Downtown Street, Ramp Closures Begin Ahead of More Mexican Independence Day Celebrations

Downtown Street, Ramp Closures Begin Ahead of More Mexican Independence Day Celebrations

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Here are today's top stories It's Saturday, Sep. 17th. 1 Downtown Street, Ramp Closures Begin Ahead of More Mexican Independence Day Celebrations After thousands of revelers descended on downtown Chicago in celebration of Mexican Independence Day Friday night, leading to a massive traffic gridlock, city officials are preparing for another night of festivities and large crowds. In an effort to prevent jam-packed expressways and streets, multiple closures began in the early evening, with more possible through the nighttime hours. As of 5 p.m., Illinois State Police and the Chicago Police Department began shutting down ramps at various locations throughout the city, according to ISP. Chicago's Office of Emergency Management tweeted intermittent street closures will occur as needed on DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Michigan Avenue and expressway ramps. Read More → 2 How Long Is COVID Contagious? Here's What to Know If You Test Positive If you are battling with a bout of COVID currently, you may be wondering how long you will be contagious. During a Facebook Live last month, Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady reported that recent studies have shown the incubation period — which is the number of days between infection and the onset of symptoms — for COVID has dropped to three days with recent, extra-contagious variants. "So if you go back to like alpha variant, beta, delta — early on, it was about a five-day incubation period on average. So, if you were exposed to COVID, on average, we were seeing people take about five days for someone to end up testing positive — and remember that went from four to five, out to 10, out to 14," she said. "The reason … we only use 10 days now, it is because that timing has shortened. And so, more recently with BA.4, BA.5, that's all the way down to about three days now. So on average, people are testing positive about three days after, but you can have someone positive up to 10 days." Read More → 3 At Least 1 Killed, 22 Wounded in Chicago Shootings Since Friday Evening A 3-year-old girl is among at least 23 people shot throughout Chicago since Friday evening, in a brutal start to the weekend that so far has seen one homicide. Read More → 4 How Many People Are Set to Get Illinois Tax Rebate Checks? Here's What Officials Expect Income and property tax rebate checks have started heading to Illinoisans — but how many residents are set to see the financial relief roll in? The one-time tax rebate checks, which are a part of Gov. J.B. Pritzker's Illinois Family Relief Plan, will head to an estimated six million qualified taxpayers, according to state officials. However, the payout process is expected to be long, with distribution stretching into the late fall, according to a news release from the governor's office. Read More → 5 Suburban Priest Cleared of Sex Abuse Allegations in 2021 at Center of New Claims Two sexual abuse allegations have been brought against a suburban priest who was reinstated as a pastor in 2021 after a review board found there was "insufficient reason to suspect" he had sexually abused children 25 years ago. On Friday, the Archdiocese of Chicago was informed about two sexual abuse allegations of a minor against Rev. David Ryan, pastor of St. Francis de Sales Catholic Parish in Lake Zurich, Cardinal Blase Cupich said in a letter to parishioners. Cupich added he asked Ryan to step aside as pastor while an independent review board can investigate the allegations, and Ryan agreed to "cooperate fully with our process," which Cupich said will "move forward as expeditiously as possible." Read More → 6 Chicago Forecast: Warm Temperatures Stick Around With Possible Late Afternoon Showers Temperatures are certainly feeling the part during the final weekend of summer, as warm temperatures from Friday are expected to carry on through this weekend, though strong storms are possible throughout the Chicago area Sunday evening. The heat will persist through both Saturday and Sunday, with expected high temperatures of 85 degrees in Chicago both days. Saturday is anticipated to start out warm and dry alongside partly cloudy skies, with those conditions persisting until late in the afternoon, when intermittent showers in the north and northwest suburbs are expected. Read More → Got a tip or story idea? tips@nbcchicago.com Follow NBC Chicago Unsubscribe from this Mailing | Unsubscribe from all | Privacy | Terms ©2021 Copyright NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations 30 Rockefeller Plaza - New York, NY 10112