(WTTW News)

A Chicago police officer fatally shot a man early Monday morning following an armed confrontation on the city’s Southwest Side.

According to the Chicago Police Department, officers were responding to a Shot Spotter alert indicating multiple shots had been fired at the 2400 block of South Sawyer Avenue in the Little Village neighborhood at approximately 2:36 am Monday.

They located two men in a nearby alley, and police said a chase began after one of the men attempted to flee, leading to an armed confrontation in an alley on the 2300 block of South Spaulding.

“The officer fired his weapon striking the offender in the chest,” the department said. “A weapon was recovered and the offender was pronounced deceased on scene.”

Officers observed two subjects in a nearby alley, one subject fled on foot which resulted in an armed confrontation. One subject shot and killed. 2nd subject in custody. Gun recovered on scene. COPA investigating. #ChicagoPolice pic.twitter.com/bn7o2deAGS

— Tom Ahern (@TomAhernCPD) March 29, 2021

CPD spokesman Tom Ahern shared a picture on social media of a firearm he said was recovered on the scene. A second suspect is in custody and Ahern said the Civilian Office of Police Accountability (COPA) is investigating the shooting.

The department said officers involved in the shooting will be placed on routine administrative duties for 30 days.

Contact Matt Masterson: @ByMattMasterson | (773) 509-5431 | [email protected]

Hundreds of workers who operate food and beverage concession stands at the United Center are preparing for the picket line after members of UNITE HERE Local 1, a labor union that represents more than 16,000 hospitality workers in the Chicago area, voted Tuesday in favor of authorizing a strike.

“Following the Bulls game, hundreds of arena workers who work the food and beverage stands operated by concessions giant Compass Group and Levy Restaurants at The United Center voted in favor of authorizing a strike,” a statement late Tuesday from the union read. “The strike was authorized with a 98% yes vote.”

According to the statement, “A strike could be called at any moment.”

The announcement comes after union workers last summer conducted a survey of Compass/Levy workers at the United Center, which they say found wages do not keep up the cost of groceries, housing and more.

“I voted yes to strike because my rent went up from $800 to $1250 and I have to work two or three jobs at a time to make ends meet,” said Latonya Kirkpatrick, who has worked in concessions for Compass/Levy at The United Center for 8 seasons.

According to the union, concession workers, who have been without a new contract for three years, are seeking one that includes affordable health care, higher pay and better benefits.

“Arena workers are the backbone of Chicago’s tourism and sports industry,” said Karen Kent, President of UNITE HERE Local 1. They make the experience memorable for the fans. Unfortunately Compass/Levy is not offering all of them the wages, healthcare and benefits they deserve. Workers are ready to do whatever it takes.”

The next event at the United Center is scheduled to take place Thursday, as the Chicago Bulls take on the Charlotte Hornets.

CHICAGO — A $60 million food production facility is coming to a “long-abandoned industrial site” in New City, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Tuesday.

Harvest Food Group will build the facility at 1924 W. 46th St., turning an 8.3-acre site into a 220,000-square-foot building focused on food production and storage, with public green space and landscaping, according to a Mayor’s Office news release . The land’s been owned by the city but vacant for 15 years.

“After years of neglect behind a chain link fence, this site is finally getting the rejuvenation it deserves,” Lightfoot said in a statement.

The project will create more than 250 jobs, according to the city.

Harvest Food Group will widen the 4500 and 4600 blocks of Damen Avenue and will create green space along Wolcott and 46th streets for the public to use, according to the city.

The site was most recently used for container storage, but it’s sat vacant for more than a decade due to environmental and access issues, according to the city.

The land is worth about $3.5 million, but it will be sold to the developer for $1, according to the city. The steep discount will offset the costs of remediating the site’s environment and creating public improvements for neighbors.

The terms for the deal could be finalized by this summer, according to the city.

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Chicago is hosting the US Travel Association’s trade show, which starts this weekend at McCormick Place. The city aims to attract 55 million tourists a year by 2020; we asked six people how Chicago can reach its goal.

Tout ‘the great American city’

By Elizabeth Blackwell

Chicago is already a lure for Midwestern vacationers and a logical meet-in-the-middle choice for American conventions. To get a jump in visitors, the city has to attract more travelers from overseas.

Face it: We’ve got lots of competition. International visitors planning a trip to the US usually head for iconic locations such as New York or Disney World. We need to set aside the old Second City complex and stop insisting that our theater scene is just as good as (or better) than New York’s, or trotting out Grant Achatz to show that our restaurants offer more than deep-dish pizza.

