Growing up in Stevenson’s district, Aidan Albrecht watched players step into significant roles year after year in one of Lake County’s most successful boys basketball programs.

Taking part in that annual rite of passage this season, the 6-foot-3 senior forward wonders how the years could pass by so quickly.

“It’s crazy to think I was watching it happen for a long time from the same stands that people are watching me from,” Albrecht said. “All the feeder kids know my name now, and they’re always asking for high-fives after games.

“It’s really cool because only five people in the school get to start, and I’m really appreciative to be a part of the Stevenson program.”

More than that, Albrecht plays an integral role on both ends of the court. Being able to take on different assignments has helped the Patriots (19-9, 8-5), who are expected to reach 20 wins for the seventh straight full season and finish in the top half of the North Suburban Conference, plug multiple holes after five of their top seven players graduated.

“With only two guys back, I would have a lot of opportunities to prove myself,” Albrecht said. “I was going to be able to find my role.”

Lake Zurich’s Tyler Shively, left, guards Stevenson’s Aidan Albrecht during a North Suburban Conference game in Lake Zurich on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (Rob Dicker / News-Sun)

As a junior, Albrecht was a seldom-used reserve outside the main rotation. But he played enough to experience the speed of the varsity game and learn what improvements would be needed to maximize his contributions.

“I knew I had to get stronger physically, especially to play defense,” he said.

Given that the two main returnees — senior guards Rocco Pagliocca and Donny Williams — are scorers, Albrecht also knew he needed to contribute in other areas.

“We had a meeting at the end of last year, and they said I would need to rebound,” Albrecht said. “More strength would help with that. We’re taught to hit the guy when the ball goes up and then locate the ball. If that’s what I needed to do to help the team win, that’s what I’d do.”

Albrecht has done that extremely well, averaging a team-high 6.5 rebounds as well as 8.5 points and 2.0 assists entering the final week of the regular season.

“He’s athletic enough to guard someone with more size than he has,” Stevenson coach Will Benson said. “He’s shot the ball better the last month and has turned into a good passer in the paint.

“He’s become the player he needed to be and that we needed him to become.”

Albrecht’s athleticism shouldn’t be underestimated. Getting downhill is his most effective offensive tool, and he has found a niche as the Patriots’ best dunker.

“I like to dunk,” Albrecht said. “It’s fun. I can dunk on lobs, or in transition I can go down and dunk on the fast break. It gets the crowd involved, and I can see on the bench that they get an energy spark.

“I think it catches people by surprise, especially in nonconference games because they haven’t scouted as much.”

Stevenson’s Aidan Albrecht shoots the ball during a practice on campus in Lincolnshire on Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2025. (Talia Sprague / News-Sun)

As opposing teams focus on stopping Pagliocca and Williams, Albrecht stands ready.

“One of the underrated things he does so well is off-the-ball cutting,” Williams said. “If me and Rocco drive and they collapse on us, he’s really good at getting away from his defender.

“And he’s crazy athletic. Sometimes I’ll be boxing out my guy, and I’ll look up, and he’s already got the ball. I’m not really surprised at what a big part he’s become in our success.”

Albrecht isn’t surprised either. His confidence grew in early summer workouts, when he showed he had already improved since last season. But then he suffered a broken right hand in a summer practice, which cost him valuable time with Stevenson and his AAU team.

“I was playing really well on defense in the first few games of the summer, so it was so hard to miss all that time,” Albrecht said. “Then in open gyms in the fall, I started to be more offensive-oriented too.

“I could see what I was going to have to be and worked hard to be the team’s best defender and rebounder.”

Albrecht isn’t done yet. The Patriots, who are seeded fourth in the Class 4A Fremd Sectional, will play 13th-seeded Conant in the Hoffman Estates Regional semifinals on Feb. 25.

“As a team, our goal through the playoffs is to make it as far as possible and take every game one at a time,” he said. “Everyone will need to play their best because there are no second chances.”

Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/16/stevenson-high-school-basketball-aidan-albrecht/ 

The village of Skokie announced on Tuesday that Patrick Hastings has been appointed as the next Public Works director. Hastings is set to begin the position on Feb. 23.

Hastings, who has served as the director for public works for the village of Schiller Park since 2024, will oversee all village operations, including essential municipal services, maintaining community infrastructure and assisting the engineering division to plan long-term capital projects.

“I’ve always prided myself in understanding all aspects of [Skokie’s] infrastructure and operations like the back of my hand,” Hastings told the Pioneer Press.

“I know I’ve jumped around a few municipalities, but I’ve developed longstanding relationships with people from all those municipalities, and I have great contacts and can rely on a regional basis of information at this point,” he added. “Hopefully I can help bring that to Skokie and work collaboratively with everyone there to provide the best service we can.”

Hastings has over 18 years of experience in public works, beginning his career as a seasonal worker for the village of Skokie in 2006. He went on to serve as a management analyst in the engineering office at the village of Libertyville in 2017 and assistant public works director for the City of Wood Dale in 2020 for a little over four years.

During his time overseeing public works at Schiller Park, Hastings was responsible for developing the village’s first 10-year capital improvement plan and overseeing the lead service line replacement program. In this position, Hastings also managed the department’s utilities, streets and vehicle maintenance.

