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A 35-year-old Saux Village man was charged with first degree murder in a 2020 fatal shooting that happened in the West Pullman neighborhood on the South…

The nationwide average price for a gallon of gasoline has topped $5 for the first time ever.Auto club AAA said the average price on Saturday was…

Anthony Rizzo never envisioned the Chicago Cubs would tear everything down so quickly.Rizzo endured the Cubs rebuild the first go-around, becoming a cornerstone piece en route to a World Series title. But there is a reason he’s now wearing New York Yankees pinstripes and was sitting in the home dugout reminiscing about his time with the Cubs before his new team team eked out a 2-1 win in 13 innings Friday night.Advertisement“I didn’t think that was going to happen the way it did, but in this game it’s really hard to win,” Rizzo said. “And as a player, as coaches, I think as you get a little farther away from the dugout and you see it from more of a computer standpoint, on paper, why didn’t teams win more? I could see why it’s frustrating. But on the field and in the clubhouse — I just think it’s a lot harder on the field than ever looks off (it).“We did everything we could do every year with what we had. Those years are going to be some of the best years of my baseball life.”AdvertisementRizzo believes baseball is better when big-market teams like the Cubs are always competing to win with a high payroll.“It’s just a different year than the normal standard that we created there over the last seven years,” Rizzo said.Rizzo looks forward to returning to Wrigley Field someday. This weekend series being played at Yankee Stadium makes it less emotional for Rizzo to play his former team, a roster that doesn’t feature too many familiar faces after last year’s overhaul. As Rizzo discussed what it has been like seeing new players called up and getting opportunities to impress the Cubs, it’s clear he has paid attention since departing Chicago. He referenced P.J. Higgins hitting his first home run and Frank Schwindel’s 2021 success and how he bounced back this year after his short option to the minors.Rizzo’s close friendships with Ian Happ and Jason Heyward play a role in staying up on happenings with the Cubs.“It’s fun to see it,” Rizzo said, “because you have guys that are grinding in this game for a while and they’re getting an opportunity, and opportunities in this game when you get older are not easy to come by.” Going through another rebuild after 10 years with the Cubs might have been tough, and clearly Rizzo landed in a great spot with a Yankees team that currently owns the best record in baseball.As Rizzo reflected on the timeline of the Cubs’ first rebuild, he recalled how there was a sense that the 2014 trade deadline would be the last time they would be sellers. In the offseason, the Cubs hired Joe Maddon and signed left-hander Jon Lester.Chicago Tribune SportsWeekdaysA daily sports newsletter delivered to your inbox for your morning commute.“I mean, it felt far away until it didn’t,” Rizzo said. “But we just knew some way, somehow, that in ‘15, we were going to be good and we really got on a roll there and rode that for a lot of years.”AdvertisementThis time next year catcher Willson Contreras could be in Rizzo’s spot, reminiscing about the organization that has defined his baseball career. Contreras’ contract situation for 2022 was finally settled Thursday when he avoided an arbitration hearing by agreeing to a one-year, $9.625 million contract.The Cubs reached out to Contreras’ agent Wednesday about making a deal. Contreras said the arbitration hearing could’ve had an impact on him because of everything both sides would have said during it, so he is glad they struck a deal.“I’m really happy with the results that we got,” Contreras said. “I think both sides won.“I’m looking forward to seeing (Jed Hoyer) and thank him for how everything went.”No contract extensions were brought up between the two sides. As for whether the Cubs initiating contact with Contreras’ agent gives him any hope the team will engage him in extension talks, Contreras replied, “Who knows?”“I’m not focused on that,” he said. “I’m focused on playing my season the way I’ve been playing, keep helping my teammates, whoever needs my help I’ll be there, lead the team the right way and I’m just going to keep going.”

A 37-year-old woman was among three people fatally wounded in overnight shootings on the West and South sides, Chicago police said. Shortly after 12:15 a.m. Saturday,…

