🌱 Man Facing Trial Following Shooting + Gov. To Ban Gun Advertising

Morning, Chicago. It's me, Kaytlyn Smith, your host of the Chicago Patch newsletter. Come along for the most important things going on around town.

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Now, today's weather:

A t-storm around in the p.m.. High: 82 Low: 66.

Here are the top three stories today in Chicago:

1. Robert Crimo Jr., a father who helped his son obtain a gun license three years before he fatally shot seven people at a 2022 Fourth of July parade in suburban Chicago, is now on trial. He is expected to ask a judge to dismiss his case during a hearing in Waukegan, north of Highland Park where the shooting occurred. If the case proceeds, the trial would start on Nov. 6 — Crimo has pleaded not guilty to seven counts of reckless conduct, one for each person killed. (The Associated Press)
2. Gov. J. B. Pritzker has pledged to sign a plan into law that would ban advertising guns to kids and militants in the state of Illinois. Attorney General Kwame Raoul cites the JR-15 as an example of firearms advertising that the plan is targeting — the JR-15 is a smaller, lighter version of the AR-15 semi-automatic rifle advertised with the tagline, “Get ‘em One Like Yours,” specifically marketed to children. Illinois would be the eighth state to approve this type of legislation that allows lawsuits against firearms manufacturers or distributors. (Chicago Sun-Times)
3. Chicago’s residential property taxes have been fluctuating wildly over the last two years, resulting in swings in property taxes and real estate assessed value and causing residents to leave the city. New data from Illinois Policy shows that more than 30 Chicago neighborhoods saw their total tax burden increase by at least 10 percent between 2020 and 2021. During his campaign, Mayor Brandon Johnson promised not to raise property taxes, but high taxes are already causing people to leave — Chicago lost 33,000 residents in 2022 following the increase in property tax. (Illinois Policy)

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Today in Chicago:

Tuesday, August 8

• Lincoln Square Farmers Market At Lincoln Square (7:00 AM)
• Toddler Time Storytime (In-Person) At Eisenhower Public Library District (9:30 AM)
• Liudmyla Chychuk Free Piano Performance At Harold Washington Library Center (12:00 PM)
• Summer Meals And Activities At Brainerd Branch Library (12:15 PM)

From my notebook:

• Mark your calendars: The 32nd annual AIDS Run & Walk Chicago will take place on Saturday, Sept. 30 at Soldier Field. Registration is now open online; click the link to learn more. (Windy City Times)
• Looking to adopt a furry friend? It's "Clear the Shelters" month, and your friends at PAWS Chicago have lots of adoptable pets looking for a loving home. Click the link to read about some of the pets who have found their forever homes at the Adoption Center this month. (PAWS Chicago via Facebook)
• The Lincoln Park Zoo welcomed two new arrivals at the Small Mammal-Reptile House: Oro and Chispa are two-toed sloths. Visit the link to see a video of them enjoying their new habitat! (Lincoln Park Zoo via Facebook)

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Featured events:

• FREE-Family Food Distribution (August 12)
• It's time to earn your graduate degree! (August 16)
• Bridal Event (August 19)
• Rooftop Disco Party (August 23)
• Malnati Brain Tumor Institute Summer Rooftop Celebration (August 30)
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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Tuesday off right. I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow with another update!

— Kaytlyn Smith

About me: Kaytlyn Smith is a managing editor 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.