Bears Slotted For 8th Pick In 2018 NFL Draft

By Chris Emma–

(670 The Score) The Bears will select No. 8 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft after concluding a 5-11 season with a road loss to the Vikings on Sunday.

The draft order didn’t fully take shape until the late-afternoon games were over. The Bears finished with an identical record as the Broncos, Jets and Buccaneers but lost out on the strength-of-schedule tiebreaker.

The Bears now have a top-10 pick for a second straight season under the watch of general manager Ryan Pace, with the team landing the third selection in the 2017 draft. Chicago then traded up one slot to second overall and drafted quarterback Mitchell Trubisky out of North Carolina.

This April, the Bears may move to add targets or protection for Trubisky, who oversaw an offense that struggled during his rookie season.

Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670 The Score 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 and like his Facebook page.

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Officer’s Fatal Shooting Of Two Unjustified; Families Demand Answers

CHICAGO (CBS) — The family of a woman fatally shot by a Chicago Police officer is asking prosecutors to re-open the case.

“To live without our mother — she meant everything to us. And now she’s gone. She’s gone,” said Latonya Jones, one of the victim’s daughters.

In 2015, 55-year-old Bettie Jones opened her apartment building door for officers responding to a neighbor’s domestic disturbance. One of the officers, Robert Rialmo, fired at 19-year-old Quintonio LeGrier, who had a bat.

LeGrier was killed; Jones was fatally shot by accident.

Bettie Jones, left, and Quintonio LeGrier, right. (Photos provided to CBS 2 by respective families)

“She got her life taken away for helping,” Latonya said.

Early this year, prosecutors elected not to criminally charge Rialmo. However, in late December, the city of Chicago’s new police oversight agency, known as COPA, found Rialmo was not justified in firing his weapon.

“State’s Attorney Kim Foxx needs to reexamine the findings that they had in this case — where they simply exonerated the officer,” said Rev. Marshall Hatch with New Mount Pilgrim Church. “She needs to reopen this case; he needs to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.”

Speaking from the church Sunday where both Jones and LeGrier’s funeral services were held, family members and activists asked not only for additional legal scrutiny, but also for Rialmo’s badge and gun to be taken away.

Chicago Police Officer Robert Rialmo. (Photo courtesy of Joel Brodsky)

“If he has access to a gun and a badge, he is a clear and present danger to the public,” Rev. Hatch said.

Rialmo is currently on desk duty.

Rialmo’s attorney says his client was cleared of any criminal wrongdoing, adding the COPA report doesn’t bring any new facts to light and, thus, a reexamination of the case isn’t warranted by the State’s Attorney’s Office.

CBS 2 reached out to the State’s Attorney’s Office and COPA for additional comment; neither have returned our messages.

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Bernstein: John Fox Era Fizzles Out In Chicago

By Dan Bernstein —
670TheScore.com senior columnist

(670 The Score) It just never happened for John Fox or the Bears. Anything for which we waited through three seasons ultimately didn’t materialize, instead only dissipating in an endless and repetitive stream of injuries, penalties and too many losses.

There was a time when it all seemed to make sense, let’s not forget, with Fox representing the idea of solid and familiar coach’s-coach coachiness in the wake of the Marc Trestman disaster, his attractiveness based primarily on him looking the part of something other than quite that weird. We looked past the contentious departure from the Broncos amid tension with John Elway and half-listened to writers from Denver and Charlotte who described Fox as more of a tone-setter than gameday difference-maker, content to make a bet on reliability.

Newly minted Bears general manager Ryan Pace might have taken the job with another man in mind, but he soon came around to accepting Fox as the right fit, working to appreciate a need for an experienced old hand in the building​ and possibly choosing to keep his powder dry for another point down the road.

But Fox’s reputation as a two-year turnaround specialist has been undone here in Chicago, as any steps forward have been met with at least equal and opposite setbacks of every variety. Broken bones and torn ligaments have undermined development up and down the roster, free agency has had more misses than hits, the quarterback position has churned and the kicking game has been a clown car that caught fire in a ditch.

What really worked against Fox, however, has been his fearfulness at every level of his job. A trait that at one point appeared to be stoic, jut-jawed conservatism has been revealed over time to be a crippling self-paralysis that infected overall strategy and behavior in a league that has increasingly rewarded boldness and bigger thinking. His risk calculus has always calibrated down, trying in vain to assert more control over outcomes by keeping games safer and closer, only to make his team more likely to be victimized by his shortcomings.

It’s the irony of his tenure with the Bears — a head coach who did everything he could to play games tight, then compiling an 8-19 record in games decided by eight points or fewer, a .296 percentage that’s nearly identical to the .292 winning percentage of his overall 14-34 mark in Chicago. Fox schemed to create a slimmer margin for error, then kept ending up on the wrong side of it by trying to avoid all the things that he thought could go wrong while still stumbling upon others.

His down-and-distance decisions have always perplexed, while management of the game clock has been consistent only in its confusion and his inability to answer for it. Replay challenges were often reactive instead of active and usually underinformed by either the eyes on screens or knowledge of the rules.

Even Fox’s public face has been defined by fear, his opaque and disconnected double-talk meant to protect his valuable football secrets from all the perceived enemy spies that have surrounded him, reducing press conferences to exercises in absurdist theater. Admittedly just aping the habits of Bill Belichick, Fox has never seemed to realize how differently and disdainfully that comes off without the championships to earn it.

The time has finally come for enough of all of this already, a moment past due for the sunlight of new ideas to freshen a franchise stultified by the inertia of losing. Whoever is next in charge of the Bears will inherit a building frustration from both within and without and a mandate for immediately positive results. Pace will have his coach and his quarterback — and his own job on the line.

John Fox will trudge off with little to show for his presence, now just a forgettable part of more dubious history for a franchise out in the cold.

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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Aurora Home Catches Fire New Year’s Eve Morning

CHICAGO (CBS) — A west suburban home caught fire Sunday morning in Aurora.

Crews were on scene about 11:45 a.m. battling the flames inside a two-story home in the 400 block of Pierce Street, according to the Aurora Fire Department.

The fire was called in by a resident who stated that he was attempting to thaw out frozen pipes in the basement of the home with a propane heater. | Jim Desomer, Aurora Fire Department

The fire spread throughout the walls of the home, prompting firefighters to pull out of the home and go defensive in putting out the flames, according to the fire department.

Information on the cause and origin of the fire, and whether there were any injuries, was not immediately available.

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Wizards Rally Past Bulls In Final Minute

WASHINGTON (AP) — Bradley Beal scored 17 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter, leading the Washington Wizards to a 114-110 win over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday.

Beal scored 15 straight points for Washington in the fourth as the Wizards rallied from an eight-point deficit early in the period. He also had nine rebounds and tied a career high with nine assists.

Nikola Mirotic scored 21 points to lead Chicago, which had won 10 of its previous 12. Kris Dunn had 19 points and 11 assists.

