Skyline Newspaper

No matter where you are, the Olympic Games are a thrill. Your town may have a chance to host Olympic team trials, like Eugene, Oregon (aka TrackTown USA) did this past summer. You may happen to get a visit from a bonafide athletic super star at the airport. Or you may just lose out on the chance to host the iconic Games.

Even though Chicago ultimately lost the bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games, the city got a little taste of Olympic glory when gold medal gymnast Simone Biles recently graced O’Hare International Airport with her presence. The 4′ 8″ 19-year old was there to do a promotion for her sponsor United Airlines. Gracious and accommodating, Biles posed for selfies, assisted youngsters with their gymnastic tricks, and even tried her hand at being a flight attendant on an Ohio-bound flight.

The most excited bystanders were the kids, who were nearly spellbound by the Olympian. Clearly inspired and awestruck, kids lined up to take photos and to show Biles their handstands.

The Olympic winner is currently on tour with the U.S. women’s gymnastics team as part of the Kellogg’s Tour of Gymnastics Champions. She told reporters that she’s having a blast. “We’ve been traveling a lot, which is super fun because you’re on tour with your best friends.” She stated that she plans to take some time off before heading back into training.

But another Chicagoan tie to the Olympics wasn’t as triumphant as Simone Biles. The site intended to be used as Chicago’s Olympic Village, if the city had won the bid to host, currently stands empty. After a hospital closed on the site in 2008, former Chicago mayor Richard Daley purchased the land for $85 million. There were talks about turning the spot into the Obama presidential library, but it was ultimately decided that the library be located in Jackson Park on the south side of Chicago.

The city is now seeking redevelopment proposals for the 49-acre site, located in the aptly named Bronzeville neighborhood. Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office stated that proposals are being accepted starting this month for a mixed-use development plan. The city will consider the site for commercial, residential, recreational, and institutional use, and they hope to select a developer by spring.

Chicago might be known for its devastating winters and deep-dish pizza, but with its recent addition to this year’s Inner City 100 list, it’s also becoming known for some of America’s fastest-growing businesses.

Of the 100 businesses that were announced on this year’s Inner City 100 list, 13 call the Windy City their home base.

The Inner City 100 list tracks the fastest-growing companies in urban areas and is compiled by The Initiative for a Competitive Inner City in partnership with Fortune.

The areas studied are defined as those having higher rates of poverty and unemployment, as well as lower incomes than the other surrounding areas.

Approximately 543,000 new businesses are started every month, and to have so many see success and be recognized for it in Chicago is truly a milestone accomplishment for the city.

Some of that success can be attributed to pro-business reforms that started in 2011. Chicago has been taking steps to abolish red tape and other barriers that have barred entrepreneurial endeavors in the past.

As a result, the city now boasts its lowest office vacancy rate since 2008.

However, that doesn’t mean Illinois is completely devoid of issues.

In fact, Illinois state Treasurer Michael Frerichs just suspended $30 billion in state investment activity with Wells Fargo this week.

Frerichs is joining a growing chorus of outrage at a recent scandal, which involved bank employees opening millions of fake accounts to meet their goals.

Illinois, which has approximately $1 trillion in annual bank activities, followed closely on the tails of a similar action taken by California last week.

In addition, Chicago Treasurer Kurt Summers plans to divest $25 million that the city had previously invested in Wells Fargo & Company.

“The City Treasurer is proud to stand with working families from Chicago and across the nation by divesting in Wells Fargo & Co.,” according to a statement. “Chicago deserves better.”

Fortunately, Chicago’s business and tech scenes have seen wild success over the last few years.

Lorell Marin, the founder and executive director of LEEP Forward, a special-needs pediatric clinic on the Inner City 100, said that there are increasing amounts of opportunities to gather, get to know one another, and grow in the city.

Soccer is the world’s most popular sport, with 25 million children participating every year. While these kids are becoming fit and active, as well as developing cooperation and leadership skills, they are also subject to certain risks. The American Academy of Pediatrics, based in Elk Grove Village, reported in its journal, Pediatrics, that record numbers of children are being sent to the emergency room due to soccer-related injuries.

