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Romelu Lukaku shed some light on what life is like in the Manchester United dressing in conversations with Alexis Sanchez and Ashley Young, according to reports.

Lukaku left United for Inter Milan in 2019, and was later followed by his former team-mates Sanchez and then Young.

The duo allegedly spoke to Lukaku before they made the leap, to find out more about the Serie A club and whether he believed them following him to Italy would be worthwhile.

According to Italian publication La Repubblica, via Sport Witness, Lukaku spoke to the duo about the unified atmosphere in the Inter dressing room.

He compared this to the one he had just left behind at Manchester United, which he allegedly described as divided, with certain players in cliques.

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The insight from Lukaku comes amid a report in The Athletic that a number of Red Devils stars lost their temper during half-time of their defeat by Tottenham.

United were well and truly embarrassed in a 6-1 defeat by Spurs, and arguments are said to have broken out between players at the break.

Bruno Fernandes was named as one such player who was particularly livid, with United stars angry with Erik Lamela for his part in Anthony Martial's red card.

Man United have started this season unusually poorly, and reacted by signing no fewer than four new players in the transfer window.

Edinson Cavani was snapped up on a free transfer alongside Alex Telles from Porto.

The Red Devils also splashed the cash on Amad Diallo, who joins the club in January, and teenage winger Facundo Pellistri.

Will Manchester United finish in the top four this season? Have your say here.

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Romelu Lukaku sheds light on what Man Utd dressing room is like amid claims of angry row - Mirror Online

THE Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) investigation report into the Anglican Church shows how our neglect of the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of children and young people, in favour of protecting our reputation, was in conflict with our mission to love and care for the vulnerable. I would add that it reveals how the Church has failed to model itself on the Christ who stood with the marginalised and the victims, saw those who were overlooked or shunned, and included those who had been shut out.

But I knew all this from my own experience in the Church, from reading reports and following inquiries, and from engaging with survivors. So, it is a relief to see it all set down on paper or, at least, some of it. There will be more; there is inevitably more that has not yet come into the light.

Of course, there has been progress over recent years. The report acknowledges this. We, in the Church, see the rewritten guidance, the ever-developing training modules, the increasing investment in the national safeguarding structures, and the growth of the safeguarding teams in individual dioceses. We see the recent launch of the Safe Spaces project and the pilot reparation scheme (News, 2 October).

BUT how can we have moved so slowly on all of this? Why did so few people question or challenge? Why could we not contemplate the ability of our colleagues (lay and ordained) to perpetrate abuse?

The Chichester/Peter Ball investigation report highlights a number of concerns about the culture of the Church of England: clericalism, tribalism, navety, concern for reputation, and a culture of fear and secrecy regarding sexuality. The IICSA report sets out generously some of the recent initiatives to improve the culture of the C of E; but, to be honest, they seem weak, especially given the size of the challenge.

So, I think that we need to start calling out the parts of our culture that are dangerous and corrupt. I long to hear more prophetic voices in the Church. I long to see some serious theological engagement with the issue of abuse in the Church. I long, above all else, for us to be more Christlike.

I want to see a true culture change that leads to authentic repentance, in which our attitudes and behaviour shift and our practice improves not because we are told we need to do better, but because we yearn to do better. I want us to hunger for justice and to work relentlessly and enthusiastically to make our churches safer places.

THE IICSA report makes for very uncomfortable reading, and that is helpful. It contains some important conclusions and recommendations that will assist the Anglican Church to improve its safeguarding arrangements. It challenges us to regain the trust of those who have been abused.

Above all, it sheds some much-needed light on things that many in the Church have sought to keep hidden in darkness. Now, it is time for us to open our eyes, to really see what is going on and what needs to be done and to move heaven and earth to make the crucial changes.

The Ven. Julie Conalty is the Archdeacon of Tonbridge and Bishops Lead for Safeguarding in the diocese of Rochester.

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Comment: the IICSA report sheds light on darkness in the Church - Church Times

Kiss the GroundTonight at 7pm followed by Q&AChiTown Movies2343 South Throop StreetNo Fee; First 75 get swag bagwww.kissthegroundmovie.comwww.kissthegroundbook.com

KISS THE GROUND, isa powerful documentary exploring soil regeneration and its place as a compelling and effective solution to our planets climate crisis is on Netflix now.Directed and produced byRebecca TickellandJosh Tickell(FUEL, PUMP, THE BIG FIX).