Dear Amy: My daughter is 33, living on her own, thriving in her career, and in most aspects doing very well. She lives in a different city, so I only see her several times a year. We talk on the phone often.When she was a teenager, she had an eating disorder (anorexia). We intervened and took her to an expert therapist who worked with her for two years. She developed many tools to deal with her disordered eating.AdvertisementStress is a trigger and can send her into anxiety disorder behaviors.She is currently trying to relocate to another state, and I am concerned (mostly from her social media posts) that she may be dealing with disordered eating habits again. She looks very thin.AdvertisementHer brother told me that he is very concerned, but he doesn’t feel she would be open to any concerns/suggestions he may have.She is ultra-sensitive when I question anything about her eating.When she was in therapy her therapist had told the family members that we needed to let her make her own choices about food – to put her in control.I fear she’s dealing with her current stress in a way that is unhealthy.How do you suggest I best help without alienating her?– Concerned ParentDear Concerned: As with some other diseases, eating disorders can flare – even many years after successful treatment. Stress is a definite risk factor, and can lead to a relapse.Understand a basic truth: We all become most defensive when confronted with our deepest vulnerabilities.AdvertisementYour daughter is an adult. She is ultimately responsible for managing her health.Her eating disorder can be considered a chronic disease. If she had an auto-immune disease (also triggered by stress), you would want to prompt her to take care of her health.Expressing your concern in a loving way might trigger a defensive reaction.And yet – you are her mother, and if you are brave enough to talk to her, you will be demonstrating that you care, that you are on her side, that you see her eating disorder as an illness and not a character flaw, and that you are available for help if she needs it.Talk to her: “This is such a stressful time for you. I’m worried that your eating disorder could flare. How are you managing your health right now? Can I help you in any way?”She may respond, “Mom – stop.” And that’s OK. You can respond, “Honey – I do worry, but I can handle my own anxieties. I just want you to know that I’ve got your back. Always.”AdvertisementThe National Eating Disorders Association (nationaleatingdisorders.org) offers helpful advice for families.Dear Amy: My beloved husband left this physical earth 20 months ago.I did not have a gravestone unveiling.Recently, a close family friend went to visit our gravesite and place flowers there.Our plaque has his date of birth and date of death.She then posted a photo of this to Facebook and shared it with her entire “friends” list, some of whom I do not know.AdvertisementI was a bit shocked to see the picture, which I found because I was scrolling on my own Facebook page.I realize our gravesite is public, but am I wrong in thinking that she should not have posted and shared it everywhere without asking permission?Am I a relic?I found this to be disrespectful.– UpsetDear Upset: I can well imagine how you must have felt to see a photo of this memorial marker on social media.AdvertisementFor me, this begs the question: Can we do anything anymore that remains private or personal?I ask (rhetorically): Can we eat a meal, have an argument, do a good deed, or visit a friend’s gravesite without posting an update about it?You could contact your friend and say, “I’m so grateful that you visited my husband’s grave. Thank you so much for honoring us with the visit and flowers. However, I was sad to see that you posted a photo of it on Facebook. Seeing the photo without knowing it would be there was a shock for me. I wish you had asked me first.”Ask AmyDailyNo-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning. For a limited time, sign up for the Ask Amy newsletter and get the book “Ask Amy: Essential Wisdom from America’s Favorite Advice Columnist” for $5.Dear Amy: I’m a bartender. Thank you so much for recognizing the role that responsible bartenders play in trying to keep our patrons safe.Any customer who feels worried or unsafe should absolutely alert the bartender and/or security staff. We can often handle a situation safely and discreetly.– Chicago BartenderAdvertisementDear Bartender: Thank you very sincerely for your service.Got a question for Amy? Enter it here and we’ll send it to her.Sign up here to receive the Ask Amy newsletter to get advice e-mailed to your inbox every morning, and for a limited time — get the book “Ask Amy: Essential Wisdom from America’s Favorite Advice Columnist” for $5.©2021 Amy Dickinson.

“I want to try growing tomatoes in my garden this year and would like some advice on how to be successful in doing so.”— Larry Zar, HighwoodAdvertisementThere are some basic practices to follow that will help ensure your success in growing tomatoes. Garden centers have lots of tomato plants for sale now, so it should be easy to find good quality plants. Determinate tomato varieties (meaning they have a determined, defined growing height) grow to 2 to 3 feet tall and generally do not require staking — thus are good for small spaces and containers. They tend to provide many ripe tomatoes earlier in the season, and at the same time, with less productivity in the latter part of the season. AdvertisementIndeterminate tomatoes will continue to grow big and need cages or stakes. They produce fruit all summer and into fall, when frost kills the plants. Fruit production slows as the days become shorter and colder in fall before a frost. There are some basic practices to follow that will help ensure your success in growing tomatoes. (RJ Carlson/Chicago Botanic Garden)Look for tomato plants that have dark green leaves and are short and stocky with strong stems. They should not have any flowers or fruit forming unless they are established plants growing in a large container. I prefer growing heirloom varieties because of the large number of different types. The plants dry out quickly at home, so be sure to watch them closely for water until you can plant them.It is very important to wait until temperatures stay consistently warm before planting tomatoes, as cold soil and air temperatures can set their growth back dramatically. Memorial Day weekend is generally a good time for planting tomatoes in the Chicago area, but use the weather as your guide, since timing can be earlier or later depending on spring weather. I saw tomatoes for sale at the end of April and wonder how these plants fared without the gardeners employing specialty growing techniques to offset the cold weather.Tomato plants need to be in a bed with full sun for best results, since light shade adversely affects the fruit production. I have successfully grown tomatoes in beds that were shaded in the morning with full sun in the afternoon. The soil should be well drained and amended with compost. Plant the tomatoes deep by burying most of the stem. Remove any of the lower leaves that will be underground after planting. The plants will form roots along the stem. Planting deeply also helps stabilize any transplants that happen to be taller and spindly. Provide plenty of space — at least 2 feet — for each plant to develop, as many tomatoes will get large. Install tomato cages shortly after planting to help protect the young plants and provide support for them.Consider rotating crops with those that are unrelated in order to break the life cycles of insects and diseases if you can. Peppers, eggplants, potatoes, and other plants in the Solanaceae family are related to tomatoes, so they should not be planted during the rotation years. This can be more difficult if you have a small space, so consider your crops carefully and experiment with different combinations.For more plant advice, contact the Plant Information Service at the Chicago Botanic Garden at plantinfo@chicagobotanic.org. Tim Johnson is senior director of horticulture at the Chicago Botanic Garden.