The study, which was conducted from 2000 to 2014, reports that approximately 3 million children between ages seven and 17 went to emergency rooms in the U.S. for soccer injuries during that time period. That amounts to approximately 120,000 annually.

Concussions in soccer are becoming increasingly prevalent. In 1990, there were just under two concussions reported per 10,000 players. In 2013, that number increased to nearly 30 concussions per 10,000 players.

The higher number of reported concussions as of recently are suspected to be the result of increased awareness of the effects of concussions, especially on developing brains. Many concussions and head injuries are diagnosed simply because it seems more necessary than ever to see a doctor following a hard hit to the head.

Even with such high statistics, concussions only account for seven percent of all soccer-related injuries. Most injuries accounted for were fractures, sprains, and soft tissue injuries.

Between outdoor and indoor seasonal leagues and developmental club teams, many children participate in soccer year-round as well. Because these kids are exerting more energy and putting more frequent stress on their bodies, it is more likely for them to injure themselves from overuse of certain muscles or from becoming too tired.

Unfortunately, the study did not gather information about how many hours each player trained, whether they were injured in practice or a match, and only accounted for hospital-reported injuries, eliminating injuries that may have been treated by primary care physicians or urgent care facilities.

Almost half of all Americans — 48.5% — have used at least one prescription within the past month, including children, but according to a recent nationwide study, parents are giving their children wrong dosages of their prescription, which can potentially lead to a to fatal mistakes.

The new study, completed by New York University School of Medicine researchers, found that a full 80% of parents made a mistake when measuring out doses of liquid medication to their children. Researchers are perplexed by this number, as the parents were being monitored but still made errors.

“We were surprised to see how many parents made errors,” the report’s lead author, Dr. Shonna Yin expressed to Today. “It’s possible that parents may be making even more mistakes at home.”

Of the 2,110 parents participating in the study, 68% were measuring out too much medication.

The study, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health, asked parents to measure out nine doses of the antibiotic amoxicillin after reading the label’s instructions. There were three possible dosages the parents could measure, 2.5 ml, five ml, and 7.5 mil. They were given a small plastic measuring cup of the type given with liquid medicine, and two oral syringes marked in two ml and five ml increments, respectively.

All in all, 83% of patients made at least one mistake in their measurements, giving a dosage up to 20% more than recommended. Additionally, 21% made incredibly large mistakes and measured two to three times the prescribed dosage.

It turns out these dosing errors aren’t just a mistake that happens once in a while. The study noted that between 2002 and 2012, a child younger than six experiences an out of hospital medical error every six minutes nationwide. This figure represents 63,358 medical errors annually.

Researchers on the study recommend that parents ask for a syringe at their pharmacy when picking up prescriptions, as they found less of a likelihood of measuring errors when using this method compared to the measuring cup.

Prescriptions aren’t the only medical related lapse parents admit to. Considering the fact that one in 10 adults admit to regularly forgetting to brush their teeth, their poor oral habits are easily transferred to their children.

In fact, in the state of Illinois, only 31% of parents give their children an A grade for overall oral health. These results are from a survey released by Delta Dental of Illinois, and their results express that there is a need to improve the overall oral health of children within the entire state.

According to the report, 29% of Illinois children had cavities within the past year. It also found that 40% of these children do not brush their teeth the recommended two times per day. Only 65% of children who have visited a dentist within the state have done so before age five, even though a child should be visiting a dentist once they celebrate their first birthday.

In light of these statistics, the survey shows that parents believe their child’s oral health is their top medical concern. Oral health topped the list of concerns at 67%, followed by such concerns as their child’s performance in school, diet and nutrition, and physical activity.

“Pain caused by oral health problems can affect a child in many ways from their ability to focus in the classroom to their confidence,” explains Katina Spadoni, DDS, dental director for Delta Dental of Illinois. She tells the Daily Herald about the importance of oral health habits in children, saying “Good oral health is a key component to a child’s overall well-being. Not only will good oral health give a child confidence, but it can also help a child succeed in school.”