Chicago is a great American city. Maybe the great American city. A place where visitors from other countries can see what it’s really like to live in the United States.

We may not have New York’s flash or Los Angeles’ weather. What we can offer is a quintessentially American spirit of openness and hospitality: restaurants that focus on good food rather than trends; museums designed to be genuinely welcoming; and residents who get a kick out of helping tourists find their way around.

Come to Chicago, we should say, and you’ll discover America.

Blackwell was the author of Frommer’s Chicago guidebooks from 2001 to 2012.

New York City as rival, model

By Fred Dixon

We applaud Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s commitment to tourism as a vehicle for economic expansion and job creation.

Support from City Hall is vital to success in tourism. Here in New York City, with Mayor Bill de Blasio’s support, we will surpass our own goal of 55 million annual visitors this year, one year ahead of schedule.

International travel is a cornerstone of our success, and we welcome the competition as stronger destinations make our country more appealing to long-staying, high-spending overseas travelers who often see several destinations in a single trip.

As Chicago has begun to do, NYC has invested heavily in markets overseas. The result is that international visitation to our city has grown 70 percent in less than a decade.

The world will see your city shine this week. We will be rooting for Chicago as you close in on your goal, and look forward to working together to keep the US a top choice for the world’s travelers.

Dixon is President and CEO, NYC & Company, New York’s marketing, tourism and partnership organization.

Chicago making strides in luring travelers

By Roger Dow

Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s goal of 55 million visitors annually is bold, but achievable.

Chicago has already made strides. The most obvious one is the reason that I am in town this weekend — you landed my show! My association’s meeting is the premier trade show for inbound travel to the US and will help brand Chicago as a world-class destination. Our show will convince more travel buyers to book trips here, so Chicago can expect an additional $1.6 billion in visitor spending over the next three years, according to a study by Rockport Analytics that we commissioned.

Chicago has taken other important steps, most notably landmark improvements at O’Hare International Airport. The international terminal has been transformed and the nation’s first automated passport control kiosks are speeding entry for overseas travelers.

Now the federal government needs to help Chicago, as well as the rest of the country. The US should do more to compete with destinations in Europe and Asia. Our airports suffer from a lack of funding for upgrades; not a single US airport is rated in the top 50 worldwide. Visa wait times for overseas travelers have improved but can still be onerous, and data show that millions of travelers are consciously avoiding trips to the US because of hassles and delays in customs.

Many problems could be addressed through pending legislation, such as the Jobs Originated Through Launching Travel Act. We hear Mayor Emanuel has friends in Washington; we hope he asks you to look up the bill.

Dow is President and CEO of the US Travel Association.

Chicago needs to update its image

By Kay Light

I returned home last year after traveling in Europe for 19 months. I walked through countless European travel agencies, airports, tourist offices and festivals and saw ads and brochures for Orlando, Las Vegas and New York City, but never for Chicago.

We met a British teen who thought Chicago was located on an ocean (seriously). An Austrian, learning our hometown, made Al Capone finger guns and said “bang, bang!” Our waiter in Barcelona asked us where we were from, and when we told him, he said, “Ohh, Michael Jordan!” with a huge grin. We thought, “Where have you been, buddy?”

It’s time to update our image.

We should coordinate with tourist offices abroad and make sure they have brochures and posters that show the real Chicago — the beaches, skyline, the Bean. We should also bring European travel agents to Chicago for a long weekend to familiarize them with river tours, boat rides, pizza and all the things that might entice them to sell Chicago.

Most major European cities have nonstops to Chicago, which is a huge bonus when trying to encourage travel with a six- to eight-hour flight. But after my experiences abroad, I believe Chicago needs to branch out to bring the tourists in.

Light is a travel agent at B&B; Travel in Schaumburg.

Technology behind tourism

By Chris Orton

Data-driven, online marketing techniques will help Chicago spend its tourism dollars wisely.

Traditional television and print advertising is expensive to produce and requires millions of consumer impressions to be effective. Orbitz deploys advanced analytical tools that segment travelers and inbound markets to know who is more inclined to consider Chicago. That allows us to target the 51 percent of travelers who do not have a destination in mind when planning their vacation.

The city can segment visitors using any criteria it chooses — people who enjoy cultural attractions, sporting events or top-rated restaurants, for example — then find people who fit into those buckets and market to them directly.