Dear Amy: I have two daughters and a son. All are adults. I am divorced from their father and am still single after 17 years since the divorce.My girls both remain in my life – the youngest especially. “Chloe” is always there for me.Advertisement“Nancy,” the eldest, is like a cat toward me – she only makes time and effort for me if it’s on her terms and she is in the right mood, which is not very often.My son, “Bradley” however, completely avoids me. He never answers his phone if I call. He doesn’t respond to contact from myself, his father, or his older sister, but he sometimes relates with Chloe.AdvertisementNow that I’m over 60 and have battled cancer, I’m feeling my mortality and starting to think about things like getting a will done.I’m a person of simple means so there won’t be much money left, but there will be a few thousand dollars in a 401K account and some life insurance money.My dilemma is: Should I leave Bradley completely out of the will?It seems the sad, sobering thing to do, but it would be based on how he has treated me.Since Nancy is lukewarm toward me, should I leave her one-third, and then two-thirds goes to Chloe, who has been the most loving and giving child?I suspect that if I do an even three-way split, the girls, especially Chloe, will feel resentful that their “deadbeat brother” got anything at all.What do you think?– ConflictedAdvertisementDear Conflicted: The daughter closest to you, “Chloe,” has already reaped the consequences and rewards of her behavior: she has a nice, positive, and active relationship with her mother. Your son “Bradley” has through his own choices been denied that.Estate planning can be a complicated business, because it inspires some people to essentially reward or punish after death, when neither you nor they can do anything further.Worrying about what others may think after you’ve died should be a non-starter.There is no “right” answer to this question, but in my opinion, you should leave an equal amount to all three children who came into the world loved equally by you.In addition to any funds, you can leave special material items to your favored daughter – or give them to her while you’re still around to enjoy the relationship.You could also notify her ahead of time of your intentions and your reasoning.AdvertisementTalk things through, but no matter what – you should make the choice that feels best, kindest, and most ethical to you.Dear Amy: My long-term friend decided to ghost me a few months after his wife went in for a “routine heart procedure” and tragically never woke up.He was devastated – as was everyone that knew her.I know he has alcohol and drug problems.The last thing he told me was that he was chasing a widow in town who “has a lot of money” and that he was done with me.I asked, “So this is the end of our friendship?” He never responded.AdvertisementMany years ago, he sent me a piece of artwork he made out of wood. There are many hours of work that went into this.I don’t want it in my house anymore. I thought about donating it to Goodwill here, but it’s kinda weird and I doubt if they’d want it.I thought to simply mail it back to him with no explanation, but is that cruel?I thought to just burn it in my fireplace, but that seems hateful.I am not actually angry with him, but I don’t want this piece, and I never really liked this odd thing very much.Do YOU want it?Advertisement– Wood BurnedDear Burned: You could try reaching out to this man – one more time – to see if he would like this piece returned to him. Keep your tone very neutral and tell him you are “downsizing.”Depending on his response, Goodwill would definitely want this item. I hope you choose to donate it.As someone who scours flea markets, second-hand stores, and Goodwill for home-made treasures, this piece actually sounds totally up my alley.Ask AmyDailyNo-nonsense advice for better living delivered to your inbox every morning. For a limited time, sign up for the Ask Amy newsletter and get the book “Ask Amy: Essential Wisdom from America’s Favorite Advice Columnist” for $5.Dear Amy: I snorted my coffee when I read your (excellent) response to “Happy Teetotaler,” the young woman who felt pressured to drink when going out.My favorite of your snappy excuses: “I need to stay sober so I won’t slip in your vomit later.”Advertisement– Cleaning UpDear Cleaning: I do enjoy supplying some snap.Got a question for Amy? Enter it here and we’ll send it to her.Sign up here to receive the Ask Amy newsletter to get advice e-mailed to your inbox every morning, and for a limited time — get the book “Ask Amy: Essential Wisdom from America’s Favorite Advice Columnist” for $5.©2021 Amy Dickinson.

