People living along the Mississippi River watched warily Sunday as water levels rose in southeast Iowa and northwest Illinois, awaiting spring crests as floodwaters began to slowly recede and reveal damage in areas further north.
The National Weather Service said many of the crests across the region this season will rank in the top 10 of all time, but will remain several feet below the records set in past floods. Officials in many cities along the river are optimistic they’ll be able to either keep the floodwaters at bay through a combination of floodwalls and sandbags or contain it to low-lying park areas. But some homes close to the river have been damaged.
“Luckily we’ve had relatively dry weather over the last week or so and not expecting much in the way of rainfall as well,” National Weather Service meteorologist Tom Philip said. “So it’s coming through as forecast for the most part.”
The river peaked in the Dubuque area Saturday at 23.03 feet (7 meters)— well below the 25.7 feet (7.8 meters) record — but officials there were grateful to have the floodwall the city built 50 years ago in place.
Without that floodwall, the city would be facing significant problems, said Deron Muehring, a civil engineer for the city of Dubuque.
“The floodwaters would be up to 6 feet deep in the Port of Dubuque and more than 7 feet deep in the south port,” Muehring told the Dubuque Telegraph-Herald.
The river is expected to crest at around 21.6 feet (6.6 meters) on Monday in the Quad-Cities area, where five neighboring cities sit along the Iowa-Illinois line. Some roads and parks near the river are closed. The record at that spot is 22.7 feet (6.9 meters).
Once the river crests in an area, it may take up to two weeks for the floodwaters to fully recede.
In recent days the Mississippi flooded low-lying parks and trails in La Crosse, Wisconsin, and flooded streets and basements in the town of Campbell on French Island, which lies in the Mississippi and Black rivers just west of La Crosse.
The river crested at 15.9 feet (4.8 meters) on Thursday, almost 4 feet (1.2 meters) above flood stage and the third-highest level ever, but it has been receding by the hour since.
About 60 miles (95 kilometers) downstream, flood waters covered streets in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. The river crested there at 22.9 feet (7 meters) on Friday, which also the third-highest crest ever. Officials posted guidelines for disposing of sandbags and other debris on the city’s website as the river levels started to fall.
The flooding is expected to ease as the spring surge of water from melting snow works its way further down the 2,300-mile (3,700-kilometer) length of the river on its way to the Gulf of Mexico. Most of the tributaries in Iowa, Illinois and other Midwest states are running lower than usual, so they won’t exacerbate the flooding by dumping large amounts of water into the river.
In its ongoing effort to coordinate a notable event in every month of the offseason, the NFL is expected to release the 2023 schedule on May 11. One sign the league is getting close to settling on a plan: fresh off the NFL Draft, commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to meet with scheduling guru Howard Katz on Monday, ESPN reported Sunday.
Once finalized, the schedule will dictate which teams play in the NFL’s international series.
The Chiefs will host a game in Germany — either Munich or Frankfurt — and are expected to play either the Bears or the Lions. If the Bears go, it would be their fourth-ever European trip and the first since they played the Raiders in London in 2019. The Lions haven’t played overseas since 2015.
Bears chairman George McCaskey, who is on the NFL’s international committee, said last month that the overseas series games would be rolled out separately — probably a day or two before the rest of the regular-season schedule.
“The schedule’s supposed to come out in mid-May and they’re talking about announcing the visiting teams in the international games shortly before the schedule comes out,” he said at the NFL’s annual meeting.
The five international games — three in London and two in Germany — will all be hosted by AFC teams, as they have one extra home game in the NFL’s 17-game schedule. The Bears will host eight games at Soldier Field.
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The Wolf (Gavin Creel) sizes up Little Red Riding Hood (Katy Geraghty) in “Into the Woods.”
Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade
Sometimes, less is more.
That saying applies perfectly to this simplified, beautifully sung and deeply felt production of “Into the Woods,” which began last May as a semi-staged concert with a starry cast, part of the tidal wave of affection for Stephen Sondheim’s work following his death in late 2021.
It was so well-received that it transferred intact to Broadway, where it became a hit for its limited engagement, which ended in January.
