Chicago news roundup: Pritzker’s ex-tollway chairman accused of steering contracts and hiring pals, Wakandacon founder’s next move and more

Gov. J.B. Pritzker, shown in December at a news conference at which he defended the tollway after the agency’s then-board chairman Will Evans pushed a resolution through the tollway board that gave him unprecedented power over the agency’s day-to-day operations.

State of Illinois

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

This afternoon will be cloudy with a chance of drizzle and a high near 59 degrees. Similar weather will continue into tonight with a low near 45. Tomorrow will be sunny with a high near 67.

Top story

Pritzker’s ex-tollway chairman accused in lawsuit of trying to steer contracts, hire pals at agency

Not long after taking office in 2019, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed legislation that restructured the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority, promising “transparency and accountability” and declaring: “Our new leadership will uphold the highest ethical standards, deliver the value to taxpayers and serve Illinoisans in every corner of our state.”

A new lawsuit filed by two former high-ranking tollway officials paints a different picture of the state agency under Pritzker’s chosen team, accusing now-former board chairman Will Evans of trying to steer contracts to favored firms and engaging in patronage hiring.

“After an initial honeymoon phase, beginning in late 2020 and continuing throughout 2021, Evans, with the help of the tollway’s new general counsel, Kathleen Pasulka-Brown, began trying to exert enormous control over the operations of the tollway and in doing so violated several state laws and tollway policies,” according to the lawsuit, filed in DuPage County by Kimberly Ross and Dionna Brookens.

“Some leaders within the tollway allowed this to happen while others, including plaintiffs” and the agency’s top administrator, then-executive director Jose Alvarez, “tried to stop him.”

Ross and Brookens say in the suit that they were fired in retaliation for doing that and that Pasulka-Brown took the unusual step of sending the Illinois State Police to Brookens’ home “to collect her tollway property.”

Evans, a former People’s Gas executive who resigned his tollway post in February following a power struggle with Alvarez, among other controversies, couldn’t be reached for comment.

Pritzker appointed Evans and Alvarez to the tollway in 2019 after signing legislation, backed by then-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, he said would reform the agency. Alvarez resigned last March.

Pasulka-Brown, who was appointed to the tollway post in 2019 by Attorney General Kwame Raoul with the consent of Evans, declined to comment.

A lawyer for Ross and Brookens says “neither I nor my clients will be commenting” on the suit, which names the tollway, Evans and Pasulka-Brown as defendants.

A Pritzker spokeswoman said last Friday: “The administration doesn’t comment on ongoing litigation and had not seen the lawsuit until yesterday. We take all allegations of wrongdoing seriously and would not tolerate any violations of state law. . . . The governor is committed to ensuring that the tollway operates effectively and ethically.”

Robert Herguth has more on the accusations facing Evans here.

More news you need

1. Police in northern Indiana announced murder charges today in the February 2017 killings of Liberty German, 14, and Abigail Williams, 13. Richard Allen, 50, of Delphi, Indiana, has been charged with two counts of murder, authorities said. Our Mitch Dudek has more on this tragic case that has vexed a community for years.
2. A Chicago police supervisor retired earlier this month amid an investigation into racist and other incendiary comments he made on a Facebook account he falsely claimed had been hacked. Police Lt. John Cannons stepped down nearly a year after the Civilian Office of Police Accountability found he showed a “flagrant disregard” for department policies and recommended he be fired.
3. Democratic state Comptroller Susana Mendoza and state Treasurer Michael Frerichs are facing challenges from Republicans Shannon Teresi and Tom Demmer and Libertarians Deirdre McCloskey and Preston Nelson. Our Allison Novelo breaks down what you need to know about these six candidates fighting for two offices here.
4. Faculty and professional staff at the City Colleges of Chicago have reached a tentative agreement on a new union contract and called off their planned strike later this week. The workers represented by the Cook County Colleges Teachers Union had been in negotiations with City Colleges administrators for more than a year over pay, class sizes and other educational supports.
5. “Game of Thrones” author George R.R. Martin has donated $5 million to Northwestern University. The gift from Martin, a Medill school alum, will fund a writers workshop and professorship for undergraduate and graduate students, the school announced today.
6. Ready or not, Christmas music will start tomorrow on Chicago station WLIT-FM (93.9). It’s Lite FM’s earliest switchover to holiday jingles yet.
7. For some, it may come as a surprise to learn that professional wrestling once made Chicago its king of the ring. Our colleagues at WBEZ’s Curious City have the story of how promoters used TV and strong-arm business deals to put the city on the pro wrestling map.
8. Lastly, if you bought Halloween candy this year, you may have noticed that costs for the sugary sweet stuff have soared. Thanks to inflation, candy prices are up 14% from last year, the biggest one-year price increase since 1999, according to a report from S&P Global Market Intelligence.

A bright one

He brought Wakandacon to Chicago, now David Barthwell is creating his own world

David Barthwell isn’t afraid to try his hand at big things.

He dreamed up Wakandacon, a convention dedicated to all things “Black Panther” that was held at McCormick Place in 2018 and 2019. He’s looking to resurrect the costumed spectacle next year at the Sheraton Grand Chicago Riverwalk.