The film is narrated byWoody Harrelsonand featuresIan Somerhalder, Gisele Bndchen,Jason Mraz, andPatricia and David Arquette. With a brand-new song by award winning Jason Mraz. The filmwas a selection of the2020Tribeca Film Festival.

KISS THE GROUNDis an inspiring and groundbreaking film that reveals the first viable solution to our climate crisis. KISS THE GROUND reveals that, by regenerating the worlds soils we can rapidly stabilize the Earths climate, restore local ecosystems and create abundant food supplies. Using compelling graphics and visuals, along with striking NASA and NOAA footage, the film artfully illustrates how, by drawing down atmospheric carbon, soil is the missing piece of the climate puzzle. The movie is positioned to catalyze a movement to accomplish the impossible to solve humanitys greatest challenge, to balance the climate and secure our species future.

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Kiss the Ground Documentary Sheds New Light on Climate Change - WGN-TV

Princess of Jordan Sarah Zeid visited Isiolo County on Friday where she interacted with nursing mothers and their children.

She also toured Kambi Sheikh village in Burat ward where locals farm fruits and vegetables as well fish with support from the World Food Program (WFP).

I am happy to have seen the transformation in this farm which is a result of the partnership between Governor Kutis administration and World Food Programme, she said.

Princess Zeid is American-born maternal and newborn health activist.

On Friday, she lauded the working relationship between leaders and the World Food Programme stating that combining resources and skills will ensure that women, girls and children remain healthy.

Isiolo Governor Mohamed Kuti echoed her sentiments saying: It is a special day for the people of Isiolo County as Princess Sarah Zeid has come to witness how my Governments partnership with World Food Programme is slowly addressing issues of malnutrition that affects our people.

Isiolo is one of the 25 counties that contributes to the 26% malnutrition rate in Kenya.

Governor Kuti expressed optimism that Princess Zeid would amplify her voice in advocating for the people of Isiolo County given that she has had first hand experience of challenges that the residents face.

He reiterated the need to put in place mechanisms that offer alternatives for residents who have to travel far for maternal health services.

It is unfortunate that some mothers still have to deliver at home with help from traditional birth attendants, since its the only option they have, owing to lack of health facilities closer to them, he said.

Video Of The Day: | BULLDOZERS FOR SANITIZERS | Families remain in the cold after evictions from Kariobangi sewage estate

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Princess of Jordan Sarah Zeid's visit to Isiolo sheds light on maternal... - Citizen TV

The cryptocurrency platform Coinbase has now shed five percent of its employees over its policies preventing employees from bringing their activist agendas into the workplace.

Brian Armstrong, the companys CEO, announced that 60 of the 1200 employees of his company had agreed to take an exit package after he directed his employees to separate politics from work.

In a post titled, A follow up to Coinbase being a mission focused company, Armstrong shared an email that he sent to his employees. He said that the company could have done a better job bringing the Operating Group and managers along on this clarification of our culture so everyone was prepared before it went to a wider group.

He also said that some more employees were in conversation and may also exit the company after their policy about politics was made official.

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It is worth noting that Coinbase had lost some of its employees a few months ago when the company refused to declare its stance on the Black Lives Matter movement. Added to that is the new policy to separate politics from work, persuading a greater number of activist employees to quit the company.

Armstrong, talking about the current wave of employees quitting the company over the latest policy, said that minority groups havent disproportionately quit their positions when compared to other communities. It was reassuring to see that people from under-represented groups at Coinbase have not taken the exit package in numbers disproportionate to the overall population.

Answering several questions about the company and its approach towards politics, Armstrong said that he wouldnt mind being political about anything related to crypto, considering its related to their mission and inherently political.

He said that he trusts his employees to display their judgement and steer clear of politics. We recognise its a blurry line and ask that employees use good judgement. Our goal is not to look for violations, but rather to support employees in adapting to these clarified expectations.

