Officials at Olympia Fields-based Fierce Elite Athletics are firm believers that it’s never too early to start competing on a national level. As a matter of fact, there are 8-year-old cheerleaders who are old-timers at this place.

“We start them out at 4,” co-founder Liana Joyner said. “No matter what their talent is, we bring them in and train them.”

The club’s other co-founder, Nicole Veazey, said starting young is important because there is more than just cheerleading on the line.

“A big thing for us is that we want young women to be empowered,” Veazey said. “Beyond cheer and teaching them the sport of cheer, we want people in the community to see other women who have found their way.”

“That is a big thing for us.”

Developing confidence is also vital.

“Once you cheer in front of hundreds and thousands of people, there is not a whole lot that can shake your confidence,” Veazey said. “If we can start that at 4, when you can go out and cheer in front of thousands of people, there are not a whole lot of people who can shake who you are or what you know you can do.”

Fierce Elite Athletics, which is in its fifth year, produced its first national championship team last month as it won the 8U Small Team Level 2 title at the American Youth Cheer National Championships Dec. 3-6 at the Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee, Florida.

Young athletes from the Southland who competed were Bailee Blankenship, Ryelle Deberry, Janylah Gatlin, Grace Griffin, Sydney Hrobowski, Brooklyn Jackson, Zya Pandy, Peyton Pillow, Khloe Rayson-Gardner, McKenzie Goshay, Kendall Shannon, Naomi Spight, Amiah Turner and Kai Winters.

Latoya Bearden-Gardner and Katrice Shannon coached the champions.

Kai Winters, 7, is one of the youngest members of the team, but that’s routine for her. She is a second grader at Markham Park Elementary School in Markham and takes third-grade courses in reading and math.

“It was very exciting and I felt shocked that we won,” she said.

More surprises were on the way.

Fierce sent four other teams to the nationals, and when the 8U team got back to the hotel, they were greeted with a loud ovation from their teammates.

“I was surprised that they did that,” Winters said. “When we walked in, they were standing there and screaming.”

“It was such a beautiful moment because it really showed what our team stands for,” Veazey said. “Their win was everyone’s win for the whole organization.”

There were different emotions for Winters. While she said the pool at the hotel was her favorite part of the trip, winning the national title was also right up there.

“It was fun, but I was a little bit nervous, though,” she said. “There were so many people there. That was a little scary.”

Winters’ mother, Amaris Winters, is the principal at Markham Park Elementary and is proud of the team.

“I have cried at every single performance,” she said. “As an educator and as a mommy, I burst with pride how much they’ve grown over the years.

“They are learning things that are so invaluable that a lot of kids this age are not going to get until they are older.”

But the cheerleaders are still at that age where the discipline of going through practices and performing at a high level is not always easy. Just getting kids to pay attention is not an easy ask.

“It’s a challenge, but it’s a worthwhile challenge,” Joyner said. “We start with the basics and the fundamentals and practicing how to move like a cheerleader and what being a cheerleader means.

“We lay it out there for what we expect. Then we begin our choreography where we start to practice their routine. We take it one part at a time and break it down for them.”

Fierce has 67 athletes this year, and this national championship could change the dynamic for the club.

The pressure is on, but it’s not because owners or coaches are putting it on them.

“I think they already put it on themselves,” Veazey said. “The pressure is on because the other girls are yearning for that experience and we are pushing for it and know it’s obtainable and within our reach.

“They need to work hard and dig down and dig deep for it.”

Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/29/olympia-fields-fierce-elite-cheer-champs/ 

Trump-Bibi Meeting: US Will “Knock The Hell” Out Of Iran If Nuke Sites Rebuilt

Tyler Durden
Mon, 12/29/2025 – 16:40

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/trump-bibi-meeting-us-will-knock-hell-out-iran-if-nuke-sites-rebuilt 

Chicago Public Schools has formally challenged the Service Employees International Union’s petition to represent 1,600 miscellaneous workers — stalling the union’s push to increase membership across the district.