“When I first started, there were a lot of very large-scale projects for a little community and [we] saw a lot of those projects to completion,” Hastings said.

Hastings said he plans to spend the first couple months on the job assessing where Skokie’s biggest infrastructure gaps are and what areas of development will best propel the village’s movement forward.

“Patrick’s deep roots in Skokie, combined with his proven leadership both in the field and as an administrator, make him exceptionally well suited for this important role,” said Village Manager John Lockerby in a village news release.

“His experience managing complex infrastructure projects and long-term planning initiatives will be a tremendous asset as we continue delivering high-quality services now and into the future.”

Hastings is a lifelong resident of Skokie and a graduate of Niles West High School. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Northeastern Illinois University and a master of public administration degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

“I’ve grown up in Skokie, I’ve been there my entire life. I still currently live there and am raising a family there,” Hastings said.  “Just taking that extra sense of pride in the work being there, it’s really what brought me to seeking [this position] out.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/16/patrick-hastings-public-works-director/ 

Good morning, Chicago.

Searchers have discovered the wreck of a luxury steamer that sank in a Lake Michigan gale in the late 19th century, completing a quest that began almost 60 years ago.

Shipwreck World, a group that works to locate shipwrecks around the globe, announced Friday that a team led by Illinois shipwreck hunter Paul Ehorn found the Lac La Belle about 20 miles (32 kilometers) offshore between Racine and Kenosha, Wisconsin, in October 2022.

Read the full story.

Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including: what to expect from Gov. JB Pritzker’s annual State of the State and budget address, what to know about the first beatified Illinois native and how a Pizano’s waiter serves life lessons with pizza.

Today’s eNewspaper edition | Subscribe to more newsletters | Asking Eric | Horoscopes | Puzzles & Games | Today in History

White House border czar Tom Homan holds a news conference at the Bishop Whipple Federal building on Feb. 4, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

Donald Trump’s border czar says ‘small’ security force will remain in Minnesota after enforcement drawdown

White House border czar Tom Homan said yesterday that more than 1,000 immigration agents have left Minnesota’s Twin Cities area and hundreds more will depart in the days ahead as part of the Trump administration’s drawdown of its immigration enforcement surge.

A “small” security force will stay for a short period to protect remaining immigration agents and will respond “when our agents are out and they get surrounded by agitators and things got out of control,” Homan told CBS’ “Face the Nation.” He did not define “small.”

Gov. JB Pritzker answers questions at an event at Union Station in Chicago on Dec. 16, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

Gov. JB Pritzker expected to target budget gap — and President Donald Trump — in Illinois statewide address

One year ago, Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker used his annual State of the State and budget address as a national platform to warn Illinoisans about President Donald Trump’s threats to democracy, likening Trump’s leadership to that of Nazi-era Germany.

On the eve of his next statewide address in an election year where both he and Democrats hope to retake Congress, Pritzker is expected to deliver a speech shaped as much by political crosscurrents as by fiscal math.

Chicago City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin, a candidate for Illinois’ 7th Congressional District, speaks during the candidates forum at Collins Academy STEAM High School on Jan. 27, 2026, in Chicago. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

Chicago treasurer employee alleges political staff pushed office on US bonds boycott

A whistleblower in City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin’s office filed a wide-ranging ethics complaint against her late last year, alleging the congressional candidate’s political staff pushed a questionable plan to boycott U.S. Treasury bonds in protest of President Donald Trump, despite internal objections over its financial prudence.

Oct. 20: Ofelia Torres, 16, left, and her mother, Sandibell Hidalgo, sit in their Chicago home. Torres’ father and Hidalgo’s husband, Ruben Torres Maldonado, had been taken by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers over the weekend. Torres was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma cancer in December 2024. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

Chicago teen whose father was detained by ICE while she fought cancer dies

Ofelia Torres, the teenage Chicago Public Schools student whose fight against cancer while her father was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers represented the federal government’s overreach during Operation Midway Blitz, has died, her family announced on Saturday.

Portraits of people killed by federal immigration agents are posted on a fence near the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in suburban Broadview as people attend a protest of federal immigration agencies on Feb. 14, 2026. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Protesters chant, sing outside Broadview ICE facility, plan recurring Saturday demonstrations

Around 50 people attended a peaceful rally Saturday outside the Broadview Immigration and Customs Enforcement processing center, which became a focal point for protests last fall during Operation Midway Blitz, a 64-day surge of immigration enforcement raids throughout Chicago and surrounding suburbs.

Bishop Fulton J. Sheen greets an admirer outside Holy Name Cathedral on Aug. 24, 1965, in Chicago. Bishop Sheen, of New York City, was attending the installation of Cardinal John Cody as the head of the Chicago Archdiocese. (Chicago Tribune historical photo)

A path to sainthood: Famed evangelist, TV host Archbishop Fulton Sheen to be the first beatified Illinois native

With a captivating voice and piercing eyes that seemed to penetrate the camera, the Illinois-born bishop explained the paradox of human suffering to millions of viewers on one episode of his acclaimed 1950s television show, “Life Is Worth Living.”

Draped in a flowing ferraiolo and pectoral cross, Fulton J. Sheen declared that love has the ability to transform worldly burdens, paving the way for grace and redemption.