David Nwaba’s two free throws with 1:26 to play gave Chicago a 108-107 lead, and Dunn hit a jumper with 54 seconds remaining.

John Wall’s three-point play with 29.4 seconds left put the Wizards up 112-110. After Beal missed two free throws, Washington got the rebound and Wall added two free throws with 9.1 seconds to play.

Wall had 21 points, nine assists, six rebounds and four blocked shots.

The difference was 3-point shooting. Washington was 16 for 36 (44.4 percent) while Chicago was 8 for 35 (22.9 percent). The Bulls missed 17 of 20 3-point attempts in the first half.

TIP-INS

Bulls: Dunn returned after missing a game with left patella tendinitis. … G Zach LaVine, who has yet to play this season following left knee surgery, is rehabbing for the next few days with G-League Windy City. Coach Fred Hoiberg said LaVine is essentially starting training camp. “If he does well through this stretch, we’ll all get in a room and put a plan together as far as when we want to see him back on the floor,” Hoiberg said.

Wizards: F Mike Scott returned after missing a game following the birth of his daughter. Scott scored 17 points. F Markieff Morris had a season-high 11 rebounds. Washington is now 10-10 against sub-.500 teams.

UP NEXT

Bulls: Host the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.

Wizards: Host the New York Knicks on Wednesday.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press.

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Bears Players Praise John Fox, Whose Fate With Team Seems Sealed

By Chris Emma–

MINNEAPOLIS (670 The Score) — Before the Bears left the visiting locker room after a 23-10 loss to the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium and prepared to travel home Sunday, coach John Fox had a message for his team.

His Bears had just finished the 2017 season with a 5-11 record, but that didn’t change the way he felt about this group. Lauded as a players’ coach, Fox told the Bears he was proud of their efforts and work and that he would be there for them.

“He’s been great for all of us,” rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky said of Fox.

Whether it was Fox’s final message to his Bears remains to be seen, though it’s widely expected he will be fired by the end of Monday, if not sooner. Players like Trubisky weren’t willing to speculate on Fox’s fate, which seems all but sealed after he went 14-34 in three seasons in Chicago.

What was clear in the aftermath of the season finale was how Fox is respected by his players. He was hired to unite a dysfunctional locker room after Marc Trestman’s tenure brought havoc. At the least, Fox was revered by his players.

“It’s hard to put into words,” defensive lineman Akiem Hicks said of Fox. “Coach Fox is so relatable. He’s been doing this for so long. He can just talk to you in a way that’s motivating while keeping you accountable. He’s just one of my favorite coaches that I’ve ever had as far as helping you grow as a person and a player.”

The loss Sunday dropped the Bears to 3-15 in NFC North games under Fox. Like so many before, they struggled to move the football, failed to force a turnover and came up short. The Bears’ final sequence on offense brought seven plays inside the Vikings’ 12-yard line but zero points. Their final play on offense was a fourth-and-goal shovel pass stuffed a yard short.

The Bears have spent three years coming up short with Fox. They’ve gone 9-19 in one-score games in that span and lost nine divisional games by eight points or fewer.

With their season over – and change likely on the way – the Bears reflected on what has gone wrong the last few years, and they didn’t believe it was the coach.

“Coach Fox is one of the best coaches I’ve ever been around,” receiver Josh Bellamy said. “He’s a fighter. He never lays down. That’s what you want in a coach. When you change coaches, I feel like it’s not the coach; it’s the players that change the culture, not the coach. You might go get another coach and go 0-17. You never know.

“I feel like it’s not the coach, it’s the players that have to change the culture. So, I feel like, hey, you never know what’s going to happen. I don’t know what’s going to happen. Who knows what’s going to happen?”

Fresh off defeat, the Bears didn’t know what would happen – or, for the matter, who would make the call. General manager Ryan Pace is presumed to be safe, though change can’t be ruled out in the front office. Chairman George McCaskey, representing his mother, team matriarch Virginia McCaskey, will be the one to oversee changes at Halas Hall.

The Bears didn’t have a scheduled time for the year-end press conference immediately after the game. Fox did speak once more to the media in a brief appearance at the podium, issuing an opening statement then declining to take two questions about his job status with the Bears.

“The league makes me be here to talk about this game and that’s what we’ll keep it to,” Fox replied to the first inquiry.

“Again, I will repeat what I just said if you need me to.”

With that, Fox walked out under an “EXIT” sign and past a clock with all zeroes.

Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670 The Score 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 and like his Facebook page.

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Bears Fall 23-10 To Vikings In Season Finale As John Fox Now Awaits Fate

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota’s defense turned in another dominant performance and Latavius Murray rushed for 111 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Vikings secure a first-round bye for the playoffs with a 23-10 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

Stefon Diggs caught six passes for 65 yards and a touchdown for the Vikings (13-3), who reached 13 wins for only the second time in the history of the 57-year-old franchise after holding a second straight opponent without an offensive touchdown.

Mitchell Trubisky finished his rookie season with a turnover-free game, completing 20 of 36 passes for 178 yards. He failed, however, to guide the Bears (5-11) across the goal line despite 11 plays from the 10-yard line or closer in the fourth quarter.

Trubisky also took a safety in the second quarter on an intentional grounding call when Danielle Hunter and Linval Joseph closed in on a sack in the end zone and he side-armed a throw between the two pass rushers.

In what could have been the final game for coach John Fox, who’s 14-34 in three seasons, the Bears didn’t cross midfield until the fourth quarter and totaled only 30 yards rushing. They were penalized 10 times for 116 yards and went 1 for 14 on third and fourth down conversions.

The Bears are 1-5 against each of their three NFC North foes under Fox.

After a 31-24 loss at Carolina on Dec. 10, the Vikings took advantage of teams playing out the string in the last three games to get set for the playoffs.

Murray has rather quietly been one of their most productive players down the stretch, helping the Vikings move the chains and work the clock while the defense holds the lead.

Over the past two years, only Ezekiel Elliott (22 for Dallas) has more rushing touchdowns in the NFL than Murray (20, including 12 for Oakland last season).

SNEAKY SPECIAL TEAMS

The Bears stopped a streak of 90 minutes and 32 seconds by the Vikings without allowing a score, when Bryce Callahan returned a punt 59 yards for a touchdown with 5:50 left in the second quarter. Callahan knelt near the sideline while Tarik Cohen lined up on the opposite side as the expected returner, before sprinting for a sliding catch of the kick that hung over the middle of the field. He leaped to his feet and veered left past the confused Vikings and untouched for the score.

The Bears pulled a pair of fast ones on the Vikings in their matchup earlier this season, when Benny Cunningham caught a pass from Pat O’Donnell on a fake punt for a 38-yard touchdown and Trubisky scored on a 2-point conversion play when the ball changed hands four times.