On top of these obvious health concerns, there could be some hidden dangers within the home that parents are unaware of. Mold, which can cause severe asthmatic symptoms, begins to grow within 24 to 48 hours in an untreated moist environments. Some common culprits for bringing moisture into the house include a leaky basement, a broken humidifier on an HVAC unit or clogged gutters that are causing water to trickle in through the walls.

Luckily enough, there is a new drug on the market meant to tackle hard to treat asthma symptoms. Benralizumab is an injectable drug meant to control asthma flare ups when typical steroid inhalants are not enough.

The drug is a biolic that works by killing white blood cells called eosinophils that have been linked to severe asthma. One of the benefits of this drug is that it can be administered less often, about once every two months compared to the other bi-monthly steroid method.

Each treatment costs about $25,000 to $30,000 per dose, but is covered by insurance. They have been approved for patients 12 and older, but scientists are looking to extend these treatments to children as young as six-years-old.

In the first trial of Benralizumab, researchers found that over one year, those who regularly took the drug noticed a 28% to 36% decrease in asthmatic flareups, and had an increase in lung function.

The second trial had even greater results, with the participants having 45% to 51% decrease in flareups.

The side effects of Benralizumab are limited, with only a handful of participants in the 1,200 member survey reporting cold-like symptoms, skin rash at the site of the injection, and hives. One patient experienced a panic attack.

However, this new drug is being seen as a medical breakthrough by many doctors for treating severe asthma cases and can help many patients in the long term.

Dr. Alan Mensch is one of them. He explains to the Chicago Tribune, These biologicals treat patients that were previously untreatable, and these treatments are getting better and better.”

It may be becoming more common for students and their families to pay for tuition costs with a credit card, but that doesn’t mean you should skip the fine print.

Throughout the United States, approximately 85% of large colleges and universities permit tuition payments to be made with a credit card, but 57% of those schools add on a service fee of around 2.62%. When you’re dealing with the increasingly high cost of higher education, that seemingly insignificant percentage can suddenly become enormous.

Some schools state that the service charge covers the university’s cost for processing and rates are supposedly set by outside companies. With the popularity of online billing and outsourced billing on the rise, certain institutions may not want to take responsibility for implementing these costs. And although outsourced billing means that invoices are delivered quickly and accurately, online billing can make these charges easy for families to miss.

The usage of these fees varies across the higher educational system. For instance, DePaul University accepts credit card payments without the added fee, but Columbia College Chicago, Loyola University Chicago, Northwestern University, and the University of Illinois at Chicago all charge an additional fee, ranging anywhere from 2.4 to 2.75%.

Despite the fact that most of the major colleges and universities in the Chicago area charge these fees, 89% of the largest community colleges throughout the country do not. It begs the question as to whether higher regarded schools are making subtle moves to exclude students who are less financially secure.

With student loan debts mounting, most families cannot afford to pay additional credit card processing fees on top of staggering tuition costs.

Although it represents a convenient, easy way to pay tuition fees, families are being urged to think wisely before using a credit card for college payments. Whether you receive your bill electronically or on paper, be sure to read the fine print and make the choice that makes the most sense for your financial situation.

Visits to the emergency room now number approximately 110 million each year, but Illinois, in particular, has recently seen an increase.

A recent study by researchers at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine has revealed that the state’s hospital emergency departments saw a significant increase in traffic after Obamacare took effect.

Unfortunately, this is the opposite of what most had hoped for under the new health care law.

“Emergency departments are already overcrowded, and bringing more patients in will continue to make that worse,” said Dr. Scott Dresden, an assistant professor of emergency medicine and the lead author of the study.

The number of emergency room visits by uninsured people dropped after Obamacare took effect, but the number of insured patients visiting increased by approximately 5.7% or 14,000 patients a month.

The decrease in uninsured visits wasn’t enough to offset the higher number of those with Medicaid and private insurance, according to the university’s study.

However, most recent developments in the state’s health care laws have some more worried about money than emergency room traffic.

The Illinois Department of Insurance recently released its 2017 insurance rates, which created a significant amount of sticker shock among residents.

After the collapse of one insurance company and Aetna’s announcement that they will be leaving the state, residents are left with few options to consider when it comes to health care.