Strategies could include placing display ads on the right websites, paying for links on Google to direct people to Chicago tourism websites, and using the right keywords to move up Chicago websites in Google search rankings. This would allow the city to focus on people whose interests make them a likely fit for Chicago.

These same strategies can target emerging markets with large populations that are eager to travel, for example China and India, and that have wide access to the Internet. The science of marketing Chicago requires constant refinement, but these techniques will outsmart competing cities to attract visitors who are undecided on a destination.

Orton is chief operating officer and president, Orbitz.com. Orbitz powers online travel bookings for the Choose Chicago website.

Travel show is Chicago’s biggest job interview

By Don Welsh

This weekend marks the beginning of the US Travel Association’s trade show. The event itself is critical in meeting the mayor’s goal of increasing leisure travel to Chicago.

The scale of the show is staggering. More than 6,000 tour operators, travel writers, suppliers and other travel professionals will arrive from over 70 countries. McCormick Place will see 90,000 appointments, during which negotiations will result in billions of dollars in travel to the US

This year we will host the largest group of Chinese travel professionals — 106 — that have attended the show. On Sunday, we will take 500 foreign reporters to have a look at the new 360 Chicago Tilt exhibit on the 94th floor of the Hancock (we scheduled the unveiling to coincide with the show).

Four years ago, Choose Chicago had zero offices in foreign countries. Now we have nine: in Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Britain, Belgium, Germany, Japan and two cities in China. We’re opening another office in Chengdu, China, this spring and soon will set up shop in South Korea and Australia.

This is Chicago’s biggest job interview. We all know how great this city is. Now let’s show the rest of the world.

Welsh is president and chief executive officer of Choose Chicago, a nonprofit group that is the official destination marketing organization for Chicago.

CHICAGO — The city on Tuesday marked the two-year anniversary of its first known COVID-19 loss: Patricia Frieson, a 61-year-old woman from Auburn Gresham.

Frieson was the first known Chicagoan to die from COVID-19 on March 16, 2020; days later, her sister also died from the virus. Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Dr. Allison Arwady, head of the Chicago Department of Public Health, honored the women during a news conference Tuesday — and noted that while Chicago has made strides in fighting COVID-19 in the past two years, there is still a ways to go.

In particular, more needs to be done to ensure all Chicagoans have equitable access to health care and are getting vaccinated against COVID-19, officials said.

Arwady and Lightfoot said officials feared what impact the pandemic would have on Chicago’s communities of color even during the early days of COVID-19, as they knew those communities struggled more with issues like unequal access to healthy foods and health care.

Their fears were realized when data about the virus began to pour in, showing Black and Latino Chicagoans were seeing disproportionately high numbers of cases and deaths, Lightfoot said.

That gap has lessened with time, but concerns remain — namely, that vaccinations continue to lag among Black Chicagoans, especially those living on the South Side.

About 71 percent of white Chicagoans are fully vaccinated, but that number dips to 67.3 percent among Latino Chicagoans and 55.4 percent for Black Chicagoans.

“We cannot stop working until vaccination percentages for every demographic in our city are as close to 100 percent as possible,” Lightfoot said. At another point, she said, “We do have more work to be done. The pandemic is not over.”

Sisters Wanda Bailey, left, and Patricia Frieson died from COVID-19. Frieson of Auburn Gresham, was the first coronavirus fatality in Illinois.

The city partnered with community organizations who shared accurate information about COVID-19 residents and recruited “ambassadors” who went door to door in some neighborhoods to talk to people about getting vaccinated. The earliest vaccines were also prioritized for communities of color hit hard by the virus.

But some residents have hesitated to get the shots, citing concerns about misinformation or needing more time to think about and research the vaccines.

Lightfoot said the city is now looking at other strategies it can use to build trust and vaccinate more Chicagoans.

“We have literally tried every kind of strategy, from working with our partners in communities, offering various financial incentives, using national influencers, using local influencers, going door to door, vaccinating at home …,” Lightfoot said. “So, we’re looking at other ways in which we can really focus on those ZIP codes, in particular, that are under-vaccinated … .”

Officials will work with stakeholders in less-vaccinated communities to “drive home the realities” of the virus and how it disproportionately killed and sickened Black Chicagoans, especially during the recent Omicron wave.

“I don’t believe scare tactics work, but I do believe you’ve gotta tell people the truth and equip them with the data so you can make educated choices,” Lightfoot said.

But data shows many people aren’t saying they’ll never get vaccinated — most of them are still just saying they want to think about the shots and get educated, Lightfoot said.