But the experience of bringing Wakanda to Chicago left him wanting to create a new world of his own.

So the Oak Park and River Forest High School grad teamed up with a classmate from Yale University to form a gaming company and create a vivid science fictiontale he hopes will capture the imaginations of gamers when it’s released in 2023.

His college friend is Kevin Lin, a co-founder of the streaming platform Twitch and a good guy to know in order to raise an initial round of $24 million from tech investors.

David Barthwell is designing a futuristic computer game titled “Twilight Shift.”

Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times

“I learned a lot from Wakandacon, meeting people and seeing how people came together to celebrate a Black superhero and all the energy that surrounded that. And I started thinking about telling stories that don’t get told much and how, hopefully, I could someday create a story world that stands alongside that and give back the way ‘Black Panther’ did,” Barthwell said.

Their company is Metatheory, and the game they’re forging is called Twilight Shift. The intricate characters are navigating a futuristic resource-depleted Earth and a mysterious alien spaceship that’s appeared above a city in central Africa. The city will largely resemble Chicago.

The company has 60 employees around the globe who collaborate in a mostly work-from-home model. But they have office space, too.

“The hope is to make really immersive, vivid worlds that fans can occupy, they can learn the lore, play and really deeply feel and see themselves reflected in that world,” said Barthwell, 40.

Our Mitch Dudek has more from his interview with Barthwell here.

From the press box

• The Bears continued their roster makeover today by trading veteran linebacker Roquan Smith to the Ravens for second- and fifth-round picks.
• Following the Bears’ 49-29 loss to the Cowboys yesterday, our reporters break it down: Patrick Finley on Justin Fields’ performance in Dallas, Rick Morrissey on the positives despite a 20-point defeat, Mark Potash on Micah Parsons’ game-sealing fumble recovery, and Jason Lieser on a brutal day for the Bears’ defense.
• Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones will miss several weeks with a thumb injury, which puts the team’s blue line in dire shape in the meantime, Ben Pope writes.
• From a technical standpoint, Bulls center Nikola Vucevic hasn’t changed a thing with his three-point shot. But he is taking a different approach mentally as a shooter this season, Joe Cowley writes.

Your daily question☕

What’s something every Chicagoan needs to prepare for winter here?

Send us an email at newsletters@suntimes.com and we might feature your answer in the next Afternoon Edition.

On Friday, we asked you: What’s the best Halloween costume you’ve ever worn?

Here’s what some of you said...

“The clown costume my mother made. It fit over my winter coat.” — Linda Jena Fisher

“The year our dad made robots from paper grocery bags, for me and my brother.” — Kathey Koziol

“I went to a work Halloween party as a flush toilet. Wish I had a picture of it. I tied a toilet seat around my waist so when I sat down the seat was in my lap. I wore a white box on my upper body (the tank) and added a flush handle to the side, and on top, I glued a roll of toilet paper and a men’s magazine. Won first prize. I almost forgot, I taped the sound of a flushing toilet and played it periodically from a small tape player I had.” — David Wiegers

“When pregnant with my first daughter I made costumes for my husband and me. He was the bumblebee bee and I was the flower. We won a prize for originality.” — Harriet Meaders

“I wore a FedEx Ground sweatshirt and ball cap to my job at UPS. That’s the logistics industry equivalent of wearing a Chicago Bears sweatshirt to a Green Bay Packers Super Bowl celebration parade.” — Dennis Fritz

“As a child, Little Red Riding Hood costume my mother made. As an adult, Wonder Woman.” — Janice Gehrman

“McDonald’s milkshake with a big yellow straw.” — Elaine Hannigan

“John Belushi winning the Decathlon while smoking and eating little chocolate donuts.” — Jim O’Connor

“Pinhead from Hellraiser. I won 500 bucks for best costume in 1993.” — Michael Belsky

“Sailor/ballerina. Sailor on top/ballerina on the bottom.” — Robin Randall

“Tin Man, when I silver duct tapped my face and almost took my skin off when removing.” — Mary V. Czarnik

“Humpty Dumpty made out of chicken wire and newspaper.” — Denise Jackson

Thanks for reading the Chicago Sun-Times Afternoon Edition. Got a story you think we missed? Email us here.

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Does Chicago Have Official Trick-or-Treat Hours? What to Know For Halloween 2022

It’s officially that special time of year: Halloween.

Chicago and its neighboring areas will see a night of fun, frights and candy galore as witches, zombies and other creative costumed trick-or-treaters flood the streets looking for sweets.

But when is the candy-seeking tradition supposed to pan out? Well, it depends.

Several neighborhoods in the Chicago area have designated official hours for trick-or-treaters. A list of times for 45 suburbs can be found here.

As for Chicago, the city doesn’t have official trick-or-treat hours, according to officials. Instead, the city has outlined ways the community can safely celebrate the spooky holiday.

The city is currently running its third annual Halloweek, a week-long series of celebrations that kicked off Oct. 22.

As a part of the program, the Chicago Park District and Chicago Public Library will host virtual and in-person programming throughout the day.

