Levine: Mike Pelfrey Strong In White Sox’s Loss To Red Sox

By Bruce Levine–

CHICAGO (CBS) — Pitching in baseball obscurity, right-hander Mike Pelfrey was a minor league hurler for the White Sox when opportunity knocked in late April. Rotation member James Shields went down with a right lat injury, and Pelfrey was summoned from Triple-A.

After a slow start, the 33-year-old Pelfrey has been impressive of late, including Wednesday when he tossed five shutout innings in his team’s 4-1 loss to the Red Sox and their vaunted offense at Guaranteed Rate Field. Pelfrey scattered two hits and two walks while striking out five before the White Sox bullpen blew his 10 lead by allowing four runs in the sixth inning.

Pelfrey has allowed just two earned runs in 16 innings across his past three starts to go along with a 0.81 WHIP in that stretch.

A change in his pitching approach has been key, Pelfrey said, as he’s used breaking balls and cutters away more effectively to hitters.

“My week spot during my whole career has been down and away to right-hand hitters,” Pelfrey said. “I have had trouble commanding that pitch. I always pulled off it a little bit. Working hard in my bullpens, I now feel it is a strength. I feel fine about the progress I have made after getting kicked around at (Triple-A) Charlotte.”

A first-round pick of the Mets in 2005, Pelfrey has struggled since going 15-9 for New York in 2010. He’s since bounced from the Mets to the Twins to the Tigers, who released him in late March with $8 million guaranteed for 2017 before the White Sox scooped him up on a minor league deal.

On Wednesday, manager Rick Renteria said that he had scripted the game for Pelfrey to go just five innings or 80 pitches, which is why he was pulled despite his shutout effort. The statistic Renteria had in mind was that opposing lineups are hitting .556 against Pelfrey the third time through the batting order.

“You just don’t want it to open up and bring in a reliever with men on base,” Renteria said. “All of us want to protect the pen against traffic. You prefer they work in a clean inning. That was basically what we tried to do.”

Pelfrey didn’t fight Renteria’s decision to pull him Wednesday despite working a quick one-two-three fifth inning.

“My job is to give everything I have until they come take the ball,” Pelfrey said. “Obviously he is the boss and makes the decision. We are on the same team. I don ‘t try to talk him out of it. I felt fine. He said that is enough, so it’s enough.”

Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.

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Red Sox Top White Sox, 4-1

CHICAGO (AP) — Pablo Sandoval hit a tiebreaking single in Boston’s four-run sixth inning and Drew Pomeranz struck out eight in his second straight win, helping the Red Sox beat the Chicago White Sox 4-1 on Wednesday night.

Sandoval went 3 for 4 in his first game since he was activated from the disabled list Tuesday after being sidelined by a sprained right knee.

It was an encouraging sign for the Red Sox, who are in need of some help at the plate with Dustin Pedroia sidelined by a sprained left wrist.

Chicago wasted a great start by Mike Pelfrey in its second consecutive loss after winning four of five.

The big right-hander struck out five while pitching five scoreless innings of two-hit ball, leaving him with a 1.13 ERA over his last three games.

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Illinois Lawmakers Approve Increase To Minimum Wage

(CBS) — State lawmakers have approved a plan to increase Illinois’ minimum wage to $15 over five years.

The Senate voted 30-23 Wednesday evening, a day after the House backed it.

The state’s minimum wage is $8.25. The proposal would raise it incrementally until 2022. The plan also includes a tax credit for some small businesses.

Democratic Sen. Kimberly Lightford is a sponsor. She says it’s the best chance to raise wages and improve living conditions for many Illinois residents.

But opponents worry about the impact on businesses. Republican Sen. Kyle McCarter of Lebanon calls raising the wage an “artificial way” of helping people.

Gov. Bruce Rauner’s spokeswoman didn’t immediately return a message Wednesday. The Republican has said he’d support a minimum wage increase in conjunction with other regulatory changes.

Also, lawmakers approved a plan to revamp the state’s 20-year-old school funding formula.

State senators endorsed the measure 35-22 late Wednesday after the House OKd it.

The proposal would direct new funds to districts based on student population needs and available local resources. No district would receive less money than they currently do under the plan.

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Levine: Retiring Hawk Harrelson Did It All In The Game He Loves

By Bruce Levine–

CHICAGO (CBS) — After hearing that Ken ‘Hawk’ Harrelson will be putting down the microphone for good after the 2018 season, 60 years of contributions to the game begin to come in full focus.

This baseball man for all seasons has done it all in the sport he loves the best.

“I have never worked a day in my life,” Harrelson told me on numerous occasions.

What the 75-year-old baseball lifer meant is that being in baseball has been a gift to him all of these years.
Harrelson signed his first professional contract in 1959 with the Kansas City A’s and broke into the big leagues in 1963 at the age of 21. He played nine seasons and 900 games along the way, popularizing the batting glove during his playing career.

An emotional Hawk Harrelson reveals 2018 will be his last season in the booth.

More: https://t.co/XyZ6bftPZ7 http://pic.twitter.com/LkhWLlxGeD

— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) May 31, 2017

Harrelson went to the broadcast booth in 1975, spent one season as White Sox general manager in 1986 and became the team’s play-by-play voice in 1990, a position in which he has since remained.

On Wednesday at Guaranteed Rate Field, Harrelson informed chairman Jerry Reinsdorf and the White Sox organization that 2018 would be his last season. He will call 20 games, including Sunday home contests and other select games.

“I never had really considered myself anything but a baseball man,” Harrelson said. “I am the luckiest guy in the world to have been able to make this my life’s work.”

That Harrelson has more than one persona is real but not easy to detect.

Ever passionate for baseball and the White Sox, Harrelson spoke of those long drives from Chicago to his home near South Bend, Indiana, which were often tough after a loss. But retirement means more time with his family, especially his young grandchildren.

“There is the Hawk who is opinionated, brash passionate as heck about his White Sox “Harrelson said. “Then we have Kenneth. He is pretty reserved and introspective. He is the family guy and grandpa.”

When looking at Harrelson’s career, you have to wonder why he has not been selected for inclusion in the Baseball Hall of Fame broadcast wing at Cooperstown, New York. The Ford C. Frick Award is given out to modern era broadcasters every three years. For some unknown reason, the Hawk has not been given his due. This, of course, is a joke.

During his heyday, Harrelson was and still remains one of the most polarizing and provocative broadcasters in baseball history.

Many have loved the passion and home team prodding that Hawk brings in his broadcasts. Others dislike Harrelson for the very same reasons. The truth is there is no in between when it comes to this straight-from-the-hip shooter.

“Hawk has left a lasting imprint on the game of baseball across what will be an amazing career in the game,” White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said. “His passion for the White Sox and for the game of baseball is apparent in every telecast he does.”

As Reinsdorf further pointed out, the Hawkisms make him beyond unique in a cookie cutter world of similar baseball voices these days.

His catch phrases are synonymous with the White Sox. You can put it on the board, yes’ remains a fixture around the game, as it will well beyond his retirement.

You may love Harrelson, you may hate him. One thing for sure is he was never boring.

“I still love it,” he said while tearing up. “I do want to spend more time with the grandkids. I talked it over with my wife. This has been the greatest ride of my life. It has been a lot of fun. I will remember this forever.”

After calling Reinsdorf the greatest owner in sports and thanking the White Sox fans, Hawk made his exit into the bowels of the ballpark.

After 2018, Harrelson will be gone but never forgotten. You can put that on the board — yes!

Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.

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Bears’ Cam Meredith Poised While On The Rise

By Chris Emma–

CHICAGO (CBS) — It was a year ago Cam Meredith walked through the concourse of U.S. Cellular Field unrecognized. After all, he had recorded just 11 receptions as a rookie and wasn’t quite a household name.