Coinbase, on the whole, doesnt see parting ways with a significant number of employees as a bad thing. Armstrong says that the company will be more aligned.

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Coinbase sheds 60 activist employees after refusing to bring politics into the company - Reclaim The Net

A report released by data analytics firm Niko Partners sheds light on trends and developments from the world of mobile gaming in Asia. The report estimates that Asia has more than 1.2B mobile gamers, which is more than half of the total mobile gamers in the world. This report is the final part of a series of reports on the gaming and esports industries in Asia published by the firm.

China: The Biggest Mobile Gaming Market in Asia in 2019.

The report suggests that China was the biggest mobile gaming market in Asia with over 657M mobile gamers. Approximately $18.5B was the estimated revenue from the mobile gaming market in China, nearly half of the total mobile gaming revenue from Asia. Honor of Kings, Peacekeeper Elite, and Romance of the Three Kingdoms: Strategy Edition were the three highest-grossing titles in the country in 2019. While mobile MMORPGs (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games) such as Asktao and New Ghost were popular in the country, they have been replaced by competitive titles such as Honor of Kings and Peacekeeper Elite (A reworked version of PUBG MOBILE for China).

Japan and South Korea:

Japan was the second biggest mobile gaming market in Asia, generating $11.6B in revenue. Titles that are more popular among mobile gamers in Japan are RPG (Role Playing Games) titles. Eight out of the top 10 mobile games in Japan were licensed versions of existing titles on the PC or console.

South Koreas adoption of 5G technology has resulted in greater adoption of mobile titles and the country generated $5.34B in revenue. The countrys existing gaming and tech-friendly culture has allowed videogames on all platforms to thrive and for the mobile, RPGs were the dominant genre.

India:

India has the second-largest mobile market in the world and has slowly but surely adopted the video gaming culture. Trends point to more and more gamers shifting from hyper-casual titles to more complex competitive ones. PUBG MOBILE, a game that is now banned in India and Free Fire were the highest-grossing titles in the country. Because of the higher penetration of phones with lower technical specs, lite versions of games such as PUBG MOBILE and low requirement games such as Free Fire have seen success, while high requirement titles such as Fortnite Mobile arent as popular. The popularity of PUBG MOBILE has paved the way for the shooter genre and titles such as Free Fire and Call of Duty: Mobile are reaping the benefits. Esports-friendly titles are also appearing in top 10 most played games lists indicating that the sector is showing steady growth and development.

Southeast Asia:

Southeast Asia has the most engaged mobile internet users in the world with 90% of internet users accessing it via their phones. The report touches on the impact and influence of religion and culture and how it translates to video games. For example, local culture inspired in-game events and regional holiday-based activations have been a big hit in the region.

Southeast Asia is also a region where esports has driven popularity for mobile titles and names such as Free Fire, PUBG MOBILE, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and Arena of Valor all feature in the list of most played games. Estimates suggest that prize pools in esports grew by 244% from 2018 to 2019 with help in terms of government support and policy.

You can learn more about the report here.

Shounak Sengupta is a staff writer for AFK Gaming.

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Niko Report Sheds Light on Mobile Gaming in Asia - TEO - The Esports Observer

(The Center Square) Months before Tuesday nights debacle of a debate between President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, finger pointing had raged in the wake of policy failures that exacerbated state-reported death counts associated with COVID-19.

Set aside for a moment that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has radically dropped its estimate of COVID-alone deaths to about 6% of the more than 200,000 Americans who have died during the pandemic. Instead, focus on the decisions that may or may not have exacerbated the overall attributable death count numbers that are shared widely across media.

Governors in California, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington have been singled out as having made conscious decisions to return elderly and infirmed residents back to state-operated congregate care settings. These decisions made early on during the outbreak, in hindsight, are now clear policy disasters.

Michigan and its governor, Democrat Gretchen Whitmer, havent been exposed to the same level of criticism for decisions to return COVID-19-stricken nursing home residents back to their congregate care settings for recovery after seeking treatment outside of those settings. However, it appears that Whitmers policy was no different than those of her fellow Blue State leaders.