SEIU Local 73 filed the representation petition with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board on Nov. 10. The workers cover a wide range of support roles, including tutors and recess monitors, in Chicago’s public schools. The union argues they are sometimes misclassified, filling roles that unionized support staff also perform, but for less pay and no benefits.

An “overwhelming majority” of those workers want to join SEIU, according to the union.

But in objections filed Christmas Eve, CPS said the union petition should be tossed out, arguing the workers are “short-term” employees not entitled to union representation under state law.

Miscellaneous workers don’t have a “reasonable expectation that he or she will remain in that position at any given time,” the district argued. “By definition, these positions are filled on a ‘temporary,’ ‘hourly,’ and ‘part-time’ basis.”

Local 73 argues that many of the miscellaneous workers have worked in the district for years despite being classified as “temporary” and said it’s confident it will prevail before the state educational labor board.

“These workers are some of the lowest-paid, part-time workers in CPS, typically performing lunch and recess duties,” Local 73 President Dian Palmer said in a statement last week, calling the school board “Grinch of the year” because of the timing of its objection.

The district also argued that the miscellaneous workers lack a “community of interest” with other Local 73 members in CPS, in part because they perform such a wide range of roles and lack predictable schedules and hours.

CPS also pointed to the miscellaneous workers’ lack of benefits when arguing that they should not be allowed to join the union.

“Miscellaneous employees are not eligible for participation in the District’s various employee benefit plans, including its health care, vision, dental insurance plans, and life insurance benefits. Unlike other SEIU bargaining unit members, they do not accrue vacation days or personal days,” the district argued.

“The drastic difference in working conditions between miscellaneous employees and those of the current bargaining unit weigh against a common community of interest,” the objection reads.

A spokesperson for CPS said in a statement that the district does not comment on ongoing litigation, but described its filing as a standard legal procedure to resolve questions surrounding bargaining units and employee classification.

“CPS values the rights of employees to organize and engage in collective bargaining as outlined by state law,” the statement said. “The district will continue to comply with the legal process as required.”

The petition also hit an earlier hurdle: After SEIU initially filed to represent the miscellaneous workers, the Chicago Teachers Union contended that some were rightfully theirs. CTU filed grievances against CPS in 2018 and 2022, seeking to formally represent the job title.

It was the latest development in a feud between the two politically-powerful labor unions, which stems from an earlier dispute over other jobs within the district.

In a blog post this month, CTU blamed district leadership for leaving miscellaneous workers “unaddressed,” accusing officials of “attempting to create conflict.” The teachers union said that the workers fill a variety of roles — some that may fall under CTU or SEIU, and some that may not be legally eligible for representation.

“We will continue our grievance process to ensure the right to organize, that workers are properly classified and that those performing CTU bargaining unit work are represented by our union,” the post said.

Local 73 represents about 13,000 support staff in the district, such as security officers and bus aides. CTU, meanwhile, represents about 30,000  workers, the bulk of whom are teachers.

Once allies that worked together to help elect Mayor Brandon Johnson, the two progressive unions have feuded bitterly after SEIU last year accused the teachers union of trying to pass a contract proposal it said would effectively take special education jobs from SEIU and give them to CTU.

At a Dec. 8 news conference, SEIU gathered dozens of district employees at the union’s Near West Side offices. Shah Dhanji, a seven-year CPS veteran, said he often covers 12-hour shifts. He spends most of his time monitoring students during recess, bouncing between an elementary school, preschool and afterschool program.

Dhanji said that he loves his job, but his family goes without health insurance. “Being a miscellaneous worker means going without basic benefits needed. … We show up every day for our students and we deserve a system that shows up for us too,” he said.

Board member Yesenia Lopez, District 7B, told attendees that she comes from a union household and that it’s “only fair” that miscellaneous workers have the right to organize.