Ever since, a lot more than the ballpark name has changed. Meredith, the converted quarterback from Illinois State, had a breakout 2016 season and emerged as a top receiver for the Bears. On Wednesday, he was the guest of honor for the White Sox and threw out the ceremonial first pitch prior to the team’s game with the Red Sox.

Consider this a dream come true for the Westchester native and White Sox fan. Meredith is now a young rising star in his hometown.

“I’m trying my best to sink everything in, because you know this is a once-in-a-lifetime type opportunity,” Meredith said Wednesday at Guaranteed Rate Field. “You got to make the best of all opportunities in life.”

Bears WR Cam Meredith throws a strike with his ceremonial first pitch at Guaranteed Rate Field. http://pic.twitter.com/rdGNP1axUw

— 670 The Score (@670TheScore) June 1, 2017

Meredith has certainly made the most of his opportunity with the Bears. He got a shot with the team during camp in 2015 and stuck on the roster, playing 11 games as a rookie that season.

When the Bears saw attrition at receiver last season, Meredith stepped in as the go-to target. He led the team with 66 receptions, 888 yards and four touchdowns.

“I think he’s very fluid, he’s a big target and he can go up and get the ball,” Bears receiver Victor Cruz said of his new teammate.

Meredith is out to be better in 2017. His evolution has been steady ever since arriving with the Bears. Now, he projects to be the top receiver for a group that has a mix of veterans like Cruz and unproven players like Kevin White. With Alshon Jeffery now in Philadelphia, the team is hoping for Meredith to continue is ascension.

New quarterback Mike Glennon will likely be looking Meredith’s way plenty in 2017.

“I think he’s going to have a big year,” Glennon said. “He’s looked really sharp to me. You can tell, translated from quarterback to receiver, it seems like his path is only heading upwards.

“He’s just smooth. When he runs his routes, he’s really clean and crisp. Smooth is probably the best word to describe him.”

Life is a bit different for Meredith now. He walked out to Guaranteed Rate Field to loud cheers from fans gathered in the first rows. He signed baseballs for fans excited to get a glimpse at a Bears receiver. A Red Sox fan even shouted promising he would draft Meredith for his fantasy team.

Fanfare has followed Meredith around his home city of Chicago. He knows well it was earned. Now it must be sustained.

“You got to take everything with a grain of salt and work on getting better,” Meredith said. “Everything will take care of itself.”

Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 and like his Facebook page.

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More Surgery For Amtrak Conductor Shot At Naperville Station

(CBS) — The 45-year-old Amtrak conductor who was critically wounded May 16 while working on the eastbound Southwest Chief, at the Naperville station, is undergoing a second round of major surgery overnight.

Edward Hospital Medical Director Dr. David Piazza describes the operation taking place on conductor Michael Case, of Homewood, as “car wash surgery.”

He says the goal is to clean out anything that could cause infection, such as fluids that spilled from one organ to the next at the time he was wounded.

Piazza said the surgery could take anywhere up to six hours to complete.

The first round of surgery, the night of the shooting, took six hours and required six units of blood.

Piazza said doctors expect this round of surgery to go smoothly, but said it will not be the last.

He said that over the next two months, Case can be expected to undergo two more operations. When he is released, he will be transported to a rehabilitation center that will have to teach him again to walk and other basic daily functions.

He said most people who sustain wounds to the abdomen of the type Case endured die before doctors can treat them. Piazza said the bullet that struck case missed two major veins by “millimeters.”

The reputed gunman, 79-year-old Edward Klein, of West Allis, Wis., a retired federal protective services officer who was ticketed through to Milwaukee but attempted to leave the train at Naperville, remains jailed in lieu of $1.5 million bond.

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Woman Struck By Bus Sues CTA, Seeks More Than $100,000 In Damages

CHICAGO (CBS) — A woman hit by a Chicago Transit Authority bus in January as she crossed a street in the Loop is suing the driver and the transit agency.

The two-count lawsuit, filed by Rosalba Robles on Wednesday in Cook County Circuit Court, seeks more than $100,000 in damages for negligence, according to court documents.

Robles was crossing north at Clark and Washington streets about 4:53 p.m. Jan. 30 when she was struck by a 2008 New Flyer Bus traveling east, according to the suit.

As a result of being struck, Robles suffered “injuries of a personal, permanent and pecuniary nature,” according to the suit.

The CTA did not immediately reply to a request for comment Wednesday evening.

© Copyright 2017 Sun-Times Media, LLC. All rights reserved.

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White Sox Slugger Todd Frazier Working To Hit His Stride

By Chris Emma–

CHICAGO (CBS) — Turn it up, Todd Frazier shouted back behind him as he turned away from the batting cage.

With the music now pumping through Guaranteed Rate Field on Wednesday afternoon, Frazier grasped his bat tightly and went back to work on his swing. He’s focusing on weight proportion from back foot to front, keeping his body aligned and making the motion slow and simple.

For Frazier, hitting isn’t just his trade but also a passion. He could talk hitting for hours at a time.

“You’re going to have to make changes along the way,” Frazier said, recalling the advice of former All-Star outfielder Eric Davis. “Bottom line is your stance and the way you swing might change, but there’s probably going to be other things you need to change.”

Frazier, 31, has applied advice he has received along the way in his career during a frustrating slump to start the season. Entering Wednesday’s series finale with the Red Sox, he’s hitting just .182 in 43 games. A career .247 hitter, Frazier saw his average drop to .255 in 2015 and a career-worst .225 last season.

Frazier has a strikeout rate of 21.6 percent, but also a BABIP of .190 coupled with a 30.7 percent hard contact rate. That would indicate he has seen some bad luck at the plate.

“It’s still a work in progress for him,” manager Rick Renteria said. “I think he’s feeling a lot more comfortable in the box. I think he feels like his timing is coming around. Hopefully, it’s something that he continues to build on and continues to move with during the season.”

While working for those adjustments, Frazier recalled long conversations with the game’s hit king, Pete Rose. During his time in Cincinnati, Frazier would often discuss hitting with Rose, who offered up his secrets at the plate.

Rose told Frazier about adjusting to each pitcher within the box — moving up or back, on or off the plate. Adjust to the pitcher and gain the advantage, Rose would tell him.

Facing former teammate Chris Sale on Tuesday night, Frazier aligned himself to the back corner of the box to anticipate his best pitch, that trademark slider. Sale struck him out with four offspeed pitches in the first at-bat to fool Frazier. The next time up, he hit a fastball at 97 to the warning track. Oh, so close.

But in the fourth inning, Frazier remained in that back corner of the box and stepped into a Sale slider, crushing it 401 feet to the left field bleachers. He rounded the bases with a brief grin.

“The power’s always there,” Frazier said. “I think it’s always going to be there. I’m just trying to square the ball up, try to get some hits and help this team out.”

Last season, Frazier posted career highs with 40 home runs and 98 RBIs, but that came with the dip in average. So far, the power hasn’t been as frequent and the average is down, too.

So Frazier has applied the words of Rose and altered his approach. He waits in the on-deck and prepares himself carefully. Then he steps into the box and playfully banters with the catcher — throw a slider; hit me with the heater — anything to get the edge.

Mechanics remain the most important factor for Frazier, who is trying to get his alignment back to form. That’s a work in progress.

“He’s not diving as much into the zone,” Renteria said. “I think he’s trying to carry his weight on his backside a little bit better, slowing everything down. That allows him to keep his hands back and give him that opportunity to recognize pitches a little bit better. I think it’s just something he’ll continue to work on, and hopefully will continue to propel him as the season progresses.”

What’s next for Frazier remains to be seen. Production could follow if his work leads to results. As for his future with the White Sox? Well, that relates to what comes at the plate.

