Good morning, Chicago.
As Tuesday’s Illinois primary election approaches, early voters have been introduced to a new unique design for what’s arguably the most fun part of casting a ballot in Chicago — getting the iconic “I voted!” sticker.
The Chicago Board of Elections ordered 2 million of the apple-size stickers. The new design features a ballot box set over a dark blue backdrop and above the four red stars from Chicago’s city flag. The stickers are handed out like little prizes after voters cast their ballots, passed out at precincts and included in vote-by-mail packets across the city.
See the new sticker and read about the artist behind the design.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day.
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As U.S. Rep. Danny Davis seeks 15th term, opponents argue it’s time to move on
City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin stood with U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries two years ago when the high-ranking New York Democrat came to Chicago to throw his political weight behind Danny Davis, the West Side congressman who was working to fend off the most serious primary challenge of his decadeslong career in Washington. Conyears-Ervin, however, is no longer behind Davis.
Boy, 11, slain in Edgewater was committed dancer preparing to open as lead in school musical
Jayden Perkins had everything that makes a good dancer: pointed toes, straight legs, powerful arms. But his friend and fellow dancer Nathaniel Vodak said it was the work ethic of 11-year-old Jayden that anchored his technique.
Now, those who loved Jayden are grappling with his sudden loss. On Wednesday morning, Jayden died in his Edgewater home in a knife attack that also left his pregnant mom, 33, in critical condition with multiple stab wounds.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker announces plan to tear down, replace historic Stateville prison
The administration said it anticipates Stateville, about 40 miles southwest of Chicago in Crest Hill, will be temporarily closed and demolished with a new facility building on its grounds. The status of Logan Correctional Center in downstate Lincoln, about 30 miles northeast of Springfield, is still being worked out and state officials said the location of the new correctional center is being finalized.
South Loop apartment tower sold for $144M in biggest Chicago apartment deal so far this year
Downtown neighborhoods such as the South Loop and River North are popular places to live, but new investments on this scale are rare, largely due to high interest rates and the economic uncertainty they bring, according to Ron DeVries, senior managing director of Integra Realty Resources.
“It’s hard to get enough equity to the table and cut a check,” he said. “FPA already owns a number of buildings in Chicago, so this makes a statement that they are still confident in the city. They are an institutional investor, and it’s good to see that kind of investor is still buying. There are not a lot of them around right now.”
Chicago Boat Show setting sail for Rosemont in 2025
The annual show, which has seen dwindling attendance in recent years, is relocating to the northwest suburbs after nearly a century in Chicago, in part to be closer to its target recreational boat-buying customer, organizers said.
Cook County approves $17 million settlement for Jackie Wilson, exonerated in 1982 cop killings
The payout will resolve a civil rights lawsuit filed by Jackie Wilson that accused several former Cook County assistant state’s attorneys of railroading him for murders committed by his older brother. It is thought to be among the largest wrongful conviction settlements for a single defendant in county history.
Teen gravely injured in police chase could get $45 million in proposed settlement
The settlement for the teen, who cannot talk or walk and is expected to need around-the-clock medical care for the remainder of his life, is one of the largest in the city’s recent history.
Chicago Blackhawks’ motion to dismiss a former player’s negligence lawsuit denied in Cook County circuit court
A Cook County judge denied the Chicago Blackhawks’ motion to dismiss a former player’s negligence lawsuit, paving the way for the case to reach the discovery phase.
Chicago baseball report: White Sox turn the page after Dylan Cease trade — and how Cubs will define bullpen roles
The White Sox turned another page Wednesday, trading ace Dylan Cease to the San Diego Padres.
The Cubs, meanwhile, haven’t made any decisions on how they want to fill the final two rotation spots, one of which will replace right-hander Jameson Taillon, likely to start the season on the injured list because of lower back tightness.
Column: ‘Bill W. and Dr. Bob’ is a moving gathering of the like-minded at the Biograph Theatre
The actor walked out on stage. “My name is Bill,” he said. And almost an entire theater’s worth of people responded, pretty much in unison.
“Hi, Bill.”
That was Tribune theater critic Chris Jones’ first clue that the new show at the Richard Christiansen Theatre at the Biograph, “Bill W. and Dr. Bob,” was not my usual Sunday afternoon at the theater. The second clue came at intermission, when the typical low hum of conversation between companions was replaced more by a level of chatter you find at college reunions. Strangers were talking, reaching out to people in rows in front of them and behind.
One year after a heart transplant, Shaunté Brewer is educating her students about healthy lifestyles — and much more
Shaunté Brewer didn’t know that her health was in danger at age 13. As the Jeffery Manor resident recalls, she was more focused on passing her softball test in gym than on her prevalent cough. Fortunately, Brewer’s mother determined that the sound and persistence of her daughter’s cough called for a trip to the hospital.
But when she was shown her X-ray, her heart was on both sides of her chest. Brewer said her heart was swollen to the point where it was struggling to beat.
“Thank God for my mother,” Brewer said.
