High diesel costs are hurting restaurants

Good morning, Chicago. ✶

🔎 Below: Chicago Public Schools’ inspector general reopened an investigation involving a former CPS student and board president candidate Hilario Dominguez. The accuser says she’s looking for accountability. Dominguez denies any wrongdoing and questions why the 2017 allegations resurfaced.

🗞️ Plus: The city shows up for Chicago Marathoners, tributes for late Bears coach Mike Ditka and more news you need to know.

📝 Keeping score: The Bears lost to the Packers, 31-7; the Bulls fell to the Nuggets, 133-128, in preseason play.

🌤️ Today’s weather: Mostly sunny with a high near 86.

📧 Subscribe: Get our morning newsletter delivered to your inbox weekday mornings.

⏱️: An 8-minute read

TODAY’S TOP STORY 🔎

Reopened investigation into CPS Board president candidate could end soon

By Sarah Karp

Investigation update: Chicago Public Schools’ inspector general could soon issue findings in its recently reopened investigation into whether Hilario Dominguez, a candidate for Chicago School Board president, acted inappropriately with a 17-year-old in 2017. Investigators interviewed the accuser, who is now 26, in late September and reinterviewed Dominguez last week.

What’s alleged: The woman told media outlets that Dominguez asked about her dating life while they were alone in a car, and he once lifted her up in a hug and spun her around. Dominguez was 24 at the time and an organizer at a Pilsen-based nonprofit, while she was a CPS student working there for the summer.

The investigation: CPS’ watchdog first opened an investigation into the alleged incidents in 2021, when Dominguez was teaching in CPS. He left that position in 2022 to work as deputy political director for the Chicago Teachers Union, which endorsed him in the school board race. The inspector general’s office determined the allegations were unsubstantiated — then recently reopened the case.

Key context: Chicago’s school board president contest is heated, with candidates Jessica Biggs, Victor Henderson and Dominguez facing off in the Nov. 3 contest.

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SMALL BUSINESS 🍽️

Rising fuel prices another blow to Chicago restaurants

By Misha Manjuran Oberoi

Driving prices: Chicago restaurants are being squeezed from all sides as surging fuel prices drive up the cost of food and supplies, while higher household costs are prompting consumers to eat out less. Several food suppliers have significantly raised their fuel surcharges, an added fee for clients to help cover fuel costs, as diesel prices climb amid the war in Iran.

The cost: The average price of diesel in Chicago was $6.86 per gallon on Friday, up more than 68% from a year earlier, according to AAA. Diesel prices in the city reached their highest average price of $7.02 on Sept. 26.

Key point: Kevin Vaughan, owner of Vaughan Hospitality Group, said his suppliers’ freight charges are going up dramatically, which will continue to be passed on to restaurants. “Everything we do comes in on trucks, right? All our supplies come in on trucks,” Vaughan said.

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MIKE DITKA 1939-2026 🏈

Fans, ex-players mourn Mike Ditka as tributes pour in

By Mark Potash, Patrick Finley, Violet Miller, Jason Lieser and Richard Roeper

‘Da Coach’ remembered: Fans around the city mourned the death of Mike Ditka, AKA “Da Coach,” on Friday, just days before the Bears took on the Green Bay Packers, an intense rivalry Ditka helped solidify as a player from 1961-1966 and then as a coach for a decade starting in 1982. “When you think of the NFL, you think Mike Ditka,” said Johnny Montes, who stopped by Soldier Field on Friday to pay his respects before heading to Green Bay for the big game. At Lambeau Field on Sunday, a moment of silence was held, and fans could be seen sporting their best Ditka-inspired outfits.

More tributes: Willis Towers’ antennas lit up in Bears colors, Navy Pier’s Centennial Wheel bore Ditka’s mustachioed likeness and politicians like President Donald Trump, former President Barack Obama and Mayor Brandon Johnson offered remembrances of Ditka’s legacy. Members of the 1985 Bears championship teamshared how they’re remembering Ditka’s leadership.

Ditka’s persona: Former Sun-Times film critic Richard Roeper shared his thoughts on Ditka’s presence in pop culture. Ditka could bowl over a linebacker, make a sensational catch, motivate his players to greatness, dress down a reporter, out-heckle a heckler, sell you a refrigerator, coach “The Refrigerator,” and make an entire city laugh without ever telling a joke, Roeper writes.