Data show COVID-19 has killed 2,154 nursing home residents in Michigan, many who were elderly and had preexisting conditions that compromised their immune systems about 33% of the states total deaths attributed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The Center Square clarified newly available data to distinguish that those deaths resulted from the designation of long-term care facilities as Care and Recovery Centers (CRCs) by an executive order issued by Whitmer, which resulted in infected patients returning to nursing homes occupied by the elderly and infirm.

Despite efforts from the Michigan Legislature to force the governor to reverse her order, she resisted. It was not until this week, heeding a recommendation from the Michigan Nursing Homes COVID-19 Preparedness Task Force, that the governor reversed her previous policy with her 191th executive order.

Clearly, our ability as a nation to aggregate correct data amid COVID-19 has led to confusion among lawmakers and citizens alike. This data, though it remains the product of individuals interpreting local, state and national standards for reporting accuracy and categorization, is improving.

Nonetheless, best available estimates as aggregated by the CDC suggest that about 40% of all COVID-exclusive and COVID-related or -complicated deaths have occurred within nursing homes. That statistic could rise or fall as we push ahead.

Elsewhere in Michigan, The Center Square reported on the failure of two mid-Michigan dams last May that resulted in an estimated $200 million in property damage, and prompted the evacuation of 11,000 people. The dams were privately owned and nearly a century old. Michigans Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE; formerly known as the Department of Environmental Quality, or DEQ) had been engaged in a confrontational relationship with the owner of the dams, Boyce Hydro, which exacerbated the maintenance neglect on the dams.

Rather than working with Boyce Hydro by assisting it with grants and low-cost loans in order to protect public safety and the environment, EGLE and the state Attorney General instead opted to litigate against the private company even after an EGLE inspection two years ago rated one of the dams in fair condition.

* * * *

NATIONAL

As many public schools across the country decided to go with remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, families with working parents struggle to balance their jobs with helping their children navigate through the distant learning process. This has led to a significant increase in support for school choice options, and The Center Square highlighted this in a report on a new poll gauging parents' opinions.

ILLINOIS

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan should answer questions about a bribery scheme in a case where federal prosecutors have already secured one guilty plea. The governor's comments came after the chairman of the committee investigating Madigan's involvement defended using Madigans influence to get jobs for people he knows. State Rep. Chris Welch, D-Hillside, defended asking Madigan in the past to help him get jobs for people he knows as a way to fight for diversity. He said advocating for qualified candidates was the correct thing to do even if one of those people was his mother.

Elsewhere in Illinois, the Center Square reported that education advocates said its imperative to get students back in classrooms because virtual learning is negating months of education and could cost students nearly a years earnings in adulthood, according to one analysis. Advance Illinois president Robin Steans pointed to a June study by McKinsey and Co. that estimated the economic losses if students don't return to in-person learning by January 2021. McKinsey said that, even with remote learning, the average student could lose $61,000 to $82,000 in lifetime earnings (in constant 2020 dollars), or the equivalent of a year of full-time work, solely as a result of COVID-19-related learning losses.

NEW YORK

The states of Texas and Florida, with a combined population of about 50 million people, have about 128,000 public sector employees who make more than $100,000 annually. New York City, by comparison, counts about 8.4 million people in the five boroughs but nearly matches those states with 114,000 city employees making six figures or more. As New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo continue to demand federal assistance to bail out their ailing budgets, a report from OpenTheBooks.com shows that the trend of workers in the city making $100,000 a year has skyrocketed in recent years. The number of city employees crossing that threshold increased about 50 percent in the past three years. Overtime pay has been a significant driver in the rise, with city employees putting in 32 million extra hours at a cost of $1.9 billion.

NEW JERSEY

The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis released what looked like good news for the economy of New Jersey this week when its reporting showed a 63 percent jump in wage growth for the state in the second quarter of 2020. But Dr. Charles Steindel, former chief economist for the state, told The Center Square that those numbers dont reflect a sudden strengthening rather, they merely reflect the impact of federal stimulus checks. Theres no question most of this was stimulus, Steindel said. Wage income just collapsed in New Jersey. The states economy could be in for more speed bumps as a new budget goes into effect with $4.5 billion in borrowing and a new millionaires tax that will increase the states progressive tax income bracket on people earning between $1 million and $5 million to 10.75% from 8.97%. Only Hawaii (11%) and California (13.3%) have higher upper-tier state rates for select income earners. In the third quarter, we are going to see a terrible number, Steindel said.