Now on a limited tour with several members of the Broadway cast and a couple of legit stage stars in Tony winners Stephanie J. Block (currently out requiring vocal rest, possibly to return for the second week of Chicago performances) and Gavin Creel, the production quite literally places Sondheim’s music center stage. The orchestra appears just behind the performers, and the forest setting is depicted with partial, spare, tree trunks above them, hanging from the flies. The orchestra’s presence reduces the playing space, placing even further emphasis on the performers, the music, the lyrics, as opposed to production values.
‘Into the Woods’
into the wood review
When: Through May 7
Where: James M. Nederlander Theater, 24 W. Randolph St.
Running time: 2 hours and 45 minutes, with one intermission
“Into the Woods” is one of the more flexible major musicals out there. It’s so well-structured, lyrically clever, and thematically rich that it really works just as well performed grandly or plainly or in between.
A mash-up of fairy tales such as Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel and Cinderella, the show exists in an imaginative storyland anyway. Such yarns have been simply read aloud as bedtime stories exponentially more times than they’ve been produced as big-budget spectacles.
The simplicity here brings major benefits. The differences between Act I — where the characters wish and seek and attain — and Act II — where the characters, having gotten what they wished for, aren’t sure it’s what they wanted after all — don’t feel as jarring as they can with images of destruction taking over the show. The disappointments, the compromises, the recognition of mortality — these all seem a natural extension of the stories rather than a departure. It all feels extremely … human-scaled.
(L to R) Sebastian Arcelus and David Patrick Kelly in “Into the Woods.”
Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade
In fact, Sebastian Arcelus’ Baker (an invented protagonist in James Lapine’s book) is far and away the most convincing, compelling portrayal I’ve seen. A central but tricky character, the Baker has always been an odd combination of passivity and sexist bossiness, needing to be egged on by his practical, baby-desiring Wife (a strong Ximone Rose filling in for Block). In Arcelus’ take, the Baker is a genuine everyman, pretty much befuddled, weak and operating on cultural expectations he has never really thought about. When his wife has “a moment” with the glamorous Prince (Creel), we certainly can’t blame her. Too many actors before him have begged the audience to like this guy, but not here, and perhaps for the first time I fully comprehend him.
There are other outstanding performances. Creel, who in addition to the Prince plays the grandma-eating Wolf, is one of those performers whose purposeful gestures and comic timing make you follow him wherever he goes. And even though he’s properly exaggerated, he too brings his Prince down to earthly size at just the right moment, when he confesses: “I was raised to be charming, not sincere.”
The wonderful twist is that he says it with the greatest sincerity.
As Jack, of beanstalk fame, Cole Thompson beautifully captures a purity of emotion, from the wonder of “Giants in the Sky” to absorbing the lessons of loss in Act II. And Katy Geraghty, as the not-very-innocent Little Red Riding Hood, delivers a level of sass that it’s hard to imagine topping. Another understudy, Ellie Fishman, plays Cinderella with a genuinely genial sense of humility. And Montego Glover, a bit of an understated Witch for much of the show, certainly delivers a masterful crescendo with her version of “Last Midnight.”
When the show does require special effects, James Ortiz’s minimalist puppetry fills in, providing oversized wiry shoes to depict the giant stomping around in the second act, as well as a great cow (manned by Kennedy Kanagawa) and amusingly chatty birds, a bit of a poke at the Disney versions of these tales.
Montego Glover as The Witch in “Into the Woods.”
Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade
It’s shocking, if not surprising, how current “Into the Woods,” which was first produced in 1987, manages to feel in each new era. If anything, it only gets more meaningful with time.
Understanding the notion of stories as an underlying shared consciousness, this version contributes to the very successful case for this show as among the best of Sondheim’s masterpieces.
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Bruce Springsteen might have a new member of his E Street Band — Michelle Obama.
The former first lady joined the rock icon onstage during his concert April 28 in Barcelona, Spain. She sang the background vocals and jammed on a tambourine alongside Springsteen during his performance of “Glory Days.”
The “Becoming” author performed in a purple ensemble with a black blazer overtop. She was all smiles and sang passionately into the mic alongside actor Kate Capshaw and band member Patti Scialfa.
Alfonso Gomis Duyos, @todoestoexiste on Twitter, shared the sweet moment on social media and captioned the video, “Wow there! @MichelleObama giving it everything” in Spanish.