Frazier was traded to the White Sox in December of 2015 to help a contender get over the top. The White Sox faltered in his first season and embarked on this new direction. Frazier is one of many trade chips in the White Sox clubhouse as the organization rebuilds. He returned to his locker after Tuesday’s game with texts from friends who are Red Sox fans back home.

To his credit, Frazier blocks out the trade talk and focuses on each day. That means extra work in the cages and studying those “feel-goods” — what has worked in the past. He’s tireless with perfecting this swing, which makes the early struggles difficult to explain.

Always upbeat, Frazier keeps a smile on his face as he goes about the usual pregame routine. He knows production will come with the work.

Frazier will do whatever it takes to hit his stride.

Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 and like his Facebook page.

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Actor Stacy Keach Falls Ill During Goodman Theatre Performance

CHICAGO (CBS) – It is a disturbing moment at one of Chicago’s celebrated theatres.

Stacy Keach, the star of a one-man play at the Goodman Theatre fell ill on stage and the production ended suddenly on Tuesday night.

CBS 2’s Jim Williams was at the performance. The audience, including Williams, were shaken.

“I’ve seen a lot of theatre,” Williams said. “But nothing like what happened last night – with only about 20 minutes left in the play, an announcer stops the performance asking Stacy Keach to leave the stage.”

It was opening night for the play.

As seen in an earlier performance of Pamplona, Stacy Keach portrays Ernest Hemingway with gusto.

But Tuesday night, the play’s official opening, Tribune theatre critic and CBS 2 contributor Chris Jones could tell something was wrong.

“The clue came when you began to hear lines of text repeated — over and over — over and over again,” Jones said.

What confused some members of the audience was that Keach was playing Hemingway near the end of his life, when he was struggling to write.

“A lot of the audience thought this was planned, an attempt, least in the first few minutes of the show, that this was Keach who’s one of the great American actors,” Jones said.

But an hour into the play an announcer on the PA system made this alarming declaration: “We are having technical difficulties. Mr. Keach, please leave the stage.”

Keach walked off and the play was over.

“Human being are mortal. Actors are mortal,” Jones said. “Things go wrong in live theatre. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.”

Robert Falls, the play’s director and the Goodman’s artistic director, came on stage to say Stacy Keach had been sick all day but insisted he go on.

Jones calls Keach courageous.

“There’s a generation of actors for whom this is like a spiritual commitment. They are determined not to stop the show,” Jones said.

The Goodman just announced Wednesday that Stacy Keach, who is 75, is undergoing medical tests and Wednesday’s performance is cancelled.

The hope is to continue the play’s run, but it depends on Keach’s health. The play has no understudy.

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FBI Wiretap Records Pritzker, Blagojevich Talking State Jobs

CHICAGO (CBS/AP) – FBI wiretaps from a 2008 investigation of then-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich recorded current Democratic candidate for governor, billionaire J.B. Pritzker, speaking to Blagojevich about a state job appointment.

The Chicago Tribune posted the previously unreleased recordings Wednesday. An association with the now-imprisoned Blagojevich could be politically damaging.

A Pritzker campaign statement Wednesday said there was “nothing untoward” about the conversations.

FBI wiretaps formed the core of the evidence against Blagojevich. The Democrat’s 2011 convictions included attempting to trade appointment to the Senate seat Barack Obama vacated to become president for campaign cash.

Blagojevich brings up the possibility of appointing Pritzker to the Senate. But Pritzker doesn’t express interest. He does sound interested in the Illinois treasurer’s job: “That’s the one I would want.”

“If one listens to the actual calls released in the story there was nothing untoward about JB’s conversations with the Governor,” said Pritzker campaign spokeswoman Galia Slayen.

“Throughout JB’s life he’s had an interest in serving the people of Illinois and that’s exactly what he expressed when discussing a potential opening in the Treasurer’s office.

“In fact, when the Governor brings up whether JB would be interested in being appointed to the Senate, on multiple occasions JB expresses he is not and moves away from the type of conversation that landed Rod Blagojevich in prison.”

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Cubs Fall 2-1 To Padres, Capping An 0-6 Road Trip

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Rookie Franchy Cordero tripled in the eighth and scored on Yangervis Solarte’s fielder’s choice and the San Diego Padres beat Chicago 2-1 Wednesday, the Cubs’ season-high sixth straight loss.

Luis Perdomo and two relievers combined to hold the struggling Cubs to three hits. The rebuilding Padres won their season-high fourth straight game and swept the Cubs for the first time since Aug. 6-8, 2012.

The defending World Series champion Cubs, who were swept at the Dodgers during the weekend, finished their first winless trip of at least six games since Aug. 3-8, 2012, when they also lost three at Los Angeles and three at San Diego.

Overall the Cubs have lost seven in a row on the road.

Cordero, who made his big league debut on Saturday, tripled to right-center off Koji Uehara (1-3) leading off the eighth. Solarte hit a grounder to second baseman Ian Happ, whose throw home wasn’t in time to get Cordero.

Brad Hand (1-3) pitched a perfect eighth for the win and Brandon Maurer pitched the ninth for his eighth save.

The Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the second. Anthony Rizzo was hit with a pitch for the second time in three games and didn’t look happy about it. He tossed his bat aside and slowly walked to first. He stole second, advanced on Happ’s fly to center field and scored on Willson Contreras’ two-out infield single.

Ryan Schimpf tied it with a leadoff homer off Jake Arrieta in the second. Shimpf came in hitting .166. Of his 25 hits, 14 are homers.

Arrieta went six innings, holding San Diego to one run and five hits while striking out seven and walking two.

Perdomo allowed one run and three hits in seven innings, struck out four and walked two.

UP NEXT

Cubs: Return home for an off day Thursday before RHP John Lackey (4-5, 5.18) is scheduled to oppose RHP Lance Lynn (4-3, 2.93) in the opener of a three-game series against St. Louis.

Padres: After a day off, LHP Clayton Richard (3-6, 4.33) is scheduled to open a three-game series against Colorado, which will counter with RHP German Marquez (4-2,3.76)

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press.

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Man, 19, Charged With Having 2 Pounds Of Marijuana In Riverside

CHICAGO (CBS) — A 19-year-old man was charged Tuesday with felony cannabis possession after two pounds of the drug was discovered in his car following a traffic stop in west suburban Riverside.

A Riverside police officer responded to a call of a street robbery about 9:04 p.m. Tuesday at the corner of 26th Street and Harem Avenue when he saw a black 2017 Chevrolet Cruze speeding away from the area, according to a statement from Riverside police.

The officer then stopped the car and walked up to the driver’s side, police said. He smelled a “strong odor of cannabis” coming from the inside and its driver. A 23-year-old man was also in the car at the time of the stop.

Dangelo Colon (Credit: Riverside police)

After the officer asked whether the driver had been smoking marijuana, Dangelo Colon noted that he had recently bought a small amount of the drug on Chicago’s North Side and was headed to his home, police said. Officers then searched the car, uncovering a small amount of a leafy green substance that tested positive for cannabis.

During the stop, Colon appeared “extremely nervous,” sweating and giving conflicting accounts of what he and his passenger were doing prior to being pulled over, police said. Colon and the passenger were then taken to the Riverside police station for further investigation and the car was towed for evidence.

After arriving at the station, Riverside police contacted the Cook County Sheriff’s K9 Unit to search the car, police said. The search uncovered two pounds of cannabis packaged inside the car, as well as drug paraphernalia.

Two pounds of cannabis found. (Credit: Riverside police)

After the marijuana was uncovered, Colon said he drove from Shorewood to an abandoned strip mall at Harlem and North avenues in Chicago’s Galewood neighborhood where he bought 2 pounds of cannabis for $1,700 in cash, police said. He was driving home from Harlem Avenue to I-55 when Riverside police pulled him over.

