Chicago - A message from the station manager

The [Tuesday] Papers

By Steve Rhodes


*


*


–
P.S.:


–
Dart’s Disaster
“A federal judge Monday ordered Sheriff Thomas Dart to move most Cook County Jail detainees into single cells to prevent the spread of COVID-19 inside the massive Southwest Side facility that has been identified as one of the nation’s top coronavirus hot spots,” the Sun-Times reports.
“U.S. District Judge Matthew Kennelly’s 87-page order follows last week’s testimony in a class action lawsuit seeking the release or transfer of elderly and medically compromised detainees.
“Dart’s lawyers argued Thursday that members of the jail staff were struggling to keep up with changing guidance from federal authorities about how to tackle the contagion.”
Really? What part of “keep people at least six feet apart from each other” do they – and Dart – not understand?
“As of Sunday night, 461 detainees have tested positive for COVID-19, and six died from complications related to the virus. More than 300 jail employees, including a corrections officer who died, also tested positive for coronavirus.”
Tom Dart, you are Today’s Worst Person in Chicago.
*
“Dart’s office responded to the ruling by noting that the judge declined requests by the detainees’ lawyers for additional oversight and inspection of the jails, and said that judge’s order ‘reinforced the importance of efforts that already are underway and essentially ordered the Sheriff’s Office to continue measures we put in place prior to the filing of this lawsuit.'”
it’s true that the judge could have – and should have – ruled more aggressively, but the main thing he reinforced is that you have to move most detainees into single cells, especially given that you are now overseeing one of the nation’s top coronavirus hot spots. And it didn’t become that by accident, but on your watch.
*
“We will continue to combat COVID-19, despite the added burden of time and resources needed to defend our practice as the Court recognized ‘the immense amount of time and work that the Sheriff and his staff have spent trying to respond to this crisis,'” Dart spokeswoman Sophia Ansari said in a statement.
Really? We’ll try to do our best even though we have to spend time and money defending in court what a shitty job we’re doing!
*
“Testifying at Thursday’s hearing, Michael Miller, director of jail operations, said that jail staff had reopened decommissioned sections of the jail – which once housed more than 11,000 detainees – to provide more space to put detainees into single cells.
“The current jail population of 4,166 is a record low, and has declined by some 1,500 detainees since the start of March, after the presiding judge of the criminal courts ordered a review of bond for low-risk inmates. A declining number of arrests and increased use of house arrests has also reduced the number of incoming detainees.”
So just to be clear, they’ve had the extra space to do this all along.
–
From the Tribune:
“Dart has repeatedly defended his response and said he was ‘ahead of the curve’ in recognizing the dangers the growing pandemic in a jail setting.”
–
Nursing Home Disaster
“Workers at 40 nursing homes across Illinois plan to go on strike May 8, saying that owners of their facilities have ignored pleas for personal protective equipment, safety protocols and adequate hazard pay,” the Springfield State Journal-Register reports.
“Strike notices were delivered to Alden Debes Manor in Rockford, Aperion Care Capitol in Springfield, Aperion Care in Galesburg, Sterling Pavilion in Sterling, and Willow Crest Nursing Pavilion in Sandwich along with dozens of Chicago-area facilities.”
The workers are represented by SEIU; their current contract expires May 1.
*
“The Illinois Association of Health Care Facilities – the organization with which SEIU Healthcare Illinois is negotiating – fired back Monday saying the union is trying to exploit the global coronavirus pandemic with unreasonable demands ‘using this once-in-a-lifetime crisis to incite a walk-out and put our seniors at even greater risk.’

“It is extremely troubling that SEIU union leadership would ask front-line nursing home employees to abandon elderly and infirm residents during a pandemic and our residents’ greatest hour of need,” Bob Molitor, CEO of the Alden Network and a board member of the Illinois Association of Health Care Facilities, said in a written statement released Monday evening.

The paper did not say how much Alden makes or what his history of raises has been, nor what kind of PPE he might have been issued.
*
I don’t presume that SEIU’s strike threat is 100% pure without any notion of exploiting a tragedy, though I certainly don’t presume otherwise either, but Alden’s facilities, of which there are about 30 in Chicago, are notoriously awful.
Therefore, Bob Moiltor is Today’s Worst Person In Illinois. Besides Today’s Worst Person In Chicago. I get the problem there.
*
According to the law firm Steinberg, Goodman & Kalish, “More than 300 lawsuits have been filed against the [Alden] chain in recent years. These lawsuits run the gamut of offenses including physical abuse, sexual abuse, and financial fraud.”
I get that it’s a law firm with a vested interest. But it checks out.
*
Meanwhile . . .
“A cluster of COVID-19 cases has been reported at a nursing home in west suburban Cicero,” ABC7 Chicago reports.
“After mandated COVID-19 testing was done last week, it was discovered, 163 residents have tested positive at City View Multicare Center and 31 staff members have also tested positive.”
*
CBS2 Chicago:
“Illinois officials announced a jump to 625 deaths from the coronavirus of people who live or work at long-term care facilities. The Illinois Department of Public Health says the state has about 1,200 long-term care facilities. As of Friday, at least 278 facilities had 4,298 cases of residents and workers testing positive for COVID-19.”
–
ChicagoReddit

This 1930’s Flapper’s Dollhouse Cost More than Most People’s Homes – and it’s on display at the Museum of Science and Industry from r/chicago


–
ChicagoGram

View this post on Instagram

Like you, the CHIRP Features team is staying home to help flatten the curve! We are shifting our programming to present a new series in our Artist Interview Program. Shelter In Sound features interviews with artists and local music related tastemakers on what they are doing right now during this global pandemic. Tune in to learn how some of your favorite folx are managing and staying creative while hunkered down. Find episodes and details at chirpradio.org/podcasts. . . . . . . #CHIRPblog #radio #independentradio #chicago #music #local #musicphotographys #bandphotography #localloopchi #bestof2017 #top10 #blog #topalbums #chicagogram #chigram #insta_chicago #🎧 #🎶 #🎸 #shelterinplace

A post shared by CHIRP Radio (@chirpradio) on


–
ChicagoTube
“On The South Side Of Chicago” / Morgana King

–
BeachBook
Why Is Everyone Mad At Elena Kagan?

–
TweetWood
A sampling of the delight and disgust you can find @BeachwoodReport.


*


*


*


*


*


–
The Beachwood Q-Tip Line: External use only.

Permalink

Posted on April 28, 2020