Michelle Obama and her husband, Barack Obama, were in Barcelona with Steven Spielberg, who is married to Capshaw, for the Springsteen concert. According to Reuters, the group visited some of the city’s famous sites, including the Sagrada Família basilica and the Picasso museum, before the show Friday.
Springsteen, Spielberg and Barack Obama also had dinner together at the Amar restaurant April 27, according to Reuters.
Springsteen and Barack Obama are longtime friends. The singer performed at rallies for the then-presidential candidate during his 2008 campaign. Barack Obama also awarded Springsteen the nation’s highest honor for civilians, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, in 2016.
In 2021, the two teamed up to record a podcast together called “Renegades: Born in the USA,” in which they discussed the origins of their friendship, race in the U.S. and fatherhood.
Friday’s concert comes as Springsteen kicked off his international tour, following a concert in Newark, New Jersey, April 14, which wrapped his U.S. concert series. Springsteen and the E Street Band play next April 30 in Barcelona before heading to Dublin, Ireland.
“Glory Days” is one of the hits from Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” album, released in 1984. The song was one of seven singles from the album to break the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1985.
Luis Robert Jr. was not in the lineup Sunday due to hamstring tightness.
AP Photos
White Sox manager Pedro Grifol has no problems with Luis Robert Jr.’s work ethic. It’s Robert’s communication that could use some improvement.
Before Sunday’s game with the Rays, Grifol said he didn’t know Robert was feeling hamstring tightness Saturday. Robert was not in the lineup Sunday, Grifol said, because of that hamstring and not because of what happened in the first inning Saturday.
“He was pulled out of the game for not hustling down the line and the expectations that we have here as a ballclub,” Grifol said. “He’s not playing today because he was a little tight yesterday, apparently. So we are going to err on the side of caution.”
Robert told the media Saturday night he was feeling soreness, and not Grifol. That’s the part of Saturday night’s episode that bothered the Sox manager. Grifol understands that players want to be on the field to help their teams, especially ones that are struggling like the Sox.
And if players communicate, then Grifol and the Sox can judge whether they are putting in enough effort while playing dinged up. Another factor is if players aren’t telling the staff how they’re doing physically, they could try to play through a problem and end up getting more injured.
“By any means, just because you are a little tight doesn’t mean you aren’t going to play,” Grifol said. “Communication always takes precedence to anything that is not communicated. Better decisions are made.”
Grifol wants to make decisions that keep Robert on the field as much as possible. That will be easier if Robert and other players keep Grifol in the loop.
“It’s just communicating. And just because you communicate you’re tight doesn’t mean you’re not going to play,” Grifol said. “We’ve had players this year playing — and I knew they could only give us 70-75% down the line. I always say the same thing: just give us all you got without being reckless. That’s all I can ask for.
“That’s my decision, if he can only give us 75 percent and that’s what he gives us down the line and it doesn’t look right, tell me. That’s my decision so I can come in here in front of everybody and talk about that. But when I don’t know, I don’t know.”
As for the hamstring, Grifol doesn’t think it’s serious and tightened up because of a high workload recently for Robert. Grifol also said Robert told him he’d be available if needed.
“I can’t stress this enough, we’re talking about a guy who works their butt off, plays hard every day and wants to win games, crashing into walls in the outfield, going from gap to gap,” Grifol said. “We’re not talking about a guy that this is a common occurrence here. It’s just a communication thing. It’s just a mistake. That’s it.”
The health front
Grifol said shortstop Tim Anderson (sprained left knee) and infielder Hanser
Alberto (strained left quad) will be back for Tuesday’s series opener with the Twins. Left fielder Andrew Benintendi (right elbow) was again not in the lineup Sunday after getting hit by a pitch Friday, and Grifol said he’s optimistic the Sox’ big free-agent signing will play Tuesday.
Reliever Garrett Crochet, who had Tommy John surgery last April, was slated to begin a rehab assignment Sunday with Double-A Birmingham. When Crochet throws for the Barons, it will be his first career appearance in the minor leagues.
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A man was shot and killed Saturday afternoon in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side.
Shortly after noon, the 32-year-old was outside in the 5200 block of West Adams Street when four people stepped out of a gray sedan and at least one of them opened fire, striking the man multiple times, according to Chicago police.
He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.
No one was in custody as of Saturday evening.
