Community Corner
🌱 Man Charged In Kidnapping Attempts + Rainbow Cone Going Nationwide
The quickest way to get caught up on the most important things happening today in Chicago.
Good morning and Happy National Coffee Day! I'm here to get you caught up on everything you need to know about what's going on around Chicago, including ...
- 🚨 Man charged in West Loop attempted kidnapping
- 🍦 Chicago's 'best' dessert goes nationwide
- 🛥️ Battle brewing over proposed Navy Pier marina
The weather:
Sunny to partly cloudy. High: 64 Low: 50.
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Top 5 stories in Chicago:
1) Man charged after attempted kidnapping in West Loop, attacking two other women in South Loop. A man has been charged with trying to kidnap a woman in the West Loop neighborhood on Sunday, and with attacking two other women the same day in the South Loop. Quavon Ewing, 32, is charged with one count of attempted kidnapping by force or threat of force, and two counts of aggravated battery in a public place. At Ewing's bond hearing yesterday afternoon, prosecutors revealed he is a convicted sex offender who carried out those attacks just a day after appearing in court for failing to register as a sex offender, and was released on bond. Ewing's bail was set at $500,000, and a judge ordered him placed on electronic monitoring if he is able to post bond to be released from custody. He was also ordered not to have any contact with the victims, witnesses, or the CTA.
2) Iconic Chicago dessert expanding nationwide. Since "The Bear" became a surprise hit in June, the TV drama series about a struggling Chicago Italian beef stand has sparked a fervent interest in this regional sandwich nationwide. Demand for Italian beef is up by a lot, both in Chicago and at beef stands as far away as California. Buona, a Chicago-area chain specializing in beef, announced this week that it's rolling out a new franchise program to expand its presence nationwide—but perhaps even more exciting is that these restaurants are bringing Chicago's iconic dessert, Rainbow Cone, along with them. Buona and Rainbow Cone have maintained a business partnership since 2019. Now that Buona is eyeing opportunities in several more US states, Rainbow Cone is poised to grow along with it, both as a kiosk within Buona locations and as a freestanding shop in select locations.
3) Cook County forest preserves pitch property tax hike to voters. A referendum on the ballot this November will ask Cook County voters for a property tax hike to support and grow the county's vast forest preserves. The referendum would ask property owners to contribute on average about $1.50 more in property taxes per month toward the preserves, or around $20 a year. About $3 to $4 of a homeowner's current property tax already goes to the forest preserves each month. The question before voters comes as the forest preserves became a haven of green space during the pandemic. The number of visitors skyrocketed as people sought a respite from sickness, isolation and boredom. The county's forest preserves are one of the largest in the U.S., with nearly 70,000 acres of natural areas where people can hike, fish, bike, camp and even zipline. If approved, officials estimate the tax increase would generate over $40 million in additional funding a year.
4) Chicago Public Schools no longer nation's third largest district. After 11 years of declining enrollment, Chicago Public Schools is no longer the nation's third largest school district. There are now 322,106 children attending the city's public schools, roughly 9,000 fewer than last year, according to the official enrollment count released yesterday during a school board meeting. That's more than 80,000 fewer students than there were a decade ago, when city officials shuttered 50 schools citing low enrollment, and more than 115,000 fewer than were enrolled 20 years ago. The stunning contraction in size raises important questions about the future of the public school system and the city as a whole. Miami-Dade County Public Schools has overtaken CPS as the third largest school district in the nation. The Florida district enrolled 324,961 as of Sept. 1. New York City Public Schools is the largest with more than 950,000 students enrolled last fall and Los Angeles Unified School District is the second largest with more than 430,000 last year.
5) Battle brewing over proposed marina at Navy Pier. Another boating season has come and gone in Chicago without so much as a pylon or a plank being laid for a proposed marina at Navy Pier, despite the fact the City Council approved it six years ago. "The only thing stopping us right now is the same city that approved the marina to be built in 2016," developer Randy Podolsky said. Podolsky received approval for the project at every level of government from the federal Army Corps of Engineers to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Chicago City Council. However, Mayor Lori Lightfoot's administration has refused to issue the construction permit. Podolsky said he has been told the project's proximity to the Jardine Water Purification Plant, sparked unspecified security concerns. However, there's nothing currently stopping boaters from accessing the proposed marina site which sits on the South Side of the plant just north of Navy Pier. The opposite site of the water treatment plant is also fully open to boaters and includes the raucous party spot known as the Playpen. The alderman whose ward includes Navy Pier is a supporter of the project and puts the blame for its delay on Lightfoot.
Today in Chicago:
- Smoothie King "King of Coffee" Pop-Up Experience & Tour at Union Station (7:00 AM)
- Veterans Breakfast Club at Pritzker Military Museum & Library (8:30 AM)
- Chicago Cubs vs. Philadelphia Phillies at Wrigley Field (1:20 PM)
- Thursday Evening Farmers Market at Lincoln Square (3:00 PM)
- Taste of Fulton Market (5:00 PM)
- Lincoln Park Uncorked at Lincoln Station (6:00 PM)
- Meshuggah, Converge, Torche at Radius (6:00 PM)
- Whiskey and Barrel Nite at Morgan MFG (6:30 PM)
- Soulcycle Bumble Event at Bumble (6:30 PM)
- Campfire Nights at Lincoln Park Zoo (6:30 PM)
- Schitt's Creek Trivia Night at Bottom Lounge (7:00 PM)
- Stereolab at The Riviera Theatre (7:30 PM)
- "Private Lives" at Raven Theatre (7:30 PM)
- Jamestown Revival with Robert Ellis at Thalia Hall (8:00 PM)
- Father John Misty at The Chicago Theatre (8:00 PM)
- Boy & Bear, Handsome Ghost at Lincoln Hall (8:30 PM)
Social chatter:
- Bad airplane joke: "What happens to a bad airplane joke? It never lands. ✈️ #msichicago #airplane #boeing727 #thingstodoinchicago #chicagogram" (Museum of Science and Industry via Instagram)
- Classical music for $1: "You can attend a Chicago Philharmonic orchestra concert for as little as $1" (Block Club Chicago)
- Local governments: "Who needs townships? Illinois has far more local governments than any other state. Many have outlived their usefulness. So why aren't we getting rid of them? Link in bio. 🖌️ @neubeckerpictures #chicago #cookcounty #goverment" (Chicago magazine via Instagram)
- Community bonfires: "Bring your own marshmallows to the community bonfires happening this week at: 🔥9/27: Burnham 🔥9/28: Davis Square Park 🔥9/29: Eugene Field Park 🔥9/30: Minuteman Park 👉For more info., visit https://bit.ly/CommunityBonfires2022. #inthe..." (Chicago Park District via Facebook)
- Haunted dolls: "New Chicago exhibit teaches about haunted dolls for Halloween" (Fox 32 Chicago via YouTube)
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That's it for today. I'll be in your inbox tomorrow morning with a new update!
— 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