Arwady said the city will also keep up its at-home vaccination program and is working on how it can ensure every resident is connected to a trusted health care provider who can provide them with accurate information about getting vaccinated.

“You start getting into those conversations, building some of those relationships. I do think that’s going to be a place to then sort of bring vaccinations into that conversation,” Arwady said. “We are not done.”

Similarly, the city isn’t done with its work to make all of health care more equitable in Chicago, the officials said.

Even before the pandemic, Black Chicagoans lived nine years less than white residents, on average, Arwady said.

With that in mind, officials worked to create more equitable health care programs and strategies that targeted COVID-19 but will last beyond the pandemic, so they can be used to target other aspects of residents’ care.

Vaccinations:

• In Illinois, about 8.1 million people — or 64.1 percent of the state’s 12.7 million people — are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to state data.

• Across the state, 8,554 vaccine doses are being administered per day, based on a seven-day rolling average.

• Illinois and Chicago have administered at least 21,248,434 vaccine doses of the 25,620,845 provided to them.

• City data shows more than 1.8 million Chicagoans — or 69.7 percent of all residents — are fully vaccinated, and 77 percent of all Chicagoans have gotten at least one shot.

Everyone 5 and older is eligible to get vaccinated in Chicago.

COVID-19 vaccinations are free and do not require insurance. Anyone can call the city’s coronavirus hotline at 312-746-4835 to get more information on how and where to get vaccinated in their community.

The numbers:

• Since Monday, 32 Illinoisans were reported dead from COVID-19.

• At least 33,139 people have died from COVID-19 in Illinois, and another 4,253 deaths are probably related to the virus, according to the state.

• The state reported 1,574 cases since Monday. That brings the total number of confirmed cases in Illinois up to 3,049,616.

• Since Monday, 56,744 tests were reported statewide. In all, 56,009,446 tests have been reported in Illinois.

• Illinois’ seven-day case positivity rate was at 1.4 percent. The figure represents the percentage of people testing positive among recent tests. It was at 1.3 percent Monday.

• Illinois’ seven-day test positivity rate, which measures the percentage of tests that were positive, was at 1.4 percent. It was at 1.4 percent Monday.

• As of Monday night, 94 people with COVID-19 were in the ICU and 47 people with COVID-19 were using ventilators in Illinois.

• In Chicago, nine deaths were reported since Monday. There have been at least 7,312 deaths from COVID-19 in Chicago. The city is seeing an average of more than one person dying per day, down 50 percent from a week ago.

• Chicago has had 321 confirmed cases reported since Monday. It’s had a total of 561,992 confirmed cases. An average of 132 confirmed cases are being reported per day, down 15 percent from a week ago.

• Testing in Chicago is down 8 percent from a week ago.

• Chicago’s positivity rate was at .7 percent, down from .8 percent a week ago.

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CITY HALL — More than 20 young people and organizers staged a die-in Monday night at City Hall in protest of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s controversial plans to expand the citywide curfew and limit young people’s access to Millennium Park.

The organizers said young people are being criminalized and should be included in decisions about the curfews. Lightfoot has proposed having the daily, citywide curfew for minors start at 10 pm instead of 11 and has banned people 20 and younger from Millennium Park after 6 pm Thursday-Sunday unless they’re accompanied by a “responsible” adult.

Young activists with Communities United, which organized the die-in, worry such rules will “further add to a narrative that criminalizes youth of color,” according to a news release.

Others have also criticized the new policies, questioning why there are exceptions for big events like Lollapalooza — which are frequented by young, largely white crowds — and why the city would take away from youth a park long seen as safe as shootings remain high.

Some aldermen have shared research showing curfews don’t have an impact on crime. A 2016 study by the Campbell Collaboration argued curfews are “unlikely to be a meaningful solution to juvenile crime.” When the curfew was pushed up an hour to 11 pm in Washington, DC, gun violence increased, according to a 2015 study. Aldermen stalled a vote on the measure during a meeting Monday.

Credit: Izzy Stroobandt/Block Club ChicagoYouth from Communities United staged a die-in Monday at City Hall in protest of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s new curfews.

“We need after-hours community centers,” said Jermal Ray, 17, a youth leader who represents the West Side for Communities United. “We need to change how we are servicing our communities by creating safe spaces for internships, job training and health clinics in every neighborhood, on every side, and most importantly in the communities that are impacted by violence the most.