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Two people were injured, one seriously, when a porch collapsed at a residential building on Saturday afternoon in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood, authorities said.
The collapse was reported before 1 p.m. in the 4400 block of South Vincennes, according to the Chicago Fire Department.
Details on what led up to the collapse weren’t immediately available, but fire officials confirmed two people were taken to an area hospital. A 57-year-old man was hospitalized in serious-to-critical condition, while a 56-year-old man was reported to be in fair-to-serious condition.
Video captured by an NBC 5 photographer showed what appeared to be a portion of a second floor portion missing from the structure, with broken pieces on the grass below.
Minnesota cornerback Terell Smith breaks up a pass against Purdue in October.
Photo by David Berding/Getty Images
Minnesota cornerback Terrell Smith was the Bears’ pick at No. 165 in Round 5 on Saturday.
Smith started 29 games over a five-year career — he got an extra season of eligibility because of the coronavirus — with the Golden Gophers. Oddly, he started nine games as a freshman and then not again until 2021. He had two interceptions and two sacks last season.
The 6-foot, 204-pounder is old by draft standards — he turns 24 in July. The Bears are intrigued by his size and speed, though — he was the Georgia State 100-meter champion as a high school junior.
“When you’ve got somebody with those physical skillsets, they don’t have to be perfect — and they can still be right,” Trey Koziol, Bears co-player personnel director, said.
He figures to play special teams and compete for time at outside cornerback.
“At Minnesota we always talk about how special teams wins you a game or lose you a game,” Smith said. “It’s an important part of the game. That’s how I approach it. It’s just like a defensive rep; it’s just as important.”
The Bears picked up the 165th pick earlier in the day. About an hour before the start of the draft, general manager Ryan Poles traded the first pick of Round 4 to the Saints; in exchange, the Bears moved down 12 spots in Round 4 and received the Saints’ pick, No. 165.
Earlier Saturday, the Bears picked Texas running back Roschon Johnson and Cincinnati receiver Tyler Scott in Round 4 and Oregon linebacker Noah Sewell in Round 5.
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A Glendale Heights man is in custody after a Joliet police officer was stabbed during a barricade situation that began as a welfare check early Saturday morning, police said.
Officials said officers responded to a residence in the 500 block of Bevan Drive West shortly before 4 a.m. Saturday for a welfare check following a 911 call that was placed.
According to police, upon arrival officers spoke with the homeowners and learned that Francisco Alvarez, 42, was an acquaintance who was staying inside the home.
Police said officers then spoke with Alvarez, who told police he had called after seeing an unknown person in the yard.
At this time, police said officers searched in the area around the home and determined there was no suspicious activity before clearing the area.
Just over an hour later at 5:11 a.m., officers responded back to the same residence upon learning that Alvarez had barricaded himself inside a coat closet inside of the home.
According to officials, officers determined that Alvarez was having a mental health crisis and spoke with him through the closet door.
Police said officers requested Alvarez to exit the closet numerous times, with Alvarez continually refusing.
Officials said officers then opened the closet door, at which time Alvarez was seen holding a large knife in his right hand.
Police said Alvarez then thrusted his knife toward officers, stabbing a female officer in the stomach. According to police, officers deployed a taser, which police say was “ineffective”, before Alvarez was disarmed and taken into custody following a struggle.
The officer was taken to Ascension St. Joseph Medical Center where she was treated and later released.
Alvarez was taken to Silver Cross Hospital where he remains under police guard.
Alvarez faces charges of attempted first-degree murder and aggravated battery to a peace officer.
Bears fourth-round draft pick Tyler Scott (21) had 54 receptions for 899 yards and nine touchdowns at Cincinnati last season.
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
The Bears selected Cincinnati wide receiver Tyler Scott in the fourth round (No. 133) of the NFL draft.
The 5-10, 177-pound Scott has two notable attributes the Bears are looking for — speed and short-area quickness to get open off the line of scrimmage. Scott ran a 4.44 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine and a 4.37 40 at Cincinnati’s pro day.
Scott started 20 games in three seasons at Cincinnati and had modest production until last season, when he had 54 receptions for 899 yards (16.6 average) and nine touchdowns in 11 games. He had 30 receptions for 520 yards (17.3 average) and five touchdowns in 2021.