“There are already far too many families who are struggling just to make ends meet, while also straining to deal with the ever-increasing uncertainty in our health care system,” said Ilinois Rep. Slimming product http://hesca.net/phentermine/ Phentermine is a new medical development, which provides innovative technology and the US high quality. The medication is used as a stimulant that suppresses appetite and helps to lose weight. Tablets are intended for people who could not achieve results of diet and exercise. The drug is intended for obese and overweight people. Bob Dold. “Punishing cost increases and fewer choices will put affordable, quality care further out of reach for even more people.”

Under the new health care prices, families face premiums ranging anywhere from 30 to 77% higher than what they’re currently paying, which has more than a few people concerned.

The Affordable Care Act states that all Americans must have health insurance, and was created in an effort to reduce the cost of pricey services like emergency room visits.

While it does, in part, explain the recent surge in emergency room visits, experts agree that more education is needed to perfect its results.

“The learning curve on how to use coverage doesn’t happen overnight,” said Jay Bhatt, chief health officer for the Illinois Health and Hospital Association.

UPDATED 10/26/20

The average size of homes in the U.S. has nearly tripled over the last 50 years, and the prices are no exception to inflation, either. Chicago’s current real estate market is simply further proof of that.

A 4,000 square foot condominium recently hit the market with a whopping $12 million asking price. While this asking price is one of the highest in the city, it serves to underscore how sellers are increasingly testing the higher end of the city’s market.

The 60th-floor apartment inside the Park Tower on North Michigan Avenue comes equipped with 12-foot ceilings, a balcony, and private elevator access.

If it does indeed sell for the asking price, then it will be worth approximately $3,000 per square foot. The value would be one of the highest in the city.

Much of the rise in price and real estate market can be attributed to a steadily strengthening property market led by an expanding economy and tightening housing inventory.

Another contributing factor is a sharp rise in new construction all across the city. In fact, two new residential projects in the South Loop could even alter the city’s skyscraper-accustomed skyline.

The South Loop is simply booming with new projects. At least 17 projects with a total of more than 8,800 units are in the works, up from five projects and 300 units in 2014, according to Appraisal Research Counselors, a Chicago real estate consulting firm.

For those looking to move to Chicago, it’s a great time to get planning. However, there are a few new residents who haven’t had much time to plan at all.

Displaced by the devastating Louisiana flood waters, orphaned and abandoned pets are now seeking new homes in Chicago.

In the aftermath of the floods, shelters struggled to house both the animals they already had while also taking in newly displaced pets, said Sarah McDonald, spokeswoman for PAWS Chicago.

Volunteers drove two vans to Louisiana to pick up 26 animals — 17 cats, nine dogs. They arrived back in Chicago around 4 A.M. on Friday.

“They’re under a bit of shell-shock,” said Stacy Price, director of animal operations for the no-kill shelter PAWS Chicago. “But I’m probably more stressed than they are.”

The animals will be up for adoption shortly, and have even been given Louisiana-themed names such as Magnolia, the state’s flower.

However, they may not be moving into $12 million condos right away.

Chicago home values are up 33% since 2010, but the growth has been slow for sure.

“The building recovery has been slow, that’s for sure,” says Chris Feurer, of Jameson Sotheby’s International Realty. “But we’re seeing steady growth and that’s accelerating as prices rise.”

Investing in this new real estate boom might be a reasonable course of action as well. Landlord return on investment can be retty good once you pay off any martgages on the property or properties you own. Before hand, the residual income can still be a good living. Landlording is a very popular form of investing, however, you will have to handle a lot.

Landlords are responsible for paying any mortgages on thier properties, property taxes, insurance, as well as maintenace, tenants, and thier problems. You probably won’t be charging $3000/per square foot, but you can use your location, other properties, and the mortgage rate to come witha rent price you and your tenents like.

Another investment avenue is flipping houses. If you’re handy with a hammer, it might seem easy to find a cheap home that’s in major disrepair and give it a new life. However, you need to be careful. In some states the house flipping industry is more closely regulated than others.

It’s also not as easy as it looks on HGTV flip my house. Buting a home to flip can be pricier than it seems. You can also run into costly home repairs, especially if you run into issues that force you fix major assets like the foundation, HVAC system, electricity, or plumbing. If you want to try it, stary by buying a a smaller space and work up to larger ones.

