lawyers gave $35,700 after Emanuel stopped by DLA Piper's downtown office for a Sept. 13 breakfast his official calendar listed as "non-city," the label often given to campaign events or fundraisers.

Emanuel's fundraiser took place as DLA Piper zoning attorneys were lobbying City Hall to sign off on the new West Loop headquarters of McDonald's Corp. The Emanuel administration approved the plans the day after the fundraiser.

The firm has represented developers on at least 13 other projects in the booming West Loop since January 2016, all within blocks of the McDonald's project. Six of the projects have received City Hall approval and seven are pending. For their zoning help, DLA Piper stands to make hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments from the developers of those projects, city records show.

DLA Piper declined to comment. While the law firms and developers gain financially from the zoning approvals, Emanuel has a political benefit that comes from allowing the higher-density developments.

The mayor has seized on the surging real estate market and high developer demand by allowing taller buildings to be erected in the once-gritty meatpacking district just west of the Loop. At the same time, Emanuel directed Reifman, the planning commissioner, to devise a new program that requires the developers to pay more in order to take advantage of the new ability to build higher.

Emanuel's new initiative, referred to as the density bonus program, sets aside 80 percent of the money the developers pay for the extra height into a new Neighborhood Opportunity Fund, an account the mayor can tap to pay for projects in neighborhoods on the South and West Sides. Lack of new development in those areas was something his opponents criticized him for not doing enough of before the last election. Aldermen approved the new program despite one publicly knocking it as a mayoral "slush fund."

Nearly all of the 13 West Loop projects involving DLA Piper have sought a more dense zoning classification than previously allowed, with at least three of them scheduled to pay a total of more than $5 million into the mayor's neighborhood fund, city records show.

Schiff Hardin is another firm whose lawyers have contributed to the mayor's campaign and benefited from decisions made by the Emanuel administration.

The firm made at least $205,000 serving as co-counsel on the city's January $1.2 billion bond issue, a massive borrowing plan to patch city debt, records show. About three months later, Emanuel attended a lunch at the firm's offices on South Wacker Drive, another event labeled "non-city" on the mayor's calendar. A week later, Emanuel's campaign deposited $17,800 from 11 of the firm's lawyers, records show.

Schiff Hardin partner Bruce Weisenthal said the mayor was invited to speak at the firm. He said Emanuel spoke for about an hour, giving an uplifting talk about the state of Chicago and where the city is going. "He was very generous with his time," Weisenthal said.

That lunchtime event came after a fundraiser in 2013. That year, Schiff Hardin made $96,000 in fees from a $276 million city wastewater revenue bond project. Three months later, Emanuel collected more than $16,000 from 13 Schiff Hardin lawyers at a campaign event.

Weisenthal said this year's speech was different from the event four years ago, which was meant as a fundraiser. He said this time around, there was no outward request for money. Weisenthal said he instructed anyone who wanted to make a contribution afterward on how to do so.

"People who wanted to support him did," Weisenthal said. "The firm itself doesn't take positions on any kind of political things."

Another law firm that has contributed to Emanuel and received city bond business is Winston & Strawn, which was paid more than $100,000 for legal work on a November 2011 bond issuance.

In January 2016, Emanuel's administration also hired the firm to conduct an outside review of the city Law Department spurred by a controversy stemming from judges issuing sanctions against city attorneys for suppressing evidence in police shooting cases. The firm's high-powered co-executive chairman Dan Webb billed the city $1.6 million for his review, which recommended better training but found no widespread problems.

This summer, Emanuel's campaign has reported cashing $21,000 in campaign checks from 17 Winston & Strawn attorneys, including $3,000 from Webb. Winston & Strawn representatives did not respond to requests for comment.

The mayor's office did not respond to questions about Webb's campaign contribution, but addressed giving from attorneys generally.

"Individual attorneys are not prohibited from contributing to candidates at any level, unless they are city lobbyists or have an ownership stake in the firm of at least 7.5 percent - which, I'd remind you, are both additional restrictions that the mayor enacted when he took office," Breymaier said.
Lollapalooza cash
While Emanuel bans contributions from the owners of businesses with City Hall contracts, he has accepted them from businesses that have contracts or permits with so-called "sister agencies," such as the Chicago Park District. In such cases, the mayor's campaign has contended there is no contract directly with City Hall, though Emanuel controls the sister agencies and appoints their leaders.

And so Emanuel has taken contributions from C3 Presents, an Austin, Texas-based concert promotions company that puts on the massive Lollapalooza music festival in Grant Park.

In 2014, the Tribune reported that Charlie Jones, one of C3's founders, threw an Emanuel fundraiser at his Austin home during the city's signature South by Southwest festival. Soon after, Emanuel reported pulling in nearly $104,000 in campaign contributions from Texas donors.