“Love his speed. Great kid. Tough kid,” Bears scout Ryan Cavanaugh said. “He can really take the top off. Justin’s going to like throwing to him deep — he does that well. I think he surprised us with route running and quickness and everythign about him. He’s a tough kid. He’s tough at the catch point. He’s really good with the deep ball. Getting open deep as well as fighting for the ball deep. Good at tracking it. Good hands downfield. And just an awesome kid.”
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“Roschon is the best teammate I’ve ever had,” Robinson said at the scouting combine. “He brings out so much in a player and the team just how he goes about being a leader. Not just his teammates but everybody in the community. I think that who he is as a person and what he does on the field – I don’t think he’s overlooked because he chose his presence and made his presence felt.
“Roschon is a god. He’s the other running back in this class, and I don’t think people should overlook the talent he has and the skillset that he brings. I think he’s just as good as anybody. His toughness and heart make him stand out over everybody.”
Rodney Johnson at the site on 75th Street of past gatherings that erupted in violence. He’s part of a neighborhood group fighting to get bars to keep the large gatherings under control.
Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times
Good afternoon. Here’s the latest news you need to know in Chicago. It’s about an eight-minute read that will brief you on today’s biggest stories.
This afternoon will be mostly cloudy with a chance of showers and a high near 62 degrees. Tonight will be partly cloudy with a low near 41. Expect rain tomorrow with a high near 41.
Concerned about a mass shooting and spontaneous block parties at which hundreds of people have gathered on East 75th Street, a group of Greater Grand Crossing residents is waging a campaign against bars and other businesses in the iconic Black business district.
They’re demanding that the business owners and the Chicago Police Department do more to control unruly crowds on the street during summers. For a year, they’ve been gathering petitions and filing complaints with City Hall about businesses in the six blocks east of the Dan Ryan Expressway.
Along that stretch last year, at least four people were shot, one fatally, two people were carjacked, and one person was robbed at gunpoint. The residents say the businesses have contributed to the violence by turning a blind eye to rowdy customers and lawlessness on the street.
“75th used to have more bars than we have now, more than twice as many, but we never had the issues we are currently having coming out of these establishments,” said Rodney Johnson, one member of a neighborhood group.
They want building owners to fence off parking lots to help keep drunken revelers from congregating during overnight hours, especially after bars close. They say security guards at the bars should help shoo away crowds gathered outside and that they’re just trying to make the area safe for everyone to visit — and not the kind of place where 10 people were shot in the street on a summer morning in 2021.
Bar owners say the residents don’t represent the views of the community and that their expectations are unreasonable. They say they’re spending too much on lawyers to defend them against what they say are frivolous complaints. And they caution that things would get worse if they’re pushed out of business, leaving vacant properties that might lead even more businesses to close.
Rev. Wheeler Parker Jr., Emmett Till’s cousin and best friend, was with Till in Mississippi and in the room when he was abducted. Till’s kidnapping and lynching in 1955 became a catalyst for the Civil Rights Movement. But when it was announced yesterday that the woman whose accusations led to Till’s slaying had died, Parker extended grace. “Even though no one now will be held to account for the death of my cousin and best friend, it is up to all of us to be accountable to the challenges we still face in overcoming racial injustice.” Our Kaitlin Washburn has more on Carolyn Bryant Donham’s death.
Video gambling machines operated by a politically well-connected businessman have taken in $75 million in bets since state regulators proposed stripping his license for allegedly associating with the head of an illegal bookmaking operation, records show. In 2021, the state agency proposed stripping the lucrative video gaming license held by Frank Cortese’s company. Nearly two years later, with no ruling yet, he’s still in business.
According to former U.S. Rep. Frank Annunzio’s FBI file, recently obtained by the Sun-Times, sources told agents over the years that the longtime congressman and Chicago Machine Democrat “frequently associated with” top La Cosa Nostra figures and “is possibly an LCN member himself.” The records also reveal there was a years-long federal investigation into a “proposed bribery scheme” described as having focused in part on Annunzio. More on Annunzio’s mob ties from our Robert Herguth.