Colon was charged with felony possession of cannabis over 500 grams, felony manufacture and delivery of cannabis, possession of drug paraphernalia and speeding, police said. His car was also seized during his arrest, and Riverside police are attempting to file civil seizure paperwork as a result of the incident.

Colon’s passenger, a 23-year-old Bolingbrook man, was also cited for possessing less than 10 grams of cannabis, police said. The passenger was not involved in the sale or possession of the two pounds of cannabis.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2016. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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Man Charged With Stealing Copper Wire From South Side Metra Rail Yard

CHICAGO (CBS) — A south suburban man was charged Tuesday with stealing $1,500 in copper wire from a Metra rail yard on the South Side.

About 1 a.m. Tuesday, Orlando Dampier was caught stealing copper wire in a Metra yard at 12301 S. Indiana Ave., according to a statement from Metra.

Dampier, 36, of Dolton, was charged with felony theft, is a suspect in multiple other thefts from Metra property and also has pending Metra police charges, the statement said. He is also wanted on four outstanding Lake County, Ind. felony theft arrest warrants.

In addition, Dampier is also a suspect in multiple tire thefts and car burglaries near Metra service areas, the statement said. Metra detectives are working with other police departments in those areas.

A second suspect also caught trespassing Tuesday fled the area, Metra said. Detectives have identified that person and are seeking his arrest.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2016. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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EEOC: Rosebud Restaurants Will Pay $1.9M; Recruit And Hire Blacks

CHICAGO (CBS) — Rosebud Restaurants will pay nearly $2 million for refusing to recruit and hire black employees, and allowing managers to use slurs to refer to blacks.

The payment of $1.9 million will settle a class race discrimination lawsuit filed against the restaurant chain by the federal government in September 2013, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which announced a consent decree in the case Wednesday.

Thirteen Rosebud restaurants in Chicago and the suburbs “refused to hire African-Americans because of their race,” the suit alleged. It also claimed restaurant managers, including owner Alex Dana, “used racial slurs to refer to blacks.”

Many of the firm’s chain of Italian restaurants “had no African-American employees at all,” according to a statement from EEOC announcing the settlement.

The suit was filed after the federal government failed to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its concili­ation process.

The consent decree, approved by U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Rowland, calls for Rosebud to “pay $1.9 million to African-American applicants who were denied jobs,” according to EEOC.

Rosebud has also “agreed to hiring goals for qualified black applicants, with the aim that 11 percent of Rosebud’s future workforce be African-American.”

Race discrimination and retaliation will be banned, and Rosebud will be required to “recruit African-American applicants, train employees and managers about race discrimination and retaliation, provide periodic reports to EEOC on compliance…”

The suit covers The Rosebud; Carmine’s; Rosebud on Rush; Rosebud Prime; Mama’s Boy; Rosebud Steakhouse; Rosebud Deerfield; Rosebud in Naperville; and the shuttered Rosebud Old World Italian; Rosebud Theatre District; Rosebud of Highland Park; Rosebud Burger & Comfort Foods; Rosebud Trattoria; Joe Fish; EATT; Bar Umbriago; and Centro.

EEOC Chicago Regional Attorney Gregory Gochanour said in the statement: “African-Americans have faced and still face barriers in being hired at upscale restaurants, especially in visible, and often well-paid, positions such as server. That is why the recruiting and hiring relief in this decree is so important. It will lead directly to qualified blacks being hired for front- and back-of-the-house positions, helping to remedy past discrimination by Rosebud and ensuring equal employment opportunities for future African-American applicants.”

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2016. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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3 Strategies That Could Help Boost Local Sales For Your Small Business

 
Are you struggling for each and every sale you make with your new small business? You aren’t alone. There are many great small organizations all over the country that just haven’t found ways to really reach their best audiences, which are usually those that are most local and most connected. Connection is everything here, so if you’re looking for ways to boost your local sales, you’ll want to identify a few strategies to connect with your clients and leads. As you’re navigating these tricky waters, here are a few suggestions to get you started.

 

 
Define your niche

It’s very hard to truly identify your target audience, and the more broad your target is, the harder it will be to effectively market to that niche. When it comes to sales and small business, a good focus is everything, and there are a few different ways to help you identify the who and what of your target audience. Try ranking the profitability of your current prospects, as it’s a good way to start honing in on who will be the most profitable, and therefore the most desirable target audience. You can also look for common denominators through your best clients and customers. Are they all the same age? Do they all tend to shop at a specific place or have a common challenge that you can help solve? Get to know your audience and you’ll have a much easier time identifying your niche.

 
Connect with your audience

In small business, connection means a great deal, and you’ll find your customers will turn into customers for life if they feel connected to you and your business. Get personal with your customer and create a human connection. You can do this by picking up the phone instead of sending an email, and be willing to ask questions and listen more then you talk. Too many sales people talk over their clients or leads, when the most effective sales person lets the customer sell to themselves. Ask questions, talk to them, make a connection, remember their names and find ways to personally connect — it will go a very long way towards creating deep and meaningful customer relationships.

 
Sell to your existing customers more

You’ve already built a connection with them, and they’ve already proven they like what you have to offer, so why not spend a bit more time focusing on the customers that you already have. Start by making a list of your current clients and identify the top spenders and most loyal customers. Then create some programs to help them spend more with you. Try a VIP program that offers an incentive or two for buying more products or services, or offer early access to new releases or new products to your current clients. Give them just a little bit of the VIP treatment, and you’ll find they return to buy from you again and again.
 

 
This article was written by Deborah Flomberg for CBS Small Business Pulse.
 

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2018 Will Be Hawk Harrleson’s Final Season In Broadcast Booth, Then He’ll Serve As Organizational Ambassador

(CBS) White Sox television play-by-play man Ken “Hawk” Harrelson will return for a reduced workload in 2018 and then step away from broadcasting, the team announced Wednesday.

In 2018, Harrelson will work a 20-game schedule, primarily focusing on Sunday home games. Jason Benetti — who currently calls home games — will handle the rest of the broadcast load and has also signed a multi-year deal to continue as the team’s play-by-play voice.

2018 will mark Harrelson’s 34th season in the booth. He’s a five-time Emmy Award winner, three-time Ford Frick Award nominee and two-time Illinois Sportscaster of the Year.

“Hawk has left a lasting imprint on the game of baseball across what will be an amazing career in the game,” White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. “His passion for the White Sox – and for the game of baseball – is apparent in every telecast he does. There have been only a handful of broadcasters who literally have re-written the dictionary of baseball terminology and nicknames. He became the famous voice of White Sox baseball, coining well-known phrases like ‘you can put it on the board’ and colorful nicknames like ‘The Big Hurt’ that will be part of baseball culture forever. There will never be another personality in the booth quite like Hawk Harrelson.”

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Bears Sign FB Michael Burton, Waive TE Franko House

(CBS) The Bears made a couple minor roster moves Wednesday, signing fullback Michael Burton and waiving tight end Franko House.

Burton played 31 games for the Lions over the past two seasons before he was waived by them Tuesday. He was originally drafted by the Lions in the fifth round in 2015.

The Bears had signed House, an undrafted free agent, earlier in May.

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Illinois Lawmakers Fail To Reach Agreement On State Budget

SPRINGFIELD (CBS) — Illinois lawmakers will not approve a budget before tonight’s midnight deadline.

The legislative session ends tonight and House Speaker Mike Madigan said there will be no vote on a budget plan. Instead, he said, lawmakers will spend June trying to reach a compromise with Gov. Bruce Rauner.

