SHAREInstead of an ice rink or basketball court, the floor of the United Center is currently packed from end to end with nearly 26,000 boxes of food.As of Thursday, a whopping 774,840 pounds of rice, beans, pasta, tuna, tomato sauce, peanut butter, canned vegetables and other non-perishable items filled every inch of the normal playing surface.The result is a stunning photo exemplifying the 21,000-seat arena’s abrupt transformation from sporting venue — in a coronavirus-free alternate reality, it would have been prepped for the scheduled Bulls-Nets game on Saturday —to pandemic logistics...…SHAREInstead of an ice rink or basketball court, the floor of the United Center is currently packed from end to end with nearly 26,000 boxes of food.As of Thursday, a whopping 774,840 pounds of rice, beans, pasta, tuna, tomato sauce, peanut butter, canned vegetables and other non-perishable items filled every inch of the normal playing surface.The result is a stunning photo exemplifying the 21,000-seat arena’s abrupt transformation from sporting venue — in a coronavirus-free alternate reality, it would have been prepped for the scheduled Bulls-Nets game on Saturday —to pandemic logistics...WW…

SHARELogan Hunter loved hats.He had a Blackhawks hat. He had a Red Wings hat. He had a Blue Jays hat. But his favorite of all was a Pirates hat. “He always, always would choose the Pirates hat,” said Shauna Nordstrom, Hunter’s mom. “I look back on pictures and there’s always that Pirates hat. He wasn’t a Pirates fan — it wasn’t that. He just gravitated to it.” Hawks rookie defenseman Ian Mitchell, growing up in the Edmonton suburb of St. Albert, Alberta, never had quite the same hat obsession. But now, when he reaches over every morning to grab his own Pirates hat — customized with Hunter’s...…SHARELogan Hunter loved hats.He had a Blackhawks hat. He had a Red Wings hat. He had a Blue Jays hat. But his favorite of all was a Pirates hat. “He always, always would choose the Pirates hat,” said Shauna Nordstrom, Hunter’s mom. “I look back on pictures and there’s always that Pirates hat. He wasn’t a Pirates fan — it wasn’t that. He just gravitated to it.” Hawks rookie defenseman Ian Mitchell, growing up in the Edmonton suburb of St. Albert, Alberta, never had quite the same hat obsession. But now, when he reaches over every morning to grab his own Pirates hat — customized with Hunter’s...WW…

SHAREThe Blackhawks statue outside the United Center on Madison Street was vandalized early Monday morning.The statue was painted black and placed under a tarp during the day Monday. It will be temporarily removed and sent in for repairs soon, a Blackhawks spokesperson said.Orange paint was thrown over the Native American head logo, “land back” was spray-painted on the list of names on the base portion of the statue, and a number of phrases were spray painted on the concrete surrounding the statue.Photos of the vandalism were tweeted at 2:50 a.m. Monday by a Twitter account with the...…SHAREThe Blackhawks statue outside the United Center on Madison Street was vandalized early Monday morning.The statue was painted black and placed under a tarp during the day Monday. It will be temporarily removed and sent in for repairs soon, a Blackhawks spokesperson said.Orange paint was thrown over the Native American head logo, “land back” was spray-painted on the list of names on the base portion of the statue, and a number of phrases were spray painted on the concrete surrounding the statue.Photos of the vandalism were tweeted at 2:50 a.m. Monday by a Twitter account with the...WW…

SHAREOn Tuesday evening, Jim McKellar will settle down in his office at home in the small town of Ingersoll, Ontario.He’ll turn on his TV, plug his laptop into his monitor, open Zoom and join the Blackhawks’ call.And then he’ll watch, help and provide player insight when needed as the Hawks’ front office and scouting team navigates through the first all-virtual draft in NHL history.“It’ll be a little different,” McKellar said, slightly understating things. Tuesday’s first round (6 p.m., NBCSN), during which the Hawks will pick 17th, and Wednesday’s second through seventh rounds (10:30 a.m.,...…SHAREOn Tuesday evening, Jim McKellar will settle down in his office at home in the small town of Ingersoll, Ontario.He’ll turn on his TV, plug his laptop into his monitor, open Zoom and join the Blackhawks’ call.And then he’ll watch, help and provide player insight when needed as the Hawks’ front office and scouting team navigates through the first all-virtual draft in NHL history.“It’ll be a little different,” McKellar said, slightly understating things. Tuesday’s first round (6 p.m., NBCSN), during which the Hawks will pick 17th, and Wednesday’s second through seventh rounds (10:30 a.m.,...WW…

SHAREThe Blackhawks will keep their name and logo but are committed to ‘‘raising the bar even higher’’ in their efforts to increase awareness of Native American culture, they said in a statement Tuesday.The statement comes after the NFL’s Redskins and MLB’s Indians announced their intentions last week to consider changing their Native American names and logos. ‘‘The Chicago Blackhawks name and logo symbolizes an important and historic person, Black Hawk of Illinois’ Sac & Fox Nation, whose leadership and life has inspired generations of Native Americans, veterans and the public,’’ the...…SHAREThe Blackhawks will keep their name and logo but are committed to ‘‘raising the bar even higher’’ in their efforts to increase awareness of Native American culture, they said in a statement Tuesday.The statement comes after the NFL’s Redskins and MLB’s Indians announced their intentions last week to consider changing their Native American names and logos. ‘‘The Chicago Blackhawks name and logo symbolizes an important and historic person, Black Hawk of Illinois’ Sac & Fox Nation, whose leadership and life has inspired generations of Native Americans, veterans and the public,’’ the...WW…