Additional events set to unfold in the evening include film screenings, pumpkin painting, Halloween parties and trick-or-treating in neighborhoods. More information is available here.

Along with the holiday programs, the city shared precautionary COVID-19 guidelines.

The city’s guidance is as follows:

• Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccination, including all primary series doses and boosters for your age group
• Do not hand out candy or participate in Halloween events if you are having symptoms of COVID-19 or feel sick, even if you have been fully vaccinated
• Wash hands or use hand sanitizer before and after trick-or-treating and use hand sanitizer
• Eat candy at home, or after washing or sanitizing your hands
• Masks are recommended when trick-or-treating in indoor public settings, particularly if you are at risk of getting very sick — a costume mask is not a substitute for a high-quality mask or respirator
• Outdoor activities are safer than indoor activities

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‘Game of Thrones’ author George R.R. Martin gifts $5 million to Northwestern University

Author George R.R. Martin

AP file

George R.R. Martin, the famed author behind the “Game of Thrones” series, has donated $5 million to Northwestern University to create a writing workshop and a professorship.

A $3 million gift will establish the George R.R. Martin Summer Intensive Writing Workshop at the university’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications. And $2 million will fund an endowed professorship, the George R.R. Martin Chair in Storytelling, to lead the workshop.

The workshop, launching in 2024, will enroll six to eight writers and authors each summer.

“George R.R. Martin is a prolific and iconic author with an international audience,” Northwestern President Michael Schill said in a statement announcing the gift. “We are so grateful for his generosity to his alma mater, which will inspire and equip the next generation of storytellers at Northwestern.”

Martin, 74, wrote the best-selling fantasy series “A Song of Ice and Fire,” which inspired the HBO’s Emmy Award-winning series “Game of Thrones.” He attended Northwestern and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 1970 and a master’s in journalism in 1971.

Northwestern University awarded Martin the Medill Hall of Achievement alumni award in 2015. Martin has also received the Chicago-based 2019 Carl Sandburg Literary Award.

Charles Whitaker, dean of Medill, said the writers workshop “will enable us to recruit, retain and host recognized authors and storytellers for the benefit of Northwestern students and writers from around the country. These initiatives will help aspiring writers across myriad literary genres to make their mark on the world, as George has done.”

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Michigan State suspends four players after fight at Michigan Stadium

Michigan State head coach Mel Tucker suspended four of his players for their role in a fight at Michigan Stadium.

Paul Sancya/AP

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Jim Harbaugh expects the four suspended Michigan State football players involved in roughing up two members of Michigan’s team to be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

“I can’t imagine that this will not result in criminal charges,” the Michigan coach said Monday.

Michigan State coach Mel Tucker said later Monday that it would be irresponsible to respond to Harbaugh’s call for criminal charges due to the ongoing investigation.

“We’re not here to make any excuses for the behaviors Saturday,” Tucker said. “They are unacceptable.”

Harbaugh said defensive back Gemon Green was punched by a Spartan in the Michigan Stadium tunnel to spark the melee shortly after the fourth-ranked Wolverines beat their in-state rival on Saturday night and teammate Ja’Den McBurrows was attacked when he tried to help.

McBurrows is seen on a video shared on social media being pushed, punched and kicked by multiple Michigan State players, who pulled him out of the tunnel and into a hallway that doesn’t lead to either locker room.

Harbaugh said both players have injuries, adding he did not know if Green, a starting cornerback for a third straight season, would be cleared to play Saturday night at Rutgers.

Tucker announced Sunday night that linebacker Tank Brown, safety Angelo Grose, defensive end Zion Young and cornerback Khary Crump were suspended immediately. Tucker said the decision was made after “reviewing the disturbing electronic evidence.”

Brown, Grose and Young are seen on video getting physical with McBurrows.

“The incidents involving a small group of our players do not represent our culture,” Tucker said.

Tucker was very close to the aftermath, standing in the tunnel as Green was surrounded by police and escorted to the locker room while he shouted at Michigan State players. One social media post shows a Spartan, whose identity is not clear, appearing to swing his helmet at Green.

McBurrows and Green went up the tunnel alongside the Spartans following the game while many of Michigan’s players were waving their rivals off the field and other Wolverines were celebrating near the stadium’s student section.

“They were walking up the tunnel,” Harbaugh said when asked why Green and McBurrows were not with the rest of their teammates.

University of Michigan Deputy Police Chief Melissa Overton said Saturday night that an investigation began in partnership with Michigan State police, Michigan’s athletic department and the Wolverines’ football program.

“The investigation takes some time,” Overton said Sunday.

Tucker said the school is working with law enforcement, Michigan State and Michigan campus leadership, and the Big Ten Conference to evaluate what happened, including identifying other players who were involved in the altercations and contributing factors.

“The suspensions will allow the players to receive academic support and medical services, but they will not be able to attend any organized team activities,” said Tucker, who said the suspensions will remain in place until the investigations are completed.

Tucker’s head was touched in the tunnel by a fan in the stands Saturday night and the coach responded by swiping the fan’s hand away.

Michigan State President Samuel Stanley apologized for the “violent” skirmish.