“I stand here, as a young black man, to say: I am here and … we will not rest until we get it. No kid should have to suffer. No mother nor father should have to see their son or daughter gone before they start to live.”

RELATED: Here Are The New Rules For Minors At Millennium Park

Communities United organizers called on city leaders to work with young people to create solutions that prevent violence while addressing the needs of youth. They were joined by Ald. Roderick Sawyer (6th) and state Rep. LaShawn Ford.

Such solutions could include programs for youth, especially in communities that have been the most impacted by violence, according to the organization’s news release. Such programs should run 1 pm-midnight during the summer and 4 pm-midnight when school is in session.

The protest started with a die-in — where demonstrators lie down as if dead — and a moment of remembrance for the Chicago youth who have died from violence.

Paris “Tree” Brown, 28, a youth leader with Communities United, said he’s lost 16 of his friends to violence — and he contemplated suicide as a young person due to the mental health trauma he’d endured and the crisis in the city.

“That was 10 years ago, and the violence and mental health crisis in the city has gotten worse,” Brown said. “Life goes on with us having to pick up the pieces with no support to rebuild and heal.

“What about youth who never get mental help to navigate pain, suffering, violence and trauma? Those are the same ones committed to violence and becoming victims. They all need help.”

RELATED: Millennium Park Gets Metal Detectors, Security Checkpoints As New Curfew For Teens Begins

Credit: Izzy Stroobandt/Block Club ChicagoYouth from Communities United staged a die-in Monday at City Hall in protest of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s new curfews.

Lightfoot created the curfew in Millennium Park in direct response to the fatal shooting of Seandell Holliday, 16, on May 14. A large group of young people had gathered in the park that night, and Holliday was killed during a fight.

But organizers said they should be included in those kinds of decisions, and the solutions should focus on providing resources to Chicago youth.

“We stand in solidarity with Seandell Holliday and other young people who have lost their lives to violence,” Emcee DeShawn Smith, 21, said at the demonstration. “I have lost friends and family members to violence. It is time for me to be included in how we are dealing with violence.

“We need healing and mental health resources in our community to recover.”

Brown said he went to the Bean just a few days after Holiday was killed nearby and was hurt to see it was still open to tourists.

Holliday’s “life matters, and he existed,” Brown said. “Wiping up blood on the scene is not going to cover up the fact this city constantly ignores its youth, the trauma and the violence that they face daily.”

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BRONZEVILLE — A group of chicken rescue workers are looking for help after nearly 50 birds were saved from a cockfighting ring in June.

Most of the 48 birds are now living on a farm in Wisconsin after Chicago Animal Care and Control rescued them June 18 from an “alleged cockfighting ring,” said Julia Magnus, an animal advocate. But members of Magnus’ Chicago Roo Crew — which rescues chickens — needs foster and permanent homes for the remaining birds.

Melody, a game hen, and her five chicks are being fostered by Dawn Avello, a volunteer with Fur Angels Animal Sanctuary in Aurora. Two birds, Mike and Benji, received care at the Niles Animal Hospital and Bird Medical Center for extensive injuries and ailments and are in a foster home.

Another 20 birds from other rescues also need homes, Magnus said.

Credit: Chicago Roo CrewMike is one of two roosters receiving medical care at Niles Animal Hospital and Bird Medical Center.

Many of the birds seized in the bust initially needed medical care due to open or infected wounds or sicknesses, and nearly all of them had mites and parasites, Magnus said. They showed injuries consistent with having been used for cockfighting, she said.

Chicago Animal Care and Control did not respond to a request for comment.

Medical care for the recently rescued birds has cost about $6,000.

Getting medical care for the birds has been an added expense for Chicago Roo Crew, which also has to care for its existing population of rescued birds. The group has seen an influx of birds in need as people abandon them following a pandemic adoption boom.

“Saving those lives is important to us and … it obviously comes at a significant cost,” Magnus said.

RELATED: After Pandemic Adoption Boom, People Are Ditching Their Backyard Chickens. Local rescue groups are trying to save them

Credit: Chicago Roo CrewMelody, a game hen, is currently being fostered with her baby chicks, who’ve all been named after songs and sport names like “Jude” and “Tiny Dancer.”

Magnus is vetting people who’ve shown interest in fostering and giving homes to the birds, but she could use more help, she said. Those who do foster or home Mike and Benji in particular would need to be highly understanding homes, she said.

Benji will need ongoing treatment after leaving Niles Animal Hospital. Following that, he can be cleared for adoption.

