The Soapbox: Daily Herald editors offer brief thoughts on suburban topics in the news.
Anxiety in the air
An armed man sets off a panic in Springfield, Missouri. A man with a BB gun causes concern in Boston. Right here in St. Charles, a Walmart is emptied because of a man wearing a mask for medical purposes. All within 24 hours. Who says guns haven't changed the way we all live?
Get cookin'
If you like experimenting in the kitchen and crafting unique dishes, then you should consider entering the Daily Herald's Cook of the Week Challenge. Prizes await, as does the chance to whip up creative meals using unique ingredients. The deadline is Friday. Get more info at dailyherald.com and sign up at events.dailyherald.com/cotw. Good luck.
Bright future
Congratulations to 2019 Stevenson High School graduate Dora Guo of Vernon Hills who was named Distinguished Young Woman of America. Her impressive resume includes participation in SHS's racial advocacy club and a substance abuse prevention club. She also scored a 36 on her ACT. We wish her well as she heads to Yale.
Big week in sports
You don't have to be a huge fan to know this will be an exciting week in sports around here. First, of course, there's today's running of the Arlington Million at Arlington Park. Then, on Tuesday, 70 of the best golfers in the world will be coming to Medinah for the BMW Championship. It should be fun.
Welcome back, prep sports
Considering camps, travel leagues, tournaments, and weight-training and conditioning, high school athletes don't have an "off-season." Still, Monday signifies the end of summer for many teenagers. It's the first official day of practice for football players and golfers. Other fall athletes start later in the week.
Heard outside Illinois
One of us was on a bike tour in Wisconsin last week and a few in the group turned out to be former residents of our suburbs. Why did they leave? The high property taxes. Sound familiar? Also, one found better social services for her daughter with disabilities in Minnesota. Is our state on course to help with both problems?
Baseball royalty?
As if we didn't already know the Cubs are treated as baseball royalty and the Sox are treated as, well, something less Next year the Cubbies will travel to London to play the Cardinals; the Pale Hose will travel to a cornfield in Iowa to play the Yankees.
For the safety of all ...
That would include dogs left off leashes to run free, especially near suburban streets. Drivers have no idea if the dog will run onto the street, even if the owner is pretty sure it won't. Yet, sometimes dogs do. Not fair to the dog, and it also can create an emotional burden for someone if they are not able to stop in time. So, please, use the leash.
The criminal mind
You don't typically think of deep intellectual competition when you think of the Cook County jail, but this week inmates there joined what many consider to be the ultimate battle of minds - a chess tournament. Sheriff John Dart says chess training helps inmates think about consequences. Next up? A program to let inmates play against family members. Nice move.