VIKINGS RECORD BOOK LOOK

The Vikings finished 12-2 four times with a 14-game schedule (1969, 1970, 1973 and 1975), but the only other time they’ve topped 12 victories was their 15-1 record in 1998. … Diggs became the fastest player in Vikings history to reach 200 receptions, in 40 games. … Adam Thielen had six catches for 61 yards and finished with 91 receptions for 1,276 yards for the season, finishing seventh and ninth in team history. Randy Moss and Cris Carter are the only ones ahead on either list.

LINE SHUFFLE

Vikings quarterback Case Keenum took his share of hits and never quite found the rhythm in the passing attack he was able to establish in most of his starts this season, behind an offensive line that has shown some wear down the stretch as the injury list has increased.

Joe Berger, who switched from right guard to center with Pat Elflein shelved for a shoulder injury for the second time in four weeks, was the only original starter to play in all 16 games. Mike Remmers moved from right tackle into Berger’s spot. Jeremiah Sirles started at left guard for Nick Easton, who will miss the playoffs because of a broken ankle.

INJURY REPORT

Bears: Two starting offensive linemen, LT Bobby Massie and RG Josh Sitton, did not suit up.

Vikings: FB C.J. Ham hurt his neck and was ruled out early in the third quarter.

UP NEXT

The Vikings enter the NFC playoffs with a bye for only the fourth time since the current format began in 1990. They’ll host one of the wild-card round winners on Jan. 13 or 14.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press.

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Chicago Families Call On City To Fight Gun Violence

CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — After she lost her son to gun violence in 2006, a Chicago woman helped create a group for parents in similar situations. Sunday, that group called on the City to wake up and fight the problem.

Pamela Bosley said Chicagoans are desensitized to gun violence.

“People will be like, ‘well, only one person got shot today.’ This shouldn’t be the norm. This should not be acceptable.”

The problem hits close to home for Bosley, who’s son was killed in 2006.

“Terrell would have been 30 on January 5th,” Bosley said. “So my family, instead of celebrating his birthday, we have to go to the cemetery and take balloons. That hurts. You have so many parents going through this and it seems like nobody cares.”

A group that certainly does care is Purpose Over Pain. Bosley is the co-founder of the organization, which called for change outside Saint Sabina Church. She said common sense gun measures are a start, but you don’t have to be a lawmaker to make a difference.

“People can just come into the community and start mentoring our young people,” Bosley said. “Let them know that people care for them. Start investing in the communities that the violence is increasing in.”

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Man Found Dead At CTA Station In The Loop, Police

CHICAGO (CBS) — A man was found dead early Sunday at the Clark/Lake CTA station in the Loop, police said.

Officers responded about 11:05 a.m. to a call of a person down at the station at 124 W. Lake St., according to Chicago Police. They found the 51-year-old unresponsive on the second-floor platform.

He was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

The Cook County medical examiner’s office didn’t immediately confirm the fatality.

Area Central detectives are conducting a death investigation.

(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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Police Investigating Pellet Gun Shooting At CTA Station

CHICAGO (CBS) — A man was hurt when someone shot him in the face with a pellet gun Saturday night at a CTA station on the Near North Side.

About 9 p.m., the 21-year-old was sitting on the platform of the Grand Station when a male got onto a Red Line train and then fired a shot from a pellet gun at him, Chicago Police said.

The man was struck in the face and taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for treatment, police said. The shooter stayed on the 95th/Dan Ryan-bound train and was not in custody.

Area Central detectives were investigating.

(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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Law Firm Offering Reimbursements On Uber, Lyft Over New Year’s Weekend

CHICAGO (CBS) — Chicagoans ringing in the new year will have plenty of options for safe, free rides to and from their celebrations.

The CTA is offering free train and bus rides, and riders hailing Uber, Lyft or Curb drivers can get most of their ride costs covered, the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting.

Partygoers use those rideshare services between 5 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and 9 a.m. on New Year’s Day can send the bill to LegalRideshare, a personal injury law firm in Wrigleyville. The firm, dedicated entirely to rideshare accident and injury claims, will reimburse roundtrip rides up to $25 per person.

Between 10 p.m. on New Year’s Eve and 4 a.m. on New Year’s Day, customers can keep their cards in their wallets as they board CTA transit. According to the CTA, buses and trains will be free for all riders, and will operate with extended hours.

The transit agency has been offering free rides since 1985. Last year, the CTA provided nearly 97,000 free rides on the holiday.

Metra will also be extending its hours for evening trains on New Year’s Eve, and offering a “New Year’s 3-Day Pass” with unlimited rides for $8 from Dec. 30 to Jan 1. Through New Year’s Day, up to three children under 12 can ride free with each adult.

According to LegalRideShare, the city sees an increase in accidents and injuries around the holidays, and is hoping options like the $25 ride reimbursement will keep Chicagoans safe as they go to and from festivities.

“We’re urging everyone to plan a safe ride home before drinking this holiday season. This is a small token of our appreciation for the rideshare community and our commitment to safety,” attorney Bryant Greening said.

To get the reimbursement, riders should submit a screenshot of their rideshare receipt, along with their name, phone number and a copy of their valid driver’s license to help@legalrideshare.com by 11:59 a.m. on Jan. 2.

(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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Woman Charged After Girl, 7, Suffers ‘Minor’ Stab Wound To Leg

CHICAGO (CBS) — A 60-year-old woman was charged in connection to the stabbing of a 7-year-old girl Saturday afternoon in the South Side Woodlawn neighborhood.

Cherry Boswell was charged with one count of domestic battery, according to Chicago Police. She was expected to appear in bond court on Sunday.

The girl was stabbed about 2:45 p.m. in the 6100 block of South Drexel, police said. She suffered a “minor puncture wound” to her right thigh.

Police said the stabbing happened during a domestic-related incident.

The girl was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, where her condition was stabilized, police said.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Child and Family Services said the agency is investigating the case for allegations of abuse and neglect. The investigation is pending, and the agency has not had any prior contact with the child.

(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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17 Items You Should Keep In Your Vehicle This Winter

CHICAGO (CBS) — Officials with the Cook County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management have released a list of 17 items every driver should keep in their vehicle this winter.

The items could save your life if a storm strikes, or if your vehicle leaves you stranded, department officials said.

“Even a short drive can turn into a dangerous one, especially during severe weather,” according to a statement released Friday by the department.

A basic safety kit should include the following items:

• a shovel

• windshield scrapper and small broom

• flashlight with extra batteries

• battery powered radio

• water

• snack food, including energy bars

• matches and small candles

• extra hats, socks and gloves

• a first aid kid with a pocket knife

• extra medication

• blankets or a sleeping bag

• tow chain or rope

• road salt, sand or cat litter for traction

• jumper cables

• emergency flares and reflectors

• a fluorescent distress flag and whistle

• cellphone charging adaptor to plug into lighter.

The department also recommends keeping your gas tank at least half full, telling someone where you’re going before leaving on your trip and staying inside your vehicle during a storm.

If you’re in your vehicle for a long period of time, only run the engine for 10 minutes every hour to save gas, and keep a window cracked to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

(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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New Year’s Eve Cocktail Recipes

CHICAGO (CBS) — After ringing in the New Year, comfort food might sound just right.