Credit: Chicago Roo CrewBenji is one of two roosters receiving medical care at Niles Animal Hospital and Bird Medical Center after being rescued from an alleged cockfighting ring in late June. He needed a toe amputation and had an abscess on one of his legs.

“We will look for homes with experience handling ex-fighters, who know exactly what they’re getting into with them, who are prepared to commit to neither placing these birds around other roosters, who understand that they may be reactive for a while, … who commit to no breeding,” Magnus said.

Another complication for the animal lovers: Roo Crew and similar groups haven’t been taking in animals due to the risk of avian influenza, which can spread rapidly between birds.

The Roo Crew made an exception for the recent rescues due to the situation. The group has previously helped with rescuing dozens of roosters and hens in need from cockfighting rings.

Credit: Maia McDonald/Block Club ChicagoJulia Magnus, an animal rights lawyer and volunteer for Chicago Roo Crew as seen on July 1, 2021.

Magnus said those interested in fostering any of the birds can message the Chicago Roo Crew Facebook or send an email to chicagoroocrew@gmail.com. Other supporters can donate on GoFundMe.

People interested in helping Chicago chickens should also support other bird rescue groups, like the Chicago Chicken Rescue, and foster if they’re able to, Magnus said.

“Many people may not realize that just as with ‘conventional’ companion animals like dogs and cats, birds and particularly roosters need homes, too,” Magnus said “[They] suffer from a stigma of not being ‘equal to’ or ‘as good as’ mammals, but this is far from true.

“If you adopt, we will support you every step of the way by helping you find the best companion for your lifestyle, whether they be a house rooster or a new flock member.”

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LITTLE VILLAGE — Alderpeople are ramping up pressure on Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration to release the watchdog report detailing wrongdoing leading up to Little Village demolition disaster in 2020.

The City Council passed a resolution Wednesday calling on Lightfoot’s office to release the full findings from former Inspector General Joseph Ferguson, whose summary report into the incident was published earlier this year.

The measure—which Little Village Ald. Mike Rodriguez (22nd) introduced in January — is non-binding, meaning it does not compel the mayor to do anything. It now falls to the city’s Department of Law, which is under Lightfoot’s purview, to make the call.

Lightfoot has said city law bars her from releasing the full report, but Rodriguez and others dispute that. The mayor’s office couldn’t immediately be reached for comment on whether that stance has changed with the City Council’s vote.

“Good government should be about transparency and accountability,” Rodriguez said in January. “We need to restore justice to Little Village residents and neighbors.”

Ferguson’s summarized report pointed the finger at three unnamed city officials, including one senior public health department employee. The watchdog said that official should be disciplined or fired for failing to act on knowledge the implosion would be disastrous. Health department leaders instead gave that person a written reprimand.

Two officials from the Department of Buildings also won’t receive any punishment, though the report had recommended it.

Rodriguez, Little Village residents and environmental advocates slammed the city for not punishing the official. They demanded better pollution controls, publication of the full report and an apology from Lightfoot.

RELATED: Little Village Group Blasts City After Official Avoids Punishment For Botched Implosion: ‘We Demand An Apology’

The implosion at the Crawford site has been a flashpoint in the fight over environmental racism in Little Village.

The April 2020 explosion of the former Crawford Coal Plant coincided with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving neighbors concerned about how the dust might exacerbate the respiratory illness.

Activists begged the city to halt the demolition, but it went on, blanketing Little Village homes in dust. Hilco Redevelopment Partners was slapped with $68,000 in fines for the mishap and was forced to pay an additional $370,000 in a settlement with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office.

Hilco’s warehouse opened as a Target distribution center in July 2021, despite protests by community members.

Read all of Block Club’s coverage about Hilco here.

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As the closest sister city to Toronto (and the only one in America), Chicago is constantly ranked as one of the top tourist destinations in the US, and for very good reason. With an abundance of attractions and events, along with great food, an amazing waterfront and beautiful architecture, it’s worth the roughly eight-hour drive from Ontario to visit the Windy City this summer.

“There’s so much going on in the city of Chicago,” says Lynn Osmond, president and CEO of Choose Chicago. “Lots of festivals, music, food, sports…. We just have so much to share as a city.”

Getting there

Chicago is just over an eight-hour drive from the Toronto area. Heading west on Highway 401, you’ll cross the border into Detroit from Windsor, Ont. A majority of the drive after that is through Michigan before you cross into Indiana and gain an hour before finally entering Illinois. If you want to take a break along the drive, Ann Arbor or Kalamazoo, Mich., are both excellent cities to stop in.