Catholic faithful continued to be touched by Sheen’s words and legacy for decades after his 1979 death, prompting calls for his canonization as a saint of the church.

The Internal Revenue Service 1040 tax return form for 2022. (Jon Elswick/AP)

Tax season is here. Here’s what you need to know for stress-free filing.

Tax season is underway and you have until April 15 to file your return with the IRS. If you want to avoid the stress of the looming deadline, start getting organized as soon as possible. Here are some things to know before filing.

Cubs equipment sits near a field after practice during spring training at Sloan Park on Feb. 15, 2026, in Mesa, Ariz. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

Cactus League report: Full-squad workouts begin in Arizona as the Cubs and White Sox face off Friday

Although most of the Cubs’ 58-player big-league camp roster has already reported to Arizona, they hold their first official full-squad workout today. The White Sox held their first full squad workout yesterday, with base running among the fundamentals addressed.

After an ‘extremely frustrating’ season, Cubs left-hander Jordan Wicks looks make an impact
‘His best days are ahead’: White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery looks to improve his consistency

African American men gather in the lobby of the Wabash YMCA, circa 1915. (Library of Congress)

Black History Month is 100. Can its Bronzeville birthplace outlast the age of Trump?

The history of Black History Month began 100 years ago, in the old YMCA building on South Wabash, a wide-shouldered block of pale red brick erected in 1913. It was once the nexus of Bronzeville, the premier gathering spot. At least 80 Chicago organizations met there regularly. When the Harlem Globetrotters (which formed in Bronzeville) were still a novelty, they trained regularly in its gym, for years. If you moved to Chicago during the Great Migration and didn’t have a place to stay, you stayed here, maybe. If you were lucky. During the peak of the Great Migration, the YMCA turned away 20 travelers a day.
Pizano’s Pizza & Pasta server Joe “the Chach” Ciaccio talks with customer Clayton Mieritz during his evening shift at the East Madison Street location on Jan. 13, 2026, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)

Everybody loves the Chach: Pizano’s waiter serves life lessons with pizza

Enter the Madison Street location of Pizano’s Pizza & Pasta and you just might come across a wiry, gray-haired and mustachioed waiter holding court at a table. With the kinetic energy of a preacher or politician, he captivates his customers with inspirational sayings and witticisms.

Like the Rock or Slash, the waiter is known only by his nickname, “the Chach,” and he has been serving Pizano’s customers for more than 30 years.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/16/daywatch-searchers-find-wreck-of-luxury-steamer-lost-in-lake-michigan/ 

Which ginseng tea is best?

For thousands of years, the ginseng root has been used to treat myriad health issues, from respiratory problems and high blood pressure to chronic stress. Although its effectiveness as a cure-all hasn’t been entirely confirmed by science, there are a few significant reasons to consider trying this bitter-tasting tea.

Not all ginseng tea is made equal, so a bit of research is recommended before choosing a product. Ilhwa Pure Concentrated Ginseng Tea is the top pick because it contains 100 percent ginseng extract that’s been carefully cultivated in South Korea.

What to know before you buy a ginseng tea

Benefits of ginseng tea

Unlike some herbal teas on the market, ginseng root has been studied quite extensively over the years in the attempt to verify or disprove its many purported health benefits. The following benefits are backed up by science:

Ginseng root could reduce inflammation in eczema.
Ingesting ginseng tea could boost the immune system and may increase the effectiveness of certain flu vaccines.
Although it doesn’t contain any caffeine, ginseng has long been used as a natural way to boost your energy level and fight fatigue.
Research has indicated that Korean red ginseng could be useful as a treatment for erectile dysfunction.

Side effects

Despite the benefits of ginseng tea, there are a few negative side effects to consider. People who take prescription medications, particularly those related to high blood pressure, should talk with their doctor before regularly consuming ginseng tea. Children and people who are pregnant may want to avoid ingesting too much ginseng. Studies have also shown that Korean ginseng root may become less effective over time, so consider taking a break from ingesting the root every couple of weeks. Like other energy-boosting drinks, avoid taking ginseng too close to bedtime.

Preparing ginseng tea

Ginseng tea typically comes in a liquid extract, bag or powder. You can also buy fresh ginseng root at specialty food markets. To make the tea, bring a pot of fresh water to a boil, then let it cool off for about a minute. Pour the hot water onto the ginseng root and add honey or whatever flavoring you’d like. Steep the tea for about 5-10 minutes, remove the root and enjoy. If the tea tastes too strong, consider mixing your concoction with another beverage, such as green tea or cold lemonade.

What to look for in a quality ginseng tea

Types

Most ginseng tea sold in stores is either Korean or American ginseng. Korean ginseng, also known as Asian ginseng, is recommended for short-term use and is often used to treat ailments such as fatigue. American ginseng has a slightly different chemical makeup and is considered less stimulating than its Asian counterpart. This tea is often used long-term and may be more effective at treating high blood pressure and boosting the immune system.

You might also come across varieties such as Siberian ginseng or Indian ginseng, otherwise known as ashwagandha. Despite their names, these herbs come from completely different plants and therefore aren’t considered “true” ginseng.