“They just want a fair share, and I’m here to support them,” Lopez said. “They’re there every day, fighting for our students and helping our teachers, our principals and every other staff (member).”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/29/cps-miscellaneous-school-workers-unionize/ 

‘Above Average’

Tyler Durden
Mon, 12/29/2025 – 16:20

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/above-average 

A strengthening bomb cyclone barreled across the northern U.S. on Monday, unleashing severe winter weather in the Midwest as it took aim at the East Coast.

The storm brought blizzard conditions, treacherous travel and widespread power outages to parts of the Plains and Great Lakes on Monday as sharply colder air, strong winds and a mix of snow, ice and rain swept through.

How bomb cyclones form and create dangerous conditions

Forecasters said the storm intensified quickly enough to meet the criteria of a bomb cyclone, a system that rapidly strengthens as pressure drops. The sharp cold front left parts of the central U.S. waking up Monday to temperatures as much as 50 degrees Fahrenheit colder than the day before.

All that wind and snow created “a pretty significant system for even this part of the country,” said Cody Snell, a meteorologist with the Weather Prediction Center. Forecasters expect the storm to intensify as it moves east, fueled by a sharp clash between frigid Canadian air and lingering warmth across the southern United States.

Dangerous wind chills plunged as low as minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit across parts of North Dakota and Minnesota. The National Weather Service warned of whiteout conditions beginning Sunday that could make travel impossible in some places.

In Iowa, blizzard conditions eased but high winds were still blowing fallen snow across roadways, keeping more than 200 miles (320 kilometers) of Interstate 35 closed Monday morning. State troopers reported dozens of crashes during the storm, including one that killed a person.

The strong area of low pressure tracking from the Great Lakes into southeast Canada brought heavy snow to parts of Michigan on Monday, with powerful winds and intense lake-effect snow expected across the Great Lakes into New York.

In Detroit, three semitrailers and roughly 20 other vehicles crashed on Interstate 75, injuring one person, said Michigan Department of Transportation spokesperson Diane Cross, as the wind whipped newly fallen snow into sudden squalls.

Nationwide, about 350,000 customers were without power Monday afternoon, more than a third of them in Michigan, according to Poweroutage.us. Airports reported around 5,000 flight delays and around 700 cancellations.

Snow piled up quickly in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where as much as 2 feet fell in some areas, according to the National Weather Service. Meteorologist Ryan Metzger said additional snow was expected in the coming days, although totals would be far lighter.

Rain and a wintry mix fell farther east across parts of the Northeast. Freezing rain was reported in parts of northern New York, with the threat extending into Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Forecasters warned the ice could strain power lines and trees. State police in Vermont said they responded to 92 crashes overnight, three of which resulted in injuries.

On the West Coast, the National Weather Service warned that moderate to strong Santa Ana winds were expected in parts of Southern California through Tuesday, raising concerns about downed trees in areas where soils have been saturated by recent storms. Two more storms were forecast later this week, with rain on New Year’s Day potentially soaking the Rose Parade in Pasadena for the first time in about two decades.

A weekend snowstorm hit Alaska’s northern panhandle with 15 to 40 inches, according to the National Weather Service, keeping the region under a winter storm warning Monday as Juneau braced for up to 9 more inches and possible freezing rain. City facilities were closed and road crews piled snow into towering berms, while communities farther south faced flood watches from snowmelt and heavy rain.

And in central Illinois, an EF1 tornado with peak winds of 98 mph damaged buildings and snapped power poles on Sunday.

Associated Press writers Julie Walker in New York; Corey Williams in Detroit; Margery Beck in Omaha, Nebraska; and Becky Bohrer in Juneau, Alaska, contributed.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/29/bomb-cyclone-midwest/ 

Hiding in plain sight as a narrow access point at 1620 Ridge Road in Highland Park is actually an entrance to a 15.7-acre nature preserve area open to everyone.

The secret garden was dedicated in October of 2014 and is owned by the Lake County Forest Preserves District.