As a newly formed commission launches a nationwide search for the Chicago’s next top cop, campaigns endorsing current and former Chicago police officials for the job are already impacting the process and raising some alarms. Joe Ferguson, the city’s former inspector general, said the lobbying raises “some unseemly appearances which, given that this is Chicago, should be of concern.” The latest on the top cop search from our Tom Schuba and Fran Spielman.
For years, when anxious passengers shuffled to the front of his plane to alleviate pre-flight jitters with a glance at the cockpit and pilots, United Airlines Capt. Chris Bales would greet them and pull a picture from his wallet. It showed his three daughters outside his house on the first day of school.
The message was clear: “I’m going to get home to them, and I’m going to get you home to your loved ones, too.”
On Sunday, Bales, who lives in Milwaukee but has flown out of O’Hare Airport for 38 years, is set to take his last flight before reaching the federally mandated retirement age of 65. And one of the girls in the picture, his daughter, Ally, will be his co-pilot.
“It’s kind of the passing of the torch. I’ll be feeling a lot of pride,” he said.
On Sunday, Chris Bales, who lives in Milwaukee but has flown out of O’Hare Airport for 38 years, is set to take his last flight before reaching the federally mandated retirement age of 65. And his daughter, Ally, will be his co-pilot.
Provided
Ally Bales, 33, a probationary pilot whose flown with her dad one other time in her 10 months on the job, might make an announcement to the passengers about his retirement, but the thought of getting choked up makes her hesitant.
“It’s kind of the culmination of all I’ve known,” she said.
Chris Bales, who’d fly for another year or two if not for the mandated retirement age, offered his daughter a few words of advice: “Keep your nose clean, and things will sail along.”
“Being born into an aviation family, all the stories I’ve heard, now it will be me having the stories and filling them in. It will be pretty incredible to keep this family legacy,” she said.
Cubs rookie right-hander Hayden Wesneski is adjusting his pregame routine to unlock “a better Hayden.”
Steve Greenberg argues if the White Sox don’t pull a magical comeback out of their helmets, the party’s over — GM Rick Hahn must go.
Your daily question☕
What’s the most romantic place in Chicago? Tell us why.
Email us (please include your first and last name) and we might include your answer in the next Afternoon Edition.
Yesterday we asked you: What’s one tip you have for someone playing 16-inch softball for the first time?
Here’s some of what you said...
“Leave the glove at home.” — Reid M.
“Practice catching the ball with your hands all the way open. That is the key to not breaking your fingers.” — Ray Nice
“Take your rings off before you start.” — Andrew Fogle
“Learn how to catch the ball with proper hand position to avoid broken fingers.” — Dan M.
“It takes some oomph to get that thing to go somewhere, so take a good look for holes in the defense and aim at one of them.” — Dale Johnson
“If you have an occupation where the use of your hands is critical, see HR first regarding your company’s insurance policy.” — Donald Lewis
“Very hard ball at the start. If you want to hit it deep, do it in the first couple innings. It gets soft as the game goes on.” — Stephen Wampler
“Do a few minutes of stretching/exercises before stepping onto the field. Loosen up your hips/body. And have fun!” — Linda Manning
“All wins/losses must be celebrated/mourned over drinks somewhere on Rush!” — Christine Bock
“Hit it where they ain’t.” — Steve Wozniak
“You can’t leave first until you chug a beer. Any man scoring has to chug a beer. You have to chug a beer at the top of all odd-numbered innings. Oh, and the fourth inning is the beer inning.” — Mark Magoon
“Protect your fingers and catch softly.” — Gene Tenner
“Outfield play deep. Infield play shallow. Don’t throw the ball around more than absolutely necessary. Swing a heavy bat. Have fun.” — Garrett Karp
“Have good medical insurance.” — Ed S.
“When hitting, be patient, wait on the pitch, and drive it to right field with an inside-out swing.” — Matt S.
“Don’t play this game unless your hands are larger than normal. Testament several crooked fingers from trying to catch a brand new ball with bare hands.” — Les C.
“Playing 16-inch softball for the first time? Do not play third base, shortstop or first base. Those positions have the ball hit and thrown at you very often. Your figures will be broken or dislocated. I should know playing 5 nights a week for over 40 years. Even after many years of experience, I would still get dislocated or bruised figures.” — Bruno R.
“Buy a bigger glove!” — Joe K.
Thanks for reading the Chicago Sun-Times Afternoon Edition. Got a story you think we missed? Email us here.