Dosage

There isn’t much information on ginseng dosage but most suppliers recommend taking around 100-1000 milligrams a day for up to eight weeks. Check your ginseng tea’s brewing instructions to confirm the recommended dosage.

How much you can expect to spend on ginseng tea

The cost of ginseng tea usually depends on the size of the container and the quality of the root. A bottle of concentrated ginseng extract usually costs around $15-$60, while a box of 20 tea bags is about $2-$10.

Ginseng tea FAQ

What does ginseng tea taste like?

A. Ginseng has a bitter, earthy taste that some find unpleasant, so many people mix the root with ingredients such as cinnamon, ginger or honey.

Does ginseng tea have caffeine?

A. Despite its use as a popular energy-boosting supplement, ginseng contains no caffeine. Instead, the chemical compounds found in the root are thought to encourage cell production and reduce the presence of free radicals in the body — two functions that may give the user a boost in energy.

What’s the best ginseng tea to buy?

Top ginseng tea

Ilhwa Pure Concentrated Ginseng Tea

What you need to know: This liquid ginseng extract is very concentrated and comes in a glass bottle with a measuring spoon.

What you’ll love: Dissolve one spoonful of the Korean red ginseng extract in hot water and you’ll have a potent tea with no additives. The small glass jar is portable and easy to store, and it contains about 100 servings.

What you should consider: This red ginseng extract is more expensive than other teas on the market.

Worth checking out

Hsu’s Root To Health American Ginseng

What you need to know: If you’re curious about the more mellow American ginseng, these affordable tea bags are a solid choice.

What you’ll love: The tea bags contain 100 percent pure American ginseng grown in Wisconsin for three to five years. The product is free of gluten and genetically modified organisms. Some ginseng lovers enjoy the strong, pure flavor of this tea.

What you should consider: Not everyone will enjoy the taste of this pure ginseng tea.

Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.

Check out our Daily Deals for the best products at the best prices and sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter full of shopping inspo and sales.

BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. BestReviews and its newspaper partners may earn a commission if you purchase a product through one of our links.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/16/the-best-ginseng-tea-for-overall-wellness/ 

Rep. Tony McCombie is serving her fifth term representing Northwest Illinois (albeit in several different districts) and her second term as House Republican leader. McCombie, who was the first woman elected House Minority leader in Illinois, is the former mayor of Savanna, a Mississippi River town. She has been outspoken when it comes to the culture of corruption in Illinois, advocating for meaningful restrictions on lobbying and other elements of ethics reform. And she has firm ideas on the future of the state.

“A key policy priority,” she told us, “is restoring Illinois’ competitiveness by lowering the cost of living and doing business, cutting wasteful spending to deliver tax relief, reducing unnecessary regulations, investing in affordable energy, and prioritizing public safety so communities can thrive.” We most certainly agree.

Running against McCombie from the right is 49-year-old retired police officer Victoria Onorato of Byron, who was not responsive to us and uses McCombie’s willingness to cross the aisle in Springfield as a cudgel.

We endorse Tony McCombie.

Read all of the Tribune Editorial Board’s endorsements for the 2026 Illinois primary election here. 

Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/16/editorial-tony-mccombie-illinois-89th-house-district-republican-primary/ 

The much-welcomed warming trend over the weekend made the work of a Fox Valley artist a little more challenging on Valentine’s Day.

Beginning at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, artist Joe Gagnepain was busy at work outside Bocaditos Cafe in Batavia carving a Valentine’s Day-themed ice sculpture with a chainsaw.

He said he started doing ice sculptures over 15 years ago.

“I started sculpting with college colleagues in Michigan and then later, the city of St. Charles asked me to do something for a winter function and I just said yes and later I talked to a chef and he told me what tools to use,” Gagnepain, of Batavia, explained before he began carving Saturday. “I use a chisel and a grinder and the chainsaw.”

The ice sculpting event was organized by Silvia Sanchez, co-owner of Bocaditos, who said she knew that Gagnepain was a local artist “who has done many other things here in the downtown” and that “creating art with a chainsaw is absolutely amazing.”

“It’s just amazing he can carve something like that and that’s why we want to have him at our place in this space,” Sanchez said a day before the event. “We thought people would like to see this as it’s something they’re not used to. I know on Valentine’s Day people think about flowers and candy but this is something unique.”

Gagnepain shrugged off any weather-related issues due to Saturday’s temperatures in the 40s, saying that there have been times “I’ve been cutting ice when it’s been over 90 degrees.”

“The thing is usually keeping the sun off the blocks and working in the shade,” he explained on Saturday. “When it’s above freezing and the sun hits (the ice) it will kind of crack and fracture far faster. Being in the shade or under the clouds like we are today it won’t disappear as fast.”

He said he wouldn’t have to work faster due to the weather.

“I’ve carved ice in 90 or 100 degrees and it’s like rivers of sweat coming off the block,” he said.

Gagnepain said he doesn’t have a go-to design for an ice sculpture but rather sketches out ideas beforehand “that are kind of tied to the event.”

Saturday’s design for Valentine’s Day featured two cupped hands pointing upward and wrapped around a heart.

“I needed something heart-related and it just popped into my head – making like a heart shape with hands and I knew that was a winning design,” Gagnepain said. “It all depends on the project.”