This time around, Emanuel reported receiving more than $106,000 from Texas donors in December and January, including maximum $5,400 contributions from Jones, fellow C3 founder Charlie Walker and their wives.

Permits for C3 to hold Lollapalooza require the approval of Emanuel's Park District, and the festival has grown on the mayor's watch. Last year, Lollapalooza expanded from three days to four, drawing an estimated 100,000 people per day, and the expanded time frame will continue next year.

In 2012, the Emanuel-appointed park board inked a new 10-year deal with the owners of Lollapalooza, which includes C3, LiveNation and William Morris Endeavor, the Hollywood agency where the mayor's superagent brother Ari Emanuel is co-CEO. As such, Ari Emanuel has a financial stake in the festival, and he also serves on the board of LiveNation.

The mayor's campaign said during the 2011 contest that if elected, Emanuel would ask the City Council to appoint "an outside negotiator" for issues involving Lollapalooza, LiveNation or Ari Emanuel to avoid "even a question of favortism," Chicago Public Radio reported at the time. The latest Lollapalooza deal - and a 2015 change allowing the extra day - were negotiated by Emanuel's park board.

Asked why the mayor did not appoint an outside negotiator, Breymaier did not directly respond.

The city receives payments from Lollapalooza based on how much money the event brings in, and records show the festival's owners and city have made more money under the new deal. For the 2013 festival, the city received $2.9 million in payments, while last year's expanded four-day event brought in double that - nearly $6 million.

The Tribune reported in 2015 that Emanuel's administration waived nearly $1 million in fees to allow the NFL access to Grant Park for 22 days. That agreement was with C3, which the NFL hired to help put on the event.

At times, Emanuel has helped promote C3's events, including its Chicago Food + Wine Festival that was held in Lincoln Park in 2015, but canceled for 2016 and 2017.

"Chicago Food + Wine Festival will give every Chicagoan - and millions of visitors - a chance to mix and mingle with some of the most acclaimed chefs and culinary personalities from our city and across the country," Emanuel said in a C3 news release.

Texas celebrity chef Tim Love, a partner in the festival, made a $9,600 "event catering" contribution to Emanuel for his Austin fundraiser last December, records show. Representatives for C3 and Love did not respond to requests for comment.

Asked about the contributions and fundraiser from C3, the mayor's spokeswoman noted that Lollapalooza, the NFL draft and the food festival all received city permits and "there is no prohibition on campaign contributions from those who pull city permits."

"Such a prohibition would ban contributions from people hosting a child's birthday party in a park or closing a street for a neighborhood block party," Breymaier said.
Developer donations
Emanuel has long accepted campaign contributions from real estate developers, with the mayor's representatives drawing a distinction between firms doing business in the city and those doing business with it.

While developers may not have city contracts, the Emanuel administration must sign off on their building permits and zoning.

Take the case of Magellan Development Group, which has contributed $243,000 to Emanuel's campaign fund since 2011, records show.

Magellan is putting up what will become the city's third-tallest building - the Vista Tower, a 98-story staggered skyscraper. The project is bankrolled by Chicago-based Magellan and Dalian Wanda, China's largest real-estate development firm. Magellan has remade much of the area where the Chicago River meets Lake Michigan with its redevelopment of a onetime golf course into what is known as Lakeshore East.

The firm's campaign contributions to Emanuel didn't ramp up until 2014, as it pursued the Vista project, records show.

To date, Emanuel has had three city events for the Vista Tower - each of them before construction cranes were even anchored on the site.

In December 2014, Emanuel held a ceremonial signing for the development agreement deal between Magellan and Dalian Wanda. That came four months after Magellan co-CEO Joel Carlins hosted a campaign fundraiser for Emanuel at his home, an event the mayor had requested the wealthy developer hold, the Tribune reported in its 2015 investigation.

Carlins and two other Magellan executives later gave a combined $100,000 to Emanuel's campaign fund in March 2015 during the final days of the mayor's run-off campaign against Cook County Commissioner Jesus "Chuy" Garcia.

As the mayor considers a third term, his campaign has collected another $52,200 from Magellan employees and their wives. The June 2016 contributions came a month after Emanuel announced the developer would break ground, drawing attention to the project as Magellan had begun to sell the tower's 406 condos.

Standing in a vacant lot below Lower Wacker Drive, Emanuel proclaimed it was "a great day for the city of Chicago." The mayor called the building a "major destination" with a "beautiful design."

The actual groundbreaking took place last September, and Emanuel was on hand to call it a "historic investment." Standing before a large rendering of the skyscraper, Emanuel joked about relentlessly tracking the project's progress with Magellan President David Carlins before noting sales efforts.