“We want to cooperate with the governor,” Madigan said.

The state has now gone 699 days without a budget, and both sides are sniping over a stunning record of political failure.

The Senate had passed a budget earlier, and House leaders spent the day behind closed doors, trying to come to an agreement, CBS 2’s Derrick Blakley reports.

In the end, Rep. Greg Harris of Chicago, announced the result.

“There will be no budget vote,” he said.

The Democrats remained divided over the $37 billion Senate budget plan, which includes $5 billion in tax increases.

House lawmakers who are facing a tough re-election battle were balking at voting for tax hikes in a budget that Rauner is likely to veto anyway.

Lawmakers worked over the Memorial Day holiday, in an effort to reach an agreement, but the governor said the Senate’s spending blueprint is too heavy on taxes; and too light on property tax relief, workers’ compensation reforms, and other structural changes he has demanded.

“Why vote for a tax increase in a budget that Rauner is going to veto anyway?” said Rep. Lou Lang.

That means the budget standoff continues and so does the severe squeeze on social services and higher education.

Madigan vowed to continue to work toward a budget before the new fiscal year on July 1.

Financial watchdogs warn without a deal, Illinois faces even more severe financial penalties, including a lower bond rating. That would mean the state would pay higher interest rates on loans needed to meet state obligations.

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Prosecutors To Drop Charges In Stanley Cup Dead Catfish Toss

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Prosecutors are dropping charges filed against a Tennessee man for throwing a catfish onto the rink in Pittsburgh during the opening of the Stanley Cup Final.

Jacob Waddell, 36, was charged in Allegheny County with disorderly conduct, possessing instruments of crime and disrupting meetings or processions after tossing the dead fish over the glass surrounding the rink Monday night during the Nashville Predators-Pittsburgh Penguins game.

District Attorney Stephen Zappala said in a Facebook post Wednesday that Waddell’s actions “do not rise to the level of criminal charges” so the charges “will be withdrawn in a timely manner.”

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry had called for the charges to be “quickly dismissed.”

Waddell called himself “a dumb redneck with a bad idea” in a conversation with Nashville radio station WGFX-FM. He said he bought an “entirely too big” catfish in Tennessee, fileted it and cut half the spine out, and then ran over it with his pickup truck several times to make it easier to pack.

“I tried putting it in my boot, but … the head was too damn big,” he said. “No matter how much I ran over it with the truck, the head was too damn big.”

He said he sprayed the fish with cologne and body spray, packed it in a cooler, and sneaked it into the arena by stuffing it down his pants between two layers of regular and compression underwear – having tested the method by wearing the fish at his in-law’s home for 20 minutes without them suspecting anything. He took his $350 upper-level seat before descending to the lower level to accomplish the stunt.

“It was absolutely — 10 times over — worth it,” he told the station. “I would do it a thousand more times, absolutely.”

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press.

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DCFS Chief Resigning In Wake Of Missteps In Semaj Crosby Case

CHICAGO (CBS) — The head of the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has resigned, in the wake of an agency report acknowledging missteps leading up to the death of a 2-year-old girl in Joliet Township.

The Rauner administration confirmed DCFS Director George Sheldon has resigned. Sheldon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Sheldon’s resignation comes less than a week after the state’s child welfare agency released a report conceding missteps in its contact with the family of 2-year-old Semaj Crosby, who was found dead in her Joliet Township home last month, less than two days after she was reported missing on April 25.

Her body was found underneath a couch, and an autopsy proved inconclusive.

Within days of Semaj’s death, Sheldon defended DCFS caseworkers who had visited the toddler’s home a few hours before she disappeared, but did not find reason to remove her or her siblings from the home, even though local officials had described the conditions inside the home as deplorable.

“An untidy or dirty home doesn’t mean we remove the child, because the child may be loved and cared for – but they may be poor,” Sheldon said at the time.

Sheldon said filth alone is not enough to remove children.

“Based on what I have seen – and I’ve seen some of the records and read a significant amount of them — none of the instances in that home warranted removal,” he said.

DCFS released a 26-page report on Semaj’s death on Friday. One of the topics in the report: what’s referred to as the “cognitive limitations” of Semaj’s mother. These limitations were never addressed by DCFS caseworkers, the report says.

Once, the report says, Semaj’s mother told a caseworker she only had two sons and that the youngest two children, including Semaj, were the children of another woman in the home — in reality, Semaj’s aunt.

On another visit, a caseworker reports seeing Semaj’s mother sweeping “debris from the floor into a corner of the house.”

Also, according to the report, three adults living in the home had been named previously as “alleged perpetrators in child protection investigations.”

The report makes several mentions of one of Semaj’s siblings: a 7-year-old with suicidal tendencies.

Semaj’s mother reportedly refused to take him to the hospital or refill his psychotropic medication.

DCFS concludes in the report that caseworkers did not make an effort to adequately address problems.

The home where Semaj was condemned after the girl’s death; authorities said conditions were squalid. The vacant house burned to the ground May 6.

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Martellus Bennett Delivers Championship Rings To Morgan Park Basketball Team

(CBS) About two months after he stepped up to help fund championship rings for the Morgan Park boys’ basketball team’s state title-winning team, ex-Bear and current Packers tight end Martellus Bennett has helped delivered the hardware to the youngsters.

Bennett also helped design the ring in conjunction with Jostens. Late Tuesday, he posted a photo commemorating the delivery of the rings to Morgan Park players to his Instagram account.

The Mustangs won won the 3A state title in March against Fenwick, but neither the school nor CPS had the financial resources for the players, coaches and staff to get championship rings. Athletic director Michael Berger made a plea on Twitter asking for help in late March, after which Bennett, comedian Hannibal Buress and Fenwick — again, the losing team — were among those who stepped up with generous donations to help the Mustangs get championship rings.

Morgan Park thanked Bennett for his support and efforts.

Morgan Park High School would like to thank @MartysaurusRex for his generosity and for all those who made last night so special #empehi http://pic.twitter.com/H6rXlfQHCp

— MorganPark Athletics (@EMPEHIAthletics) May 31, 2017

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Chris Bosio: No Panic For Cubs In NL Central Where ‘Everybody’s Just Trying To Find Themselves’

Businesses Worried About Plans To Rebuild 55th & LaGrange Intersection

CHICAGO (CBS) — Businesses near a very busy west suburban intersection are worried about the state’s plans to rebuild the junction starting in three or four years.

The intersection is 55th and LaGrange Road in Countryside.

Ray Manz owns Café Salsa on 55th Street just east of LaGrange Road. He’s worried about a lengthy median that could keep people from turning into his business from the eastbound lanes of 55th.

“They have to do a U-turn, and flip around, and it’s going to be a disaster,” he says.

Manz says the new intersection could impact the jobs of some of the 100 people who work in businesses near 55th and LaGrange.

John Walano is one of the owners of Main Street Wine and Spirits on LaGrange Road, north of the intersection. His and other businesses stand to lose parking spaces.

“It’s going to kill a lot of businesses. It really would. To take away half your parking is big, and we can’t afford to lose that,” he says.

Walano also is concerned about access to businesses being reduced.

“When you’re an in-and-out store like a liquor store, a grocery store, people make a different route change. If it’s a pain in the butt to get in and out of there, you’re not the only person on the street. There’s a lot of competition, and they’ll go elsewhere,” he says.

Illinois Department of Transportation officials meet with area business owners on Thursday. IDOT project manager Carlos Feliciano, IDOT’s in-house project and environmental studies unit head says the state is open to making changes to the reconstruction plan, if possible.

“If there’s any way to mitigate any impact, we’re open to listening to the businesses,” he says. “They may have to reconfigure how the striping of their parking is set up, so instead of perpendicular parking, maybe they will have to change it to parallel parking.”

