BRUSELAS (AP) — El brazo ejecutivo de la Unión Europea propuso el viernes más sanciones contra Rusia por la guerra en Ucrania, incluyendo una prohibición de servicios de transporte petrolero y medidas dirigidas a los sectores de servicios financieros y comercio del país.

La presidenta de la Comisión Europea, Ursula von der Leyen, afirmó que a pesar de las conversaciones en curso para poner fin a la guerra, “debemos ser realistas: Rusia solo se sentará a la mesa con una intención genuina si se le presiona para hacerlo”.

La prohibición de los servicios petroleros, que necesitaría ser respaldada por los estados miembros de la UE, “reduciría aún más los ingresos energéticos de Rusia y dificultaría encontrar compradores para su petróleo”, expresó.

Los ingresos del petróleo son el pilar de la economía de Rusia, permitiendo al presidente Vladímir Putin invertir dinero en las fuerzas armadas sin empeorar la inflación para la gente común y evitando un colapso de la moneda.

Von der Leyen señaló que la UE debería imponer la prohibición en coordinación con el Grupo de los Siete principales potencias mundiales y otros socios internacionales. Indicó que también debería haber sanciones contra otros barcos de la llamada “flota oculta” que Rusia usa para transportar petróleo.

Los 27 enviados nacionales de la UE comenzarán a discutir las propuestas el lunes. El bloque ya ha impuesto 19 paquetes de sanciones a Rusia por sus ataques a Ucrania, pero llegar a un acuerdo final puede llevar semanas.

El objetivo es que las nuevas medidas sean respaldadas por los países miembros de la UE para el 23 de febrero, la víspera del cuarto aniversario de la guerra.

Von der Leyen indicó que otras propuestas apuntan a restringir el sistema bancario de Rusia y su capacidad para crear canales de pago alternativos para financiar su economía. “Este es el punto débil de Rusia, y estamos presionando fuertemente en él”, manifestó.

Otras medidas incluirían nuevas prohibiciones sobre bienes y servicios, incluyendo caucho, tractores y servicios de ciberseguridad. Se impondría una prohibición de importación sobre metales, productos químicos y minerales críticos que no están ya bajo sanciones.

___________________________________

Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/06/unin-europea-propone-ms-sanciones-contra-rusia/ 

Por STEFANIE DAZIO y COLLEEN BARRY

MILÁN (AP) — ¿Mitones o guantes? ¿Sombreros o cintas para la cabeza? ¿Lana merina sobre cachemira mongola?

La moda es su propia competidora en cualquier Olimpiada, desde los uniformes de los equipos en las ceremonias de apertura y clausura hasta los looks individuales en los estadios y, durante los Juegos de Invierno, en las pistas.

También está la rivalidad latente entre las dos principales ciudades de la moda de Europa. Los Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de París 2024 fueron anunciados como los más elegantes hasta ahora, pero Milán va por el oro tras su semana anual de la moda masculina y antes de las previsualizaciones de las pasarelas femeninas.

Atletas de todo el mundo han estado generando expectación inundando las redes sociales con videos de unboxing de su nuevo equipo. Antes de salir al hielo y la nieve (fabricada), harán su gran debut el viernes por la noche en el Desfile de las Naciones de la ceremonia de apertura.

Aquí hay un vistazo a algunos de los atuendos:

Italia y Armani

Los uniformes del equipo de Italia son los últimos diseñados por el ícono de la moda italiana Giorgio Armani, quien falleció en septiembre a los 91 años.

El color blanco está destinado a evocar armonía y picos cubiertos de nieve, e incluye una chaqueta, chaqueta térmica de esquí y pantalones impermeables. Su pieza estrella, una chaqueta bomber de gran tamaño, está cubierta con “Italia” impreso en calor por todas partes y terminada con un cuello alto de punto en rojo, verde y blanco de la bandera italiana.

Este fue el cuarto uniforme de los Juegos Olímpicos de Invierno de Armani para el Equipo Italia, hecho bajo la etiqueta deportiva EA7 Emporio Armani.