Carol Schmitt of Geneva said Gagnepain’s work was “amazing.”

“It’s hard to imagine being able to do this,” she said while watching the artist work.

Children watch artist Joe Gagnepain carve a Valentine’s Day-themed ice sculpture Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026, outside Bocaditos Cafe in Batavia. (David Sharos/For The Beacon-News)

Mike Wentzloff of Batavia brought his two children Xander, 9, and Olive, 6, and admitted he “had never seen ice sculpture in person, just online.”

“Cutting something with a chainsaw seems pretty cool. My wife told me about this last night and I was wondering how do I get into something like this. It’s something I’d actually like to try and do,” Wentzloff said.

Kim Gartlan of West Chicago stopped by the cafe and said she has seen ice sculpture before in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, as well as in Naperville.

“I think this is amazing,” she said. “It’s art, and it’s the perfect winter kind of thing.”

Danny Schmitt of Batavia admired the artist’s work on Saturday.

“I hope it stays cold enough so things don’t melt, but as far as the design I could barely do that with a pencil and paper much less carving it out with a saw,” he said.

David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/16/chainsaw-in-hand-ice-sculptor-works-to-create-cool-tribute-to-valentines-day-in-batavia/ 

Although most of the Chicago Cubs’ 58-player big-league camp roster has already reported to Arizona, they hold their first official full-squad workout on Monday.

They will have about a week together before Cubs players participating in the World Baseball Classic start departing camp, beginning with outfielder Seiya Suzuki (Japan) and infielder Jonathon Long (Chinese Taipei), who leave Feb. 23 to make the long trip to Tokyo for pool play.

The White Sox held their first full squad workout on Sunday, with base running among the fundamentals addressed.

“It was awesome to have the position players all here and ready to go,” manager Will Venable said. “We had a great first morning meeting, where we talked about some expectations for camp. We told these guys there is no limit to what we believe they can do. It’s about them and our support of helping them realize the belief that we have in this club.

“A lot of positive feedback from the guys on that. We have a group that believes, so to be able to support these guys to go out and do it was great.”

Every Monday during spring training, Tribune baseball writers will provide an update on what happened — and what’s ahead — for the Cubs and White Sox.

Want the latest news from spring training? Subscribe to the Chicago Tribune to read it all — and sign up for our Cubs Insider and White Sox Insider newsletters.

Cubs’ Javier Assad hoping for a healthy season, eager to pitch again in the WBC

Chicago Cubs pitcher Javier Assad holds a ball up in the dugout during the NL Division Series Game 1 against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field in Milwaukee on Oct. 4, 2025. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)

The 2025 season didn’t play out how Cubs right-hander Javier Assad envisioned.

An oblique injury shortly before spring training last year, followed by a reaggravation, ultimately limited Assad to just eight big-league appearances (seven starts). He wasn’t part of the postseason roster after returning in mid-August. Assad said not being pitching in the postseason was out of his control, and he’s focused on helping the Cubs in whatever way they need him this season.

“I worked a lot in the offseason with my body, making sure I straighten that, make sure that this year I am healthy,” Assad said through an interpreter, adding he lost about 12 pounds. “We’re glad with strength, the abdomen and everything, so want to be make sure I’m healthy this year.”

Assad has shown he can handle pitching in a multi-inning role out of the bullpen or starting, giving manager Craig Counsell a valuable, versatile arm on his pitching staff.

“The health is just so important,” Counsell said Saturday. “I mean, we probably got him healthy by the end of the year last year, and maybe just a little bit too late — just kind of coming into form, probably a little late with some other people that just had moved ahead of him at that point. So it’s important, right? It’s important to have some volume. He did not have a lot of volume last year. I think he can handle the volume.”

Pitching for Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic will give Assad, 28, valuable innings. The experience pitching for his country in the 2023 WBC was a pivotal moment in his career, at that point having made just eight big-league starts. He showed a notable uptick in velocity and didn’t allow a run in 5 2/3 innings during the tournament, which carried into a stellar 2023 regular season.

Assad couldn’t contain a smile when talking about getting to pitch for Mexico again next month in a bigger role as one of their top arms.

“I always told them that if they were considering me and the opportunity was there, I’d be willing to be there and represent my country,” Assad said. “Last time was a really great experience, really happy with it. I’ll go on into this one looking for new goals in the tournament, but I’m looking forward to it.”

‘He’s got the juice’: Munetaka Murakami makes a strong impression at Sox camp

White Sox infielder Munetaka Murakami takes a swing during batting practice at spring training Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery has been in some batting practice groups with Munetaka Murakami early during camp at Camelback Ranch.

“It’s freakish,” Montgomery said Saturday. “He’s got the juice and he’s got all that stuff and he is really smart.”

Murakami has made a strong first impression after signing a two-year deal with the Sox in the offseason.

“I’m excited for him to get his feet wet in spring training and ball out in the WBC (World Baseball Classic),” starter Shane Smith said on Friday.

After hitting a ball off the wall during live batting practice on Saturday, there were screams of “double” from players and coaches standing nearby.

Murakami said everyone has made the move from the Nippon Professional Baseball to Major League Baseball a smooth transition.

“It’s all because my teammates have very good communication,” Murakami said Saturday through an interpreter. “Still working on English right now, but lots of gestures, lot of short words, short terms, but the communication is there and we’re happy to be teammates.”