"I've called David repeatedly - I think he's going to change his cell number after this - to make sure this project stays on course," Emanuel said. "To all those people selling the condos in it: Don't drop the phone. Keep going."

Asked about the mayor's practice of accepting contributions from developers, Breymaier pointed to Emanuel's executive orders, which do not ban political giving from real estate firms.

"These are individuals who are driving economic development throughout Chicago, creating jobs in our neighborhoods and creating thousands of affordable housing units for residents," she said.

A Magellan spokesman did not respond to requests for comment.
Airport business
Emanuel also has accepted campaign money from businesses that have benefited from major concessionaire contracts at O'Hare International and Midway International airports.

The mayor's office and his campaign say those contributions don't run afoul of Emanuel's executive orders because the businesses don't hold a contract directly with City Hall, but instead are licensees under two umbrella groups that have the contracts.

The restaurants at both airports do, however, stand to make millions of dollars from decisions made by Emanuel's Department of Aviation, where the mayor's hand-picked commissioner signs off on every souvenir shop, restaurant and book store at the airports.

Restaurant giant Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises has been granted access to travelers beyond security checkpoints under the two airport concession deals.

Company founder Richard Melman has been a longtime supporter of Emanuel, and several Lettuce restaurants - including Tallboy Tacos, Big City Chicken, Big Bowl, M Burger and R.J. Grunts - were selected for new spots at Midway under a contract approved Feb. 22.

The mayor's calendar shows Emanuel attending a "non-city" Jan. 12 lunch at Melman's RPM Steak restaurant in River North. Emanuel's calendar also shows the mayor meeting with Melman and Lettuce executive Christopher Meers at his fifth floor City Hall office Feb. 10 - less than two weeks before the Midway contract won City Council approval.

In March, Emanuel received 32 contributions tied to Melman's company totaling $99,400, records show, including donations from Melman family members, the group's restaurants and employees. The timing of some of the contributions was reported earlier this year by the Chicago Sun-Times.

In addition, Richard Melman contributed $50,000 to Emanuel's campaign fund in June 2015 as the mayor paid bills from his re-election bid. Overall, Melman-tied donations to the mayor's campaign funds approach $554,000.

That includes $59,000 in contributions Emanuel collected from a March 2014 fundraiser that Lettuce held at the mayor's request. That fundraiser at Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak and Stone Crab came a month before Emanuel cut the ribbon on a newly remodeled O'Hare terminal that included three new Melman restaurants, the Tribune reported.

A Lettuce spokesman declined to comment.

Another restaurant company included in the more recent Midway deal also chipped in to Emanuel's campaign this election cycle.

The mayor has collected $16,400 in contributions tied to Hubbard Inn, which has a sister establishment at Midway under the new concessions deal. That included a maximum $5,400 contribution from Hubbard co-owner Kevin Killerman in late December as the Aviation Department worked its way through the final stages of the bids for the airport contract. Within a week after the contract was approved, Emanuel's calendar listed three "non-city" evening events at Hubbard Inn. The company declined comment.

Asked about the contributions from companies with airport licensing agreements, Breymaier said "the mayor does not have any involvement in any type of contracting, including airport concessions."
Tax incentives, unions
Emanuel's executive orders do not limit campaign contributions from those who have received appointments or other incentives from the mayor.

On Dec. 29, Emanuel recorded receiving a maximum $5,400 campaign contribution from top campaign contributor Shahid Khan, the billionaire owner of auto parts manufacturer Flex-N-Gate and the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars.

A month later, Emanuel met with Khan, a University of Illinois alum, at the Urbana Country Club while in town to meet with students at the university. Less than two months after that, a top Emanuel staffer informed the mayor that the city had closed a deal to offer Flex-N-Gate city incentives to open a manufacturing facility on the South Side.

"Excellent work," Emanuel replied to his staff in a March 24 email.

At a May news conference, Emanuel and Khan stood side by side to announce Flex-N-Gate would hire 286 employees over three years and receive $1.5 million in city and Cook County grants to train employees.

"The incentives Chicago and the state offered were helpful. Were they the difference in choosing Chicago over a site just over the border in Indiana, which has very attractive and favorable new business benefits? No," Khan said in a statement. "In this instance we want to be in Chicago, where we're going to invest $30 million into the facility and hire around 300 people, because the South Side of Chicago is a good fit for our operation and I believe in what Rahm is doing."

All told, Khan has contributed $210,700 to Emanuel's political fund, while wife Ann Khan has given another $10,700. Khan said he frequently contributes to campaigns and supports Republicans and Democrats. The businessman contributed $1 million to President Donald Trump's inaugural.

Asked why Emanuel accepts campaign contributions from businesses that have received city incentives, Breymaier did not directly answer. Instead, she pointed to Flex-N-Gate's investment and planned jobs.