Yasmani Grandal pumped his first as he made his way to the dugout after being lifted for a pinch runner in the eighth inning Friday against the Texas Rangers at Guaranteed Rate Field.Moments earlier, the Chicago White Sox catcher hit a slicer to right field that landed out of Steele Walker’s reach for a two-run double.Advertisement“It’s just pretty much looking for a mistake or looking for something up, like everybody else they are looking for soft contact or something on the ground,” Grandal said of the approach against Rangers reliever John King. “He made the mistake, and I was able to capitalize on it.”The two-out hit put the Sox ahead and fueled a five-run inning for the Sox, who beat the Rangers 8-3 in front of 24,270.AdvertisementJosh Harrison had an RBI single and Danny Mendick hit a two-run homer in the decisive inning.“I thought we took better at-bats with runners in scoring position,” Grandal said. “We got more guys on base, and that’s what you want. You want to get guys on base in order to give us opportunities to be able to come up with a big hit or Luis (Robert) stealing both bags and being able to score (in the sixth), a lot of things we can do aside from just hitting.”Grandal had two hits and three RBIs. AJ Pollock and Jake Burger both had two hits. Pollock knock in one and Burger scored twice.With the game tied at 3, Burger started the two-out rally in the eighth by reaching on an infield hit. Yoán Moncada followed with a single and Grandal delivered with two-run double.“Can’t exaggerate how big it is to get them going,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said of Moncada (who is hitting .141) and Grandal (.175). “That’s where it starts. Have some success, and they’re pros and they’ll build on it.”General manager Rick Hahn said he recently had conversations with Grandal about how he’s feeling.“His was about strength, him feeling like he is as strong in his legs as he is when he’s ‘100%,’ ” Hahn said Thursday. “The communication’s been real good with our training staff. And in terms of Yaz’s personal preference, he feels the more he plays, the stronger his legs get, actually, perhaps a little counterintuitive. But he’s been doing this a long time and knows what it takes to build himself up.”Chicago White Sox batter Yasmani Grandal (24) celebrates at second base after driving in two runs with a double in the 8th inning of a game against the Texas Rangers at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago on Friday, June 10, 2022. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)Said Grandal on Friday, “It’s been hard not being able to stick to the same routine over and over. As much as I try to do it, it’s whether I’m playing or not or catching or not, so a lot of things get mixed up in between, just timing-wise. I’m trying to work around it, but as I start playing more and more, the routine will start cleaning up a little bit. Once that happens and I stay with it, then it’s going to be a go.”AdvertisementHe said it traces back to offseason surgery on his right knee.“We knew that spring training for me was going to be very important time, especially getting back on the field and getting as much catching in as I could and then all of a sudden, as soon as we ramped up, the knee started acting up, and now we had to take it slow,” Grandal said.“Once that happened, now all of a sudden you start making little adjustments to still play and still get that playing time but not the adjustments you are trying to truly take. It’s almost a fake feel. It happened last year so I know exactly what it is, and like I said, it’s just a matter of keep on getting stronger.”Asked if he saw Friday as a step in the right direction, Grandal said “Not really.”“But I still have the ability to be able to do something up here, even when I’m not fully there,” he said. “I know when the situation comes that I like having two-out, late-in-the-game situations. I think I’ve proven that in the past few years.”Grandal was impressed with pitcher Davis Martin, who allowed two runs on three hits with six strikeouts and one walk in five innings in his third major-league appearance.AdvertisementMartin followed Reynaldo López, who allowed one hit in two scoreless innings as the opener.“It was fun,” Martin said. “I felt like a high-leverage reliever. What López did in the first two innings, all right, got to match it. I think it’s a testament to Lópey setting the tone for the staff those first two innings.”Both runs Martin allowed were solo homers. Nathaniel Lowe homered off the right-field foul pole in the fifth to tie the game at 1. Adolis García’s two-out homer in the sixth gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead.Robert used his legs to help the Sox tied the game in the bottom of the sixth. Robert reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second and third and scored on a throwing error by Rangers catcher Sam Huff.The Sox went ahead when Pollock drove in Harrison with a two-out double in the seventh. The Rangers tied the game in the eighth on a Corey Seager solo homer.The Sox responded with the five-run rally in the bottom of the inning and bounced back after Thursday’s tough 11-9 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.Advertisement“Two outs and nobody on, that’s an amazing rally,” La Russa said of the eighth. “That’s the difference between this and pro football. Don’t have to wait a week to get rid of that one last night.”