Se le rendirá homenaje en un tributo separado durante la ceremonia de apertura, dado su vínculo con Milán y su legado como uno de los fundadores del prêt-à-porter italiano.

Estados Unidos y Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren está canalizando el acogedor estilo americano con su atuendo para la ceremonia de apertura, que se presentó en diciembre junto con otros looks que los atletas del Equipo de Estados Unidos usarán durante los Juegos.

Naturalmente, es rojo, blanco y azul, ejemplificado por el tejido de punto con una bandera de Estados Unidos y anillos olímpicos, sombrero con borlas a juego y mitones. El estado de ánimo predominante para el uniforme de la ceremonia de apertura fue el blanco invernal, tanto en un abrigo duffel como en pantalones. La elección se hizo con los atletas, y se respaldó extraoficialmente cuando Pantone hizo del color Cloud Dancer el color de 2026, coincidentemente el mismo día que Ralph Lauren presentó sus uniformes olímpicos.

“Pensaron que se sentía como paz. Pensaron que era muy etéreo”, dijo el director de marca David Lauren a The Associated Press en el palacio de Ralph Lauren en Milán el jueves por la noche.

El equipo de Ralph Lauren ha estado diseñando la ropa olímpica del Equipo de Estados Unidos desde 2008, y los diseñadores comienzan a trabajar en los looks de cada Olimpiada aproximadamente dos años y medio antes de los Juegos.

Haití y Stella Jean

El equipo olímpico de dos hombres de Haití lucirá ropa diseñada por la diseñadora italo-haitiana Stella Jean e inspirada en la pintura de un artista haitiano.

Los uniformes originalmente presentaban a Toussaint Louverture, el ex esclavo que lideró una revolución que creó la primera república negra del mundo en 1804, montado en un caballo rojo. Pero el COI dictaminó que la imagen violaba las reglas olímpicas que prohíben el simbolismo político, obligando a Jean a pintar sobre el padre fundador de la nación.

Eso dejó solo al corcel cargando de Louverture, representando el momento fundacional de Haití, contra un exuberante fondo tropical y un cielo azul. El COI no respondió a la solicitud de comentarios de The Associated Press, pero no se permite ninguna demostración de propaganda política, religiosa o racial en ningún sitio o lugar olímpico.

“Las reglas son reglas y deben ser respetadas, y eso es lo que hemos hecho”, dijo Jean a la AP en una presentación exclusiva en la embajada de Haití en Roma.

Mongolia y Goyol Cashmere

La marca mongola Goyol Cashmere lanzó sus looks olímpicos el mes pasado con aclamación instantánea en internet. Los diseñadores se inspiraron en el “espíritu guerrero” de los mongoles que, durante miles de años, usaron cachemira para soportar los brutales inviernos de las tierras altas de Asia Central, escribió la compañía en las redes sociales.

Los diseñadores se apoyaron mucho en la vestimenta que data del Gran Imperio Mongol entre los siglos XIII y XV, dijo la marca.

En los Juegos de Milán-Cortina, los atletas mongoles usarán deels ceremoniales de cachemira, túnicas o batas tradicionales, con adornos de seda para honrar el pasado y el presente.

Los looks más casuales también presentarán cachemira, como prendas de punto que se inspiran en el estilo de suéter de esquí alpino de la cultura montañesa occidental y motivos tradicionales mongoles.

Otros equipos

Muchos equipos y diseñadores están manteniendo en secreto sus looks. Están contando con una gran revelación durante la ceremonia de apertura dentro del estadio San Siro de Milán, con capacidad para 80,000 personas.

Aquí hay una lista de algunas otras colaboraciones conocidas:

— Austria y AlphaTauri

— Brasil y Moncler

— Canadá y lululemon

— China y Li-Ning

— República Checa y ALPINE PRO

— Finlandia y Luhta

— Francia y Le Coq Sportif

— Alemania y Adidas

— Gran Bretaña y Ben Sherman

— Islandia y 66 North

— Polonia y Adidas

— España y Joma

— Suecia y UNIQLO

— Suiza y OCHSNER SPORT

— Ucrania y 4F

___

La escritora de Associated Press Alyce Brown en Nueva York contribuyó a este informe.