And the newest hot spot in River West, Maillard Tavern, specializes in it!

The intimate space sat vacant for 30 years, and even had dirt floors until it’s cozy transformation.

The menu consists of a dream of classic favorites, including eight custom burgers. You’ll also find the bar stocked with nostalgic favorites, such as the classic milkshake, which, by the way, can be ordered spiked.

On our recent visit, bartender Scott Brucar whipped up a milkshake you can make for your New Year’s Eve fun.

Here are a few more holiday drink ideas from Brucar:

Pho What It’s Worth

• 1.5oz Green Cardamom infused Bulleit Bourbon
• .5oz Pho Spiced Simple Syrup (simple syrup 1:1 ratio, steeped with: cinnamon, clove, star anise, coriander seed and fennel seed)
• 2 Dash Angostura Bitters (Brucar used Fennel Bitters)

Strange Brew

• 1.5oz Tito’s Vodka
• .5oz Aperol
• .75oz Lemon Oleo Saccharum (Lemon Oil Simple Syrup)
• .5oz Lemon
• 4-6 Mint Leaves + 1 Sprig for garnish
• 2 Dash Hopped Grapefruit Bitters

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Man Arrested After Setting Fire To Englewood Apartment

CHICAGO (CBS) — A 65-year-old man was taken into custody early Sunday after allegedly setting fire to an apartment building in the South Side Englewood neighborhood.

At 1:52 a.m., the man used an accelerant to start the fire in the basement of an apartment building in the 6900 block of South Normal, according to Chicago Police.

No injuries were reported, police said. Eight people were displaced by the blaze.

The man who started the fire was arrested, and charges were pending against him early Sunday, police said.

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Cop’s Story Unravels In New LeGrier Report: Attorney

CHICAGO (CBS) — The city of Chicago’s new police oversight agency, known as COPA, has ruled that the 2015 police shooting of Quintonio LeGrier was unjustified.

But key facts that led to that conclusion were uncovered by CBS 2, just days after the shooting. So, what took so long?

CBS 2 Political Reporter Derrick Blakley takes a look.

19-year-old Quintonio LeGrier took a swing at a Chicago cop with a miniature bat, and the officer shot him dead. That is the story Officer Robert Rialmo told investigators after the shooting two years ago.

It’s a story that the Civilian Office of Police Accountability now calls unbelievable, in a report released earlier this week.

“They stated the obvious, that the officer involved is just not credible. In other words, he’s a liar,” LeGrier family attorney Basileios Foutris says.

Rialmo claimed LeGrier was 3 feet away when LeGrier took a swing, and Rialmo opened fire.

But COPA concludes “there is no credible evidence” that LeGrier ever swung the bat.

Just three days after the shooting, an eyewitness told Blakley, Rialmo was 30 feet from LeGrier when the officer opened fire from the sidewalk or parkway.

That is also COPA’s conclusion.

“The shell casings that were shot, they were found on the sidewalk area and near the street, which would suggest to me that the gunfire came from a substantial distance away, that no police officers’ life was in danger at the time,” attorney Sam Adam Jr. says.

Again, COPA reached the same conclusion, that “a reasonable officer would not believe he was in danger of death or great bodily harm.”

So, what took so long to sort this out? The attorney representing LeGrier’s family says the old police watchdog agency, known as IPRA, simply dragged its feet. Now, he’s demanding action.

“The superintendent should go to the police board asking for this man to be fired,” Foutris says.

That is a decision Chicago Police Supt. Eddie Johnson has 90 days to make, although the final decision rests with the police board.

Meantime, in light of the COPA report, Foutris says the city should move to settle the civil suit the LeGrier family has filed against police.

That suit is scheduled to go to trial next June.

Also killed in the incident was LeGrier’s neighbor, Bettie Jones, 55. The Chicago Police Department acknowledged early on that her fatal shooting was an accident.

The Chicago police union questions COPA’s findings and says they are politicized.

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How To Protect, Prevent Frozen Pipes

CHICAGO (CBS) — It’s a structural struggle.

Freezing pipes are a big problem when the temperatures are this low — for this long.

Here are some ways to prevent your pipes from freezing throughout the winter months:

• Drip your faucets: When temperatures drop below freezing, leaving your faucets to drip when you’re asleep or not home will help prevent a pipe from bursting. You waste a lot more water from a leaky, or gushing, pipe than you do from taking this precaution.
• Keep warm air on the water pipes: If you have water pipes behind walls, they could freeze and burst. Keep your pipes exposed to warm air to reduce pipe freezing.
• Stick a large pot or a bucket under the faucet that you’re dripping: You can use that water to flush the toilet or water plants, so it won’t go to waste!
• Winterize your pipes: Turn the water off to your outside spigots and disconnect your garden hoses.

Preventing burst pipes and leaks are your best bets when it comes to conserving water in the winter. On top of dripping your faucets, it’s also a good idea to make sure outdoor pipes, like the ones running to your backyard spigot, are wrapped. This way, when temperatures drop below freezing, they stay warmer than the air, and are less likely to develop leaks or burst.

RELATED: Attempt To Thaw Pipes Causes Aurora Fire, Officials Say

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Bears Rookie TE Adam Shaheen Inactive Versus Vikings

By Chris Emma–

(670 The Score) Adam Shaheen’s rookie season is over. The Bears’ second-round pick from April is inactive for the regular-season finale against the Vikings because of what the team has called a chest injury.

Shaheen, the rookie tight end out of Division II Ashland, has missed the last two games due to the injury. He has 12 receptions for 127 yards and three touchdowns in 13 games played this season, including four receptions during that game in Cincinnati.

The Bears will also be without starting guard Josh Sitton and tackle Bobby Massie, creating flux for the offensive line against one of the league’s premier defenses. The team is expected to start Bradley Sowell in Massie’s place at right tackle, Hroniss Grasu at center and Cody Whitehair sliding over to left guard.

Rashaad Coward, Deiondre’ Hall, Taquan Mizzell and Mark Sanchez are all healthy inactives for the Bears.

Kickoff between the Bears and Vikings comes at noon CT from U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670 The Score 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 and like his Facebook page.

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Illinois Holds Off Grand Canyon 62-58

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Leron Black scored a game-high 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead Illinois past Grand Canyon University 62-58 on Saturday.

Da’Monte Williams only scored 3 points for the Illini, but he made them count. With Illinois up by one with 17 seconds left, Williams sank a 3-pointer from the top of the key to seal the victory for the Illini.

Trent Frazier scored 14 points and Michael Finke added 9 for Illinois (10-5).

Grand Canyon (10-5) was led by Keonta Vernon’s 14 points, while Alessandro Lever scored 13 and Oscar Frayer added 10 points.

The Antelopes led 32-27 at the half. The lead changed hands five times in the first half.

Illinois went 25-57 from the field (44 percent), while Grand Canyon went 23-64 (36 percent). The Illini out-rebounded the Antelopes 44-33.