The acreage for bordering houses offers a legally protected natural backyard view. Berkeley Prairie offers visitors oak woodland, savanna and prairie.

The area has a noticeable path, and some who visit the public area walk their leashed dogs.

“We’ve discovered more than 140 (plant) species during a summer walk here, grasses and flowering plants,” said Amy Call of Deerfield, a Berkeley Prairie site steward, a volunteer role she shares with husband Chris.

“It is definitely a hidden gem,” Amy Call said.

Carrying cut buckthorn to the brush fire is volunteer Harris Klein of Deerfield at Berkeley Prairie Nature Preserve Area on Dec. 27, 2025 in Highland Park (Karie Angell Luc/Lake County News-Sun)

“I call (Berkeley Prairie) the runt of the litter,” Chris Call added. “This is the smallest of all of the Lake County forest preserves.

“Why is it special?” he continued. “The purpose of the prairie isn’t necessarily for recreation, but as a preserve. You have a variety of rare (plant) species that are found here that are not found in a lot of the preserves in the area. One of our goals is really to preserve and protect them. It’s preserving an area that is pretty much undisturbed.”

The Calls used to reside in a split-level house about a block from Berkeley Prairie in a neighborhood along the middle fork of the north branch of the Chicago River. There is a huge floodplain risk for those houses built along the river. Berkeley Prairie has river banks to help mitigate flooding in the preserve.

“It (flooding) is a definite problem, so it is a wet prairie, but the more that we preserve it, not only will it be good for the biodiversity of plant species, but also many animals will benefit,” Amy Call said. “But it will also help create a healthy floodplain.”

Volunteer Bill Sullivan of Deerfield is trained to apply herbicide to buckthorn tree stumps. Seen at Berkeley Prairie Nature Preserve Area on Dec. 27, 2025 in Highland Park (Karie Angell Luc/Lake County News-Sun)

One way to improve conditions at Berkeley Prairie is to remove large areas of persistent, woody buckthorn.

“If we have a wall of buckthorn, that is not good to mitigate floodwater,” she said.

Regular workdays, such as one on the morning of Dec. 27, help to mitigate the spread of the deciduous invasive plant. During the COVID-19 pandemic, buckthorn overgrowth was maybe at its worst, Amy Call said.

Several volunteers joined the Calls for the Dec. 27 workday. Volunteers had several roles, including adding herbicide to buckthorn stumps. They received special training on how to safely apply the herbicide.

Carrying cut buckthorn to the brush fire is volunteer Harris Klein of Deerfield at Berkeley Prairie Nature Preserve Area on Dec. 27, 2025 in Highland Park (Karie Angell Luc/Lake County News-Sun)

“It goes into the roots,” volunteer Bill Sullivan of Deerfield said. “If you don’t do this, next spring you’re going to have a bush.”

Local authorities, such as fire department personnel, were alerted to the controlled brush fire that volunteers needed. Buckthorn sticks were tossed in orderly lines in the pile, and a blowtorch was used a few times to get the cuttings damp from recent rain to ignite.

“We keep the pile organized because it allows the pieces of wood to be packed closer together, and that helps the fire burn hotter,” volunteer Scott Frendreis of unincorporated Lake County said.

Frendreis explained that buckthorn “bothers me a lot, actually, mainly because it gets embedded in my hands occasionally if I’m not wearing gloves. But today, I didn’t make that mistake.

One has to high step in order to avoid those pesky buckthorn deciduous tree stumps. This is Amy Call, site steward from Deerfield, at Berkeley Prairie Nature Preserve Area on Dec. 27, 2025 in Highland Park (Karie Angell Luc/Lake County News-Sun)

“I actually think it’s impressive,” he said about his respect for buckthorn and its perseverance. “I think it’s a formidable foe because it’s adapted so well to stop us from destroying it, and I think that’s impressive.”

Volunteer Jamie Godshalk, 87, of Lincolnshire, was on hands and knees cutting buckthorn.