“I’m extremely saddened by this incident and the unacceptable behavior depicted by members of our football program,” Stanley said in a statement. “On behalf of Michigan State University, my heartfelt apology to the University of Michigan and the student athletes who were injured.”

Harbaugh said Monday an apology is not enough.

The Big Ten said Sunday it is gathering information and plans to take appropriate action.

It was the second straight game at Michigan that included an altercation in the long, narrow tunnel that goes from the locker rooms to the field.

Earlier this month, Penn State coach James Franklin said a policy change was needed to provide a more orderly use of the tunnel.

Some heated words were exchanged, and Michigan players said Penn State players threw peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at them as the teams headed to the locker room at halftime of a close game the Wolverines ultimately won 41-17 on Oct. 15.

Harbaugh said Franklin acted as a “ringleader” and claimed the Nittany Lions stopped in the tunnel to prevent his team from accessing its locker room.

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Powerball Jackpot Swells to $1 Billion Ahead of Monday Night Drawing

The Powerball jackpot keeps getting larger because players keep losing.

It happened again Saturday night as no one matched all six numbers and won the estimated $825 million grand prize. That means the next drawing Monday night will be for a massive $1 billion, according to a statement by Powerball.

The winning numbers Saturday night were: white balls 19, 31, 40, 46, 57 and the red power ball 23.

The increased jackpot will remain the fifth-largest in U.S. history behind another Powerball prize and three Mega Millions lottery game jackpots. The biggest prize was a $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot won by three ticket holders in 2016.

Although the advertised top prize will be an estimated $1 billion, that is for winners who receive their winnings through an annuity paid over 29 years. Winners almost always opt for cash, which for Monday’s drawing will be an estimated $497.3 million.

Players who missed out on the latest grand prize in the 30-year-old lottery shouldn’t immediately toss away their receipts.

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A Florida ticket holder matched all five white balls in Saturday’s drawing and increased the prize to $2 million by including the game’s “Power Play” feature. Six tickets won a $1 million prize by matching five white balls, including two in California, two in Michigan, one in Maryland and one in Texas.

Another 17 tickets won a $150,000 prize while there were 80 winners of $50,000 each. More than 3.8 million tickets won cash prizes totaling above $38 million, Powerball said.

It has been nearly three months since anyone hit all six numbers and took the lottery’s top prize, with a $206.9 million jackpot win in Pennsylvania on Aug. 3. Thanks to Powerball’s long odds of one in 292.2 million, there have now been 37 consecutive draws without a jackpot winner.

Powerball is played in 45 states, as well as Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

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Bill Belichick passes George Halas as Patriots beat Jets

Bill Belichick passed George Halas for second place on the NFL’s career coaching victories list.

John Minchillo/AP

Bill Belichick passed George Halas for second place on the NFL’s career coaching victories list and the New England Patriots continued their mastery of the New York Jets by beating them for the 13th straight time, 22-17 on Sunday.

Devin McCourty had two of the Patriots’ three interceptions of Zach Wilson, Nick Folk kicked five field goals against his former team and Belichick’s bunch slowed the surprising Jets, who had won four in a row.

Belichick missed a chance to break a tie with Halas on Monday night, when New England (4-4) lost to the Bears 33-14. But he got No. 325, including playoffs, against the Jets and now trails only Don Shula (347). The victory was also Belichick’s 100th in the regular season against AFC East opponents as coach of the Patriots.

Mac Jones, who was benched against the Bears for rookie Bailey Zappe, finished 24 of 35 for 194 yards with a touchdown to Jakobi Meyers and an interception.

The Jets (5-3), who snapped a 12-game skid against AFC East opponents by beating Miami three weeks ago, couldn’t change their fortunes against the Patriots — even while debuting their stealth black alternate helmets.

After a promising start, Wilson made too many mistakes in the first 300-yard passing game of his career — he was 20 of 41 for 355 yards and two TDs to Tyler Conklin— and New England took advantage.

Many in the MetLife Stadium crowd that was raucous at kickoff with the Jets off to their best start since 2010 were booing by the third quarter — and filing to the exits long before the game was over.

New York made it closer on Wilson’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Conklin with 1:51 left, but New England recovered the onside kick and Jones took three kneeldowns to run out the clock.

Trailing 10-6 coming out of halftime, the Patriots marched down the field with an efficient drive keyed by Rhamondre Stevenson’s 35-yard run. On fourth-and-1 from the 5, Belichick went for it — and Jones found Meyers in the end zone for a go-ahead touchdown.

After Greg Zuerlein was wide left on a potential tying 45-yarder early in the third, Folk — who spent seven seasons with the Jets — made kicks of 49, 45 and 52 yards to make it 22-10 early in the fourth.

Helped by an unnecessary roughness call on Jabrill Peppers, the Jets quickly got into Patriots territory on their first possession of the second quarter. Wilson capped the drive with an 8-yarder to Conklin for a 10-3 lead.

It was Wilson’s first TD pass in four games.

With the Patriots trailing by seven and facing fourth-and-1 from the Jets 21 coming out of the 2-minute warning, Belichick opted to go for it. Jones’ throw to Meyers fell incomplete and New York took over on downs.