Construction would not begin for three to four years.

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Mayor Emanuel Pushes Bill For Fairly Distributed Education Money

CHICAGO (CBS) — Mayor Emanuel is expressing high hopes for legislation in Springfield that takes a step towards resolving Illinois’ long-term school funding problems.

At a South Side school Mayor Emanuel said he is pushing for a passage of a bill now before the Illinois House that would fairly, he said, change the way education money is distributed across the state. And yes, Chicago would benefit, but so would many other districts.

“I think they have worked through the issues so everybody moves forward,” Mayor Emanuel said. “And most importantly, the school districts that focus and have a concentration of poor kids get the assistance they need financially. Now we are not asking, money does not solve the problems alone, but without it you can’t make gains.”

Still the Mayor would not predict the measure would make it to the Governor’s desk.

“I’m not going to answer a question, predicting a vote because I know enough about how votes happen. I want to get back, what I do want to do is to get away from this podium and get on the phone,” Mayor Emanuel said.

And he left soon afterwards.

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Preview: Red Sox-White Sox

Drew Pomeranz opposes Mike Pelfrey tonight at Guaranteed Rate Field.

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Dottie Pepper On Memorial Tournament: ‘This Field Is Awesome’

By Dave Shedloski

As a way to give back to the game of golf and to his hometown of Columbus, Jack Nicklaus founded the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide in 1976. From its inception, it has been one of the premiere events on the PGA TOUR.

No less than Clifford Roberts, co-founder of Augusta National Golf Club, saw in the Memorial Tournament an event that set itself apart early. “Jack, you have an opportunity to do in four years what it took us 40 years to do,” Roberts told Nicklaus. “Everything about this operation bespeaks quality.”

Well, 40-plus years later, the Memorial Tournament still bespeaks quality. The 42nd edition of the Golden Bear’s event returns to the only venue its ever known, Muirfield Village Golf Club, with 120 of the game’s best players vying for $8.5 million.

The field, always strong, includes all of the top 10 in the FedExCup standings, including Dustin Johnson, who tops the list and also is No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking. World No. 3 Jason Day now makes his home in the Columbus area and is a member of Muirfield Village.

CBS Sports on-course reporter Dottie Pepper takes a look at what to expect at this venerable invitational and who might receive the winning handshake from the Golden Bear at week’s end.

You know Muirfield Village from your play in the 1998 Solheim Cup. What makes it such a great layout?

The piece of land, for starters, is magnificent. The elevation changes are fantastic. And then you get to the routing. It’s brilliant. There’s space to play. Space for people to be out there. They have managed some tree issues. There are some great water features that have become integrated. It’s a great walk.

>>MORE: Favorite Course: Muirfield Village Golf Club

This week’s field features six of the top 10 in the world and all of the top 10 in the FedExCup standings. Perennially this event has had a strong field.

The golf course is probably in the top five they play all year. It’s a major quality golf course, and they have a major quality field. Position on the schedule doesn’t hurt. And how can you say no to Jack? It’s a hard thing. This field is pretty awesome.

Despite bringing in such top talent, we’ve seen surprise winners the last few years. What do you make of that?

It doesn’t play into anyone’s hands. It’s a testament to some changes made and how the golf course is designed. You have to get the ball in play. If anything, while they have lengthened the golf course, it didn’t help the bombers. It doesn’t reward [the] driver on every hole. You have to hit a shot.

How important is this event in terms of preparation for the U.S. Open?

It’s really important. You know the greens are going to be crazy fast, and it’s a pretty quintessential but old-style U.S. Open-like golf course. If you were going to prepare for the U.S. Open, it would be hard to not put the Memorial on your schedule.

Is this the week for Jason Day to get a win, being his home course?

Seemed like he started to find his form at the Byron Nelson. It wasn’t a great defense of his title at Players, but he started to come around in Texas. But it’s hard to play at home. You almost need another person to handle all the other stuff you have to deal with. It helps this week that he played well in his last start. He has a lot of positives to draw on.

>>MORE: Golf Expert Interviews

Who do you like for favorites and dark horses?

It’s kind of hard to ignore Dustin Johnson. And Jon Rahm. He plays well seemingly every week. I would put J.B. Homes in that group if he drives it as well as he did for the first three days at The Players. For dark horses, Patrick Cantlay is someone to keep an eye on. I would stay in the Cs and put Bud Cauley in there. He’s been very good lately. Lucas Glover is starting to get it turned around, and he’s a pretty good mudder, if the weather turns a bit to the rainy side.

Journalist and author David Shedloski of Columbus, Ohio, has been covering golf since 1986, first as a daily newspaper reporter and later as a freelance writer for various magazines and Internet outlets. A winner of 23 national writing awards, including 20 for golf coverage, Shedloski is currently a contributing writer for Golf World and GolfDigest.com and serves as editorial director for The Memorial, the official magazine of the Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio. He is the author of three books and has contributed to three others, including the second edition of “Golf For Dummies,” with Gary McCord. He’s a fan of all Cleveland professional sports teams, the poor fellow.

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5 Tax Credits & Incentives For Illinois Businesses

 
Illinois comes in at 23rd on the Tax Foundation’s 2017 State Business Tax Climate Index. The index, an overall view of state tax systems, weighs the burden of corporate, individual, sales, unemployment and property taxes to create a picture of each state’s business environment. Illinois falls roughly at the mid-point of all 50 states when it comes to business competitiveness based on tax policy. However, Illinois businesses may gain an edge by taking advantage of state tax incentives designed to make the Land of Lincoln more business-friendly.

 

 
Illinois Enterprise Zones

Businesses located in one of the 104 Enterprise Zones in Illinois may be eligible for incentives and exemptions. Statewide, these include an exemption on building materials taxes, an investment tax credit and exemptions on certain state sales, utilities and telecommunication excise taxes. Individual zones may offer additional incentives. The Enterprise Zone Program is administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO).

 
River Edge Redevelopment Zone

Zones within Aurora, East St. Louis, Elgin, Peoria and Rockford have been designated River Edge Redevelopment Zones. The program’s purpose is to revive properties along Illinois Rivers. Eligible businesses may qualify for Environmental Remediation Tax credits, interest and dividend income deductions, sales tax exemption on building materials and property tax abatement. The River Edge Redevelopment program is administered by the Illinois DCEO.

 
High Impact Business Program

This program targets businesses located outside Enterprise Zones that generate large-scale economic activity. To qualify for the High Impact Business Program, a business must invest a minimum of $12 million into a project that creates 500 full-time jobs or, $30 million to retain 1,500 full-time jobs. Incentives are similar to those in the Enterprise Zone Program, which include investment tax credits and sales tax exemptions on building materials and utilities. This program is also administered by the DCEO.

 
Illinois Historic Preservation Tax Credit Program

Businesses located in a River Edge Redevelopment Zone may qualify for this program designed to assist property owners with the rehabilitation of certified historic structures. Structures include individual buildings or those within a district listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Illinois Historic Preservation Agency (IHPA) can help to determine eligibility of a particular structure.

The program offers a state income tax credit equal to 25 percent of expenditures to rehab qualifying properties. This is in addition to income tax credits offered at the federal level. To qualify, the structure must be used to generate income. This includes rental income, commercial, agricultural and industrial use. To qualify, expenditures must equal or exceed $5,000 and represent at least 50 percent of the properties purchase price. The program is administered jointly by the Illinois DECO and the IHPA.

 
Illinois Film Services Tax Credit

With the goal of attracting filmmakers to Illinois, the State Assembly passed the Film Production Tax Credit Act in 2008, which offers a 30 percent tax credit on production and post-production expenditures for producers filming in Illinois. Qualifying expenses include amounts paid to Illinois vendors and wages paid to state residents up to $100,000 per individual. The program is administered by the Illinois Film Office.

