Afternoon Edition: Sept. 15, 2021

Joe Petit with his dog Philotimo in his back yard a few weeks ago. | Pat Nabong/Sun-Times file

Today’s update is a 5-minute read that will brief you on the day’s biggest stories.

Good afternoon. Here’s the latest news you need to know in Chicago. It’s about a 5-minute read that will brief you on today’s biggest stories.

This afternoon will be sunny with a high near 77 degrees. Tonight will be mostly clear with a low around 58. Tomorrow will be sunny with a high near 82.

Top story

Husband of Wayne village president won’t be charged in Aug. 10 shooting death of neighbor’s dog

The husband of a west suburban village president who shot dead a neighbor’s dog last month won’t be charged in the case, Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser announced today.

Mosser, noting that the Kane County sheriff’s office had “left no stone unturned” during the investigation, said video evidence and an independent witness corroborated the story of Hal Phipps, who claimed he feared for his life when he shot the dog Aug. 10 on his property in the village of Wayne.

“It is my belief that the evidence now shows that Mr. Phipps feared for his safety and his life and was legally justified in the shooting of Ludwig,” Mosser said at a news conference.

Phipps is the husband of Wayne Village President Eileen Phipps.

The shooting happened while Ludwig and his sibling, Philotimo —both Dogo Argentino pack-hunting dogs — were outside. Their owner, Joe Petit, was inside in his basement office at the time.

A close friend of Petit’s, Kathleen Czaplewski, said that at the time of the shooting she was paddling with Ludwig and Philotimo in the Fox River, which flows past Petit’s property. But Mosser said the evidence in the case shows that the dogs were on Phipps’ property at the time of the shooting.

Stefano Esposito has more on the incident that has riled the suburb here.

More news you need

1. Mayor Lori Lightfoot today introduced former San Antonio schools Supt. Pedro Martinez as the new chief executive of the Chicago Public Schools. The announcement was made this morning at Benito Juarez High School, Martinez’s alma mater.
2. The family of Miguel Cisneros, a 19-year-old college student who drowned after jumping off a pier at a Rogers Park beach last month, is suing the Chicago Park District. Had there been life rings available Cisneros’ death could have been prevented, his family says.
3. Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed wide-ranging legislation overhauling Illinois’ energy sector today, as the state works to address the effects of climate change and establish clean energy standards. The legislation sets Illinois on a path to 100% clean energy by 2050.
4. Lightfoot’s plan to use the threat of civil lawsuits to target Chicago gangs was shunted off to the City Council’s Rules Committee yesterday, slowing down the mayor’s latest plan to address violence here. Critics say young people would be unfairly targeted by the lawsuits because their names are included in CPD’s deeply flawed gang database.
5. Mondelez International and members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union say they have reached a tentative agreement that could end a strike against the company’s Nabisco operations. The walkout by members of the union started in August and has involved six locations nationwide, including the Chicago bakery in Addison.
6. By the end of the second week of the school year, more than 5,600 CPS students had been directed to quarantine because of potential in-school exposure to COVID-19, according to new data made public yesterday. Those quarantines represent about 2% of the 290,000 students at non-charter schools.
7. Robert Falls, who spent 35 years as the creative force behind Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, is stepping down as artistic director effective next summer. The move will coincide with the end of the 2021-22 season.

A bright one

Actor with Chicago roots plans South Side performance space

Actor Harry Lennix III, who stars in the TV show “The Blacklist,” is advancing a dream that he said will honor his roots in Chicago: Building a performing arts center for African American culture on the South Side.

Lennix has submitted a zoning proposal to take over a two-story warehouse at 4343 S. Cottage Grove Ave. In a partnership with Chicago developer Keith Giles and contractor Michael Wordlaw, Lennix would turn the old Marshall Field warehouse into a 350-seat theater with a smaller performance space of about 100 seats.

The venue would have a tie-in with the Chicago Public Schools. “I’m a former CPS teacher. I taught music there,” said Lennix. The Northwestern University graduate attained notice here at the Goodman Theatre and elsewhere before moving on to work in New York and Los Angeles.

Nia Architects

A rendering of the Lillian Marcie Center, 4343 S. Cottage Grove Ave.

It would be called the Lillian Marcie Center, a reference to his mother, Lillian, and a mentor, Marcella “Marcie” Gillie on the South Side. Lennix said he’s raised about 60% of the funds needed for a roughly $20 million project.

Giles, who has long been active in the South Loop and Near South Side, said he hopes to start construction at the building in early 2021 and complete the project about a year later. He said he’s working on tax credits and incentives from federal, state and city programs.

David Roeder has more on the project here.

From the press box

• Our Rick Morrissey calls out Bears coach Matt Nagy, who Morrissey says refuses to criticize his team, even after brutal losses like the season opener against the Rams. “His see-no-evil approach to press conferences has been a failure,” Morrissey writes.
• The McDonald’s All-American Game will return to Chicago in 2022 after two years in Atlanta and two years of canceled games due to the pandemic.
• As the White Sox get closer to full strength, the question now is whether a healthy group can put it all together this fall, Steve Greenberg writes.

Your daily question ☕

What’s something you wish would have been taught in school?

Email us (please include your first name and where you live) and we might include your answer in the next Afternoon Edition.

Yesterday, we asked you: What’s the best way to enjoy the remaining days of warm weather in Chicago before the temperatures drop? Here’s what some of you said...

“Enjoy the White Sox’s (hopeful) deep playoff run.” — Jeff Sabin

“Lincoln park zoo, people-watching anywhere, taking a walk before the sun goes down and bike riding.” — Mary Goldsmith

“Take the Architectural Boat Tour. Did it last week & it was fantastic.” — Laura Lazar Bodnar

“Spending time by the lake! I’m making sure to enjoy a walk outside almost every day along the lakefront trail.” — Rachel Schramm

“Hiking in the Forest Preserves.” — Julie Lynn Lee

“Ride a bike and bring a 6 pack of Daisy Cutter to Foster Avenue Rocks. Sit on a bench and enjoy the Lakefront.” — Scott Chasen

“Hunt for your snow shovel and scrapers in the garage.” — Nora Fichtner Fleck

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