But Wilson was intercepted for the first time in four games when his pass floated into the hands of Ja’Whuan Bentley, giving the Patriots the ball at the Jets 40.

It appeared Jones gave it right back to the Jets when Michael Carter II intercepted him and returned it 84 yards for a touchdown — but had it wiped out by a roughing-the-passer call on John Franklin-Myers. The Patriots ended up getting points on the drive and cutting the deficit to 10-6 on Folk’s 42-yarder as time expired in the half.

J-ROB’S DEBUT

Running back James Robinson, acquired from Jacksonville during the week, made his Jets debut. He finished with 17 yards on five carries.

BRICK HONORED

The Jets inducted former left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson into their Ring of Honor during a halftime ceremony.

Ferguson was a first-round pick in 2006 who made three Pro Bowls and never missed a practice or game during his 10-year NFL career.

INJURIES

Patriots WR DeVante Parker left in the first quarter with a knee injury.

UP NEXT

Patriots: Return home next Sunday to face the Indianapolis Colts.

Jets: Home again to take on another AFC East rival in the first-place Buffalo Bills next Sunday.

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AP Top 25: Tennessee, Ohio State tied at No. 2

Tennessee’s Javontez Spraggins celebrates a fourth-quarter touchdown against Kentucky.

Eakin Howard/Getty Images

Tennessee moved into a tie with Ohio State for No. 2 in The Associated Press college football poll Sunday to set up a 1 vs. 2 matchup next week with top-ranked Georgia.

Georgia-Tennessee will be the 25th regular-season game matching the top two teams in the AP poll, and the third straight involving Southeastern Conference teams. Neither the Bulldogs nor the Volunteers have ever played in a 1-2 game in the regular season.

Georgia remained No. 1 for the fourth straight week, receiving 30 first-place votes and 1,528 points.

The Volunteers moved up a spot, receiving 18 first-place votes and 1,500 points to match Ohio State. The Buckeyes received 15 first-place votes. The last time there was a tie at No. 2 in the AP poll was Nov. 14, 2004, between Auburn and Oklahoma behind No. 1 Southern California.

On Saturday, Tennessee routed Kentucky 44-6 and Ohio State won 44-31 at Penn State.

Tennessee has not been ranked this high since it was No. 2 in 2001, a season the Vols finished fourth.

No. 4 Michigan, No. 5 Clemson, No. 6 Alabama, No. 7 TCU and No. 8 Oregon held their spots in the rankings. USC moved up a spot to ninth and No. 10 UCLA gave the Pac-12 three teams in the top-10 for the first time since November 2016.

The first College Football Playoff rankings of the season will be released Tuesday night.

POLL POINTS

The last two 1-2 regular-season games both involved Alabama and LSU.

The Tigers were No. 1 in 2019 when they beat the second-ranked Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on the way to an SEC and national championship.

In 2011, the top-ranked Tigers won at No. 2 Alabama in overtime and the two SEC West rivals played again in the BCS national championship game. The Tide won the rematch and finished No. 1.

Including postseason games, this will be the 53rd game matching AP’s No. 1 and No. 2 since the poll began in 1936.

IN

Three teams are making there season debuts on the Top 25 this week.

— No. 23 Liberty is ranked for the first time since 2020, when the Flames were ranked for eight weeks and peaked at No. 17 in the final poll of the season.

— No. 24 Oregon State becomes the latest Power Five school to snap a long absence from the rankings. The Beavers had not been ranked since they were No. 25 in the 2013 preseason poll. They had not been ranked in the regular season since 2012 when they finished 20th.

Earlier this year Kansas broke a 13-year rankings drought, which had been the longest in Power Five. Then Illinois broke the next longest dry spell, moving into the rankings for the first time since 2011.

Rutgers currently holds the longest AP Top 25 drought among Power Five teams, dating back to 2012. Vanderbilt is next. The Commodores have not been ranked since the 2013 season.

— No. 25 UCF is ranked for the first time since Sept. 27, 2020.

OUT

SEC East rivals Kentucky and South Carolina both dropped out of the poll after absorbing their third losses of the season. The Gamecocks are out after just one week ranked. The Wildcats are unranked for the first time this season.

Cincinnati also dropped out of the rankings after losing to UCF.

CONFERENCE CALL

SEC — 5 (Nos. 1, 2, 6, 11, 15).

ACC — 5 (Nos. 5, 17, 20, 21, 22).

Pac-12 — 5 (Nos. 8, 9, 10, 12, 24).

Big Ten — 4 (Nos. 2, 4, 14, 16).

Big 12 — 3 (Nos. 7, 13, 18).

American — 2 (Nos. 19, 25).

Independent — 1 (No. 23).

RANKED vs. RANKED

Big weekend in the SEC as both division leads will be up for grabs.

No. 6 Alabama at No. 15 LSU. First ranked matchup for the Crimson Tide and Tigers since that 2019 1 vs. 2 game.

No. 20 Wake Forest at No. 21 North Carolina State. For the second straight year, the Demon Deacons and Wolfpack will meet as ranked opponents.