Teammates, such as infielder Chase Meidroth, have tested their Japanese. And Murakami has mixed in some Spanish and English.

Smith and Montgomery have enjoyed getting to know the infielder, who will see time at first base and some at third.

“I’ve talked to him as much as I can, with his translator here,” Montgomery said. “They are both awesome, everyone here that’s with them. He’s great.

“I think it was a great addition to this team. A guy who can bring some power and also just another dude that cares. He cares a lot. You see in the WBC how he plays. He wants to win. You bring another guy in like that who really wants to win, it’s contagious.”

Week ahead: Cubs

Former NBA All-Star Charles Barkley, center, laughs with Chicago Cubs legends Ferguson Jenkins, left, and Rick Sutcliffe at Cubs spring training camp on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, in Mesa, Ariz. (Meghan Montemurro/Chicago Tribune)

Friday: vs. White Sox, 2:05 p.m. (Marquee)
Saturday: vs. Rangers, 2:05 p.m. (Marquee)
Sunday: at Giants, 2:05 p.m.

The Cubs got a kick out of NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley showing up at Cubs camp Friday.

Barkley, donning the Cubs’ baby blue spring training hat, is a friend of franchise legend Rick Sutcliffe, who invited him for a behind-the-scenes look at camp. Barkley spent the morning watching pitchers fielding work, bullpens and live batting practice on the backfields. At one point, Barkley chatted with Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alex Bregman between drills.

“We sat down in the office for half an hour, it was great,” Counsell said. “He’s just wonderful, a wonderful heart. I think that’s the thing that sticks out the most.

“Sutcliffe claims to be a big deal, but (Barkley) is a big deal,” Counsell quipped.

Week ahead: White Sox

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Seranthony Domínguez works against the Kansas City Royals in Toronto on Sunday, Aug. 3, 2025. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)

Friday: at Cubs, 2:05 p.m. (Marquee)
Saturday: vs. Athletics, 2:05 p.m. (CHSN)
Sunday: vs. Brewers, 2:05 p.m. (CHSN)

Assistant general manager Josh Barfield pointed to the bullpen as an area he is excited about after a busy offseason.

“We lost so many one-run games over the last two years, and it’s been a point of frustration,” Barfield said last week. “There’s a number of different things you can attribute that to. One way we thought we could really help address that and hopefully flip that is by having a stronger bullpen.

“Just giving (manager) Will (Venable) more weapons to close out games. Really excited about that and seeing how that all comes together.”

The Sox will get a good look at their options as Cactus League games begin on Friday.

Seranthony Domínguez is a key addition. The right-hander signed a two-year deal after recording a 3.16 ERA with two saves and 20 holds in a combined 67 outings for the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays last season.

Domínguez told the Tribune on Saturday that he feels “real comfortable” in his new surroundings.

“I just want to get ready to be there for the team and help the team win,” Domínguez said.

Domínguez, 31, has plenty of big-game experience over his seven seasons in the major leagues, including posting a 1.93 ERA while appearing in five games during the 2025 World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. He’ll be ready to pass along advice to his new teammates.

“Just got to be ready every single day, be on time, do your thing, be responsible and try your best every single time you go out,” Domínguez said. “You’re not going to get the best results every single time, but you’ve got to work to get it.

“You’ve just got to think about doing your thing, and do your best to help the team win.”

What we’re reading today

Column: Spring training renews optimism for the Cubs and White Sox — no matter where you’re watching
Munetaka Murakami fitting in at Chicago White Sox camp as MLB journey begins: ‘He’s going to be pretty special’
A maturing Pete Crow-Armstrong is working hard to be ‘a more well-rounded offensive asset’ for Chicago Cubs
Chicago White Sox starter Shane Smith looks to build on All-Star rookie season as spring training gets underway
How lefty Shota Imanaga and the Chicago Cubs are planning to tweak his arsenal for a bounce-back season
Art Institute acquires Norman Rockwell’s ‘The Dugout,’ his famous painting of the Cubs
UCLA’s Roch Cholowsky embraces his status as projected No. 1 MLB draft pick — which Chicago White Sox own

Quotable

“What everybody loves about him is what makes him fun to work with, and to be the level of player that he is and still be able to talk about how he’s doing things and be able to carry that over to helping other players, those are rare traits, and it’s just fun to work with.” — Counsell on his initial impression of third baseman Alex Bregman

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/16/cactus-league-report-chicago-cubs-white-sox-friday/ 

Residents throughout the Fox Valley and beyond are encouraged to offer random acts of kindness as part of the annual Random Acts of Kindness Week, a national initiative that began Saturday and officially runs through Feb. 20.

To celebrate the event, St. Charles-based non-profit organization Random Acts Matter will hold its ninth annual Random Acts of Kindness Week in the Tri-Cities of Batavia, Geneva and St. Charles from Monday, Feb. 16, to Sunday, Feb. 22.

West Chicago resident Lisa Weier, president of Random Acts Matter, said the effort in the Tri-Cities has continued uninterrupted for nearly a decade even during the pandemic.