“Out with nice people in the woods (getting) exercise, it’s good exposure to the elements,” Godshalk said. “It’s good to be outside in nature.”

Brian Frankl of Highland Park and Harris Klein of Deerfield worked in the same area where Godshalk hoisted branches of culled buckthorn.

Starting the brush fire at Berkeley Prairie Nature Preserve Area on Dec. 27, 2025 in Highland Park (Karie Angell Luc/Lake County News-Sun)

“It’s a beautiful day today,” Frankl said. “I’m enjoying it a lot.”

“It’s a warm day today; it’s nice,” Klein added good-naturedly, while bringing bundles of buckthorn to a now blazing brush fire.

The group invested about four hours into making Berkeley Prairie better.

“Please come visit,” Chris Call said. “People are welcome to come.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/29/lake-county-nature-preserve-clean-up/ 

Retired Valparaiso Clerk-Treasurer Sharon Swihart, 80, died unexpectedly at home on Christmas Day.

Swihart began her career in public service in 1965 at the Valparaiso Police Department, where she served as a radio dispatcher and secretary to Police Chief Lee “Ed” Miller and the detective bureau. She then served seven years as chief deputy clerk for Porter Superior Court.

In 1983, she was appointed clerk-treasurer, filling the remainder of Hallie Edge’s term, a position she held for 37 years before retiring in 2019.

Valparaiso Republicans announced Swihart’s death in a Saturday Facebook post.

“Sharon was amazing,” Mayor Jon Costas said Monday.

“She had some great stories. It was a lot different world back then.” Among them was the police officer who was cleaning his gun when it went off in the police station decades ago. Swihart remembered the bullet whizzing past.

From “the old, rickety city hall, which is where the police station was,” on Indiana Avenue to the current City Hall on Lincolnway, “she’s seen a lot of changes,” Costas said.

“She had such a dedication to her profession. She really was a force of nature in a lot of ways. She was very determined. She was very good at what she did,” he said.

“She kept our finances in tip-top shape. She’d often be giving the auditors lessons in how to keep the books. We’ve always had clean audits,” Costas said.

“One of our city values is to be creatively frugal, and we often joked that she was frugal and I was creative. It worked well. There were times when you didn’t want to cross Sharon. She was very opinionated, and she was usually right,” he said.

“She was very loyal and just a fair person. She worked well across the aisle. She had a great relationship with (former Democratic Mayor) Dave Butterfield. They were good friends and colleagues,” Costas said.

Costas succeeded Butterfield. “When I was running, she maintained a neutrality which was good for the city because that makes for a good transition,” Costas said.

“I think the citizens owe a great debt of gratitude for someone who managed the city’s finances so well. That’s one of the reasons we’re in such good shape now. A great bond rating, a solid budget. The culture that she created in the clerk’s office remains today, and it’s kept the city on course,” he said.

During his first tenure as mayor, Costas brought a number of changes to the city, including roundabouts and the downtown Central Park. “An organization needs continuity and change. It needs both,” he said. “Sharon was that steady hand, that continuity that is just so necessary to bring about that change that oftentimes can take years and years.”

“If you have a lot of change in elected officials, sometimes that can really hinder some larger reforms that are really necessary.”

Former Mayor Matt Murphy recalled Swihart as “an incredible person. I was very lucky to have known her both growing up and as an adult. I loved being around her and appreciated all she taught me about our city, life, family and friendship. She was tough as nails and had a heart of gold. I will miss her so much.”

Porter County Historian Kevin Pazour witnessed Swihart’s dedication to the past. “Sharon truly loved the history of Valparaiso and Porter County, and through her years of service, she helped preserve and share it. I am grateful for her decade as a trustee of the Porter County Museum and for the personal humor she brought to her storytelling,” he said.

Swihart was born Feb. 16, 1945, in Birmingham, Alabama, to Harriet Marie Headley and Robert W. Troxel. The family came to Valparaiso when she was 2. Swihart graduated from Valparaiso High School in 1963. At 48, she earned an associate degree in business and accounting, with distinction, from Purdue University North Central.