THE TOP 25

1. Georgia (30 first-place votes) 8-0

2. Tennessee (18) 8-0

2. Ohio St. (15) 8-0

4. Michigan 8-0

5. Clemson 8-0

6. Alabama 7-1

7. TCU 8-0

8. Oregon 7-1

9. Southern Cal 7-1

10. UCLA 7-1

11. Mississippi 8-1

12. Utah 6-2

13. Kansas St. 6-2

14. Illinois 7-1

15. LSU 6-2

16. Penn St. 6-2

17. North Carolina 7-1

18. Oklahoma St. 6-2

19. Tulane 7-1

20. Wake Forest 6-2

21. NC State 6-2

22. Syracuse 6-2

23. Liberty 7-1

24. Oregon St. 6-2

25. UCF 6-2

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Child Among 2 Killed in Kenosha Apartment Fire

A boy and adult male died in an apartment fire that broke out early Sunday in Kenosha, Wisconsin, according to authorities.

The fire was reported at approximately 1 a.m. at an apartment building in the 4900 block of 36th Avenue, the Kenosha Police Department said in a Facebook post. A boy, whose age is unknown, and adult male sustained injuries in the fire and were pronounced dead at the scene.

While evidence doesn’t suggest foul play, the incident will be treated as a crime scene, which police said is a “standard practice.” The fire was contained to the second floor of the building, according to police, who added the fire was extinguished within one hour of firefighters’ arrival.

The fire remains under investigation by both the Kenosha Fire Department and Kenosha Police Department.

This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.

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Illinois Moves Up in AP Top-25 After Dominant Win Over Nebraska

After yet another impressive victory, the Illinois Fighting Illini are up to No. 14 in the latest Associated Press Top-25 poll.

The Illini, who won their sixth consecutive game by a 26-9 margin over the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday, are in the top-15 of the rankings for the first time since Dec. 2007, when they rose all the way to No. 13.

Georgia remains in the top spot of the rankings, with Tennessee and Ohio State currently tied at No. 2. The Volunteers will face Georgia next Saturday in Athens, with the top spot in both the national rankings and the SEC East division on the line in a highly-anticipated showdown.

The Michigan Wolverines, fresh off a huge win over in-state rival Michigan State, stay at No. 4, with Clemson rounding out the top-five.

Penn State, who lost to Ohio State in Happy Valley on Saturday, are the only other Big Ten team in the rankings, checking in at No. 16.

Illinois hadn’t been ranked in the Top-25 since 2011, but they’ll also make some history this week, as they’ll be ranked in the College Football Playoff rankings for the first time in program history.

The Fighting Illini have made their reputation this season on running the football and on defense, and both trends continued on Saturday. They held Nebraska to a 2-for-12 performance on third down, and kept the Cornhuskers’ offense in check, allowing just 248 yards. They also forced four turnovers in the contest.

Chase Brown, who ran for 145 yards in the victory, became the first Big Ten running back to hit 100 or more rushing yards in each of his team’s first eight games since Ezekiel Elliott performed the feat for Ohio State in 2015.

Brown still leads the nation in rushing after the victory, with 1,208 yards on the ground so far this season.

Illinois’ defense has been the best in the nation this season, allowing just 8.9 points per game and 224.5 yards per game, both of which are tops in the FBS.

Perhaps most importantly of all, Illinois remains in firm control of their own destiny in the Big Ten’s Western division. They are 4-0 within the division this season after beating Nebraska, with a 4-1 record overall in the Big Ten.

Next week the Illini will face the Michigan State Spartans, who are 1-4 in conference play so far this season and who have one of the worst scoring offenses in the Big Ten.

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Bears can’t slow Cowboys offense, trail 28-17 at halftime

Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott celebrates a touchdown Sunday against the Bears.

Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Cowboys scored touchdowns on their first four possessions for the first time in almost eight years.

On the fifth one, they threw an interception into Eddie Jackson’s arms with 35 seconds left in the first half. The Bears turned the turnover into a field goal and trail the Cowboys 28-17 Sunday at AT&T Stadium.

Despite them scoring 10 points in the final 40 seconds of the half, the deficit should provide a much-needed wakeup call about the Bears’ ceiling coming off Monday night’s 33-14 win against the Patriots.

The Bears are one of the NFL’s best second-half defenses; through seven games, they allowed only 35 points, the third-fewest in the league. For the second time in four games, though, the defense was outclassed in the first half; the Vikings scored touchdowns on their first three possessions on Oct. 9.

Bears quarterback Justin Fields had 13 passing yards at the end of the first quarter and just 46 yards at halftime. He’s completed 8-of-11 passes, but leads the team in rushing with 41 yards. His passer rating is 110.4.

The Bears inching their way down the field won’t work in the second half if they want to catch up.

The Cowboys had little trouble scoring on their first drive, marching 75 yards on 11 plays for a touchdown. On third-and-3, quarterback Dak Prescott took a designed run left for a seven-yard score.

The Bears went three-and-out on their first drive, slowed by Fields leaving a deep shot to Equanimeous St. Brown short on first down and, on the next play, Dante Pettis being flagged for offensive pass interference.