 

 
This article was written by Gillian Burdett for CBS Small Business Pulse
 

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Bernstein: Cubs’ Jake Arrieta Really Loved That Brawl

By Dan Bernstein–
CBSChicago.com senior columnist

(CBS) Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta was a big fan of the melee Monday that started when Giants relievers Hunter Strickland hit Nationals slugger Bryce Harper with a pitch. Though he says he has never been in a baseball fight of any kind.

“I thought it was awesome,” Arrieta told 670 The Score on Tuesday, calling the decision to charge the mound “refreshing.”

“When something like that happens, versus continuing to chirp and talk about it, why don’t you go out there and see somebody?” he asked rhetorically. “If two guys want to go see each other, let them be in the middle, let them throw some punches, then break it up. What I don’t like to see is a lot of chirping and guys just talking crap to each other. If you’ve got something wrong with a guy, go see him. And then they’ll break it up and continue to play the game.”

As Arrieta continued to discuss the event, he even sounded more than ready for his chance at something similar with every next response, going so far as to lay out the free rein he’d appreciate from his catcher.

“I want him to wait, and give me an opportunity to do a little damage,” he said. “I don’t want it broken up right away. I like my chances toe to toe with just about anybody. Hey, give me 10, 15 seconds to get some work in and then come out and see me.”

Even as he conceded that an injury to an important player could significantly damage a team’s chances of winning, Arrieta still believes such occurrences are appropriate “in the heat of battle.”

And he wasn’t alone on his team in condoning behavior that much of the rest of us find aberrant, either. Even manager Joe Maddon — renowned as more of a new-agey postmodern thinker than some of his peers — finds his inner tough guy regarding such topics. Talking with 670 The Score earlier in the day, Maddon supported Harper’s decision to attack Strickland.

“I don’t blame Bryce for what he did whatsoever,” Maddon said. “I always tell my hitters ‘Either go to first or go to the mound if you’re challenged like that.’”

When it comes to curtailing fighting, Maddon was dubious about the effectiveness of a top-down solution.

“I just think it has to be a peer kind of thing,” he said. “I don’t think it can be external. I don’t think people in suits or managers or whatever talking to them is going to change anything. It’d have to almost be a paradigm shift among the players, peer discussion that ‘Listen, we’ve got to get beyond this situation, because it’s very dangerous to everybody.’ But again, I do not blame Harper one bit for what he did.”

It doesn’t seem as if that kind of discussion among players is going to happen any time soon, however, with more siding with Arrieta than some may care to believe. What appears from the outside to be stupid, reckless machismo is seen from another perspective as competitive fire that can’t be sublimated in ways allowed by contact and collision sports.

Somebody with experience in both is Giants right-hander Jeff Samardzija, who was a record-setting receiver at Notre Dame and a two-time All-American. The former Cub was involved in the scrum following Harper’s charge, and he later got a text from a former teammate.

Arrieta said he sent him a note that read “Man, that was awesome.”

Dan Bernstein is a co-host of 670 The Score’s “Bernstein and Goff Show” in afternoon drive. You can follow him on Twitter  @dan_bernstein and read more of his columns here.

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NASA Mission To “Touch The Sun” Named For Renowned U Of C Professor

CHICAGO (CBS) — NASA has announced an unprecedented mission to “touch the sun” will be named after a noted solar astrophysicist at the University of Chicago.

Next year, NASA plans to launch the Solar Probe Plus mission, sending a space vehicle to within 4 million miles of the surface of the sun – the closest a man-made object ever has been to our solar system’s star.

The 7-year misison will be named in honor of longtime University of Chicago astronomy and astrophysics professor Eugene Parker. It’s the first NASA mission named after a living person.

“It is my great honor, a few days before your 90th birthday, Gene – to announce that we’re renaming the Solar Probe Plus space probe to be known from now on as the Parker Solar Probe,” NASA Science Mission Directorate associate administrator Thomas Zurbuchen said at an event at the university’s William Eckhardt Research Center Auditorium.

This is the first time NASA has named a mission after a living person. More about Parker Solar Probe here: https://t.co/rCW4AVGrUd http://pic.twitter.com/yrJZf6wFu1

— NASA Sun & Space (@NASASun) May 31, 2017

If it works, the Parker Solar Probe will send back forecast information about the sun’s atmosphere and solar winds.

Parker first hypothesized solar winds exist in 1958. His research has greatly increased the understanding of solar winds, the Sun’s corona, the Earth’s and Sun’s magnetic fields, and more solar phenomena.

Parker said it was a real honor to have such an auspicious mission named after him.

“I’m certainly greatly honored to be associated with such a heroic scientific space mission,” he said.

It’s a mission that generations of scientists have thought was nearly impossible.

No previous spacecraft has ever been built to withstand the sun’s incredible heat and radiation.

NASA's first-ever mission to our sun goes from idea to reality. Learn more about Parker Solar Probe: https://t.co/rCW4AVGrUd http://pic.twitter.com/Tby2QlG8qy

— NASA Sun & Space (@NASASun) May 31, 2017

The car-sized spacecraft will need to withstand 2500-degree Fahrenheit temperatures.

NASA has said the mission also aims to reveal why the surface of the sun, called the photosphere, is not as hot as the sun’s atmosphere, called the corona. The surface of the sun is about 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit. But the atmosphere above it is significantly hotter, at a blazing 3.5 million degrees, according to NASA.

To deal with the extreme temperatures involved in the mission, NASA scientists have designed a 4.5-inch-thick carbon-composite shield for the probe, so it can withstand the 2500 degree Fahrenheit temperatures at its destination.

In addition, the probe will have special heat tubes called thermal radiators that will radiate heat that permeates the heat shield to open space, so it doesn’t damage heat-sensitive instruments. If the shielding and heat tubes work as designed, the instruments inside the probe will stay at room temperature.

While this mission will be unmanned, given enough time and money, NASA believes it could develop a spacecraft to carry astronauts to within 4 million miles of the sun.

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Forrest Claypool Says Rauner Administration Treatment To CPS Is Discriminatory

CHICAGO (CBS) — Chicago Public Schools Chief Forrest Claypool said he is not holding his breath for help from Springfield to keep city schools open, but he is confident they will keep going.

Forest Claypool sought to reassure parents and students worried about how the schools would fare without state money. WBBM’s Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports.

“We will open the schools in the fall and we do whatever is necessary to do that, and the mayor is committed to that as well,” he said.

But in a speech to the City Club of Chicago he still portrayed the Rauner Administration’s treatment to Chicago Public Schools as more than discriminatory; he likens it to segregation.

“There is no way to sugarcoat this,” Claypool said. “As the lawyers representing CPS and five parent plaintiffs in the ongoing civil rights lawsuit against Governor Rauner, and the state of Illinois have written, although the state has not installed signs on schoolhouse doors that say ‘whites only’ and ‘colored,’ the state has used its check book to accomplish exactly that.”

The Rauner Administration has said CPS’ financial woes are the result of years of mismanagement. A spokeswoman for the Governor said, while Claypool gives speeches, the Governor and his team are in Springfield working to find a solution to our state’s budget crisis.

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Girl, 16, Charged With Fatally Stabbing Uber Driver In Lincolnwood

CHICAGO (CBS) — A 16-year-old girl has been charged with murder, for allegedly stabbing an Uber driver to death on Tuesday in north suburban Lincolnwood.

Eliza Wasni, 16, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of 34-year-old Grant Nelson, of Wilmette, and was scheduled to appear in bond court in Skokie at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s office.