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where to stay

To be close to all the main attractions and sight-seeing ventures, as well as near great restaurants, bars and shopping, staying in the area known as The Loop is your best option. This area covers the heart of downtown Chicago and includes Millennium Park, Willis Tower, the theater district, the Chicago Riverwalk and so much more.

Hotels are not cheap in Chicago, but some of the more budget-friendly ones can be found on W or E Monroe Street. These include the Hampton Inn Majestic, located right next to the CIBC Theatre, the Hyatt Centric The Loop a little farther west and Palmer House (a Hilton Hotel), which is more east and closer to Millennium Park. From these hotels you’re able to walk to most of the big attractions, including Millennium Park, Willis Tower, the Magnificent Mile and the Riverwalk. You’re also close to many amenities as well as the Chicago Transit “L” train.

what to do

In a city with so many options, narrowing down what to do in Chicago is no easy task. Here are our top must-do picks.

Architecture river cruise

A view of Chicago’s ‘Corn Cob’ buildings from the Architecture River Cruise.

Brian McKechnie / Global News

One of the first things you’ll notice about Chicago is the amazing architecture throughout the city, and if you want to learn more about these unique structures, the Chicago Architecture River Cruise is the most exciting way.

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“The architecture river cruise is just a great way to get an overview of the city and take you through the city,” Osmond says.

Located near the Riverwalk, the 90-minute cruise runs daily with daytime and evening departures. You’ll get great views of all the unique buildings Chicago has to offer while a tour guide explains and educates about each one. With a bar onboard, you can also enjoy a drink or two on the cruise and there are washrooms available.

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Tickets cost US$51.96 plus tax for a daytime ride and US$55.74 plus tax for an evening cruise. For an extra US$5 you can access the Chicago Architecture Center.

WillisTower

View of the Willis Tower in Chicago.

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The third-largest building in the Western Hemisphere, the Willis Tower gives you unobstructed views of the entire city from its 360-degree Skydeck, which also includes The Ledge — glass boxes you can stand in that stick out 4.3 feet from the building, 1,353 feet in the air. The building itself (the former Sears Tower) is stunning and also features a food court in the lobby with a Shake Shack.

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The Willis Tower is open from 9 am to 10 pm Monday to Friday and 8:30 am to 10 pm Saturday and Sunday until September (hours are shortened from October to February). Tickets cost US$38.50 for those 12-plus and US$30.50 for children three to 11. Tickets must be purchased in advance as they are for timed entry.

Millennium Park

Cloud Gate (aka The Bean) at Chicago’s Millennium Park.

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Along with the iconic Cloud Gate (a giant metallic sculpture also known as “The Bean”), Millennium Park is home to Crown Fountain (which features two giant 50-foot glass video screens with faces on them), and the award-winning Lurie Garden. There are also regular events held in the park, including a free summer music series. Visitors can spend hours here without getting bored or spending any money.

Navy Pier

Centennial Wheel at Chicago’s Navy Pier.

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One of the biggest tourist stops, Navy Pier has something to offer everyone. Take in a view of the city from atop the giant Centennial Wheel, enjoy a famous Chicago-style deep dish pizza at Giordano’s or stop for a drink at the Navy Pier Beer Garden. This is also one of the best spots to grab some souvenirs and you must pop into Garrett’s for a bag of Chicago Mix popcorn before you leave. If you just want to take it easy you can walk to the end of the pier for a beautiful photo op of Lake Michigan.

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hidden acc

Osmond says the West Loop, which is the old meat-packing district of Chicago, is a hidden gem that is only now just starting to get on people’s radar.

“It’s home to some of the best restaurants and has got a real hip flavor to it. Cool boutiques, great rooftops where you can have drinks and see the world, and also some great hidden alley bars you can discover. Just some really cool things to explore.”

One of Osmond’s West Loop recommendations is called the Blind Barber, where you “enter through a barber shop and there’s a bar in the back.”

Osmond also says if you can’t make it before the end of the summer, there’s still lots happening in the fall.

“We have the Chicago Marathon (on) Canadian Thanksgiving and we have 40,000 runners that come from around the world,” she says. “In September we have a beach volleyball tournament that is volleyball professionals and it’s just really fun.”

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PULLMAN — A new community art show hopes to make it easier for Chicagoans to discuss loss, death and grieiving.

