First of two partsSeptember 28, 1918 was to go down as a great day in Philadelphia. Some 10,000 people were expected to watch the latest Liberty Loan parade – a patriotic spectacle designed to boost public financing for World War I.But amid growing excitement that the war was nearing an end, 200,000 people flooded Center City, loudly cheering as thousands of military personnel, industry workers, relief workers, scouts and veterans marched down Broad Street.That so many people came out astounded the local press, which did not hold back any praise in its coverage. The Philadelphia Inquirer lauded the parade for its pageantry and the enthusiasm of its onlookers, often in flowery prose. “The energies of the city – its wealth, its brawn, its intellect, its patience, its skill in the works of brain or of hand – these were seen, as they never had been seen before in such a time and under such stress,” The Inquirer wrote in a front-page story. “Yet in every … [Read more...] about 100 years ago, ‘Spanish flu’ shut down Philadelphia – and wiped out thousands
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Communities clean up after tornadoes rake southern Minnesota
A large tree on the edge of Northfield Cemetery was torn from its roots during a storm Thursday, Sept. 20, 2018, ripping out the nearby fence that separated the cemetery from a church property. A spokesperson for the National Weather Service in the Twin Cities said there were at least two “likely” tornadoes in southern Minnesota, one near Medford and one near Faribault, though neither could be officially confirmed. (Philip Weyhe / Northfield News via Forum News Service)Bill Bongers stands in front of a barn, built in the 1920s, on his farm property just south of Northfield, Minn. The barn, three sheds and about 15 trees on the same property were destroyed from a storm carrying high winds and possibly tornadoes in southern Minnesota. (Philip Weyhe / Northfield News via Forum News Service)Red Barn Farm in Northfield was devastated. The owners of the pizza barn and wedding venue were hosting extended family at the time of impact and found safety in a cellar, pictured here. … [Read more...] about Communities clean up after tornadoes rake southern Minnesota
Annual prep football tripleheader must move from Soldier Field
The Chicago High School Kickoff Classic, an annual football tripleheader usually held at Soldier Field, is looking for a new home.Jim McHugh, who helped launch the event in 1995 and still coordinates it, said Monday that the Bears have exercised their right to veto any events at Soldier Field five days before the team plays. That leaves McHugh trying to line up a substitute site for this year's matchups: Lockport versus Providence, St. Laurence versus Benet and Mount Carmel versus Hope Academy.Plan B is Toyota Park, which has promised a decision by the end of this week on whether it will host the games.The Bears will host exhibition games against the Chiefs on Saturday, Aug. 25, and the Bills on Thursday, Aug. 30. The Bears lost a possible home exhibition date earlier in August because Soldier Field will host Jay-Z and Beyonce concerts Aug. 10 and 11.McHugh said he had hoped to stage the Chicago High School Kickoff Classic at Soldier Field on Sunday, Aug. 26. He met with Bears … [Read more...] about Annual prep football tripleheader must move from Soldier Field
White Sox zeroing in on group of seven prospects for No. 4 draft pick
While the beatdown goes on at Guaranteed Rate Field, the White Sox front office is focused on a group of seven players it’s considering for the fourth pick in the amateur draft, which begins June 4.“We feel pretty confident that within the group of seven, we’re going to get a special player,” scouting director Nick Hostetler said. “While there may not be a Bryce Harper, Kris Bryant or Stephen Strasburg in this draft, it’s a deep draft. We think we could also wind up with first-round talent with our second pick and maybe even in the third round. It’s a really interesting draft.”Within the organization and among the cult of fans who follow scouting and player development, this draft has elicited great anticipation since Chris Sale was traded to the Red Sox during the 2016 winter meetings.The biggest names in college baseball then were advanced hitters Seth Beer of Clemson and Luken Baker of TCU, who were coming off monster freshman … [Read more...] about White Sox zeroing in on group of seven prospects for No. 4 draft pick
In uphill mayoral bid, tech entrepreneur Sales-Griffin stresses shrinking Chicago
Moments after Neal Sales-Griffin sat down in the living room of the 600-square-foot, soft-lit Kenwood apartment where he spent much of his childhood — “my mama’s house,” he calls it — the memories come rushing back.The nights he took his turn sleeping on the couch or floor. The jam-packed Thanksgiving gatherings and joyful games played in the yard on Drexel Boulevard. The people he recalled getting gunned down on the front sidewalk. The difficulties he had at school, and the grants and scholarships that helped him attend Mount Carmel High School and Northwestern University.“Chicago afforded me some opportunities. Chicago also presented a lot of struggles for me …. crunched up in this apartment, not always having the space we needed, not always having the money we needed, not always having food on the table like we needed it,” Sales-Griffin said. “So many other people have experienced far worse than I ever did, and that’s the … [Read more...] about In uphill mayoral bid, tech entrepreneur Sales-Griffin stresses shrinking Chicago