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More details about Jerry Springer‘s cause of death have been confirmed.
The legendary broadcast host, who helmed “The Jerry Springer Show” for 27 years, died of pancreatic cancer, his representative and friend Jean Galvin told NBC News.
Springer passed away at his suburban Chicago home on April 27 following what his family described as a brief illness, per their statement to E! News. He was 79.
“Jerry’s ability to connect with people was at the heart of his success in everything he tried whether that was politics, broadcasting or just joking with people on the street who wanted a photo or a word,” Galvin said on behalf of Springer’s family in a statement obtained by E! News. “He’s irreplaceable and his loss hurts immensely, but memories of his intellect, heart and humor will live on.”
Following news of his death, Maury Povich paid tribute to the talk show host, describing him as a “joyful, smart and, in his own way, a unique showman.”
“I am shocked and saddened by the passing of Jerry,” Maury said in a statement to E! News. “He was not only a colleague but a friend. We worked for the same company for decades. I will miss him.”
Springer was also honored with a billboard outside his studio in Connecticut featuring his catchphrase, “Take care of yourself and each other.”
The studio was one of the former filming locations for “The Jerry Springer Show,” which ran from 1991 to 2018. The show saw Springer mediate confrontations and feuds in front of a live audience, who would chant “Jerry, Jerry, Jerry!” during tense moments.
While he once said he doesn’t take his “silly” show that “seriously,” he told Reuters in 2000 that he’ll also defend its significance.
“When people argue about the show intellectually,” he said at the time, per NBC, “then I’m prepared to answer about why I think it is OK to do it and why I think it’s important that shows like that are on the air.”
Springer also held hosting gigs at “Judge Jerry,” “Tabloid With Jerry Springer,” “Baggage” and “America’s Got Talent.” However, he stepped out of his hosting duties to compete in “Dancing With the Stars” in 2006 and “The Masked Singer” in 2022.
Before he became a television staple, Springer served as the mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio from 1977 to 1978 and anchored Cincinnati television station WLWT in the ’80s and ’90s.
Springer is survived by his 47-year-old daughter Katie Springer, who he shared with ex-wife Micki Velton.
A child and two adults were hospitalized after a car crashed into a Chatham day care center Friday morning.
Patricia Nabong | Sun-Times
A 4-year-old and two adults were hospitalized after an SUV crashed into a day care center in Chatham on the South Side Friday morning.
Crews responded just before 8:30 a.m. to Raekwon’s Scholastic Academy, 211 W. 79th St., according to Chicago Fire Department officials.
A man, 34, was driving with his 4-year-old to the center when he accidentally accelerated and drove through the front window, according to the day care center’s owner, Raekwon Neighbors, and Chicago police.
The child was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in good condition, fire officials said.
The driver was transported to the University of Chicago Medical Center with minor injuries, police said. A teacher was taken to St. Bernard Hospital for evaluation.
The crash occurred before most children had arrived at the day care, and no children inside the day care center were injured, Neighbors said.
A driver accidentally plowed through a window of Raekwon’s Scholastic Academy in the Chatham neighborhood Friday morning.
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
“We’re going to get everything fixed ... and probably get some barriers up front ... just in case something like that happens (again),” Neighbors told the Sun-Times. “You can never guess that somebody is going to accidentally hit the accelerator.”
Trenisha Jackson said she was at work when a teacher called to tell her about the crash. She just started bringing her 1-year-old daughter Karmyn to the center this month.
“My heart dropped instantly,” Jackson told the Sun-Times. “When my boss told me I could leave I flew from 51st and St. Louis to 79th, and I got there in about 10 minutes.”
Jackson said she was relieved to arrive and reunite with her daughter but was terrified to see the car stuck in what she believes is one of the center’s seven classrooms.
“I’m just very thankful that all the kids and everyone is OK,” Thomas said. “I was told that that the 4-year-old injured was inside the car, and I’m praying everything is OK with him.”
Raekwon Neighbors, owner of Raekwon’s Scholastic Academy on West 79th Street in Chatham, reacts after the crash into his business Friday.
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times
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Two adults were hospitalized and four others refused treatment after the “release of a chemical agent” during an altercation at Chicago Bulls College Prep in Chicago’s Near West Side neighborhood.