READ MORE

WATCH: DITKA’S LEGACY ▶️

MORE NEWS YOU NEED 🗞️

• Woman detained in child’s killing: A judge ordered Shavon Gayden, accused of fatally stabbing 7-year-old Eddimar Hernández-Chacón, detained Friday, saying she’s “as dangerous as a person can be.”
   
• Man charged in CTA staffer’s death: Chevazz Campbell was charged in the fatal stabbing of CTA janitor Julian Mobley, 41, at a Green Line station last week, authorities said. 
   
• Pope to undergo surgery: Pope Leo XIV announced he will undergo surgery this week to remove a nodular lesion on his lung.
   
• Beluga dies at Shedd: A fourth beluga whale rescued from a troubled Canadian adventure park has died at the Shedd Aquarium, officials said.
   
• ‘Broadview 6′ development: As U.S. District Judge April Perry considers whether to hand down sanctions or find U.S. Attorney Andrew Boutros and his team in criminal contempt, Perry appears to be testing claims made in the tainted case.
   
• Mayor’s 4th veto: Mayor Brandon Johnson on Friday used his fourth veto to try to bury an ordinance that would make it more difficult to issue city debt, setting the stage for an attempt at an override this week.
   
• Bus, bike lane ticket program: A City Council panel advanced a citywide expansion of a program that automatically tickets vehicles in bus and bike lanes captured by cameras on buses and city vehicles.
   
• Griffin MSI construction: The $22 million renovation of the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry’s South Portico is set to start Tuesday with a groundbreaking ceremony, officials announced.

ON WBEZ 91.5 FM 📻

In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons, 9 a.m.

• Remembering Mike Ditka: Rich Cohen and Rick Telander join the show to discuss the legacy of “Da Coach.”
   
• AI in the classroom: Loyola University professors and a first-year student discuss the role of artificial intelligence in the classroom.
   
• Open House Chicago​​​​​​: A preview of this year’s roaming tour of the city’s architectural gems, which returns next weekend.

Say More with Mary Dixon and Patrick Smith, 10 a.m.

• Chicago vs. the rest of the Midwest: Do you consider Chicago the Midwest’s capital? Guest Monica Eng of Axios Chicago — and callers — weigh in.

FROM THE PRESS BOX ⚾🏈🏒🏀

• Sox’ surprising run ends: With a 2-0 loss to the Guardians Saturday, the White Sox’ postseason run came to an end. Players said they’re feeling hope amid the sadness, but know next season won’t be the same. Fans said they cherished the unexpected ride.
   
• Grading the Bears: How bad was it against the Packers? Steve Greenberg writes that there isn’t enough red ink to go around.
   
• Bedard coming back?: Blackhawks star Connor Bedard practiced without a non-contact jersey Sunday. He’ll have a doctor’s appointment this week to determine his return date.
   
• Bulls analysis: The musical chairs of injuries in the middle continue to hamper a strength of the Bulls — their size, writes Joe Cowley.
   
• High school football: York returns to the rankings, and Naperville North makes its season debut in Michael O’Brien’s Super 25 rankings for Week 9.

BRIGHT ONE 🔆

Chicago Marathoners hit the streets with city’s support

By Pat Nabong, Brian Sandalow, Zoe Singer and Amy Yee

Tens of thousands of Chicago Marathon runners started their hours-long journey as the sun rose over North Columbus Drive in Grant Park.

What waited for them were 26.2 miles of some of Chicago’s most distinct neighborhoods — from the Loop to Wrigleyville, down to the Near West Side, Pilsen, Bronzeville and Chinatown — and thousands of people cheering them on.

Amos Kipruto, of Kenya, finished first, with an unofficial time of 2:01.09. Hawi Feysa, of Ethiopia, repeated her win of the women’s marathon, clocking in at 2:13.33 on Sunday.

Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner, both of Switzerland, were the race’s men’s and women’s wheelchair titleholders, coming in at 1:21:34 and 1:33:16, respectively.

Runners say the 22-mile marker can be the most challenging, as the race’s last leg can feel like a drag and crowds can be sparse.

That’s why on 26th Street near Michigan Avenue, Chloe Wilkerson and her family were equipped with more than 6,000 water bottles, noisemakers and a DJ setup to keep runners motivated.

“We’re gonna give them as much encouragement as we can,” Wilkerson told the Sun-Times.

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YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️

What’s the best sign you’ve ever seen at a Chicago Marathon?

Reply to this question via email (please include your first and last name). We may run your answer in a future newsletter or story.

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Written and curated by: Matt Moore
Editor: Michael Lansu
Copy edited by: Satchel Price