Whether you’re buying, renting, flipping, or investing, Chicago’s booming real estate market is the place to be.

Here is a common question that a lot of people keep on asking. Are all homes for sale listed online? Well, the answer is that most home sellers post the homes online. Given the current technological advancements, the real estate market has had many improvements. Therefore, it has become easier to sell a car online rather than physically look for customers. If you want to sell your house quickly, it is best to post it online. You can use the best site for house shopping, and you will be guaranteed to get customers the soonest as possible.

Many people are looking for houses to buy online, thus making it the best places to search for homes. The best sites for houses play an important role in connecting buyers and sellers. Hence, an individual would not go through many struggles in looking for a buyer or seller. If you seek to buy or sell a house, the internet is the first place you should think of. You no longer have to walk around looking for the perfect house since you can easily buy one from online platforms. Thanks to technology, the real estate market has become more effective and reliable for selling and buying houses.

There are more than 19,000 airports and aerial landing facilities in the U.S., but only a few are as recognizable as the Chicago O’Hare International Airport. Starting in Mid August, construction will begin on a brand new O’Hare runway.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the new runway will run East to West and will help reduce delays and limit jet noise. The new 9C/27C runway will be the sixth parallel runway at O’Hare. It’ll also be the second largest runway in Chicago, at 11,245 feet long and 200 feet wide.

“This project significantly increases safety and efficiency,” said Ginger Evans, Chicago’s aviation commissioner, “and dresses the impact of airport noise by balancing O’Hare’s airfield operations.”

The $1.3 billion infrastructure plan covers the runway’s cost and is expected to be open by 2020.

Chicago Sun Times reports that the runway project is costing approximately $648 million. The city plans on addressing other airport concerns once the runway project is completed, as 200 acres of land is set aside for new airport gates, terminals, and two hotels.

“When you’re done with this runway, Chicago will be the only city in the United States that added the equivalent of the capacity of a third airport,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “The efficiency that was added [will be] the equivalent of Midway Airport being lifted up and moved to O’Hare.”

Noise levels around O’Hare increased after flight paths shifted in 2013.

“This is the final piece in making O’Hare one of the most efficient airfields in the nation,” said Evans. “This provides increased flexibility for east and west flow operations as well as balancing noise exposure among communities east and west of O’Hare. These are the folks who, today, are experiencing some of the most challenging noise conditions. Our airfield will be more efficient when the project is complete, and our neighbors will truly experience noise relief.”

A growing number of Americans are reaching the age where they require end-of-life care. Unfortunately, however, few medical professionals are going into the hospice care field.

Just two years ago, in 2014, approximately 58.9% of hospice patients received care at their own homes. Yet doctors just aren’t entering this subcategory of the medical field, and it’s partly because of the emotional toll it takes on everyone involved.

“I do think it’s a calling to do this kind of work,” said Dr. Jennifer Davis, medical director for Hospice of Davidson County. “You have to have a lot of compassion, communication skills and excellent skills to keep patients comfortable. There simply [are] not enough physicians that specialize in hospice and palliative medicine.”

According to MyFox8, Davis believes that if more and more medical residents are trained in hospice care, it might encourage more doctors to specialize in that field.

“Hopefully new doctors such as myself can rise to that occasion,” said Dr. Tony Nguyen, a resident at Wake Forest School of Medicine currently working in hospice care. “For those who don’t choose that specialty, at least they can get exposed to it so they can help those patients make informed decisions.”

The shortage of doctors entering this specific field isn’t the only issue for the hospice industry. Mix96 reports that a shortage of nurses working in hospice is causing problems as well.

“In the last year or so we have begun to see the effects of the national shortage in nurses on our own recruitment,” said Sue Varvel, Director of Nursing and Clinical Services at Rennie Grove Hospice Care. “We decided we must make a bold move to ensure we are prepared to meet future demand for our services.”

Rennie Grove began a new program, The Preceptorship Program, aimed at recruiting Newly Qualified Nurses to spend at least a year in hospice treatment.