"The mayor fought hard to recruit this company - in this case, preventing it from opening in Indiana instead of Chicago - and offered assistance to help train its Chicago workforce to do so," Breymaier said. "He remains committed to recruiting corporations -and the jobs they create - to the city of Chicago."

Some of the mayor's largest contributors have received coveted appointments to the board of one of the city's most influential organizations. Emanuel's World Business Chicago operates as a quasi-public arm conducting economic development work, including attracting corporate headquarters here and helping them with site selection.

Among the appointees are Sam Mencoff, co-CEO of private equity firm Madison Dearborn Partners, and Michael Sacks, one of Emanuel's closest friends and confidants who is CEO of investment firm GCM Grosvenor. Sacks and Mencoff's companies are among Emanuel's top donors since the start of his second term.

As Emanuel raises money toward a third-term bid, organized labor has been a strong fundraising source. So far, a dozen unions have given $950,000. His overall top contributor, the operating engineers union, has contributed $333,400 through different political funds.

Like many of the unions, the operating engineers have benefited from Emanuel's new water and sewer tax that helped shore up their pensions. The tax will increase the average water and sewer bill by 30 percent over four years.

Asked in a phone call this week about the union's political support of the mayor, the legislative director for International Union of Operating Engineers Local 399 had little to say.

"I'm not ready to discuss that right now," he said before quickly hanging up.
jcoen@chicagotribune.com bruthhart@chicagotribune.com

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Weighing third term, Emanuel relies on campaign donors who get City Hall benefits

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As Mayor Rahm Emanuel ramps up his campaign fundraising toward a possible third term, he continues to rely on donors who have received City Hall benefits, ranging from contracts and zoning approvals to appointments and personal endorsements from the mayor, the Chicago Tribune has found.

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            Joshua Turner                            (Lake County News-Sun)

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            Joshua Turner                            (Lake County News-Sun)

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Need a top-notch running back? Garett Turner can do it.

Need a linebacker to make a stop? The North Chicago senior can do that, too.

And if there is a need to block someone, Turner has that skill as an offensive lineman.

"I'm just trying to fit in where I can and where my coaches need me," Turner said. "Do what's best for the team, whatever position they need me at."

Turner's versatility has turned him into a vital player for the Warhawks.

"He's been asked this year to do a lot more," North Chicago coach Addonte Adams said of Turner. "He took the job and accepted it without getting upset. That shows maturity.

"Having him out on the team has been a plus. He played injured a lot the whole last season. He's been playing well and now he's getting healthy. That's a great thing. We are going to expect great things."

The 6-foot-1, 220-pound Turner will display his flexibility Saturday when North Chicago (1-0) goes up against Robeson (0-1) in a home game.

Turner has plenty of experience as a running back. He has a simple goal of making something happen.

"You get the ball in your hand and you want to do something with it, you want to score or get the best amount of yards you can," Turner said. "Everybody is saying, 'Go, go, go.' And they are chanting your name."

He added being a linebacker to his duties last season.

"I know the defense well and (Adams) trusts me at that position," Turner said. "It's being a main guy and a heart of the defense. You're flying to the ball and making sure you're there at every tackle. You want to be that last one to get out of the pile."

Turner is making another adjustment this year, helping the Warhawks on the offensive line. He's lending a hand at right and left tackle. He said his experience at running back has helped.

"I know my running backs are going to want the best blocks so I make sure I can get (the opponent) out of the play so my running back can get his yards," Turner said.

Turner is doing whatever he can to help North Chicago win.

"My dad (Damon) was a Warhawk," Turner said. "I'm trying to bring that tradition back, with a winning season. The Warhawks have been to the playoffs before and that's what I'm trying to do with my team.

"We're all trying to make things happen and get that tradition again."

North Chicago got off to a strong start in Week 1 with a 15-0 victory over Waukegan.

"A lot of confidence came from winning," Turner said. "We made a lot of mental mistakes that we can work on. That's what we have to focus on in practice and make sure we fix up things.

"We just have to get better every day and hold each other accountable for mistakes. We have to keep our attitudes positive."
lpope@post-trib.com Twitter @lamondpope

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Garett Turner brings a bunch of versatility to the table for North Chicago

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Need a top-notch running back? Garett Turner can do it. Need a linebacker to make a stop? The North Chicago senior can do that, too. And if there is a need to block someone, Turner has that skill as an offensive lineman.

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Tears flowed and tempers raged Thursday as a financially troubled Springfield nursing home abruptly closed - almost a month earlier than previously announced - after the 15 remaining residents, many in wheelchairs, were driven to other care centers and private homes.