OHIO

The Center Square reported that the Ohio Legislature failed by an Oct. 1 deadline to act on a bill that would repeal House Bill 6, legislation that led to the indictment of former House Speaker and four others in a $60-million bribery and racketeering scandal. Missing the deadline makes it more difficult to stop an increase to electricity bills across the state.

The current state of healthcare may become permanent in Ohio, and thats a positive thing according to research and a report from The Buckeye Institute. A bill in the Ohio Senate increases accessibility and expands telehealth services in the state.

PENNSYLVANIA

The Center Square reported on the issue of creating a commission that oversees election integrity to ensure fair elections, which sparked tensions in the Pennsylvania legislature. Republicans are pushing for greater post-election transparency authority ahead of the Nov. 3 election through the creation of the new committee, which would have subpoena power and consist of a five-member panel composed of three Republicans and two Democrats. Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf called the legislation a partisan attack on the integrity of Pennsylvania elections.

VIRGINIA

Businesses in Virginia already hit hard by the restrictions placed on them by Gov. Ralph Northam in the state's attempt to combat the COVID-19 pandemic now have to worry about regulations that were meant to be temporary becoming permanent. The Center Square reported on the Virginia business community's concerns with making regulations such as face mask, social distancing, training and record-keeping requirements permanent in the face of economic uncertainty. Business leaders called for flexibility and cautioned that making COVID-19-era regulations permanent would put businesses out of business.

ARIZONA

In Arizona, election returns aren't just late because of their western timezone. The state has taken hours, sometimes weeks, to finalize county election totals due to large provisional ballot numbers and a poor track record of technological glitches. Should the state be a major decider in the presidential election, it could mean the entire nation waits on Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes to announce the final vote tally. This prompted Gov. Doug Ducey to tell reporters "I want to manage expectations that we will likely not be declaring a winner, possibly at the state level and certainly nationally, on the evening of November 3rd and whoever wins that electoral college will be declared President of the United States.

CALIFORNIA

The Center Square reported that California public health officials are predicting an 89% increase in COVID-19-related hospitalizations in October despite the states positivity rate sitting at only 3%. However, the forecasted increase in hospitalizations would fall far short of peak-pandemic hospitalization totals. Based on current numbers, California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said the state projects 4,864 coronavirus hospitalizations by Oct. 25, a nearly 90 percent increase from the current 2,578. That would still be well below peak hospitalizations, which occurred for California in July, when its total reached 7,100.

COLORADO

Colorado voters are deciding on a whopping 11 ballot measures this election season, with several being taxpayer-related measures. One of those measures, Proposition 116, proposes a modest cut to the statewide income tax rate. The measure is hailed as taxpayer relief by fiscally conservative policy groups in the state, and despised by left-leaning organizations since the measure would reduce revenue for the state government.

WASHINGTON

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan did not exercise a veto of the Seattle City Council as part of a rebalanced city budget. As a consequence of the councils decision, The Center Square reported that the defunding of the Seattle Police Department would include a reduction in force of 70 officers, and a dismantling the citys homeless sweeps unit, which is anticipated to set off contentious contract bargaining with the Seattle Police Guild and the Seattle Police Management Association.

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The Sunday Read: Data sheds new light on Michigan Gov. Whitmers handling of nursing home illnesses amid COVID-19 - The Center Square

Modified Tata Safari. (Image source: Cartoq)

The Tata Safari is a moniker that will remain in the hall of fame of SUVs in India. After years of selling in the Indian market Tata recently pulled the plug on the car. However, a few units that customers have preserved since inception has become a ground for mind-boggling customisation and modifications. A prime example of which is what you see above.

The car that you see above is a Safari Dicor that has been extended from the back to accommodate an extra axle. And needless to say, the work looks pretty neat. Decals on the car suggest that the modifications were primarily inspired by the Ladakh Expedition Edition of the car that was unveiled at the 2014 Auto Expo.