She is survived by her husband of 35 years, Lt. Colonel Thomas Swihart, USMC (Ret.); her daughter Christa M. Emerson (Brian Foutch); son Robert W. (Beth) Emerson; grandsons Troy (Katie) Borlick and Kade Borlick; granddaughters Iris and Hazel Emerson; niece Carol Croft (Dan Kinngbeck); stepdaughters Amanda (Rob) Thibault and A’Lisa Swihart; and step-granddaughter Makayla Rodriguez. She was preceded in death by her parents, sister Roberta Croft and former husband James L. Emerson.

Swihart was given the Distinguished Hoosier Award by Gov. Mitch Daniels in 2004 and the Sagamore of the Wabash honor by Gov. Eric Holcomb in 2019.

A private family memorial service will be held later. The family encourages donations in Swihart’s name to Fried’s Independent Cat Shelter, CPR Fund K9 Rescue, the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation, the American Battlefield Trust or any other charity.

Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/29/retired-longtime-valparaiso-clerk-treasurer-sharon-swihart-dies/ 

Ahead of Tuesday’s deadline for filing property tax levies, the Homewood-Flossmoor High School District 233 board approved a $49.3 million tax increase for 2026 while Community High School District 218 will increase taxes by $110.6 million.

The increase passed during a Nov. 18 meeting will raise taxes 2.9%, according to the Homewood-Flossmoor High School district. In 2024, the school board levied $47.7 million in additional taxes from the year before but abated $5.2 million in property tax relief.

Chief school business official Lawrence Cook said during his most recent tax levy presentation in October the district has saved taxpayers $34.6 million in abatements since 2018 due to additional cash infusions from the state.

The Homewood-Flossmoor High School budget for July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026 includes $79.4 million in revenues and $86.1 million in expenditures, according to the district.

Community High School District 218 projects $159.8 million in revenues and $194.7 million in expenditures, according to the district.

The District 218 Board passed a levy adjustment Dec. 18 but did not specify the change. District 218 includes 5,429 students at Eisenhower High School in Blue Island, Richards High School in Oak Lawn and Shepard High School in Palos Heights.

Construction remains ongoing for athletic field house additions and other facility upgrades totaling $79 million at District 218 high schools.

In July, business manager Anthony Corsi presented updated financing plans for the projects, which include selling more than $18 million in bonds during the 2025-2026 fiscal year. About two-thirds of the project costs will be covered by the district’s reserve funds, with the rest incurred as debt.

The field house at Eisenhower High School’s weight room, under construction in Blue Island. (JP Architects)

The 35,000-square-foot Eisenhower field house will include a four-lane, 160-meter track, a 4,000-square-foot weight room, a batting cage, climbing wall, long jump pit and a pole vault area, according to the district.

The smaller Shepard Field House will include a similar size weight room, a three-lane, 130-meter track, two batting cages, a long jump pit and a pole vault area. Both field houses will include three basketball/volleyball courts and will be connected to their schools through an athletic commons and corridor.

Superintendent Josh Barron said the investment will help the district stay competitive as nearby districts construct their own modern athletic facilities.

For example, construction is underway for a $40 million field house at Oak Lawn High School in District 229, expected to open in fall 2026.

“We want 218 and its 11 communities to be a destination for people to move to,” Barron said.

ostevens@chicagotribune.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/29/levy-increases-high-school-districts-218-233/ 

Curious kids eyed the books spread out on tables by age group and carefully made their selections on Dec. 20 at a free book fair sponsored by Gary Teachers Union Local 4.

“One Love,” inspired by a Bob Marley song, proved popular with preschoolers and kids in grades 1-2 liked “Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.”