Opening night for the show, Coffin Talks: A Happy Little Show About Death and Grieving, runs 6-10 pm Friday at the Block House Gallery, 11137 S. Langley Avenue. Organized by volunteers from the PullmanArts collective, the show is bringing together artists who’ve expressed death and grieving in different ways. There will be food and drinks.

Ellen Kaulig, who organized the art show with help from fellow PullmanArts volunteer Frankye Payne, said participating artists weren’t limited in their expressions of death and grieving.

“Death and grieving are topics that everyone has such different opinions on and such different ways of approaching,” Kaulig said. “Telling people what way to approach death or grieving really isn’t honoring individuality or how people process that part of life, which nobody ever wants to talk about and nobody really deals with.”

Coffin Talks features work from five artists and creators: Carla Bruni, Andy Bullen, Linda Beierle Bullen, Phil Thompson and Aquarius Ester.

The idea for the show came from Kaulig and Payne, who were inspired by Bruni’s miniature ceramic bug coffins, which will be featured in Friday’s show.

Bruni said Kaulig and Payne were interested in doing a show with themes similar to the ones she explored in her work.

Payne said the show was also partly inspired by the collective grief society managed throughout the past few years and how people can “process those things that are often overlooked.”

Bruni, a preservationist who works for the Chicago Bungalow Association and lectures at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, started learning ceramics during the pandemic. An artist friend had given Bruni clay when she felt isolated in the early days of the pandemic in 2020.

Around the same time, Bruni found herself drawn to bugs and the importance of their lives. She’d also been studying Buddhism, which helped her rethink outlooks on life and death, she said.

“The bug thing kind of came, it just sort of like came up,” she said. “It was like all these people were dying, and we had no way to grieve. I had several people I knew — five people died during the pandemic that I knew, and there was no way to have any ceremony for them. And it was awful.

“You just start thinking about how all life is precious, and [creating the bug coffins] what a thing I could do at home.”

Painted with a variety of colors and designs, Bruni’s ceramic coffins aim to honor bugs who’ve died while highlighting the ways bugs are overlooked in society.

Credit: provided

A native of Roseland, Ester will perform at 8 pm and present two short films, one called “Waves of Grief,” and another from 2017 called “Ambivert” she made while having a panic attack Downtown. Ester filmed the experience on a Go-Pro and edited the footage to depict her experience with fibromyalgia and chronic pain. She also deals with bipolar disorder, PTSD and OCD, she said.

Much of Ester’s art serves as a means of expressing herself while being a strong part of her mental health recovery, she said.

When Ester was approached to participate in Coffin Talks, her father had recently died, she said. Working on the show was healing for her, she said.

“All of my work really is just a representation of what mental chaos feels like for me and how I use art to kind of process through that,” Ester said. “A lot of the lessons that I’ve learned in life have happened publicly. I would have a lot of really big anxiety attacks or blackouts and psychosis, and I’ll go through a lot of this stuff publicly.

“I use my work to kind of help me process that and to help show folks that it’s not an embarrassing thing. This is something that happens to a lot of folks … .”

Spouses Andy Bullen and Linda Beierle Bullen have lived in Pullman more than 25 years.

In addition to creating digital databases for the state and being a Pullman historian, Andy Bullen writes alternate historical fiction. At the event, he will present his alternate historical fiction, which humorously ponders the social and political ramifications of vampires having always existed alongside humans, with photos, excerpts and props to support his work.

Linda Beierle Bullen is a fiber artist who makes quilts that are influenced by other cultures and their ideas around death and grief. Two of her pieces will be featured in Friday’s show.

Thompson will present five pen-and-ink memento mori drawings that depict skeletons going about everyday life in modern times.

The Coffin Talks gallery will be open until Sept. 10. Any videos played on Friday will be made available online at a later date, Kaulig said

Kaulig also hopes anyone who attends the art show can get something from the work they see.

“Aquarius is really trying to help people heal,” Kaulig said. “Andy is trying to entertain people. So even amongst the participants, what they hope that people get out of the show and their work is different. And there’s something kind of beautiful in that.

“I really hope that people walk away with it with a fresh perspective, personally, whatever that fresh perspective is. That’s up to them. But hopefully, this is something that makes people go, ‘Huh, I never thought of it that way.’”

Block House is open Thursdays from 4-6 pm and Saturdays from 12-2 pm There will also be free movie screenings each day the gallery is open that tackle death and grief. Follow the gallery here for more information.

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