Starting with the modifications, the car gets a new grille that has been updated to be all-black. Rest of the design continues to be in its stock form except for a few additions like the stone deflector that substantially changes the stance of the vehicle. Also new on the car are the LED auxiliary lamps that are mounted on the cars roof.

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The main party piece, however, remains the extended body which is now longer than the stock Safari. To accommodate the bigger body, the car gets new windows and a longer tweaked chassis. The added axle is, however, not functional.

The overall modifications cost around Rs 8 lakh. However, the car is not road legal and might get you fined. But whats the harm in keeping it in your garage right?

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This Modified Tata Safari Inspired by Ladakh Expedition Concept Can Take on Anything You Throw at It - News18

After decades of planning, Champlin will have a new place for people to live, play and gather along a stretch of the Mississippi riverfront that forms the suburbs northwest border.

Construction is underway on the first market-rate apartments in several decades in the city, a mostly residential northwest suburb across the river from Anoka. A restaurant, event center and pavilion are up next. Its all part of Mississippi Crossings, a sprawling $100 million riverfront redevelopment project that will also include a public dock, river walk and plaza.

The riverfront in Champlin used to be a source of commerce in the logging and mill days, said Bret Heitkamp, Champlins city administrator. This will provide opportunities for people who dont live on the river or have access to the river.

The project has been on the drawing board since the late 1990s when residents and city staff started talking about how to make its woodsy riverfront more accessible to residents. This month, Minneapolis-based Greco Real Estate Development and Property Management broke ground on the Bowline, a 214-unit apartment building that will include an outdoor pool and two public pickleball courts.

In addition to the apartments, the project will include an expanded green space with nearly 20,000 square feet of new outdoor community amenities including a city park and a 600-person riverfront amphitheater. Plans call for a pavilion with restrooms and gathering space that can be rented, a public plaza and open space that will have play equipment and an outdoor performance area. To expand recreational opportunities, a public boat landing is planned along with expanded docks to improve access to a 6-mile pool in the river thats popular with recreational boaters.

Heitkamp said with no official downtown area or commercial district, dining options are lacking in the city, so plans also call for a waterfront restaurant thats expected to be completed in 2021. Called Dock 21, a nod to Champlins location 21 minutes from Minneapolis, it will include indoor and outdoor dining options, and there will be a grab-and-go food component that will make it easy for people visiting the public docks. Abrinas on the River, a 19,000-square-foot event center with a 6,000-square-foot rooftop space, can be reserved by residents and visitors for weddings, community groups and other gatherings.

The project was first proposed in February 1999. Its been a long time coming and its nice to see it becoming a reality, said Heitkamp.

Over the decades, planners have been developing private partnerships and assembling additional land, including acquiring some aging apartment buildings and single-family houses. Heitkamp said eminent domain was not required to make those acquisitions.

A succession of mayors, council members and city staff have been focused on improving and adding infrastructure, including the multimillion-dollar reconstruction and cleanup of the Mill Pond Dam. In 2018, the city and MnDOT completed reconstruction of the Hwy. 169 corridor from Hayden Lake Road to the Anoka-Champlin bridge. And last year, United Properties completed construction of Applewood Pointe at Mississippi Crossings, a $30 million, 85-unit senior cooperative community near the Anoka-Champlin bridge.

Last year, Greco was named the master developer for a 12-acre portion of the site, which is part of the Mississippi Crossings Tax Increment Financing District. Grecos president, Josh Brandsted, said the firm will tackle other aspects of the project involving the public infrastructure, such as the public parking facility. Greco recently started working with the Cohesion Group, a Twin Cities-based hospitality and entertainment consultancy that will help bring the dining and event center space to life.

Until recently, the firm has focused much of its work on urban rental projects including several North Loop warehouse conversions. But with apartment vacancy rates in many parts of the Twin Cities on the rise, the company has been pursuing more projects outside the central cities. In the 2000s, the company developed a retail center in Bloomington, and in 2018 focused its efforts on a 400-plus-unit apartment project on a redevelopment site in Shoreview.

In the last four years we have shifted our focus to the suburbs, said Brandsted. Being a local owner/operator, we felt the shifts in the market as they started to transpire.