Zayshaun Sprouse, left, and Nassir Isabel look over books Dec. 20 at a free book fair sponsored by the Gary Teachers Union. (Carole Carlson/For the Post-Tribune)

Boys gravitated toward “Hair Like Obama’s Hands Like Lebron’s,” and girls liked Amanda Gorman’s picture book called “Change Sings.”

Volunteers hustled around tables to help kids pick a book to read over their holiday break during the book giveaway that began in 2021.

Gary students return to school Jan. 5.

“It started with COVID,” said Glen Eva Dunham in explaining the origin of the book fairs held across the country. She’s president of the Gary union and state president of the Indiana Federation of Teachers.

LaTrice Williams helps her grandson Jah’Moni Hamlet, 5, select a book on Dec. 20 at a free book fair at the Gary Teachers Union. (Carole Carlson/For the Post-Tribune)

She said the American Federation of Teachers launched the book giveaway to stem learning loss and maintain literacy levels during a period as schools tried to rebound from months of remote learning.

Ashanti Hamlet, of Merrillville, came with her boys Jah’Moni, 5, and Jah’Sai Hamlet, 1. Her mom, LaTrice Williams also accompanied them.

Hamlet said she reads to her boys frequently.

Zayshaun Sprouse, 15, a student at Calumet New Tech, arrived with a busload of kids from Gary’s Trinity Baptist Church.

“I like reading more non-fiction,” he said. “I’m interested in law.”

Dunham showed him a book that stirred his interest called “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man,” by Emmanuel Acho, a retired NFL linebacker and TV analyst.

Sprouse decided to read the book on Dunham’s recommendation.

Dunham also liked Janae Marks’ “A Split Second,” about a young teen’s adventures in unexpected time travels.

“It’s been popular,” she said.

Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/29/books-take-center-stage-at-gary-book-fair/ 

Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard skated on the ice before practice Monday, the first time he has been in uniform since suffering a right shoulder injury Dec. 12 in St. Louis.

Hawks coach Jeff Blashill knew it would be hard to keep his star forward off the ice for an extended period. The timeline appears to remain that Bedard will be reevaluated in January, but his skating is a good sign.

“Connor wants to be back tomorrow, so it’s going to be more of a matter of us holding him back to the right time, but he’ll keep pushing,” Blashill said. “It’s a good sign, but the timeline’s probably still going to be the timeline and we’ll work through it.”

Bedard injured his shoulder in what Blashill called a “freak accident” in the waning seconds of a 3-2 road loss to the Blues. Center Brayden Schenn pushed through Bedard to prevent a last-second shot, and Bedard skated off the ice in clear pain.

The Hawks have felt the absence of their best player. They’re 1-6-0 in the seven games Bedard has missed and have been outscored 30-15 in that stretch.

After a 7-3 drubbing by the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday night, Blashill made it clear he’s grateful for this team, even through the rough streaks. He said it was genuine reassurance rather than just saying what the players needed to hear.

“I’ve been through different struggles with different teams at different times, (but) this is a team I loved coming to work with today,” Blashill said Monday. “I believe in what their potential is as a group, not just in the future but now.

“There’s way more pointing thumbs than pointing fingers in this group, and it’s just a group I really enjoy being around because they’re good people (and) they’re really good competitors and they’re guys who want to continue to improve.”

Captain Nick Foligno practiced Monday after playing his first game since Nov. 15 on Sunday. He scored his first goal of the season in the second period.

In the corresponding move to Foligno’s activation Sunday, center Frank Nazar was assigned to injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 20. He’s healing after taking a puck to the face in a 6-4 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 20.

“I think he moved toward chewing food like salmon, he told me last night, so that’s a positive,” Blashill said. “You have to let it heal, but that’s probably a serious thing. The more (food) you start to intake, the less weight you lose and the more ready you are when you get back.”

Right wing Ilya Mikheyev returned to practice after missing the weekend back-to-back versus the Dallas Stars and Penguins for the birth of his first child with wife Kristina.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/29/chicago-blackhawks-connor-bedard-skates-practice/