That produced yet another way-too-easy drive for the Cowboys, who went 69 yards on only eight plays. Facing third-and-9 from the 21, they sent receiver CeeDee Lamb in motion from right to left, where he ran a post route. Prescott found him in the end zone between safeties Jaquan Brisker and Jackson for a touchdown.

Less than 10 minutes into the game, the Cowboys were up 14-0. The Bears countered with a long, plodding drive — one that lasted almost seven minutes and featured 10 run plays and two passes. Fields scrambled for 14 yards on third-and-4 and 15 yards on second-and-6. It was a designed run that landed Fields in the end zone, though; on second-and-goal from the three, he ran left, untouched, to go down 14-7.

The Cowboys’ best play of their next drive should have gone for only a yard or two. On third-and-1 from the Bears’ 41, Prescott took a snap from under center and plunged forward trying to get the first down. No one tackled him, though, and he kept running for 25 yards. On the next play, the Bears gave up an 18-yard touchdown run to Tony Pollard.

The Bears wasted their next drive. They followed a one-yard run with a sack and then a misguided double pass in which Fields threw to Pettis, who launched a pass across the field that kicked away. Pettis was flagged for an illegal forward pass, though, and the Bears were forced to punt.

Fields went to the injury tent after the drive but never missed a snap.

Led by Lamb, who had two catches for 37 yards, Cowboys were went 54 yards on eight plays for their fourth touchdown in a row. This one landed in the arms of tight end Jake Ferguson, who celebrated his one-yard touchdown by pretending to hog tie a teammate.

With 45 seconds to play, Fields threw an interception to Trevon Diggs — but the play came back when Cowboys defensive lineman Chauncey Golston was ruled to have hit Fields in the head when knocking him to the ground. The Bears scored on the next play, a 17-yard pass on a crossing route from Fields to receiver N’Keal Harry.

Harry hadn’t caught a touchdown pass since December 2020, when the former first-round pick was a member of the Patriots. He played his first game with the Bears on Monday.

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Illinois Judge Recommendations as Legal Groups Evaluate Supreme Court Races

The Illinois Supreme Court underwent a dramatic transformation this year, and amid those significant changes, voters will be asked to weigh in on the current construction of the state’s highest court.

The state’s Supreme Court is made up of seven justices representing five different districts. The first district, which includes Cook County, elects three justices, while the remaining four districts have one justice apiece.

Justices are elected to 10-year terms, then face retention votes for new 10-year terms, requiring a 60% vote to remain on the bench. If a justice retires, a replacement is named by the remaining justices, and a two-party election is then called to determine whether that replacement will receive a full 10-year term.

In 2022, the borders of Illinois’ five judicial districts were changed for the first time since they were established in 1964, according to officials.

While Cook County still represents the first district, the second district now includes McHenry, Lake, DeKalb, Kane and Kendall counties. Previously, the district had included 13 northern Illinois counties, but most of the western portion of district two is now represented by the fourth district.

Similarly, the third district now includes fewer counties, including Bureau, LaSalle, Grundy, DuPage, Will, Kankakee and Iroquois counties.

Most of the western portion of the third district has also been folded into the fourth district, while southeastern portions of that district were folded into the fifth district.

While voters in specific counties will have to evaluate which judges to vote for in their given elections, the Illinois State Bar Association and the DuPage County Bar Association both release recommendations for races in the upcoming elections. A third group, the Chicago Council of Lawyers, offers recommendations for races in the first district.

Here’s a bit more information about the three groups.

Illinois State Bar Association

The organization uses three different ratings for judges: not recommended, recommended, and highly recommended.

The ISBA has candidates fill out a questionnaire, and also interviews lawyers familiar with candidates. A committee then rates them based on 12 criteria, including experience, legal knowledge, integrity and diligence, among other factors.

DuPage County Bar Association

This organization solicits written applications from candidates. A random member then interviews references and the candidates themselves, and the committee investigates the backgrounds of the candidates.

Chicago Council of Lawyers

The council evaluates candidates on criteria that include fairness, diligence, impartiality, temperament, professional conduct and character.

The council uses four ratings, including “not qualified,” “qualified,” “well qualified,” and “highly qualified” in its evaluations.

Here is what the groups had to say about the candidates in the retention ballot in Cook County, as well as the two other Supreme Court races in Illinois.

Supreme Court 1^st District

Justice Mary Jane Theis

Illinois State Bar Association – Yes for retention

Chicago Council of Lawyers  – Highly qualified for retention

You can read more on the ISBA’s recommendation here, and you can see the Chicago Council of Lawyers’ full list of recommendations on their website.

Supreme Court 2^nd District

Judge Elizabeth Rochford

Illinois State Bar Association – Highly Recommended

DuPage County Bar Association – Highly Recommended

Mark Curran

Illinois State Bar Association – Not Recommended

DuPage County Bar Association – Did Not Participate

You can read the ISBA’s rationale behind their evaluations on their website.

You can also find more information on DCBA’s methodology on their website.