According to fire officials, a chemical agent was released during a disturbance at the school early Friday afternoon. Two adults, who are staff members, were taken to a local hospital in good condition.
It is unknown if the four individuals who refused treatment at the scene were students or staff members.
Students were released from school for the day. There is currently no further information.
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Russia fired more than 20 cruise missiles and two drones at Ukraine early Friday, killing at least 23 people, most of them when two missiles slammed into an apartment building in the center of the country, officials said.
The attacks included the first one against Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, in nearly two months, although there were no reports of any targets hit. The city government said Ukraine’s air force intercepted 11 cruise missiles and two unmanned aerial vehicles over Kyiv.
The strikes on the nine-story residential building in central Ukraine occurred in Uman, a city located around 215 kilometers (134 miles) south of Kyiv. Twenty-three people, including four children, died in that attack, according to NBC’s Anna Tsybko. The Ukrainian national police said 17 people were wounded and three children were rescued from the rubble.
The bombardment was nowhere near the war’s sprawling front lines or active combat zones in eastern Ukraine, where a grinding war of attrition has taken hold. Moscow has frequently launched long-range missile attacks during the 14-month war, often indiscriminately hitting civilian areas.
Ukrainian officials and analysts have alleged the strikes are part of a deliberate intimidation strategy by the Kremlin. Russia has denied its military aims at civilian targets.
Survivors of the Uman strikes recounted terrifying moments as the missiles hit when it still was dark outside.
“All the glass flew out, everything flew out, even the chandelier fell. Everything was covered in glass,” resident Olha Turina told The Associated Press at the scene.
“Then there was an explosion. … We barely found our things and ran out,” she said.
Turina, whose husband is fighting on the front lines, said one of her child’s classmates was missing.
“I don’t know where they are, I don’t know if they are alive,” she said. “I don’t know why we have to go through all this. We never bothered anyone.”
One of the 10 people killed in the Uman attack was a 75-year-old who was in her apartment in a neighboring building and suffered internal bleeding from the shockwave of the blast, according to emergency personnel on the scene.
Three body bags lay next to the building as smoke continued to billow hours after the attack. Soldiers, civilians and emergency crews searched through the rubble outside for more victims, while residents dragged belongings out of the damaged building.
One woman, crying in shock, was taken away by rescue crews for help.
A 31-year-old woman and her 2-year-old daughter were also killed in the eastern city of Dnipro in another attack, regional Governor Serhii Lysak said. Four people were also wounded, and a private home and business were damaged.
In Kyiv, fragments from intercepted missiles or drones damaged power lines and a road in one neighborhood. No casualties were reported.
The city’s anti-aircraft system was activated, according to the Kyiv City Administration. Air raid sirens started at about 4 a.m., and the alert ended about two hours later.
The attack was the first on the capital since March 9.
The missiles were fired from aircraft operating in the Caspian Sea region, according to Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander in Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi.
Overall, he said, Ukraine intercepted 21 of 23 Kh-101 and Kh-555 type cruise missiles launched, as well as the two drones.
The attacks came as NATO announced that its allies and partner countries have delivered more than 98% of the combat vehicles promised to Ukraine during Russia’s invasion and war, strengthening Kyiv’s capabilities as it contemplates launching a counteroffensive.
Along with more than 1,550 armored vehicles, 230 tanks and other equipment, Ukraine’s allies have sent “vast amounts of ammunition” and trained and equipped more than nine new Ukrainian brigades, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said.
Some NATO partner countries, such as Sweden and Australia, have also provided armored vehicles.
The overnight attacks and comments came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he and Chinese leader Xi Jinping held a “long and meaningful” phone call on Wednesday in their first known contact since Russia’s full-scale invasion more than a year ago.
Though Zelenskyy said he was encouraged by Wednesday’s call and Western officials welcomed Xi’s move, it didn’t appear to improve peace prospects.
Russia and Ukraine are far apart in their terms for peace, and Beijing — while looking to position itself as a global diplomatic power — has refused to criticize Moscow’s invasion. The Chinese government sees Russia as a diplomatic ally in opposing U.S. influence in global affairs, and Xi visited Moscow last month.
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Arhirova and Rising reported from Kyiv. Patrick Quinn in Bangkok contributed to this story.
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