Author: staff

As it has with staffing at hospitals, schools and offices, the omicron variant has taken a toll on food production lines. Sean Connolly, the president and CEO of Conagra Brands, which makes Birds Eye frozen vegetables, Slim Jim meat snacks and other products, told investors last week that supplies from the company’s U.S. plants will be constrained for at least the next month due to omicron-related absences.

A shopper walks past partially empty frozen food coolers at a grocery in Cranberry Township, Pa., on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022. Shortages at U.S. grocery stores have grown in recent weeks as new problems — like the fast-spreading omicron variant and severe weather — have piled on to the supply chain struggles and labor shortages that have plagued retailers since the coronavirus pandemic began. (Gene J. Puskar/AP)

Jacqui Ulrich, director of the Cook County Forest Preserves, said the district animals are inspected by veterinarians annually, and meet or exceed all standards from inspections by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The district spends $63,000 a year on food, housing, upkeep and care of the animals, plus staff time, and gets advice from senior wildlife biologist Chris Anchor, with 34 years’ experience, who conducts important research on wild coyotes through the Urban Coyote Research Project.

“I don’t think it’s great for the kids to not have the consistency,” she said. “I think this is one place they go to — no matter where you’re from … school is a place of consistency for kids, a place for social and emotional learning, where they need to be instead of at home. I understand the teachers’ concern about health and safety and if you’re in school, you’re short-staffed. I think (school closures are) one of those things that needs to happen on an as-needed basis and that’s something that needs to come from the top of CPS. Principals have been in the spotlight to have to make those calls and it can change overnight, whether they’re closing or not.”

Isaiah Parker, center, and his family celebrate in their home in Gurnee after he was selected by FC Dallas with the third pick of the 2022 MLS SuperDraft on Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2022. Pictured with Parker are, from left, his brother TJ; his father, Ted; his sister Alliyah; and his brother Elijah. (Judy Fidkowski / News-Sun)

“Unfortunately, in Springfield right now, the politicians’ answer to every problem is higher taxes and more spending. We know Springfield politicians won’t change overnight, but we can take an important first step by electing a proven fiscal watchdog as state treasurer,” Demmer said in a statement.

Perry was placed into the foster care system soon after he was born at the end of 2015, according to DCFS records, but his mother, Jannie Perry, regained custody of her children in 2017. In May 2021, the agency investigated an allegation of abuse or neglect involving Damari, but that report later was determined to be unfounded, McCaffrey, the DCFS spokesman, said.

Over the past three seasons, there were 655 home runs hit at Camden Yards. The next closest ballpark, at 583, is New York’s Yankee Stadium; the 72-homer gap between the venues is wider than that of Yankee Stadium and Wrigley Field, the ballpark with the 13th-most home runs in that time. American League East opponents New York, Boston, Toronto and Tampa Bay have combined for 217 home runs in 98 games at Oriole Park since 2019, while the Orioles themselves have hit 281 in 196 games at their home ballpark. In all, 57% of the home runs hit at Camden Yards since Elias and Mejdal took over the Orioles’ front office and launched a full-scale rebuild have been hit by opposing teams.

Jannie M. Perry, 38, remained in police custody while she is hospitalized with an undisclosed illness, authorities said. North Chicago police said this week that they do not have a timetable for her release. After she is discharged, Perry will appear in Lake County bond court, where bail will be set on a charge of first-degree murder in connection with the death of her son, Damari.

Founded in 1879, the Art Institute of Chicago is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the U.S., with a collection of nearly 300,000 works of art, including such famous paintings as “American Gothic” by Grant Wood, “A Sunday on La Grande Jatte” by Georges Seurat and “Nighthawks” by Edward Hopper.