___

Deportes en español AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/06/miln-cortina-busca-el-oro-olmpico-en-moda-descubre-todos-los-llamativos-atuendos/ 

Marty Mauser, the title character in the Oscar-nominated “Marty Supreme,” wears a vintage Elgin wristwatch manufactured by the Elgin National Watch Co. in Elgin.

According to Esquire magazine, the watch dates to somewhere between 1949 and 1951. The film follows the tale of professional ping-pong player Marty Mauser,played with by Timothée Chalamet. Three of the same style watches were used, according to the article.

The movie’s prop master, Michael Jortner, told The New York Times that the watch was chosen to look distinguished and to be something the Mauser character could afford in the 1950s.

Last week, Elgin History Museum Director Liz Marston, who has not seen “Marty Supreme,” said she was not aware of the watch being used in the movie.

“It’s very exciting that the filmmakers chose an Elgin watch for the character,” Marston said.

“Marty Supreme” is nominated for nine Academy Awards, including best picture, Chalamet for best actor and Josh Safdie for best director.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/06/marty-supreme-watch-elgin-chalamet/ 

MILAN — Alysa Liu is back at the Olympics on her own terms, and she’s thriving on the U.S. team.

Four years ago, Liu went to the COVID-hit Beijing Olympics as a 16-year-old who despised how skating and endless hours of practice had taken over her life.

A two-year break, a new outlook and a world title later, it’s all new again.

Madison Chock and Evan Bates rock as reigning champ US leads team figure skating event at Olympics

“This time just feels so completely different. I know who I am as a person now,” Liu said after a routine Friday at the Milan Cortina Games which ensured the U.S. stayed at the top of the team event standings on the opening day.

“I have ideas and concepts that I want to share with the world, so I’m happy to be here, versus last time I was kind of like, ‘Let’s get this over with’. Now I want be here and I don’t want this to end.”

The journey back

Liu retired suddenly after placing sixth at the 2022 Olympics and it took two years before she rediscovered a love for skating. In 2025, she became the first U.S. woman to win the world title in 19 years.

Friday’s skate in the short program wasn’t quite at that level and Liu grimaced at one wobbly landing as she placed second behind three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto of Japan. Still, it kept the U.S. team in the lead with three of eight programs completed.

Liu draws strength from her American teammates — “that energy is what I crave” — and came up with the nickname “Blade Angels” for herself and the other two U.S. women’s skaters, Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito, a mashup of “Blades of Glory” and “Charlie’s Angels.”

Nerves? No chance.

“I don’t know what’s up with me,” she said. “They’re going to actually have to dissect my brain when I’m dead and figure me out.”

New age rule would have kept Liu out

After the 2022 Olympics were overshadowed by a failed doping test for 15-year-old Russian skater Kamila Valieva, the rules were changed.

Now skaters must be at least 17 to compete in top-level international events, a measure aimed at ensuring physical and mental health.

Of the nine skaters, all girls, in 2022 who would have been too young to compete under the new rules, Liu is the only one to repeat as an Olympian in 2026.

“Sixteen-year-old me would have loved if I couldn’t go to the Olympics, so I wouldn’t have minded it,” Liu said.

“I think to be on the big stage and in front of so many people, you have to be an adult. It’s so hard on a kid. That comes from experience.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/06/alysa-liu-olympics-figure-skating/ 

Saying the federal government has shown “zero concern” about ruining the reputation of a Chicago woman shot by a Border Patrol agent, a federal judge on Friday agreed to lift a protective order and allow the release of body-camera footage and text messages from the agent who shot her.

In her ruling, which stems from one of the highest profile incidents from Operation Midway Blitz, U.S. District Judge Georgia Alexakis said Marimar Martinez has the right to counterbalance the label of “domestic terrorist” put upon her by the Department of Homeland security — a narrative that the government has refused to retract even after assault charges against Martinez were dropped.