 

BIG PICTURE:

Illinois: The deeper Illini bench proved too much for Grand Canyon, outscoring the Antelopes 25-15.

 

UP NEXT:

Illinois, which is 0-2 in the Big Ten, returns to conference play at Minnesota, Jan. 3.

 

(© 2017 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.)

 

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Attempt To Thaw Pipes Causes Aurora Fire, Officials Say

(CBS) — An elderly man was displaced when a fire caused extensive damage to an apartment building Friday afternoon in west suburban Aurora.

The fire was first reported at 12:49 p.m. at a two-story, six-unit building in the 1300 block of Monomoy Street, according to a statement from the Aurora Fire Department. Crews arrived to find light smoke showing from the front of the building and entered to discover heavy fire in a common wall separating two apartments.

Firefighters battle an apartment fire that left a man displaced Dec. 29 in Aurora. (Aurora Fire Department)

The fire started in the basement of a vacant apartment when the owner was trying to thaw frozen pipes using a propane heater, the fire department said. The owner told investigators that the unit had recently been broken into, and the broken window caused the pipes to freeze.

The blaze was extinguished by 22 firefighters less than two hours later, fire officials said. No injuries were reported.

The damage caused by the fire was estimated at $125,000, the fire department said. The vacant apartment and the unit next door to it were both rendered uninhabitable, leaving an elderly man displaced. The American Red Cross was contacted to assist him with housing.

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

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Notre Dame’s Mike Brey Ties Digger Phelps’ Wins Record

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (AP) — Notre Dame dug in during the second half, which enabled their coach to tie Digger Phelps.

Bonzie Colson scored 22 points and matched his career high with 17 rebounds as the Fighting Irish bounced back from a five-point halftime deficit to defeat Georgia Tech 68-59 in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams Saturday afternoon at Purcell Pavilion.

Mike Brey earned his 393rd win as Notre Dame’s coach, matching Digger Phelps’ program standard.

Brey is 393-190 in his 18th season with the Irish. Phelps went 393-197 over 20 seasons from 1971-1991.

The Irish (11-3) scored the first eight points of the second half to take a 31-28 lead.

The Yellow Jackets (6-7) had only one more lead, 32-31, as Notre Dame steadily pulled away.

A 10-1 run gave ND its largest lead at 55-41 with six minutes to go.

Also scoring in double figures for the Irish was Martinas Geben with 12 points, Rex Pflueger 11, and Matt Farrell and T.J. Gibbs 10 apiece.

Pflueger also dealt a game-high six assists, while Geben flushed home three slams over the final nine minutes of the game.

Josh Okogie paced Tech with 16 points. Tadric Jackson added 15 points, while Jose Alvarado and Ben Lammers each scored11. Lammers also collected 12 rebounds.

Each team finished just 23 of 60 from the field (ND with seven 3-pointers and Tech with six), but the Irish were 15 of 18 from the free-throw compared to the Yellow Jackets’ 7-of-18 effort.

In a first half littered with ice-cold shooting by both sides, Tech took a 28-23 lead despite going just 10 of 26 from the field with three 3-pointers and 5 of 11 at the foul line.

The Irish were 9 of 27 from the field with a trio of 3s in the first half.

 

BIG PICTURE

Notre Dame: The Irish have won three straight since their overtime loss to Indiana as they try to scale their way back into the national rankings.

They’ll have that opportunity playing in the ACC.

 

UP NEXT

Notre Dame: The Irish play a second straight home game to start the ACC season when North Carolina State visits Wednesday.

(© 2017 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.)

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Xavier Rallies To Beat DePaul 77-72

CINCINNATI (AP) — J.P. Macura scored 19 points and had a steal and a blocked shot in the final minute Saturday, completing No. 6 Xavier’s comeback from a 16-point deficit to a 77-72 victory over DePaul.

The Musketeers (14-1, 2-0 Big East) won their ninth in a row and matched the best start in school history. The big comeback set up their seventh win in a row over the Blue Demons (7-7, 0-2).

Macura’s steal set up Quentin Goodin’s fast-break dunk for a 75-72 lead with 28 seconds left. He blocked Eli Cain’s shot with 9.5 seconds left, and Trevon Bluiett made two free throws to seal it.

Xavier couldn’t hit open shots in the first half and trailed by 16 points early in the second half before turning up the defense and pulling ahead 64-63 with 7 minutes left. Max Strus led DePaul with 33 points, matching his season high.

Xavier shot only 28 percent, including 3 of 16 beyond the arc, as DePaul took a 39-31 lead into halftime. Strus hit six of his eight shots for 16 points in the half, and hit another 3 as the Blue Demons pushed the lead to 16 points early in the second half.

Xavier’s shots started falling, and the Musketeers limited DePaul to three field goals and four free throws over the next 10 minutes.

 

BIG PICTURE

DePaul: The Blue Demons had the roughest opening stretch in Big East play. They lost to No. 1 Villanova 103-85 on Wednesday. They’re 0-4 against ranked teams this season, including losses to Notre Dame and Michigan State. Their last win over a ranked opponent on the road was Jan. 22, 2015 over No. 24 Seton Hall.

 

UP NEXT

The Blue Demons host Georgetown on Tuesday.

 

(© 2017 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.)

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Cleveland Fan’s Obituary Partly Blames Winless Browns

HURON, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio man’s tongue-in-cheek obituary blames the winless Cleveland Browns for contributing to his demise.

The obituary published in the Sandusky Register says Paul Stark died Wednesday at a hospice facility after a brief illness “exacerbated by the hopeless condition of the Cleveland Browns.”

The football team was 1-15 last season and 0-15 this year ahead of Sunday’s finale in Pittsburgh.

Even so, Stark’s obituary included a nugget of the optimism voiced by some long-suffering fans. It says the 80-year-old Mansfield native “passed just before the Browns were prepared to turn the corner.”

(© 2017 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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Cops Put Heat On Daredevil Ice Fishermen

(WBBM Newsradio) — The bitter cold was not enough to keep ice fishermen from getting outside Saturday.

The wind-chill made it feel like 20 below when WBBM’s Mike Krauser found several people fishing near the site of the old U.S. Steel South Works at 85th Street and Lake Shore Drive.

Igor Guzzord was standing on the ice of a ship slip that was visibly moving up and down, with the partially frozen lake just beyond a break wall.

He had about a dozen perch at his feet and said was a little nervous at first. But after seeing someone else walking out there he says he though, “OK, I’m not the only crazy.”

“Every day of fishing is better than the best day at work,” Guzzord said.

Two police officers pulled up and ordered him and another man off the ice. Luckily, their hole was close enough to continue fishing from shore and they caught their 15-perch limit in about an hour.

Another fisherman, Elton Harris, said he, too, loves the cold.

“I’m an ice-fisherman. We fish, man, so this is what we do,” he said.

All of the fishermen were well-dressed for the weather, with heavy pants, coats, boots, gloves and face masks.

