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The primary time Eric McElroy knocked on Zach Jenkins’ door, Jenkins was not within the temper to speak.

At age 25, he had just lately been recognized with leukemia. Whereas he was nonetheless absorbing this, he was on the fifteenth flooring of a Northwestern Memorial Hospital constructing, making ready to endure chemotherapy.

McElroy, then 38, was strolling the halls together with his spouse, Jami. Seeing them, Jenkins’ girlfriend, Caileen Calvert, requested him to examine in and ask Jenkins to get out of his room. Maybe they might stroll collectively.

He did knock on the door, they usually did stroll collectively, regardless of Jenkins’ hesitation. Finally, these door knocks grew to become buoys all through every of their most cancers journeys. Learn extra on how strolling collectively helped them heal.

—Alison Bowen

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Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza — the primary member of the Chicago Academics Union ever elected to Metropolis Council — is retiring after two phrases.

Garza, the daughter of well-known labor chief Eddie “Oil Can” Sadlowski, was hailed as a progressive champion all through a lot of her time in politics, although she confronted criticism in recent times from some activists over her dealing with of a scrap shredder’s proposed transfer into her Southeast Facet ward.

Even earlier than Barack Obama left the White Home, plans to construct his presidential heart in Jackson Park had been met with resistance as close by residents feared the middle’s very existence would drive up prices in an space the previous president says he desires to uplift.

Whereas the financial advantages of the Obama Presidential Heart stay in query, what has turn into clear is that the Barack Obama Basis’s prime staffers are commanding high-end salaries that aren’t solely out of sync with the extra modest pay earned by these dwelling within the surrounding neighborhoods but in addition exceed salaries for counterparts at different presidential foundations.

A Tribune evaluate of annual tax filings exhibits the median pay for the ten highest-paid staff from 2017 by way of 2020 on the Obama Basis is simply shy of $344,000.

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Most Chicago-area corporations are adapting to COVID-19 in related methods to one another. As a substitute of giving staff laborious deadlines to depart cozy residence places of work, most are attractive folks again with new facilities and perks, together with the choice to remain residence for a portion of the week.

It’s a giant change from how the return to the workplace was first envisioned, in response to market consultants. Many corporations deliberate to make a pointy break with the previous after the Labor Day vacation, designating it because the date when staff lastly returned. Related hopes had been pinned to the primary two Labor Days of the pandemic.

The Chicago Bears extensive receivers corps crept nearer to full energy Monday, six days earlier than the season opener towards the San Francisco 49ers at Soldier Discipline.

The return of Byron Pringle and Velus Jones Jr. from accidents and the arrival of Ihmir Smith-Marsette off waivers from the Minnesota Vikings will bolster a bunch — now six deep — that was severely depleted by way of most of coaching camp.

Now it’s a matter of the Bears getting Justin Fields’ targets up to the mark as shortly as doable to see if they are often lively on recreation day, writes Colleen Kane.

Tears, not but. However various folks visiting Tavern on Rush over the previous couple of days have had a mournful look, writes Rick Kogan.

The rationale was the latest announcement this venerable and fairly good tavern/restaurant, which has fed and delighted folks on the nook of Rush and Bellevue streets for practically 25 years, shall be vanishing.