Supreme Court 3^rd District

Judge Mary K. O’Brien

Illinois State Bar Association – Recommended

DuPage County Bar Association – Highly Recommended

Justice Michael Burke

Illinois State Bar Association – Highly Recommended

DuPage County Bar Association – Highly Recommended

You can read the ISBA’s rationale behind their evaluations on their website.

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$825 Million Up for Grabs as Powerball Jackpot Continues to Rise for Saturday's Drawing

A massive lottery jackpot got a little bigger Friday as the top Powerball prize climbed to an estimated $825 million ahead of Saturday night’s drawing.

The jackpot ranks as the second-largest in Powerball history and the fifth-largest in U.S. history.

The $825 million prize is for winners who choose to take their riches through an annuity, paid annually over 29 years. Nearly all winners opt for cash, which is currently estimated at $410.2 million.

Those winnings also would be subject to federal taxes. Many states tax lottery winnings, too.

No one has hit all six numbers since Aug. 3. That’s 36 consecutive draws without a jackpot winner. The winless streak is due to the abysmal odds of winning: one in 292.2 million.

The longer the game goes without a grand prize winner, the larger the payout will grow.

The Powerball is played in 45 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. It costs $2 to play.

Drawings are held each Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. ET.

Top 10 Powerball Jackpots

1. $1.586 Billion – Jan. 13, 2016 – California, Florida, Tennessee

2. $825 Million (estimate) – October 29, 2022

3. $768.4 Million – March 27, 2019 – Wisconsin

4. $758.7 Million – Aug. 23, 2017 – Massachusetts

5. $731.1 Million – Jan. 20, 2021 – Maryland

6. $699.8 Million – Oct. 4, 2021 – California

7. $687.8 Million – Oct. 27, 2018 – Iowa, New York

8. $632.6 Million – Jan. 5, 2022 – California, Wisconsin

9. $590.5 Million – May 18, 2013 – Florida

10. $587.5 Million – Nov. 28, 2012 – Arizona, Missouri

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White Sox could make manager choice next week

White Sox executive Ken Williams (left) and Ozzie Guillen chat in the White Sox dugout before a game in 2019. (Daryl Van Schouwen)

Ozzie Guillen confirmed he had his interview with the White Sox for their vacant manager’s job this week. Like everyone else, he’s waiting to see what the Sox’ decision-makers do.

It’s possible the Sox, who are said to have made an extensive search since Tony La Russa stepped down at the end of the season, make a choice next week. The general managers meetings are the following week in Las Vegas, and they ideally would have someone in place by then.

Major League Baseball encourages teams to avoid major announcements during the World Series, which could be over as soon as Tuesday if the Phillies sweep the Astros or run through Saturday if it goes seven games. There are off days Sunday and Thursday.

Guillen, who managed the 2005 World Series champion Sox, is eager to find out what he’ll be doing in 2023. He wants to manage again but says he would be OK with continuing as studio analyst for the team’s telecasts on NBC Sports Chicago.

Because he has watched the team almost every day, interacts with players and has relationships with some, especially the Spanish speaking players, Guillen maintains “no one knows this club better than me.”

Guillen, who left the Sox under contentious terms at the end of the 2011 season, has since mended fences with the organization, although chairman Jerry Reinsdorf in 2017 said Guillen wouldn’t be able to return.

Guillen also had a turbulent relationship with then general manager Ken Williams, but Williams — the executive vice president now with Rick Hahn the GM — is known to be a fan of Guillen’s passion. Williams was dissatisfied with the Sox’ shortage of energy and fire last season, when they finished a disappointing 81-81.

The Sox have worked hard to keep their manager wish list relatively quiet. Astros bench coach Joe Espada, who is involved in the World Series, was interviewed two weeks ago.

Former broadcaster Ken Harrelson said this week that Guillen would be the best choice, because of his qualifications and because he would “reinvigorate the fan base.” Harrelson didn’t believe Guillen would get the job, but Guillen would be a fairly popular choice among some media and fans.

“It’s a big decision,” Harrelson said. “It’s more than hiring a manager, it’s getting our fans into it. Because a lot of our fans are really, really disappointed about last season.

“Ozzie wants to win, it’s that simple. He’s the best manager I’ve had in my career with the Sox, and he has a ring to prove it.”

Guillen, who turns 59 in January, still lives in Chicago and spends much of his time with his family, including grandchildren.

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Man shot to death on Waller Avenue in Austin

A man was shot to death Oct. 29, 2022 on the West Side.

Sun-Times file

A man was shot to death Saturday morning in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side.

The man, 26, was outside about 10:35 a.m. in the 1100 block of North Waller Avenue when he was shot in his abdomen, right bicep and right knee, Chicago police said.

He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. His name hasn’t been released yet.

No one was in custody.

The man is the third person killed in the Austin neighborhood in the last week, according to data kept by the Chicago Sun-Times.

On Oct. 22, 18-year-old Joshua Stokes was found fatally shot about two miles away, police said. Hours later, on Oct. 23, a man was fatally stabbed during a domestic disturbance in the 5100 block of West Augusta Boulevard.

Thirty-three people have been killed in Austin so far this year, according to Sun-Times homicide statistics. Fifty-four murders were recorded in the neighborhood last year in the same span.

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