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🌱 Ald. Tom Tunney Retiring + Blackhawks' Ice Gets Fresh Coat of Paint

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Good morning, Chicago! It's me, Nicole Cvetnic, here to tell you what's happening locally. Let's get to it!

  • 🏛️ Alderman Tom Tunney announces retirement from City Council
  • 💉 Chicago is suspending large-scale monkeypox vaccination drives
  • 🚗 I-PASS transponder expiration dates have been extended in Illinois

P.S. The Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte has returned to menus across the U.S.—a sure sign that fall is around the corner. Find out how this iconic drink almost didn't happen.

P.P.S. After 10 seasons, "Chicago PD" star Jesse Lee Soffer announced this upcoming season will be his last.

First, the weather:

Warm with plenty of sunshine. High: 84 Low: 68.

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Top 5 stories in Chicago today:

1) Alderman Tom Tunney announces retirement, joining long list of aldermen leaving posts. Tom Tunney, Chicago's first openly gay alderman, announced he will retire at the end of his term next year, becoming the latest in a long list of Chicago aldermen leaving their posts. The 44th Ward alderman has represented the Lakeview neighborhood for nearly two decades, though he offered no reason for his decision. Tunney has famously gone head-to-head with the Ricketts family, owners of the Chicago Cubs who have been vocal in their frustrations with Tunney since his appointment in 2002.

NBC Chicago

2) Artist turns old payphone into fantastical sci-fi art display. A former payphone stall in West Ridge is offering a portal into the past and future of Earth—or at least one local artist's depiction of it. The abandoned payphone on Western Avenue just south of Pratt Boulevard is now home to an elaborate, science fiction-themed art installation by West Ridge artist Luna Rail. The phone has long been removed, with only two metal boxes that previously contained it still standing. In one of those boxes sits the art piece, an elaborate, 19th century theater display with gold ornamentation and red velvet curtains. On stage in this theater is a day in the life of future Earth, where aliens sit around a campfire. The piece was installed in June.

Block Club Chicago

3) As monkeypox cases plateau, Chicago suspending large-scale vaccination drives. Chicago's top public health official urged eligible residents who haven't yet received the monkeypox vaccine to do so this week before the city pivots its mass vaccination sites at city colleges back to COVID-19 after Labor Day. The shift comes as monkeypox cases have plateaued in the Chicago area in recent weeks. There have been 850 cases in the city since the outbreak began in June. After peaking at the end of July, cases have steadily declined throughout August. There are plenty of appointments available for the two-dose vaccine, which is now being offered to all sexually active men who have sex with men. In addition to city-run sites, the vaccine is being administered by health care providers across Chicago. People who got their first shot more than 28 days ago are now encouraged to get the second dose to be considered fully vaccinated.

Chicago Sun-Times

4) A slick paint job: How the United Center ice gets a fresh coat. The Chicago Blackhawks first preseason game at the United Center is still about a month away, but Senior Ice Technician Nick Cotsilis and his 7-year-old son Jake were on the ice this week to prepare the playing surface with a fresh coat of paint. Using a specially formulated paint that adheres to the ice, technicians will take 25 gallons and eight colors to make the lines and the logo for the upcoming season. Then they'll apply a slowly sprayed layer of water that will seal the paint for the season. When it's all done, there will be about an inch and a half of ice on top of the painted surface. And the white part of the ice? That's painted, too.

WGN

5) I-PASS transponder expiration dates extended in Illinois. Illinois drivers whose I-PASS transponders have expired have been given a reprieve by state officials, with Tollway authorities extending the expiration date by two years. Expiration dates that occur between 2020 and 2026 will be extended by two years, with those individuals receiving detailed instructions via mail on the procedure for replacing their devices. Officials say the move not only gives drivers an additional grace period, but also fits more in line with the life expectancy of the devices, which are expected to function properly for 10 or more years.

NBC Chicago

Today in Chicago:

  • 22nd Annual Diversity Employment Day Career Fair at Courtyard by Marriott Chicago Downtown/Magnificent Mile (11:00 AM)
  • Pizza Party w Chef Stephanie Izard at Piece Brewery and Pizzeria (4:00 PM)
  • Film Screening: "The Batman" at West Lawn Branch Library (4:30 PM)
  • Film Screening: "Back to the Future" at Mayfair Branch Library (5:00 PM)
  • Film Screening: "The Secret Garden" at Sulzer Regional Library (6:00 PM)
  • Urban Farm Dinner at Big Delicious Planet (6:00 PM)
  • Calum Scott at House of Blues (6:00 PM)
  • All Elite Wrestling at NOW Arena (6:00 PM)
  • WNBA Semifinals Game 2 at Wintrust Arena (7:00 PM)
  • Royals vs. White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field (7:10 PM)
  • Comedy at The Cabin at The Cabin at Old Irving (7:30 PM)
  • Kristin Korb "Something to Celebrate" Tour at Epiphany Center for the Arts (7:30 PM)
  • Story Jam Solo: True Stories & Live Music (7:30 PM)
  • Chicago at Montrose Saloon (8:00 PM)

Chatter:

  • CPD: "Photos released of Jeep suspected in hit-and-run that killed 5-year-old boy in Edgebrook" (Fox 32 Chicago)
  • Irene's Finer Diner: "Petros Papatheofanis' family ran Alps East for 25 years. Now, he's returning to North Center to open his own restaurant." (Block Club Chicago via Facebook)
  • White squirrel?: "Why is this "gray" squirrel white? 🤔 It inherited a genetic mutation that interferes with the body's production of melanin, the pigment that gives it color. 🤍 This condition, called "albinism," occurs in a wide range of animals, including opossums, turtles, and humans." (Field Museum via Facebook)
  • Ravyn Lenae: "At this point in @ravynlenae's unconventional career, no moment is taken for granted. Already a seemingly fully formed talent in 2015 when she dropped her first single, she was signed by Atlantic Records at just 16 while still a student at the Chicago High School for the Arts." (Chicago magazine via Instagram)
  • Chicago Sky: "Class Picture 📸 Presenting your 2022 Chicago Sky! #skytown" (Chicago Sky via Instagram)
  • Street racing victim: "She was on her way to dinner, when two Corvettes came racing toward her." (ABC 7 Chicago)
  • The Selena Tribute Concert: "BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: We're pleased to add Sarah La Morena to The Selena Tribute Concert on Friday, September 9th at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion! Sarah La Morena has been making waves across the internet and country with her beautiful performances of regional Mexican music. We can't wait to hear her renditions of popular Selena songs!" (National Museum of Mexican Art via Facebook)

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Alrighty, you're all good for today. I'll see you soon!

— Nicole Cvetnic

About me: I'm a Midwesterner and very happy to call Chicagoland home. I love the outdoors—especially hiking, performing arts, photography, good food, travel and gardening. You can often find me reading to my two-year-old daughter, watching a tv series with my husband or cuddling with our special needs dog.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Chicago Daily? Contact me at chicago_il@patch.com

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