“Back during COVID, we of course limited exposure and did things like shoveling driveways and checking on elderly neighbors, things we could still do and be safe,” she said. “The idea just stemmed from the reason that Random Acts Matter began with, which was how do we just spread kindness and compassion and how do we show that everyone can use a little kindness and compassion.”

Weier said the local Random Acts Matter group began in 2017.

“You never know what people are going through and it doesn’t cost you anything to be kind,” she said. “There are a multitude of ways that you can show kindness from big acts to small acts and from people that you know to complete strangers. It’s really just a way to kind of bring the community together and makes the world a little bit better and a little bit brighter, especially for those who might not have as much joy right now.”

Weier said she has been president of the group the past several years and joined it at its inception. She said dozens of volunteers take part during the annual Random Acts of Kindness Week.

“Participation ranges from elementary schools making cards for seniors, baking treats for first responders and other city workers and things like that,” she said. “We have people that volunteer at Lazarus House (in St. Charles) and bake goods and some are involved on a one-time basis and decide, ‘I’m just going to collect food and take it over to the veterans for their food drive.’ And then there are the people who volunteer throughout the entire week for a bunch of different opportunities.”

Weier noted “how surprised people are when someone does something kind for them.”

“There is, generally speaking, a bit of awe and disbelief and someone assuring them that we’re just doing it to be kind – there’s no agenda, there’s nothing we’re trying to get from it,” she said. “When people realize that, they smile and really light up. That’s always endearing to me.”

To sign up as a volunteer or learn more about the Random Acts of Kindness Week in the Tri-Cities, go to www.randomactsmatter.com.

David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/16/random-acts-of-kindness-week-activities-in-tri-cities-designed-to-spread-kindness-and-compassion/ 

When Danielle Wukitsch and her family moved into their house in Campton Township in Kane County about eight years ago, they got to work making some repairs.

One room in particular — the kitchen — needed significant work. The beams holding up the room were rotten, and had to be replaced or the room was eventually going to give way underneath.

Illinois’ Underground Railroad: Tribune series shines light on freedom seekers’ journeys through state

“We’re really lucky we found out in time,” Wukitsch, 48, said. “Or it wouldn’t be around right now.”

Later, the family learned why their kitchen needed so much work: the room that is now their kitchen dates back to around the 1840s, and those beams were the structure’s original beams.

More than that, that portion of their home was once the home of Joseph Bartlett, who is believed to have allowed numerous freedom seekers to take refuge there during the time of the Underground Railroad.

Now, Wukitsch’s home is the first site in Kane County to be verified as a designated safe house through a National Park Service initiative, the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom, a program created in 1998 to show the history of resistance to enslavement. The Network to Freedom features a verified, ongoing list of Underground Railroad sites, facilities and programs in the United States.

Wukitsch told The Beacon-News recently that her family had “no idea” about the house’s history when they first moved in.

“We just thought, ‘What a charming, old house,’” she recalled.

But its full story has now come to light through efforts by the St. Charles History Museum’s collections manager Eric Krupa, who began researching the site in 2024 and led efforts to get it officially verified.

It’s believed that the farm — when it was occupied by Joseph Bartlett and Julia “Ann” Bartlett — helped numerous freedom seekers, Krupa said. But one particularly well-documented story from history has been a central point in the home’s claim to fame as a safe house.

The story starts when two freedom seekers, Eliza and Celia Grayson, learned that they were going to be taken to St. Louis to be sold by their enslaver in Nebraska, Krupa told The Beacon-News recently. The two women then left in the middle of the night, and were ferried across the half-frozen Missouri River by a free Black man.

The women’s enslaver then brought together a mob of people, who crossed into Iowa in search of the two women, but didn’t find them, according to Krupa. The women ultimately moved onward, further away from the state border, and eventually reached Illinois.

Krupa said it’s presumed that Celia Grayson ultimately made it to freedom in Canada, but Eliza stuck around in Chicago to work as a housekeeper.

Eliza was eventually turned over to a bounty hunter, who, along with her original enslaver, went to Chicago and captured her, apparently dragging her down Adams Street, Krupa said. A mob of abolitionists attempted to help her, and the police stepped in and came up with a plan to jail the enslaver and Eliza and then release her, according to Krupa’s historical research. The plan worked, and she was ultimately sent off to freedom in Canada.

But there was a missing link in the story, Krupa explained: how did the two women get all the way across Illinois to Chicago?

That’s where Bartlett comes in.

Krupa explained that Bartlett described in a local newspaper how the two women came to his home in 1859, and he housed them and ultimately took them on to another home in St. Charles, which then helped them get onward to Chicago.

Bartlett had been affiliated with the abolitionist movement during his time attending Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, Krupa explained. He became a teacher and farmer, and eventually settled in Kane County, where he was a local township supervisor and served in other local government roles. Bartlett also helped to establish the name Campton Township, according to Krupa.

The Graysons’ history is fairly well-known as far as freedom seekers’ stories, according to Krupa, but stories like theirs can now come together to be verified more easily in recent years, due to greater access to materials digitally.

“Now, it’s just like trying to pick up these crumbs and piece it together,” he said.

Krupa knew about the site for some time, and ultimately learned of the federal program and decided to “(dive) into the rabbit hole” of researching the property in 2024.