BOSTON — Stephen Curry scored 43 points to lead the Golden State Warriors to a 107-97 victory over the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday night, sending the series back to San Francisco knotted at two games apiece.Two nights after shaking off a foot injury in a Game 3 loss, Curry shot his way to the third-best playoff performance of his career, adding 10 rebounds and making a pair of baskets during a 10-0 fourth-quarter run that turned a four-point Celtics edge into a 100-94 Warriors lead.Advertisement“The heart on that man is incredible,” Warriors guard Klay Thompson said. “The things he does, we kind of take for granted at times, to go out there and put us on his back. We’ve got to help him out on Monday.”Andrew Wiggins had 17 points and 16 boards for the Warriors, who have won at least one road game for 27 consecutive playoff series. They will host Game 5 on Monday night, with Game 6 in Boston on Thursday. The Warriors would hold the home-court advantage in a seventh game, if necessary.Advertisement“We had to do it the difficult way,” said Celtics coach Ime Udoka, whose team split the first four games in each of its previous two series. “We have to do it again. It could have been an easier road, obviously, if you get the win tonight. But we’re 2-2 now. We know we can do it. We’ve done it before.”Jayson Tatum had 23 points and 11 rebounds for the Celtics but managed just one basket while playing the entire fourth quarter. Jaylen Brown scored 21 points and Robert Williams III had 12 rebounds.Marcus Smart, who scored 18 points, hit a 3-pointer to give the Celtics a 94-90 lead with just more than five minutes remaining. But they missed six straight shots and did not score again until the 1:18 mark after Curry made a floater and a 3-pointer to give the Warriors a 100-94 lead.“He wasn’t letting us lose. That’s all it boils down to,” the Warriors’ Draymond Green said. “I could tell in his demeanor, last couple of days, even after Game 3 that he was going to come out with that kind of fire.”The Warriors outscored the Celtics 17-3 to close the game.Fans arriving at the TD Garden for what could have been the final time this season found a T-shirt draped over their seats with the 17 NBA championship banners lined up on the front. There was a blank rectangle where the 18th would go.Now the Celtics would need to win at least one more time in San Francisco to fill in the blank.The amped-up crowd spent much of the game booing Green, chanting an obscenity at him that is usually reserved for Bucky Dent and jeering his many misses. The four-time All-Star shot 1 of 7 but finished with nine rebounds and eight assists to go with two points.AdvertisementHe also had an offensive rebound and a dish to Curry after returning to the game in the final minute to eliminate any chance of a Celtics comeback.“He’s the ultimate competitor. … Made huge plays down the stretch,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “This is a tough series for him to score because of Boston’s size and athleticism, but he’s still impacting the game at a huge level.”

NEW YORK — The health of the Chicago Cubs rotation is quickly becoming a concern.The Cubs placed right-hander Marcus Stroman on the 15-day injured list Friday, retroactive to Tuesday, with right shoulder inflammation. Stroman hasn’t felt right since returning from the COVID IL on May 19, according to manager David Ross.Advertisement“The hope right now is that we can get him back as soon as possible,” Ross said. “When you get bumps and bruises, you’re not at 100%. It affects everybody’s performance.”It’s also unclear when right-hander Kyle Hendricks will make his next start. Hendricks is “dealing with some stuff,” Ross said Friday, which is why the Cubs have given him extra rest. Hendricks, who threw a bullpen Friday, hasn’t started since June 1.Advertisement“He’ll pitch in the near future,” Ross said. “If Kyle didn’t have something going on, he’d pitch.”The Cubs were dealt another potential blow Friday night. Hours after he was activated from the IL, left-hander Wade Miley exited Friday’s start with left shoulder soreness.Miley threw three scoreless innings against the Yankees, walking one and striking out two batters. He started warming up for the fourth inning and quickly stopped as Ross and a trainer ran out to check on him. Miley, at that point, came out. Left-hander Daniel Norris had already been warming up and was called on in relief.The left shoulder soreness is a discouraging development for Miley after he spent 15 days on the IL with a left shoulder strain.The Cubs have not yet announced who will start Sunday’s series final at Yankee Stadium.“There’s no secret formula I’ve got,” Ross said. “I want those guys out there for sure.”