Good morning, Chicago.

Cooper Roberts, the 9-year-old paralyzed from the waist down in last year’s July 4 Highland Park parade shooting, threw out the first pitch at Monday’s game between the Chicago Cubs and his favorite team, the Milwaukee Brewers, who have shown their support since soon after the tragedy.

Surrounded by family and other invited members of the Highland Park community who were impacted by the incident, Cooper was the featured attraction at home plate when outfielder Christian Yelich, his favorite player, sidled up beside the entourage and surprised him.

With help from his brother, Luke, who was hit by shrapnel on the day of the shooting, Cooper was pushed out to the 30-foot mark between the pitcher’s mound, and home plate, where Yelich crouched to catch the toss. Cooper threw a perfect strike on one bounce.

Highland Park marked a year since seven people were killed and dozen more were injured during the Independence Day parade shooting. The somber anniversary’s events include a ceremony in the morning, a community walk, a picnic and a concert. See photos from the day’s events, captured by Tribune photographers, around Highland Park.

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For more than a decade as a Cook County officeholder, Democratic stalwart Karen Yarbrough has repeatedly fought allegations she and her office violated long-standing federal court decrees aimed at cracking down on patronage hiring that has haunted local government for generations.

The two-term Cook County clerk and former recorder of deeds’ approach to hiring has, at times, resembled that of a partisan throwback. She’s been called out repeatedly in federal court documents for allegedly flouting best employment practices and instead enlisting friends and political allies for jobs in her offices. Early on as county clerk, Yarbrough’s office once was even accused of “running an illegal patronage employment system.”

With projections calling for more frequent and powerful storms as climate change continues, cities like Chicago will have to look for new ways to mitigate flooding, said Max Berkelhammer, an associate professor in earth and environmental sciences at the University of Illinois-Chicago.

A fight over whether Wisconsin’s top elections official will keep her job has potential implications for the 2024 presidential contest in a perennial battleground where statewide margins are typically razor thin.

The store has created a unique connection between operator Karyn Kanthack and the community, she said. Customers who knew her when she was pregnant with her children still come by, and now see the kids grown and working. After Kanthack’s dad died in January, strangers stopped by the store to offer condolences.

If the 2023 Cubs were to become the third, it would go down as an inspiring comeback story for a veteran team led by newcomers like Dansby Swanson, Cody Bellinger and Trey Mancini — all of whom were brought here in part for their championship experience, writes Paul Sullivan.

NASCAR arrived in Chicago this past week — and with it, opinions on the historic street race.

Some were excited about it, others were skeptical. In the days leading up to the races around Grant Park, a common refrain was “Chicago isn’t a NASCAR crowd.” So Shakeia Taylor set out to see just how true that was.

This summer, the concert docket is busier than at any time in recent memory. Prices for many national tours and big festivals suggest that demand continues to outstrip supply.

But there’s good news. You don’t need to spend the equivalent of a few car payments for tickets or brush up against thousands of sweaty strangers at Lollapalooza to see a good show.

The bad guy on AMC’s “The Walking Dead: Dead City” is just the latest iconic show for Željko Ivanek, who is known for everything from “Homicide: Life on the Street” to “Oz” to “24″ to “Big Love” to “Madam Secretary” to his Emmy-winning role on “Damages,” in addition to his roles on Broadway.

It’s a memory from his stage career that came to mind when asked about a worst moment.