The police officers who ordered the two others off the ice said it made them nervous seeing the ice moving up and down.

“If you fall in, then we have to get out of the car and save you,” one officer said.

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Take Note: Some Ventra Cards Expiring

(WBBM Newsradio) — If you were one of the first to have a CTA Ventra card, there’s a chance you could lose your balance in the new year.

WBBM’s Michele Fiore explains.

The original Ventra cards issued in 2013 are expiring. If you registered it online, you likely already received a new card in the mail.

Not registered? You’ll have to go in-person to get a new one. You can go to CTA headquarters at 567 W. Lake or on Jan. 2 several stations, where representatives can help.

If you do nothing and the card expires, you’ll lose whatever balance you’ve got on the card.

So, take a look at your card today, and make note of its expiration date. Any questions, go to ventrachicago.com.

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Dispute Resolved Over `Rapist’ Priests Gravestone

WHEATON, Ill. (AP) — A man who wanted to install a gravestone at a suburban Chicago cemetery that proclaimed his late mother’s support for victims of “rapist” priests has reached a resolution with a Roman Catholic diocese.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Joliet refused to allow the proposed marker for Marguerite Ridgeway because it included what the diocese called “explicit language.” The diocese owns the suburban Wheaton cemetery where Ridgeway is buried.

But The Chicago Tribune reports Ridgeway’s son, Jack Ruhl of Kalamazoo, Michigan, recently compromised with diocese officials on an alternate epitaph that reads: “She supported priest sexual abuse victims.”

The marker was installed Dec. 22 for the west suburban Lisle woman, who died in 2015.

Diocese spokesman Edward Flavin says church officials are pleased with the resolution and have no further comment.

(© 2017 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

 

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Northwestern Routs Brown 95-73

ROSEMONT, Ill. (AP) — Dererk Pardon scored 18 points to lead Northwestern to a 95-73 victory over Brown on Saturday afternoon.

Scottie Lindsey added 14 points and Bryant McIntosh had 13 for the Wildcats (10-5), who have won five of six. Vic Law and Anthony Gaines added 11 points apiece for Northwestern in its final nonconference game.

Brandon Anderson had 26 points and Desmond Cambridge added 22 for Brown (6-6), which saw its two-game winning streak end.

Law returned to action after he missed the last two games due to a concussion. But the Wildcats lost another player when McIntosh left the game with a possible leg injury early in the second half.

The Wildcats shot 54.1 percent from the field to Brown’s 39.1 percent.

A Cambridge 3-pointer and two Howard free throws put Brown ahead 47-46 with 17:37 left for its first lead since the game’s early minutes.

After a Northwestern missed layup, McIntosh went down holding his knee and exited the game with 17:14 remaining.

The Wildcats used an 8-0 run to retake the lead at 56-55. Their 20-3 run turned a seven-point deficit into a 68-58 lead with 9:05 left. Two Lindsey free throws put Northwestern ahead by 15 with 2:53 to go.

Northwestern has won the last five meetings against Brown and leads the all-time series 8-2.

The Wildcats were ahead 42-37 at halftime after leading by as much as nine.

Northwestern was playing its first game in eight days after falling to No. 12 Oklahoma 104-78.

 

BIG PICTURE

Northwestern: The Wildcats have had their ups and downs after reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history last season. Notably, they beat Illinois 72-68 in overtime, but they have a pair of lopsided losses to Oklahoma and No. 22 Texas Tech.

 

UP NEXT

Northwestern: Returns to Big Ten play Tuesday at home against Nebraska.

 

(© 2017 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.)

 

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Chicago’s Top Cop Draws Inspiration From ‘Book Of Job’

(WBBM Newsradio) — Chicago’s top cop insists he does not stress out over his work, even as he battles to reduce violent crime across the city.

WBBM Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports from City Hall.

When asked how he copes with being Chicago police superintendent, Eddie Johnson says he relies on his faith.

He says he reads the Book of Job once or twice a month and feels that if Job could deal with his torments, the position of superintendent is child’s play.

“I think God takes us all and builds us for different things,” Johnson says, “and I think he built me to be the police superintendent of the city of Chicago at this time. In terms of stress, I don’t really have any stress. I don’t, because I love this city, I love being the police and I love this job because I can affect a lot of peoples’ lives for the better.”

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Bulls’ Zach LaVine Feeling Good, Starts ‘Training Camp’ Stage Of ACL Rehab

By Cody Westerlund–

CHICAGO (670 The Score) — Bulls guard Zach LaVine has entered what he termed the “training camp” stage of his rehab from left ACL surgery last February.

LaVine on Saturday embarked on the first of what the Bulls have planned to be six straight days of full contact practice for him. LaVine’s next four days of practice will come with the Windy City Bulls of the G League, then he’ll join the Bulls again Thursday.

After that, he’ll be further evaluated and a plan for his season debut could be formulated.

“I feel like it’s the last little bit I got to get through before I’m back out there,” LaVine said. “Attack it and do what I have to do and keep it moving.”

The 22-year-old LaVine acknowledged that his patience has “almost ran out.” He has felt physically strong in his knee for some time and explained that regaining top conditioning is now a focus. With that, he’s expects soreness but not setback.

In a notable development, LaVine has shed his knee brace.

“It’s like adding three pounds on your leg,” said LaVine, who averaged 18.9 points for the Timberwolves last season before his injury . “So I made the decision to not go with it. It’s safe. It’s more between me and the doctor and stuff like that, so I appreciate that.”

The Bulls have discussed the possibility of LaVine first playing in G League games before returning to NBA action. When he does return, he’ll be on a minutes limitation initially.

As he itches to rejoin a rebuilding Bulls team that has gone on a 10-2 tear to improve to 13-22, LaVine feels his voice has carried weight throughout the rehab process. He also understands the caution the organization has exercised, acknowledging the dark history of ACL injuries for former star Derrick Rose.

“We meet every week or two weeks about things,” LaVine said. “I give my opinion. They’ve obviously been through it more than I have with them going to school for it and stuff like that. So I have to give trust in that. I obviously have my opinion on some things that I wouldn’t want to do or not having done. The things I’ve liked doing differently, we’ve changed it. I’m glad it’s a team effort.”

Cody Westerlund is a sports editor for 670TheScore.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.

 

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Lisle Bank Robbery Suspect Linked To Other Heists: FBI

(CBS) — A man arrested after allegedly robbing a bank Friday morning in Lisle is suspected of three other suburban bank robberies since November.

A surveillance photo of the suspect who robbed a bank Dec. 29 in Lisle. (FBI)

About 10:10 a.m., a Lisle Savings Bank branch at 4720 Main Street was robbed, according to FBI spokesman Garrett Croon.

The suspect was then taken into custody, Croon said. He could appear in court as early as Tuesday.