Family members were mailed notices this week that Oak Terrace Healthcare Center would close Sept. 30. They, along with the nursing home's surprised employees, then learned Thursday morning that the 78-bed, for-profit facility at 1750 W. Washington St. would shut its doors about 3 p.m. that afternoon amid a financial crisis.

"It's not ethical," said Joni Bugett, a Springfield resident, said of the short notice she received to move her husband, Oak Terrace resident Larry Bugett, 65.

She arranged for her husband to be picked up by a van Thursday afternoon and brought to her home for the night.

Staff members said they were upset with how they and residents were being treated. Several employees said they learned Thursday that they would be laid off that day and that they wouldn't be handed their two-week paychecks Friday, as scheduled. They were told their checks instead would mailed to them.

Katrina Byrd, 48, a dietary aide, and Helen Banks, 59, a cook, said they are worried they never will be paid for the work they put in the past few weeks. They said they have rent payments due in coming days and fear they will become homeless.

Byrd said the staff was told by management as recently as last week that the facility would remain open until early 2018.

"I'm mostly hurt," Byrd said. "It's very, very wrong."

Banks said, "They could have been honest with us."

The nursing home, owned by Kansas-based Oak Manor Properties Land Trust and operated by Ohio-based Home Life Companies Inc., apparently violated state law by failing to give a required 60-day written notice of closure to residents, family members and state officials, according to Illinois long-term care ombudsman Jamie Freschi.

It's unclear what sanctions can be enforced against those involved with a nursing home that is shutting down for good, Freschi said.

Melaney Arnold, spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Public Health, wouldn't comment on potential sanctions because the department is conducting an investigation.

Daniel Maher, attorney for Home Life, didn't return a call Thursday from The State Journal-Register. Kelly Smith, an Oak Manor official based in Overland Park, Kansas, who holds the license to operate the 42-year-old facility, couldn't be reached for comment. The facility's acting administrator also hasn't returned calls.

Maher had asked a Sangamon County Circuit Court judge on Wednesday to name Home Life as a "receiver" and order state agencies to hand over previously withheld Medicaid payments, as well as other state funds, to allow Home Life to close the nursing home to close in an orderly way that didn't put residents' health at risk.

At the time of the hearing, the state health department had written notice from Home Life, dated Tuesday, that the closure would take place Sept. 30, Arnold said.

The court hearing in front of Circuit Judge Ryan Cadagin was scheduled to continue Thursday but was canceled.

A petition that Maher had filed with the court this week said Home Life took over operation of the nursing home from Oak Manor in 2013 at the request of Oak Manor's mortgage lender, Greystone, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

What sent Oak Manor into a financial tailspin was unclear, but the petition said Oak Manor defaulted on its HUD-guaranteed mortgage, owed the IRS more than $1 million and owed the Illinois Department of Revenue $175,485.

Oak Terrace served residents who paid for their care privately or were covered by the state-federal Medicaid program.

Home Life's own financial difficulties in operating the nursing home arose, according to the petition, when HUD notified Home Life that it no longer would continue to financially assist Home Life in operating the facility.

Regardless of the details, the fact that residents and family members had days, rather than two months, to find new places for residents to live was inexcusable, Freschi said.

"It's not allowing residents to prepare," she said. "They're shuffling them out. They are literally being kicked out of their homes. ... This is certainly not looking out for the best interests of the residents."

Erica Hubbs, 25, an Oak Terrace certified nursing assistant, said FBI and IRS investigators visited the facility two weeks ago to look into a lack of taxes being paid by the nursing home.

She and fellow nursing aide Erica Moore, 25, said many nurses have worked overtime in recent weeks to fill vacant shifts as workers left amid the impending closure. Because of that, Moore said she was counting on a $1,400 paycheck this week.

Moore said residents she was caring for were crying as she helped them get into vans bringing them to other care centers.

When staff members told managers they were upset by Thursday's closure, Moore said managers called Springfield police to maintain order. Several police cars were parked outside as residents were discharged.

Larry Bugett, a retired custodian with a brain disorder, is to be admitted to another center Friday, but Joni Bugett, 62, said a potential problem with her husband's new room in a local supportive living center cropped up a half-hour before he left Oak Terrace.

The problem, which involved making a special bed available that her husband needs, had Joni Bugett in tears. She said she could have used more time to resolve the problem.

"These are vulnerable, fragile people," said Joni Bugett, 62, a retired vocational coordinator for Springfield School District 186. "The elderly people who are there don't transition well. It's very sad."

Like many relatives of residents, Bugett said she learned about two weeks ago that Oak Terrace would be closing. She said she wasn't told a closing date until this week and never was informed why the facility's finances went downhill.

- Contact Dean Olsen: dean.olsen@sj-r.com, 788-1543, twitter.com/DeanOlsenSJR.