The process for nominating a site for the National Park Service initiative is sort of like writing a research paper on its significance, he explained, which then has to go through a peer-review process. The site was formally accepted by the National Park Service in December, according to Barry Jurgensen, the Midwest Regional Manager for the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom.

Now, it’s the county’s first safe house to be verified as part of the initiative, and only the second site in Kane County on the list — Newsome Park in Elgin was also designated by the National Park Service because it commemorates a community of freedom seekers dating back to 1862 who arrived by train in Elgin from Alabama.

That the structure is still standing also makes the Bartlett Farm site a “rarity” for historical resources dating back to the 1850s, Jurgensen said in an emailed response provided to The Beacon-News.

Krupa has since gotten involved with others around the state involved in similar efforts, and ultimately the Illinois Network to Freedom Collective took shape. The group — for which Krupa is a member of the steering committee — is a statewide collaboration of historians, experts, educators and community members.

The collective seeks to contribute to a statewide effort to get more sites in Illinois formally recognized for the roles they played in the Underground Railroad.

Last year, state lawmakers passed legislation creating the Illinois Freedom Trails Commission, meant to increase educational opportunities related to a portion of American history largely unknown to many and perhaps boost tourism centered on the journeys of freedom seekers through Illinois.

Krupa noted that getting sites designated could be quicker on the state level, but that those applications could then be turned into national ones over time.

“We’re on the cutting edge of something here,” Krupa said.

Krupa said he has other sites in the works to be submitted as part of the federal initiative, and said that the area is “very lucky” that so many historic homes in portions of Kane County remain standing.

In Wukitsch’s case, her family’s historic home, with the portion of it dating back to the time of the Underground Railroad, was “rough around the edges” when they first encountered it.

The family had lived in the area prior to taking up residence on the farm, but they weren’t seriously considering a move when they initially stumbled upon the property.

Wukitsch and her husband are the “type of couple who goes on realtor.com for fun,” she explained, and one day they saw the Bartlett Farm property and decided to go to an open house.

“I said to my husband, ‘Boy, what an ugly house. Let’s go look at it for fun,’” she recalled.

But after looking at it, they were sold.

She described the main building as “very quirky,” as it’s been added onto “like it’s a snake that just keeps going.” The kitchen is the portion that was the original farm house, and the rest was built later.

Wukitsch got involved in the designation process when Krupa reached out to her last summer, saying he had documentation proving that her house had been part of the Underground Railroad. Krupa handled the application, but Wukitsch provided some photos and gave permission to have the house become part of the initiative.

For Krupa, ironing out the details of this story is the sort of thing he dreamed of when he set out to work as a researcher in museums.

His interest in the Underground Railroad — and in Kane County’s part in it — started at an early age.

He said his grandmother was invested in the Civil Rights Movement, so he had long been interested in issues of equality. In third grade, Krupa’s teacher, while teaching about the Underground Railroad, said that the nearby Wheeler Farm in St. Charles was known for its role in the Underground Railroad.

“Growing up in this region, you always hear about, ‘This spot was allegedly a spot, this was another one,’” he said.

Krupa ultimately became interested in researching Underground Railroad sites in the area.

“I was just curious to, ever since I was a kid, to just see what the truth is behind that,” he said.

The house fulfilled a different dream for Wukitsch, who grew up on a corn and soybean farm in Iowa, taking care of hogs and horses.

“It kind of always hurt my soul that my kids were growing up in this suburban life, but they’d never done chores like I did growing up,” Wukitsch said.

But their move to the site of the old Bartlett Farm around eight years ago changed that. The family now has four goats, 25 chickens, several cats and dogs and guinea pigs, she explained.

Her daughter, 17, is even going to college to study animal science. Her son, 15, is “more of an urban person at heart.”

Even before they knew about the house’s past, Wukitsch said she and her husband thought about their place in its story as “one of a long string of people who were families that have lived here and kept it up and loved it and looked after it.”

And now, knowing what it once was, Wukitsch said those costly renovations feel more worthwhile.

“There’s been times we’ve wondered, like, what are we doing?” Wukitsch said of the renovations her house underwent. “And now, to know that we were helping keep something going that has historical significance makes us feel a little better about what we’ve done here.”

She hopes that, now, when the family one day sells the home and moves, this designation will mean that it “doesn’t get torn down, obliterated, swallowed up by the construction that is slowly creeping across our back field.”

Learning about her house’s backstory has taught her more about the nation’s history, too.

“I didn’t even understand before … that … men or women could be hunted, basically, across state lines,” she said. “I sort of had this naive belief that once you got out of a state that endorsed slavery, that you were free. But no. Whoever decided they owned you could send someone after you. I didn’t know that.”

She called it a “conflicting sort of feeling,” to live in a place that’s part of this history.

“It’s really cool, and also … heart-wrenching,” she said.

Wukitsch thinks about its history more now. She had originally thought the historic portion of the home was the middle portion of the house, until Krupa ultimately determined it was the kitchen, which had an impact on her, too.

“That’s where everyone gathers,” she said. “That’s where everyone makes dinner and talks about the day. So, it’s kind of cool that that place that was a protective spot for someone is also still the heart of a home for all these different families throughout the years.”

mmorrow@chicagotribune.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/16/kane-county-farm-underground-railroad/