Surveillance photo of the suspect who robbed a Fifth Third Bank branch on Dec. 19 in Glen Ellyn. (FBI)

The same man is suspected of a Dec. 19 robbery at the Fifth Third Bank branch at 704 Roosevelt Road in Glen Ellyn; a Dec. 7 robbery at the PNC Bank branch at 9 Ogden Ave. in Naperville; and a Nov. 21 robbery at the Fifth Third Bank branch at 2998 Ogden Ave. in Aurora, according to the FBI.

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

 

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Flu Cases Surge In Chicago Area

(WBBM Newsradio) – There has been a surge in influenza cases in recent weeks, says one expert, who advises vaccination is still the best defense.

“We’ve seen a noticeable increase not only in the community, but also in patients coming through the hospital with influenza,” says Dr. Robert Citronberg, an infectious disease expert with Advocate Health Care.

Recent reports have suggested the latest flu vaccine may only be 10 percent effective, but Citronberg says it can still help lessen the effects if you get hit.

“It’s still very important to get a flu shot,” Citronberg says.

The flu claims 30,000 deaths each year. Flu season in the Chicago area can last through April.

 

 

 

 

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Four Wounded In New Year’s Weekend Shootings

(CBS) — Four people have been wounded in shootings across Chicago since the start of the New Year’s holiday weekend Friday evening.

The most recent shooting happened about 4:30 a.m. Saturday in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on the West Side. A 43-year-old man was standing on the sidewalk in the 3000 block of West Jackson when a man in his 20s approached with a handgun and demanded his property, according to Chicago Police. After stealing the victim’s personal items, the suspect shot him in the left leg and ran away. The victim was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where his condition stabilized.

A 20-year-old man was shot about a 30 minutes earlier in the West Side Austin neighborhood. He was arguing with someone in the 5700 block of West Washington when the other person took out a handgun and fired shots, striking him in the left knee, police said. The man was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where his condition stabilized.

At 10:10 p.m. Friday, a woman was shot in the Humboldt Park neighborhood on the West Side. She was driving a car north in the 1000 block of North Campbell when someone fired shots from a gray SUV, striking her in the arm, police said. The woman took herself to Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center, where her condition stabilized.

The weekend’s first shooting happened about 8:30 p.m. Friday in the West Pullman neighborhood on the Far South Side. A man shot a 57-year-old woman in the face and then turned the gun on himself inside a home in the 12500 block of South Emerald, police said. The woman was taken in critical condition to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, and the man died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office has not confirmed the death.

Last year, six people were killed and 49 others were wounded in Chicago over the New Year’s holiday weekend.

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

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Kane’s Game-Winner Lifts Blackhawks Past Oilers, Gives Glass A Win In His NHL Debut

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Patrick Kane scored 50 seconds into overtime to give 32-year-old goaltender Jeff Glass a win in his NHL debut and lift the Chicago Blackhawks over the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 on Friday night.

Kane deked around a defender then shoved in the rebound of his own shot past Cam Talbot.

After scoring, Kane pointed toward the other end of the ice at Glass, and teammates quickly enveloped the journeyman. The Calgary native made 42 saves in his debut, which came 12 seasons after his first minor league game.

Ryan Hartman, Alex DeBrincat and Jordan Oesterle also scored for the Blackhawks, who snapped a three-game losing skid.

Jesse Puljujarvi, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Leon Draisaitl scored for Edmonton, and Talbot stopped 32 shots.

Puljujarvi’s power-play goal with 5:34 remaining in the first opened the scoring on Edmonton’s 17th shot on goal. The Blackhawks tied it with 55 seconds left in the first when Hartman swatted in a rebound.

Chicago took a 2-1 lead on the power play with six minutes left in the second as an Oilers miscue ended with DeBrincat putting a shot through Talbot’s legs for his 13th.

The Blackhawks took a two-goal lead with another power-play goal at 8:28 of the third when Oesterle’s point shot hit the crossbar and caromed off Talbot’s back.

Nugent-Hopkins scored with a shot off a defender with 2:19 left, and then Draisaitl got his 10th to tie it with 55 seconds left and Talbot pulled for an extra attacker.

NOTES: It was the second of three meetings between the teams this season. Edmonton beat Chicago 2-1 in overtime on Oct. 19. … It was the first time this season the Oilers have had their projected six starting defenseman in the lineup at the same time.

UP NEXT

Blackhawks: Play at Calgary on Sunday night.

Oilers: Host Winnipeg on Sunday night.

(© 2017 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.)

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Need A Home? Maybe The ‘Land Bank’ Can Help

(CBS) — Fifty-one-year-old Keith Grant is ready to start the new year in his new house. It’s the first the lifelong Chicagoan has ever owned.

“It’s such a wonderful feeling,” Grant tells CBS 2’s Dana Kozlov.

His house, in the Chatham neighborhood on the South Side, sat vacant for years until the Cook County Land Bank Authority bought it, setting it on its path for redevelopment.

It is one of 200 homes in many hard-hit areas the Land Bank Authority has helped turn around since 2013.

Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer started the Land Bank with money from the mortgage foreclosure settlement. It’s now self-sustaining, with no tax dollars or grants used.

Gainer says working with small, local developers is a top priority.

“We’ve created wealth all throughout communities, because when someone owns their home, they’re building wealth for their future. When a local person has developed that home and built a business, that’s also building stability for the future, and we’re adding money to the tax rolls.”

The Land Bank’s CEO says they encourage developers to sell homes at below-market prices, which helps new homeowners get affordable mortgages. The Land Bank also sets high standards for developers, their plans and their materials.

 

 

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Niko Mirotic’s Confidence Continues Rubbing Off On Hot-Shooting Bulls

By Cody Westerlund–

CHICAGO (670 The Score) — It was on Dec. 6 that the Bulls reached rock bottom, blowing a 16-point lead in the fourth quarter and collapsing in the final minutes of a 98-96 road loss to the Pacers. It dropped Chicago to a league-worst 3-20.

No one imagined what has followed. Since Dec. 8, the Bulls have gone 10-2, a resurgence that continued with a 119-107 victory against those same Pacers at the United Center on Friday night. The only team with a better record than the Bulls in the last three weeks? The defending champion Warriors, who were 8-1 ahead of a contest late Friday night.

That which no one saw coming has left the Bulls a bit philosophical themselves.

“What doesn’t break you makes you stronger,” forward Niko Mirotic said in Spanish and relayed through a reporter in English.

Mirotic has been a leading figure in the Bulls’ success, with his return from injury coinciding with the start of the Bulls’ 10-2 surge. He kept it up Friday, scoring a season-high 28 points and hitting eight 3-pointers, which was just one off the franchise record that he shares with Ben Gordon. Mirotic’s marksmanship headlined a Bulls shooting clinic in which they hit a franchise record-tying 18 3-pointers and shot 50.6 percent overall.

Afterward, Mirotic continued to showcase his self-assured demeanor, declaring “it’s my moment” and adding that his son asked him before the game to hit five 3-pointers. Mirotic thought he should’ve made 10 or more, given the quality looks he had.