Lincolnwood police Nelson was stabbed around 3:20 a.m. near the intersection of Touhy and Lincoln avenues. He was taken to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, where he was pronounced dead around 8 a.m. Tuesday.

Grant Nelson (CBS)

Nelson had just finished Memorial Day dinner with his family when he decided to make some extra cash and drive for Uber, according to his family. Described as a gentle and kind man with no enemies, Nelson’s father calling the killing random.

The ongoing investigation revealed Grant was working as an Uber driver and was dropping off a fare in the area when the attack occured.

Lincolnwood Police called the stabbing isolated and stressed there is no risk to the community. Police said the suspect was found hiding behind a building nearby shortly after the stabbing.

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Preview: Cubs-Padres

Jake Arrieta opposes Luis Perdomo this afternoon at Petco Park.

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Trucker Killed When Semi Trailer Crashes, Rolls Over In LaPorte County

CHICAGO (CBS) — A semi truck pulling a double trailer crashed early Wednesday morning, killing the driver, on I-94 in northwest Indiana.

Around 6:06 a.m., the semi went off the road for unknown reasons and rolled over on I-94 eastbound at the 36-mile marker, two miles east of the Michigan City exit in LaPorte County, according to Indiana State Police.

The driver was trapped inside the tractor, which was wrapped behind a bridge pillar, ISP said. Food products and paint inside the double trailer spilled out onto the road, shoulder and into the Trail Creek waterway. Diesel fuel and oil from the tractor were also lost.

#MichiganCity – Ugly delay EB I-94 due to semi crash at Johnson Rd. It's parked starting before 421. Heavy wreckers & hazmat Crew on scene. http://pic.twitter.com/8PDwyoAy2N

— Jeanette Hudson (@JHudsontraffic) May 31, 2017

The driver had to be extricated from the semi, and died before an ambulance arrived, ISP said. The name of the driver has been withheld pending notification of the family.

Westbound traffic is open but two eastbound lanes are closed, ISP said. The only lane open is the closed construction lane.

Drivers are urged to use alternate routes for travel and to expect long delays, ISP said. There is currently no estimated time for how long the lanes will be closed for cleanup and investigating the crash.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2017. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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Urban League Calls For Lawmakers To Reject Gun Crimes Legislation

CHICAGO (CBS) — The Chicago Urban League has urged lawmakers not to pass legislation that would increase sentences for repeat gun offenders, saying it would only lead to more black people in prison and cost taxpayers millions, while not helping reduce violent crime.

Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson backed the legislation to increase penalties for repeat gun offenders, and Mayor Rahm Emanuel also lobbied in favor of the measure, but the Urban League said it won’t help reduce gun violence in Chicago.

In testimony submitted on the legislation earlier this year, Urban League President and CEO Shari Runner said the measure “targets people possessing guns, not shooting guns.”

It casts too wide of a net, failing to consider criminal justice risk factors that have been tied to future violence, such as previous violent acts within the home or neighborhood,” she said.

The legislation would increase the sentencing guidelines for judges handing down sentences for repeat gun offenders. Instead of a range of 3 to 14 years in prison, the guidelines would be 7 to 14 years. If a judge wanted to hand down a lesser sentence, they would have to explain why.

The House approved the legislation on Monday, but the House Black Caucus temporarily held up the proposal, arguing there is no proof tougher sentences would drive down crime, and would only lead to more minorities being locked up. The hold has since been removed, and the Senate is moving forward with likely passage on Wednesday.

The Urban League said mandatory minimum sentences for drug charges decimated the black community, leaving children without parents, and branding young people with criminal records. The group said the gun crime legislation would be more of the same.

Chicago Police First Deputy Supt. Kevin Navarro said race is not the issue.

“I think what it’s going to do is lead to the arrests of the right people: repeat gun offenders, regardless of race, creed, or color. So that’s the important thing,” he said.

The Urban League argued the new sentencing guidelines would only put more black people in prison, and cost taxpayers millions.

Runner also said the legislation doesn’t address the wide availability of guns in minority neighborhoods, or to crack down on illegal gun trafficking.

“This bill, were it to become law, would have no lasting impact on gun violence in Chicago, because it does not address the root causes that underlie violence: gun availability, poverty, trauma and the disinvestments in neighborhoods, schools and services that disadvantage families and communities,” she said.

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State Budget Deadline Looms, But No End In Sight For 2-Year Impasse

CHICAGO (CBS) — State lawmakers have one last shot to approve a budget deal before the spring session ends at midnight, and the task becomes even harder.

A House floor vote was expected Wednesday on a $37 billion budget plan approved by the Senate with only Democratic votes. The measure relies on more than $5 billion in tax increases.

Even if House Democrats can agree on a budget plan, Gov. Bruce Rauner likely will veto it.

Lawmakers worked over the Memorial Day holiday, in an effort to reach an agreement on the budget plan, but the governor said the Senate’s spending blueprint is too heavy on taxes; and too light on property tax relief, workers’ compensation reforms, and other structural changes he has demanded.

Hundreds of school superintendents from across the state planned to convene in Springfield on Wednesday, demanding equitable school funding now.

Rauner has said he supports efforts to change the state’s education funding formula so poorer school districts get more money, but he blasted House Democrats for trying to use the state budget to bail out the cash-strapped Chicago Public Schools, blaming CPS for its own financial troubles.

“What we need is a true education funding formula that is fair for all school districts, all low-income school districts, including the city of Chicago; but not a special deal for Chicago where they get hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars more, that no other school district gets,” he said.

The governor said Chicago wants special treatment as part of a state budget deal.

“Unfortunately, the majority party in the House of Representatives hijacked the process in the Senate – as they have done repeatedly over the last two years. They took the bill and they inserted a whole lot of extra things to bail out Chicago; massive bailout to the city of Chicago, not fair, not right, not acceptable, unfair to the taxpayers of the state of Illinois,” Rauner said.

The House and Senate have until midnight Wednesday night to approve a spending plan for the next fiscal year with a simple majority vote. After that, they would need a three-fifths supermajority.

The state already has gone nearly two years without a full balanced budget.

Meantime, dozens of protesters were arrested Tuesday night at the Illinois State Capitol. Members of the Fair Economy Illionis group marched to Springfield, pushing for what they billed as a “people and planet first” budget. To make their point, they staged a sit-in and blocked the entrance to the governor’s office. Around 10:30 p.m., 34 members of the group were handcuffed and dragged out of the building, and charged with criminal trespassing.

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Taxi Driver Wounded In East Garfield Park Shooting, Robbery Attempt

CHICAGO (CBS) — A taxi driver was shot in the East Garfield Park neighborhood while trying to pick up a fare who apparently tried to rob him early Wednesday.

Police said the 58-year-old man was shot in the chest around 1 a.m., near Avers Avenue and Huron Street.

Paramedics picked him up a few blocks away, at Chicago and St. Louis avenues, and took him to Stroger Hospital, where his condition was stabilized.

The man’s sons said his name is Talal Kurdieh. They said he picked up a passenger early Wednesday in East Garfield Park, an area he is not used to working in, and the passenger shot him in the chest while trying to rob him.

“He just broke his fast, practicing Ramadan, and I guess he was just trying to make some money. Obviously, it’s his occupation, and I guess he got a pick-up. Instead of the guy coming into the car, actually he said it was a strong-arm robbery and he tried to kill my father,” Abed Kurdieh said.

He said, because of competition from Uber and Lyft, cab drivers like his father can’t afford to turn down any calls for pick-ups.

“You get a pick-up, no matter what or where, you can’t reject it no more. You don’t get as many calls. You just want to make sure you get that money and get out,” he said.

The victim’s sons said he has been a cab driver for more than 30 years, and has never encountered anything like this. They said he is doing well, and called them from the hospital himself to tell them what happened.

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