“Ms. Martinez is a United States citizen. She’s a resident of this district. And under our legal system, she is presumed innocent of any offense of which she has not been convicted,” Alexakis said.

Alexakis’s ruling means Martinez’s attorneys will be free to release reams of evidence in the case to the public that they say will clear Martinez’s name and show the government has been lying about the facts since the get-go.

Among the evidence: body camera footage that allegedly shows a Border Patrol agent saying “do something, bitch,” before their car collided with Martinez’s vehicle in Brighton Park on Oct. 4, prompting veteran Agent Charles Exum to get out and shoot Martinez five times.

The defense will also be cleared to release dozens of previously sealed texts that Exum sent to co-workers and his wife after the shooting. Previous texts made public in court showed he’d bragged about his marksmanship to fellow agents and said he was ready for “another round of (expletive) around and find out.”

The judge said that while she’s also sympathetic to Exum’s privacy concerns, his own “testimony and demeanor” during a pretrial hearing in November tipped the scales.

“Once feeling that comes through in those texts is a feeling of pride,” Alexakis said. “He talked about pride in his shooting skills.”

Alexakis said Exum’s texts are “clearly relevant” and “communicate his impression of the relevant events.”

“They have impeachment value and bear on his credibility,” she said.

Before the judge’s ruling can take effect, Martinez’s attorneys and prosecutors have agree on any redactions and provide her with a new protective order, which likely would not occur until next week.

Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Martinez’s lead attorney, Christopher Parente said they were “very happy that the judge saw it the way we see it.”

“You can’t call a U.S. citizen with no criminal history, who is a Montessori school teacher, a domestic terrorist  — which is it is such a loaded word in this country,” Parente said as Martinez stood with him in the lobby of the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse. “That is absurd and it was rejected by the court.”

Parente also said any concerns about embarrassing Exum went out the window “when he took his phone and used his fingers to write hateful, disgusting language about a woman that he shot while wearing the uniform of Border Patrol.”

“I mean, think about that these are people who are sworn to protect U.S. citizens,” Parente said. “There is a respect for life policy with Border Patrol. And this man, after shooting a woman who did nothing, is going to text his friends and joke about it?”

Prosecutors had alleged Martínez was part of a convoy of civilians who were following agents on Oct. 4 when she rammed Exum’s vehicle near 39th Street and Kedzie Avenue, prompting Exum to jump out of his Chevrolet Tahoe and fire five shots, wounding Martínez seven times.

Martínez’s attorneys argued it was Exum who sideswiped Martínez and that his extreme use of force was completely unjustified. They also alleged evidence tampering, saying Exum was inexplicably allowed to drive the Tahoe more than 1,000 miles back to his home base in Maine, where a Border Patrol mechanic attempted to “wipe off” some of the scuff marks from the crash.

After the charges against Martínez were dropped on Nov. 20, it’s since been revealed in court that Martínez’s car is part of a second, ongoing criminal investigation into the shooting, which is being handled by the U.S. attorney’s office in South Bend, Indiana.

Later this month, Martinez is scheduled to attend President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address to Congress as a guest of U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, a Chicago Democrat.

Parente said Friday the Chicago area’s elected leaders have rallied around Martinez and that being at Capitol Hill for the speech will mark a “full-circle moment” for her.

“Who knows? Maybe President Trump will even at that point retract the domestic terrorist label of her, which would be great and she would be there to see it,” Parente said.

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/06/protective-order-lift-marimar-martinez/ 

The ebullient jukebox musical celebrating Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine burst with life Wednesday night at the Drury Lane Theatre in Oakbrook Terrace, a fabulous locally produced explosion of the 2015 Broadway musical featuring such hits as “Rhythm is Gonna Get You,” “Anything for You,” “Can’t Stay Away From You” and “Words Get In the Way.”

Nothing gets in the way of the good times here. Nada. This suburban operation has raised its game, and opened its purse, for this one.

When I say locally produced, I should note that this production draws heavily from the touring production of the musical, which had its tryout in Chicago in the summer of 2015, one of many brought here by the director Jerry Mitchell, this time in concert with the choreographer Sergio Trujillo.