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Oak Terrace nursing home closes amid chaos, lack of answers

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Tears flowed and tempers raged Thursday as a financially troubled Springfield nursing home abruptly closed - almost a month earlier than previously announced - after the 15 remaining residents, many in wheelchairs, were driven to other care centers and private homes.Family members were mailed notices this week that Oak Terrace Healthcare Center would close Sept.

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A deal to provide tax incentives for a Houston-based company to build a $1 billion natural gas power plant near Pawnee got the green light Tuesday from the Springfield City Council.

Tuesday's vote brought out the largest crowd a security guard said he's ever witnessed for a council meeting.

Around 300 union members, many from Laborers Local 477, who wore their orange shirts and held signs reading, "Let's Build This Community" and "Opportunity," filled the council chamber and hallway.

Tuesday's vote, which passed 9-1, was for the council to extend the boundaries of the Springfield/Sangamon County Enterprise Zone.

Representatives of EmberClear Corp. say the incentives are essential to constructing the 1,110-megawatt-capacity plant near Pawnee. The Sangamon County Board OK'd the property zoning and sales tax breaks in May.

But the project still faces regulatory hurdles at the state level, meaning ground won't be broken until 2021 at the earliest, if all goes well for EmberClear.

John Kinnamon, EmberClear's vice president for the Midwest region, said the next major step is to secure an air permit from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, a tedious process that can take one to two years.

"I think it's over 70 percent, maybe closer to 80 the project gets built," Kinnamon said after the meeting.

Supporters of the project say the plant would generate 500 to 800 jobs during the construction period.

The completed plant is projected to create 30 to 40 jobs with an average salary of $80,000 to $90,000, according to a study generated by the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce.

Brad Schaive, business manager for Laborers Local 477, told aldermen that the plant offers unprecedented opportunities.

"A plant like this gives all men and women here a chance to better themselves and have a piece of the American dream," he said. "They deserve that."

But the project also has risks. A study commissioned by the city of Springfield and completed by The Energy Authority Inc. indicated that the EmberClear plant could result in nearly $20 million in lost profit to City Water, Light and Power over the next 20 years.

Earlier this summer Mayor Jim Langfelder's administration started working on a deal with EmberClear that the mayor said would lessen any negative effect on the city.

The proposed agreement calls for EmberClear to pay $800,000 to the city every year for the fist 25 years the plant is in operation, in addition to a one-time payment of $3 million once the plant starts operation.

The city would have the option to buy some electricity from the plant at or below the wholesale market price, while EmberClear would have to purchase at least 220,000 gallons of water per day from CWLP.

The agreement also includes a clause that the city would have to negotiate in good faith with EmberClear first to buy additional power if CWLP shuts down its two oldest coal-fired generators, Dallman units 31 and 32.

The deal has not yet been approved by the city council and could be voted on in two weeks.

"We're providing certainty in an uncertain market," Langfelder said.

Several aldermen expressed their support for the project before the vote.

Ward 10 Ald. Ralph Hanauer and Ward 9 Ald. Jim Donelan credited Langfelder and his staff for getting something in return.

Chuck Redpath, who represents Ward 1, added he was excited for the economic development the project could bring to the region.

The lone "no" vote was cast by Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin, who said he felt the city of Springfield, which owns its own utility company, is subsidizing the competition.

The council also heard from Phil Gonet, president of the Illinois Coal Association. Gonet called the proposal a "bad deal" for Springfield.

He noted if CWLP sells less electricity, electric rates for Springfield residents would increase. In addition, Gonet said, if CWLP generates less electricity it could result in lost jobs.

Several Pawnee residents also relayed concerns to aldermen Tuesday about how the plant would affect their quality of life and were critical of EmberClear, which emerged last year from the bankruptcy of a Canadian energy firm.

According to the project outline filed with the county, the plant would occupy approximately 80 acres near an Ameren substation outside of Pawnee. The goal of 1,100 megawatts of generation would be sufficient to power approximately 880,000 homes, based on utility industry standards. The plant would convert supplied natural gas to electricity. There would be no local mining or gas production.

- Contact Jason Nevel: 788-1521, jason.nevel @sj-r.com, twitter.com/JasonNevelSJR.

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Springfield aldermen approve tax incentives for proposed power plant

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A deal to provide tax incentives for a Houston-based company to build a $1 billion natural gas power plant near Pawnee got the green light Tuesday from the Springfield City Council.Tuesday's vote brought out the largest crowd a security guard said he's ever witnessed for a council meeting.Around 300 union members, many from Laborers Local 477, who wore their orange shirts and held signs reading, "Let's Build This Community" and "Opportunity,"

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The Near North Side, Bronzeville and Jefferson Park are vastly different communities. But the aldermen representing them all are struggling with how to provide public housing.