“He’s just so confident right now,” Hoiberg said of Mirotic. “I really, truly believe that’s rubbing off on our entire team, just the way he’s going out there and playing with confidence and swagger. It’s been fun.”

Mirotic had plenty of help on a night in which starting point guard Kris Dunn was a late scratch with left knee tendinitis. Rookie Lauri Markkanen set his career-high with 32 points, shooting 11-of-17 and 5-of-9 on 3-pointers. He closed alongside Mirotic in a shooting-heavy lineup.

“The personnel, the spacing that we have, those shots are open,” Valentine said of the 3-point barrage. “The thing we’re really underrated at, when we’re on and getting into the paint, when we’re getting into the paint, we create those threes. We got guys who can make them.”

The Bulls moved to 13-22 with the win, further putting their tank on hold. They’re four games clear of the worst record in the NBA and five games out of the eighth seed in the East. Asked whether the Bulls have bigger-picture goals in mind, Hoiberg downplayed that thought process, saying, “When you put the small goals out there, the bigger goals take care of themselves.”

It’s a line echoed by Valentine, who has previously talked playoffs.

“We want to try to compete and do whatever we can,” Valentine said. “I don’t know what our ceiling is. If we just focus on, like Fred said, just winning every day, then we can get to the point we’re talking playoffs and everything. We just got to attack every day.”

Cody Westerlund is a sports editor for 670TheScore.com and covers the Bulls. Follow him on Twitter @CodyWesterlund.

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Alderman Hopes Cops Can End ‘Blood Sport’ In His Ward

(CBS) – Chicago police brass are trumpeting a drop in crime in 2017, over last year.

But keep in mind, 2017 is being compared to an exceptionally bad year – 2016.

2 investigator Brad Edwards went to Back of the Yards, where a statistical down-tick fails to tell the whole story.

“It’s a blood sport, it’s a neighborhood war where you have one faction trying to kill and maim as many as the opposition as possible, using high-powered rifles,” Ald. Ray Lopez, 15th Ward, says.

Earlier this year, two officers were shot when gunmen with high-powered weapons began shooting indiscriminately at them. Lopez says battling a festering gang war has been tough because of what’s happening at the top levels of CPD.

“Just when the commanders get their groove, they’re gone.”

He says in the local police district they’ve had four different commanders in the past two years.

Supt. Eddie Johnson says good commanders should be promoted.

“I think that moving forward, the person that is there now will probably be there for some time,” he says.

Lopez hopes stability leads to street-level success in 2018.

He says he is particularly excited about the new commander in the 9^th District, in part because he saw success in the city’s Englewood district.

 

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Cops Out In Force This Holiday Weekend

(CBS) — New Year’s Eve crowds will be dealing with not only severe cold but also heightened security at Chicago’s Navy Pier this weekend.

2 Investigator Dave Savini reports on how Chicago police are getting ready for the celebration.

Massive concrete barricades are just some of the measures police are taking to stop vehicular attacks where crowds might gather, along with patrolling pedestrian-filled sidewalks on the Magnificent Mile.

The effort to step up security started this fall after deadly scenes like the rented truck attack on a lower Manhattan bike path, the 2016 attacks in  France, killing 84, and another at the Berlin Christmas market that killed 12.

Friday, police and security were all over Chicago’s Union Station, and CPD units were up and down Michigan avenue, even parked in the middle of the street.

That gave the Yi family form Chicago a sense of security as they took their 6-month-old baby, Thomas, out shopping with them.

There are also police barricades ready to go all along Illinois Street east to Navy Pier in preparation for the New Year’s Eve celebration.

Metal fencing surrounds the pier, and every corner has a stack of barricades on it. Three thousand people are expected.

Yolanda Martin says she hopes extra patrols will also crack down on all the theft that occurs on New Year’s Eve.

“I think people should be able to enjoy the holiday without getting robbed,” Martin says.

Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult at all times during the New Year’s Eve festivities at Navy Pier.

 

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As Temps Plunge, Shelter Searches Streets For Homeless

(CBS) – A wintry weather combo of snow and extreme cold creates a critical concern for Chicago’s homeless.

Staff at Franciscan Outreach say the shelter’s been over capacity since Tuesday, but they’re hoping to help even more people this weekend as forecasts calling for wind chills in the negatives.

They check the sidewalks, park and viaduct around Harrison and California multiple times a day to make sure no one is staying out in the potentially deadly elements.

“We have seen definitely a lot of our guests who have lost many limbs due to the cold,” program director Cynthia Northington says.

Franciscan Outreach is serving as a 24/7 warming center at the request of the city, until Tuesday.

 

 

 

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Surging Bulls Hold Off Pacers 119-107

CHICAGO (AP) — Rookie Lauri Markkanen scored a career-high 32 points, Nikola Mirotic added 28 and the surging Chicago Bulls beat the Indiana Pacers 119-107 on Friday night for their third consecutive win.

Hot-shooting Chicago made 18 of 39 3-point attempts in its 10th win in 12 games. Robin Lopez and Bobby Portis each scored 12 points, helping the Bulls to their seventh straight home win for their longest such streak since a seven-game run spanning two seasons in 2013.

It was the first meeting between the teams since Indiana erased a 16-point deficit in the fourth quarter of a 98-96 victory on Dec. 6. It might have been the lowest point of the season on the court so far for suddenly interesting Bulls (13-22), and they gained a measure of revenge by turning away another charge by the Pacers in the fourth quarter.

Darren Collison scored 30 points for Indiana (19-17), which has dropped three in a row and four of six. Lance Stephenson had 18 points and nine rebounds, and Domantas Sabonis finished with 14 points and nine boards.

Stephenson started in place of Victor Oladipo, who missed his second straight game because of a sore right knee. Oladipo, who is averaging a team-high 24.9 points in his first season with the Pacers, also is doubtful for Sunday’s matchup with Minnesota.

“He needs to rest the knee and we have to give him some time here,” coach Nate McMillan said.

The Bulls also played without a key guard after Kris Dunn was scratched because of left knee tendinitis. But Jerian Grant stepped into the starting lineup and finished with 11 points and 12 assists.

Chicago opened a 103-84 lead on David Nwaba’s layup with 7:46 left. Indiana then ripped off 11 of the next 14 points to close to 106-95 on Stephenson’s basket with 4:49 remaining.

But Mirotic responded with a layup and Markkanen hit two free throws to run the Bulls’ lead back out to 15.

 

TIP-INS 

Bulls: Mirotic went 8 for 16 from 3-point range. Markkanen was 5 for 9 from beyond the arc. … G Zach LaVine, who is coming back from left knee surgery, worked out Thursday and Friday. He is scheduled for six straight days of contact beginning on Saturday, including four days with Chicago’s G League affiliate. “Obviously it’s a very important part of the process for Zach,” coach Fred Hoiberg said, “and hopefully everything goes great, and you know we’ll kind of take it from there.”

 

UP NEXT

Bulls: Visit Washington on Sunday for their first meeting of the season.

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from CBS Chicago http://ift.tt/2BUwcwu