I have fond memories of that experience: I got to spend time with Gloria and Emilio Estefan as they met the cast and hung out in both New York and Chicago and I was struck by their insistence during the creative process that the bio musical didn’t treat them as saints (the book is by Alexander Dinelaris), despite their fundamental decency and warmth in a notoriously ego-driven business.

There is nothing in “On Your Feet!” to radically rewrite the rules of the jukebox musical. It’s the usual story of humble early lives, family struggles, fights with the suits at the record companies who are not letting the Estefans do their crossover thing, and the difficulty of maintaining life on the road. But it also had some uncommon assets.

In March 1990 in the Poconos, the Estefans’ tour bus was part of a multi-vehicle accident that fractured Gloria’s spine; she had to endure many months of painful rehabilitation just to get on her feet again. Like a lot of Estefan’s fans in 1990, I remember the news crawl of a cable news network erroneously announcing her death in the accident (there was bad initial police information and the mistake sent her fans and family into a panic). On the day I was at rehearsal for the show, one of the kids in the production, meeting Gloria Estefan, asked her if she was “really in a bus crash,” and I watched her flinch, decades later. So that is a compelling story.

Unlike a lot of jukebox musicals, “On Your Feet!” has the benefit of being composed mostly of music that invites dance, which always helps. Aside from the power of the recovery story and the uncommon wit and frankness of the book, Estefan just has so many hits, recorded over a career that spanned decades, and they’re cleverly slotted into the story. The thesis of the show is that the Estefans’ fusion of Latin rhythm and American pop — horns and Cuban rhythms laid down on top of Anglo-American guitars and keyboards (or, as the show calls it, “rice and beans and hamburger”) — changed not only their lives but the music industry.

They make their case here and it’s a big pleasure to hear them do so again, a decade later for me and as performed by a young cast.

The new production, directed and choreographed by Luis Salgado and starring Gaby Albo (a veteran of this title) as Gloria and Samuel Garnica as Emilio, has lots of fresh visual ideas and the talents of the famed Chicago videographer Mike Tutaj, who uses archival footage of the Estefans here a part of a really vibrant set from Clifton Chadick that is scaled just slightly too large for the Drury Lane stage, which is exactly what you want with a title that it supposed to burst off the performance space. This is not the first “On Your Feet!” for many of the people involved here and there are not many locally based performers in the show. Still, I thought this production made its own case for the show. Both Albo and Garnica are a blast to watch, as is Claudia Quesada, the Cuban-born, Chicago-based actor playing Gloria Estefan’s mother.

Salgado’s choreography just never stops and is very impressively executed. Indeed, everything about this fast-paced “On Your Feet!” is impressive, thankfully including the sound reinforcement; it’s one of the most successful shows I’ve seen in this theater over the last 25 years, due in no small part to its confidence, competence and, most importantly, a clear identity in terms of what it wants to be, say and do in the hear and now. Plus, this is a smaller theater than the venues downtown so it’s a more intimate experience, especially when it comes to those killer power ballads.

Needless to say, then, if you are a fan of the Estefans and the Miami Sound Machine, you’ll have a total blast. Plenty of reason to go again if you were there the first time.

Chris Jones is a Tribune critic.

cjones5@chicagotribune.com

Review: “On Your Feet!” (4 stars)

When: Through March 22

Where: Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace

Running time: 2 hours, 20 mins.

Tickets: $75-$130 at 630-530-0111 and drurylanetheatre.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/06/review-on-your-feet-drury-lane/ 

Ukraine Says Russian Military Pace Already Slowing After Starlink Cutoff

Tyler Durden
Fri, 02/06/2026 – 12:20

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/ukraine-says-russian-military-pace-already-slowing-after-starlink-cutoff 

NEW YORK — Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa were left off Puerto Rico’s roster for the World Baseball Classic over insurance coverage and Javy Báez for a positive 2023 marijuana test, while defending champion Japan entered a top group Thursday led by World Series champions Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Jose Altuve was not included in Venezuela’s roster because of insurance.