On the Near North Side, Cabrini-Green once included high-rises and row houses with a total of more than 3,600 apartments. But the Chicago Housing Authority leveled the last high-rise at Cabrini-Green in 2011 as part of its "Plan for Transformation."

Since then, new apartment towers and tidy townhomes have risen in the area, and families with a wide range of incomes live in them - including hundreds who'd been Cabrini residents. They are a short walk from locally owned businesses and chain stores including a Target built on former Cabrini land. Crews are working furiously on new buildings on surrounding blocks.

Still, while the CHA says it's wrapping up the Plan for Transformation, the work here remains unfinished. There's an empty field, overgrown with weeds, next to the Target. Dozens of the Cabrini rowhouses, built in the 1940s, now sit fenced off and vacant.

Altogether, the rebuilt Cabrini properties are now home to fewer than 500 CHA families - the CHA promised to accommodate 700 families as part of a legal settlement with residents.

Here in one of the city's hottest real estate markets, the Plan for Transformation hasn't unfolded smoothly.

Ald. Walter Burnett Jr. (27th), who grew up in the Cabrini rowhouses, says that, early in the process, "I was getting beat up by the CHA residents, saying I was selling them out. Now, I'm getting beat up by the market-rate residents because they don't want the CHA residents to come back - even though they knew we made a commitment."

Like other aldermen who represent wards heavily affected by the Plan for Transformation, Burnett says much still needs to be done. They say they're trying to bring public housing to their wards in the face of neighborhood resistance, criticism from housing activists, economic ups and downs and worries about repeating mistakes of the past.

Long before the Cabrini high-rises started coming down, the land was coveted by developers for its proximity to the Loop and Gold Coast. Recognizing that, Cabrini residents went to court, winning a commitment to keep 700 public housing apartments in the area and also the right to have a say in the redevelopment process. A nonprofit group formed by the residents' development council is even part-owner of some of the new properties.

Developers have been required to reserve at least 33 percent of the new apartments for public housing residents. On CHA-owned land, they also must set aside up to 20 percent for other below-market renters or owners. The formula for who qualifies is complicated, but a family of four making $47,400 would be on the high end for renters. Buyers can make more.

Even those building on privately owned land are asked to find space for low-income residents, says Burnett, who, like other aldermen, has virtual veto power over zoning and development in his ward. He points to a 16-story, glass apartment building called the Xavier across Division Street from Target.

"We encouraged them to do 10 percent CHA and 10 percent affordable," Burnett says.

The building is now home to 24 CHA families.

He says the CHA has been more aggressive about rebuilding public housing under CEO Eugene Jones Jr., who came to the agency in 2015. But while Jones says the CHA will soon meet its 25,000-unit commitment, Burnett says the Plan for Transformation is far from complete because parts of Cabrini and other developments haven't been rebuilt, as promised.

Burnett says he's focused on bringing as many CHA units back to Cabrini as possible, "in spite of whatever CHA does. Because I don't know what they're going to do, and I can't control it.

"I grew up over here at the rowhouses," he says. "This is my legacy. I'm not quitting until I get this done."

Burnett says it will take years to fill in the rest of Cabrini and bring back more CHA residents.

"Man, I'm hoping it gets done at least in the next six years," he says. "Having all these people in limbo is terrible."

On the South Side, Ald. Pat Dowell (3rd) drives down State Street near 43rd Street in Bronzeville and points out a group of three-story apartment and condominium buildings that went up in the past decade.

The development, Savoy Square, sits on land that once was part of the sprawling Robert Taylor Homes, whose 16-story towers stretched for two miles on the east side of the Dan Ryan Expressway. It was the largest and one of the most maligned public housing complexes in the nation before the last of it was demolished 10 years ago.

Dowell turns onto 43rd, then heads north on Wabash, where there are more homes built to replace some of the 4,300 apartments lost when the Taylor homes were razed. She points out more new homes a couple of blocks away, at 43rd and Michigan - just across from a privately owned apartment building with government-subsidized tenants.

The challenge in a ward with thousands of low-income residents, Dowell says, is finding ways to blend in public housing so no one block has too much of it. That's the way to avoid past mistakes that saw housing projects become drug- and crime-ridden and doomed to poverty, she says.

"It's a very delicate balancing act," Dowell says.

Dowell's aldermanic office is in a strip mall at 51st and State. Two decades ago, this was the middle of the Taylor Homes. Now, it's surrounded by vacant fields.

Her ward includes a four-mile stretch of South State Street, from 20th to 55th streets, that was lined with public housing high-rises - the State Street corridor that included the Taylor Homes. Over the past two decades, almost all of those high-rise projects were demolished to make way for new, mixed-income communities like Savoy Square.