Continued here:
Construction is underway on first phase of Champlin riverfront revival - Minneapolis Star Tribune

CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Winter is coming...and this year with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, there is much more to fear than White Walkers. But don't fret, because you can still dine out in the cold, as the city is preparing for new, innovative outdoor dining options.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Thursday the winners of the Winter Design Challenge a first-of-its-kind competition for community members to reimagine the winter outdoor dining experience in Chicago.

After receiving over 600 submissions, a team of judges that included architects, designers, chefs, restauranteurs and servers selected three ideas that not only capture the spirit of Chicago, but can provide feasible and safe options for Chicagoans to enjoy dining out as temperatures drop.

The winners of the Winter Design Challenge are:

Amy Young, ASD | SKY, Cozy Cabins: Small modular, adjoining cabins that fit within the footprint of a standard parking space.

We are honored that our concept was chosen for the Chicago Winter Dining Challenge. Our Cozy Cabins idea focused on creating a warm, welcoming experience to encourage Chicago residents to safely dine in rather than take out, said Amy Young of ASD | SKY. We wanted to create an outdoor destination centered around new experiences, neighborhood connections, and a sense of communityelements lost while dining at home. We hope this idea helps support small businesses and safely bring people together during this difficult year.

Neil Reindel, Block Party: A flexible approach to outdoor dining that is adaptable and easy to implement for many different sites and street configurations.

We are excited to have had the chance to reimagine our public spaces and provide Chicagoans an opportunity to experience the city in a fun and unique way. Chicago has always been a resilient city when faced with difficult times," said Neil Reindel. With Block Party we wanted to provide a warm place for people to reconnect as we move forward through the winter and into 2021.

Ellie Henderson, Heated Tables: Modify the Japanese Kotatsu, an economical way to keep warm and cozy in cold months.

I want to thank the City of Chicago, IDEO and the Illinois Restaurant Association for choosing my winter dining idea, said Ellie Henderson. My hope is that my proposal for using heated tables will help restaurants adapt, providing a novel open-air dining experience for their patrons that is safe and comfortably warm through colder months in 2020 and beyond.

The winners of the Winter Design Challenge will each receive a $5,000 cash prize. Additionally, the IRA will be selecting local construction firms that will start the process of bringing these ideas to life. The process will include design development and technical refinement. Once complete, the firms will be able to construct prototypes that can be tested at Chicago neighborhood restaurants in the coming weeks. The IRA will choose those pilot restaurants, and the construction will be paid for with funds that BMO Harris has previously contributed for this purpose, the Mayor's Office said.

"As we approach the winter months and adapt our COVID-19 response accordingly, we owe it to our restaurants to make sure they have what they need to continue keeping their doors open and serving their communities," said Mayor Lightfoot. "Thanks to IRA and the outstanding creativity of our Winter Dining Challenge winners, we will be able to not only make this a reality, but do so in a way that is safe and showcases our City's innovative spirit. I extend a huge congratulations to each of our Winter Dining Challenge winners."

MayorLightfoot also announced in collaboration with the Illinois Restaurant Association (IRA), DoorDash will be providing $500,000 in financial support to Chicago restaurants to help cover the costs of winterizing their outdoor dining areas.

As winter weather looms on the horizon, Chicago area restaurants will be able to apply to receive a $5,000 grant to defray winterization expenses such as the cost of heating equipment, additional safety materials to improve indoor dining, upgrades for air filtration systems, bulk orders of blankets for patrons, and more. Applications open on Oct. 16, and recipients will be notified by the end of December.

To qualify, restaurants must be located in Chicago with three or fewer locations operating currently, 50 employees or fewer in 2019, and $3M or less in 2019 annual revenue per store.

Restaurants not only entertain us. They employ a lot of people. They are critical, not just to the employees in the individual restaurants themselves. But think about the supply chain that goes into supporting the restaurant industry in our city. Its vital that we do everything that we can to uplift them to give them a fighting chance, Lightfoot said.

To help restaurants and bars operate outside, the city will be holding webinars next week on safe outdoor operations. To register and learn more, visitwww.chicago.gov/businesseducation.

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Lightfoot announces winners of the Winter Design Challenge: cabins, blocks, and heated tables - RADIO.COM