Cy Young Award winners Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal head what appears to be the strongest pitching staff the United States has had in the six editions of the tournament. American position players include AL MVP Aaron Judge, the U.S. captain, along with Bryce Harper and Bobby Witt Jr. Mike Trout, the 2023 U.S. captain, was left off.

Chicago Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong to represent Team USA in the World Baseball Classic after breakout season

Seventy-eight All-Stars, including 36 from last year, are on the 30-man rosters of the 20 teams. The U.S. has the most All-Stars with 22, followed by 16 on a Dominican Republic roster headed by Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Manny Machado.

Japan beat the U.S. 3-2 in the 2023 final for its third title and first since 2009 as Ohtani ended the game by striking out Trout. Ohtani will not pitch in this year’s WBC.

This year’s tournament runs from March 5-17 in Tokyo, Houston, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Miami, where the final will be played for the second straight time. The Americans won in 2017 and the Dominican Republic in 2013.

Both reigning MVPs and Cy Young winners are in the tournament for the first time.

Nolan Arenado will play for Puerto Rico after appearing for the U.S. in 2017 and 2023.

Edwin Díaz will be back with Puerto Rico after tearing the patellar tendon in his right knee while celebrating a 2023 win over the Dominican Republic, an injury that caused him to miss the New York Mets entire season.

Puerto Rico’s roster was impacted by insurance issues. The tournament is co-owned by Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association, and insurance is provided by National Financial Partners.

NFP’s policy for the tournament has a cutoff for a position player with a major or minor league contract whose second guaranteed year is in the season in which he turns 37 and for a pitcher whose fourth guaranteed year is in the season in which he turns 37, a person familiar with the policy said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the details had not been announced. The insurer also reviews players who had offseason surgery, the person said.

Insurance could become an issue if major league players wind up being eligible for the 2028 Olympics.

Lindor, a 32-year-old shortstop who has a $341 million contract with the New York Mets through 2031, had a right elbow elbow debridement after last season.

Correa, a 31-year-old Houston Astros shortstop and third baseman with a $200 million contract through 2028, had surgery in 2014 to repair a broken right tibia and both San Francisco and the Mets failed to approve his physicals for a contract during the 2022-23 offseason.

Báez, a 33-year-old Detroit Tigers infielder and outfielder, tested positive for marijuana on March 12, 2023, ruling him out of this WBC. According to the International Testing Agency, his international competition suspension runs through April 25. Marijuana was dropped as a drug of abuse from Major League Baseball’s testing agreement with the players’ association before the 2020 season and is not subject to discipline by MLB.

“We fully trust in the talent and commitment of each player that will be representing Puerto Rico,” Puerto Rican Baseball Federation president José Quiles said in a statement.

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Altuve broke his right thumb when hit by a Daniel Bard pitch during the 2023 tournament, causing him to miss the Astros’ first 43 games.

Clayton Kershaw and Miguel Cabrera missed the 2023 tournament because of insurance issues. Kershaw, who turns 38 two days after this year’s final, is the oldest player on this year’s U.S. roster but has retired from the major leagues and doesn’t have a 2026 contract.

Cuban infielder Alexei Ramírez is the oldest player on any roster at age 44. Right-hander Adam Ottavino, who turned 40 in November is on Italy’s roster.

Brazil’s Joseph Contreras, a 17-year-old right-hander who is a son of former big leaguer José Contreras, is the youngest player on any roster.

Travis Bazzana, a 23-year-old Australian second baseman, joined Skenes and Harper as No. 1 overall draft picks in the tournament,

Cuban outfielder Alfredo Despaigne, the WBC career home run leader with seven, will be in his fifth tournament.

There are 306 players with major and minor league contracts, including 190 on 40-man rosters. In addition to Ohtani, Judge, Harper and Kershaw, MVPs include Venezuela’s Ronald Acuña Jr. and the U.S.’s Paul Goldschmidt.

Colombia has the oldest roster at 29.9 years, followed by the U.S. at 29.7. Taiwan has the youngest at 26.7, just below Brazil at 26.9.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/06/world-baseball-classic-javier-baez/ 

The Portage City Council narrowly approved annexation of 47 acres for a new subdivision, adding to the residential boom south of U.S. 6.