So far, though, homes and businesses have sprouted only in patches. Dowell says that's in part because of the housing market collapse that began a decade ago. But it's also because she says she doesn't want to replace the old projects with more clusters of poor people cut off from services and jobs.

The alderman says she wants to see more development like what's happened at 35th and State. The CHA's old Stateway Gardens development has given way there to a mix of townhomes, condos and apartments, as well as a business strip that includes a Starbucks and a PNC bank.

Dowell has faced criticism that, like the CHA, she hasn't moved quickly enough to bring in new housing.

Rod Wilson, executive director of the Lugenia Burns Hope Center in Bronzeville, says the construction underway at 54th and State is an example of misplaced priorities. The new building will be a training facility for XS Tennis, a foundation that develops minority tennis players and works with Chicago Public Schools students, helping them find scholarships. The project is to receive $2.9 million in city financing and a $1.5 million loan from the CHA.

"I haven't got anything against tennis," Wilson says. "But people need housing."

They'll get that, Dowell says, but adds, "State Street can't just be housing." She says the tennis center will include athletic facilities, a computer lab and other opportunities for kids who don't have access to them.

She says plans are in the works to get redevelopment of the State Street corridor back on track.

"My position is that there should be more for-sale housing, which they weren't able to do during the recession," Dowell says.

She points out that her ward also includes the CHA's Dearborn Homes, Wentworth Gardens and Washington Park developments - "all 100 percent public housing" - as well as other rent-subsidized and senior buildings.

More of the rest of the city needs to provide public housing, Dowell says.

"We live in a big city," she says. "And affordable housing should be in every corner of Chicago and not concentrated in particular areas."

Ald. John Arena (45th) agrees that every community should have affordable housing, including his more affluent, Northwest Side ward.

Arena has staked his political future on that. He's supporting a proposed seven-story residential building that would reserve up to 30 of its apartments for CHA residents and 50 for other below-market renters. Preferences for those would be given to veterans and disabled people.

This would replace a vacant building at 5150 N. Northwest Hwy.

Arena says his aim initially was to push for more people to be living around the Jefferson Park transit center a couple of blocks away. He thinks that's essential for reinvigorating the area's businesses - which he's been arguing since before he first took office in 2011. "I ran twice on the plan to add density," he says.

Affordable housing became part of the plan because that helped the developers get financing, Arena says, and he signed on because it's needed.

"I know I have disabled people in the community," he says. "I know I have veterans."

And Jefferson Park, which he represents, has almost no public housing - just 11 apartments for families, according to CHA records. That's one fewer than the neighborhood had in 2000, at the beginning of the Plan for Transformation, and accounts for only 0.1 percent of all public housing for families citywide.

But the proposal has been met with strong opposition. Some say it's too dense for a community of mostly single-family homes. Others, sometimes using racially charged language, complain that crime will go up and property values down.

There were similar fears when a couple of buildings for seniors opened in recent years, Arena says, and they proved false.

"Are there people in this community who are motivated by race and class? Clearly," Arena says. "But the only thing I can do is take the conversation on its face - that it's about density and crime."

He says the developers are waiting to see whether they can get state tax credits to make the financing work, a decision that's expected this fall.

Arena says the project could offer a model for public housing since it's part of a private, mixed-income development. He thinks the city might need to create incentives or requirements for public housing in more neighborhoods.

"We have a responsibility in this city to build it in every community," Arena says.
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ABOUT THIS SERIES

In 2000, the Chicago Housing Authority embarked on the largest public housing makeover in the country. The Chicago Sun-Times and Better Government Association have been examining the effects of the city's massive "Plan for Transformation." Click below to read earlier stories.
Chicago's public housing divide - March 13, 2016 You paid to build them, now you pay to lease them - March 14, 2016 Emanuel blasts CHA voucher program as policy 'gone awry' - March 16, 2016 CHA moves to strip aid from suspect in gym murder - March 20, 2016 Cashing in on the CHA - April 24, 2016 CHA tenants shivered until city sued landlords over heat - April 25, 2016 CHA might take over Section 8 from contractors in wake of reports - June 12, 2016 The CHA's great upheaval - June 25, 2016 CHA danger zones - Sept. 11, 2016 CHA sends rents to landlord jailed in heroin ring - Sept. 28, 2016 Years late, with big gaps, CHA nears end of housing 'transformation' - Sept. 3, 2017

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3 neighborhoods, 3 aldermen struggle to make public housing work

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The Near North Side, Bronzeville and Jefferson Park are vastly different communities. But the aldermen representing them all are struggling with how to provide public housing. On the Near North Side, Cabrini-Green once included high-rises and row houses with a total of more than 3,600 apartments.