🌱 Blackhawks Will Not Renew Toews + Chicago Firefighter Laid To Rest

Hello, everybody! It's me, Kaytlyn Mroz, your host of the Chicago Patch newsletter. Here are all the most important things to know about what's happening in the community today.

But first, today's weather:

Mostly cloudy. High: 72 Low: 57.

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Here are the top three stories today in Chicago:

1. The Chicago Blackhawks will not re-sign three-time Stanley Cup champion Jonathan Toews once the season ends, making the 34-year-old veteran an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career. Toews recently returned to the team after missing 25 games with long COVID-19 and chronic immune response syndrome. General Manager Kyle Davidson said the decision was "incredibly hard," but the organization felt it was the right step to take in their rebuild, allowing a new generation of leaders to emerge. (Chicago Patch)
2. Chicago firefighter Lt. Jan Tchoryk, who died last week while battling a high-rise fire in the Gold Coast neighborhood, was laid to rest yesterday. During his visitation service, hundreds of Chicago Fire Department members paid their respects. Tchoryk's passing was the first of two firefighter funerals to be held in Chicago this week; Jermaine Pelt, 49, died while battling a house fire on the city's South Side. (NBC Chicago)
3. The Chicago Bulls managed to stay alive in the playoffs with a stunning comeback victory against Toronto Raptors, and while DeMar DeRozan scored 23 points, it was his 9-year-old daughter Diar who helped the team with her screaming whenever Raptors attempted a free throw. Diar skipped school to attend the game in Toronto and cheered her father's team so loud that it was heard on the TV broadcast. Raptors, who had an impressive record of 78 percent from the free-throw line, ended up shooting only 50 percent and lost the game. (Chicago Patch)

Today in Chicago:

• Harry Potter: Magic At Play At Water Tower Place (Times Vary)
• Mikko Franck & Hilary Hahn At Chicago Symphony Orchestra (1:30 PM)
• The Sweet Spot Burlesque, Chicago At The Promontory (6:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Bad news for high school grads: College funding in the state is dropping while tuition prices continue to rise. (Axios)
• The latest in luxury real estate is for sale in the Chicago area! Get all the property details at the link. (Mansion Global)
• When was the last time you visited the Museum of Science and Industry? Check out their new exhibit, Pompeii: The Exhibition now! (Museum of Science and Industry via Instagram)

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• Wedding Band Event at Bella Cosa Jewelers (April 15)
• Tertulia: An Afternoon of Filipino Chamber Music (April 15)
• Book Signing with Disability Advocate, and Current Mrs. America, Nicole La Ha Zwiercan (April 16)
• A Graduate Degree Designed for You—Attend an Information Session (April 19)
• Experience Central Street (April 20)
• 7th Annual West Loop Spirits, Cocktails & Wine Festival with Artisan Delicacies, April 22nd & 23rd (April 22)
• Finance and Accounting for Non-finance Professionals (April 25)
• Celebration of the Century (April 29)
• Project Management Essentials (May 1)
• Maker’s Market • May 7, 2023 (May 7)
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• Santa Baby Composer Moonlight Sonata Award Nomination - Please Vote! (Details)
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That's it for today! I'll see you soon.

— Kaytlyn Mroz

About me: Kaytlyn Mroz is a copywriter at Lightning Media Partners – a content creation agency. She is a Rowan University graduate where she earned a bachelor's degree in journalism and a master's degree in writing. Outside of work, Kaytlyn is a dog mom to a boglen terrier named Finn and a golden retriever named Willow.