The council voted 4-3 Tuesday for the annexation, with council members Penny Ambler, Melissa Weidenbach and Ferdinand Alvarez voting against it.

Olthof Homes plans to develop Sweetwater subdivision east of Bauer Farms, south of County Road 700 North and west of 625 West.

Plans call for 104 single-family homes and 44 paired cottages – 22 buildings – with 25.8% open space, attorney Todd Leeth said.

In January, the council approved a fiscal plan that estimated the subdivision’s 148 homes would generate $151,000 more in taxes than it would cost the city to provide services.

On Tuesday, Councilwoman Penny Ambler questioned whether that calculation took Senate Enrolled Act 1, which reduces property tax revenue for local government, into account. “I have great confidence that it does,” Leeth said.

Ambler questioned whether the city’s utility capacity can keep up with the rapid rate of development south of U.S. 6, which she calculates at nearly 1,400 new homes, and whether the developer would be willing to split the bill for any necessary infrastructure upgrades.

The utility rate increase approved by the council in 2024 included an impact fee so subdivisions pay for their own infrastructure costs, Mayor Austin Bonta said.

“The city is doing millions of dollars to repair our storm and sanitary drainage infrastructure,” he said. “It’s really the last 20 years of growth and not keeping up with it.”

Utilities Superintendent Traci Marshall said the wastewater treatment plant has sufficient capacity. With favorable financing terms, the city was able to get six new clarifiers at the plant instead of the four originally planned and did other projects within the plant.

And even with NIPSCO’s rate increases, the city is starting to see lower electric bills at the plant because of a solar project there.

Bonta addressed questions about drainage. The city requires subdivisions to address stormwater on-site, not adversely affecting neighboring properties.

There are some issues with properties that residents who moved to Portage in the last 15 years or so assumed always flooded, but many of those problems were caused by the city using slag sand when salt supplies were low to address ice on streets.

“It wasn’t popular with residents, it wasn’t effective,” and slag gets harder as it gets wetter. The city is finding that slag is clogging drains, making it the culprit for a lot of drainage issues in the city.

Ambler also voiced concerns about additional traffic south of U.S. 6. “I live right there, so this is really dear to me because traffic is already bad in this area.”

Streets and Sanitation Superintendent Randy Reeder said his department is already planning to increase the number of zones for city services like plowing. Eventually, the department will need more drivers, Bonta said.

In some areas, Councilman Collin Czilli noted, there are stretches of road that belong to the county. When it comes to plowing, Reeder said, the city and county cooperate, with whoever gets there first plowing the road.

Leeth pointed out that Tuesday’s vote was about annexation and what zoning would be attached to the property once annexed. “We’re not done with the design and development of this property,” he said. The Plan Commission and city staffers will ensure concerns are addressed before the primary plat is approved, and the developer pays all these costs.

“Our hardest, most difficult audience at the next step is your staff,” Leeth said. Without staff approvals, the project won’t even get to the public comment stage at a Plan Commission meeting, he said.

Alvarez noted the benefit to residents of having city services. “Do we want a couple of dozen septic tanks in the ground? Probably not.”

However, he’s concerned about the effect of the new subdivision on the quality of life for residents south of U.S. 6, as well as people who live in South Haven and other unincorporated areas nearby. “I will be voting no, and I urge my council colleagues to do so,” he said.

Bonta noted that before he became mayor, he voiced concerns about new residential developments. That’s been addressed, he said.

Some developers go away when they look at city standards and rules, while others push through, Bonta said.

“We’re not perfect, but a lot of progress has been made in this city,” thanks to the utilities, streets and sanitation teams, he said. “We’re showing that we can have sustainable growth in our city.”

Czilli noted that with annexations and new subdivisions, some council districts are gaining more residents than others. He asked city attorney Dan Bortnicki to research what redistricting options are available.

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

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/06/portage-annexes-land-for-new-subdivison-on-split-vote/