Filed under:The shooting happened about 2 p.m. near 60th and Halsted, Chicago police said.A 1-year-old boy was killed and his mother wounded in a shooting Saturday afternoon in Englewood.The 22-year-old mother and her child were driving home from a laundromat just after 2 p.m. on Halsted Street when another car pulled alongside them near 60th Street, police said.As the cars drove together, someone in the other vehicle fired seven to eight shots into the passenger’s side of the mother’s car, police said.The little boy was struck once in the chest as he sat in a rear car seat, and the mother...…Filed under:The shooting happened about 2 p.m. near 60th and Halsted, Chicago police said.A 1-year-old boy was killed and his mother wounded in a shooting Saturday afternoon in Englewood.The 22-year-old mother and her child were driving home from a laundromat just after 2 p.m. on Halsted Street when another car pulled alongside them near 60th Street, police said.As the cars drove together, someone in the other vehicle fired seven to eight shots into the passenger’s side of the mother’s car, police said.The little boy was struck once in the chest as he sat in a rear car seat, and the mother...WW…

SHAREAn estimated crowd of 30,000 peaceful protesters demanding police reform returned to Union Park Saturday, a week after the George Floyd protests and accompanying riots rattled the city.Activists and groups from across Chicago gathered in the Near West Side park before heading north on Ashland Avenue and marching through West Town.“Being out here, seeing all different races come together — we’re here, we’re making a difference, we’re making a change,” Savanah Wilbourn said. “I was shocked to see this many people here.“People think you have to be black to support Black Lives Matter, and...…SHAREAn estimated crowd of 30,000 peaceful protesters demanding police reform returned to Union Park Saturday, a week after the George Floyd protests and accompanying riots rattled the city.Activists and groups from across Chicago gathered in the Near West Side park before heading north on Ashland Avenue and marching through West Town.“Being out here, seeing all different races come together — we’re here, we’re making a difference, we’re making a change,” Savanah Wilbourn said. “I was shocked to see this many people here.“People think you have to be black to support Black Lives Matter, and...WW…

SHAREMetra, experiencing a 97% decrease in systemwide ridership, is further reducing train service on its three least-busy lines beginning Monday.Just one inbound and one outbound train will run per day on the Heritage Corridor line, which serves southwest suburbs between Chicago’s Union Station and Joliet, and the North Central Service line, which serves northwest suburbs between Union Station and Antioch.Just two inbound and two outbound trains will run per day on the SouthWest Service line, which serves southwest suburbs like Oak Lawn and Orland Park between Union Station and...…SHAREMetra, experiencing a 97% decrease in systemwide ridership, is further reducing train service on its three least-busy lines beginning Monday.Just one inbound and one outbound train will run per day on the Heritage Corridor line, which serves southwest suburbs between Chicago’s Union Station and Joliet, and the North Central Service line, which serves northwest suburbs between Union Station and Antioch.Just two inbound and two outbound trains will run per day on the SouthWest Service line, which serves southwest suburbs like Oak Lawn and Orland Park between Union Station and...WW…

SHAREA U.S. district judge issued a ruling Sunday upholding Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order for Illinois as constitutional.The Beloved Church of Lena, an Evangelical church located about 50 miles west of Rockford, had Thursday seeking a temporary restraining order and injunction in order to resume worship services with its 80 congregants.The church and its pastor, Stephen Cassell, still Sunday without intervention from police, though the temporary restraining order was denied.“Given the continuing threat posed by COVID-19, the [stay-at-home] Order preserves relatively robust avenues...…SHAREA U.S. district judge issued a ruling Sunday upholding Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s stay-at-home order for Illinois as constitutional.The Beloved Church of Lena, an Evangelical church located about 50 miles west of Rockford, had Thursday seeking a temporary restraining order and injunction in order to resume worship services with its 80 congregants.The church and its pastor, Stephen Cassell, still Sunday without intervention from police, though the temporary restraining order was denied.“Given the continuing threat posed by COVID-19, the [stay-at-home] Order preserves relatively robust avenues...WW…

SHAREA visibly angered Mayor Lori Lightfoot scolded partygoers for their “foolish, reckless behavior” during her appearance Saturday on a West Side block where authorities had learned of a planned party — one of six that had been tipped off to police.Those tips came after Chicago police shut down numerous parties Friday night, some with as many as 150 attendees.The mayor scolded those hosting or promoting the events for ignoring social distancing guidelines and said she had instructed Chicago Police Supt. David Brown to advise all police districts to give “special attention” to identifying...…SHAREA visibly angered Mayor Lori Lightfoot scolded partygoers for their “foolish, reckless behavior” during her appearance Saturday on a West Side block where authorities had learned of a planned party — one of six that had been tipped off to police.Those tips came after Chicago police shut down numerous parties Friday night, some with as many as 150 attendees.The mayor scolded those hosting or promoting the events for ignoring social distancing guidelines and said she had instructed Chicago Police Supt. David Brown to advise all police districts to give “special attention” to identifying...WW…