Lockport resident Bob Morris joked he was crazy for being out at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday as the Chicago area was under an excessive heat warning.

Morris, an architect, said he sets his work schedule and as it happened his only availability to pull the weeds outside his house was Wednesday afternoon.

“This was just getting out of hand,” Morris said, pointing to the weeds. “This was the window of time I had to do the work. Unfortunately, it’s the hottest part of the day.”

Wearing a hat, Morris said he soaked it in cold water before he headed outside. He said he was also taking a lot of water and shade breaks.

He had big plans once he was done weeding: “Just sit there and recuperate for a while, listening to music and drinking water. Take a shower and get back to work.”

According to the National Weather Service, Wednesday saw a high of 97 degrees with heat index values as high as 110. By Thursday, the high will be 99 degrees, according to the weather service.

Many communities, including Tinley Park and Orland Park, moved their trash pickup times up by at least an hour Wednesday and Thursday to protect workers. Tinley Park also canceled its weekly outdoor car show and block party Cruise Nights! which takes place on Tuesdays.

While many restaurants are not adjusting their hours, The Quarry Ballroom Restaurant and Bar in Thornton added a few cold drink specials to bring fans out to its back patio.

“We are a very family oriented business and on days like today our doors are open to anyone that needs to escape the heat,” said Angela DeYoung, who runs The Quarry Ballroom with her husband.

Homer Glen resident Jamie LaPenna and her 2-year-old son played Wednesday at the Homer Township Public Library to beat the heat.

“He wanted to be outside, but of course we said no,” LaPenna said. “It’s nice that we have places like this were we can come and he can be entertained.”

LaPenna said she’s considering taking her son to the pool Thursday to keep him cool from the heat, but it will depend on how hot it gets.

“It’s hard to plan because it’s too hot,” LaPenna said.

South and southwest suburban schools took precautions such as having extra fans in buildings and postponing events. High schools said sports practices were moved indoors when practical, and some high school sports tournaments postponed until sweltering heat and humidity ease.

Lockport Township High School District 205 monitored the weather and moved its curriculum night, scheduled at Central Campus Wednesday, to be a prerecorded virtual event, said Superintendent Robert McBride. That would allow the old building with just window-unit air conditioning time to cool down before Thursday classes, McBride said.

“We, right now, are not planning any interruption to school operations, although we have asked our staff to review online learning,” McBride said. “We have a long year ahead of us, we can only do five e-learning emergency days, so we do want to consider those in case we have other weather events.”

Central Campus staff handed out water to students Wednesday as they walked into school, said spokeswoman Jeannette Castillo, and coolers with water were placed on each floor of the building. Staff were taking temperature readings of the hallways, gyms and cafeteria throughout the day, she said.

For athletics, McBride said the district followed Illinois High School Association heat policy, which states if temperatures are over 89.9 degrees the day of practice there should be no outdoor workouts.

The IHSA heat policy states that temperature and humidity readings have to be taken 30 minutes before an activity and every 30 minutes after the activity starts.

The policy also states cooling stations — shade, ice towels or misting fans — and plenty of water have to be available before, during and after the activity.

“We are following to a T everything that the IHSA requires for athletics, in terms of monitoring, hydrating, testing and seeing what the heat is,” McBride said.

All Wednesday sports practices were moved indoors, Castillo said. Some practices for Thursday, like girls’ cross country, were canceled as of Wednesday, she said.

Lincoln-Way East postponed its Thursday football game to Saturday because of the heat, said Lincoln-Way High School District 210 Superintendent Scott Tingley.

Tingley said the district’s buildings are air-conditioned so students and staff are able to stay cool throughout the day. The district didn’t have athletics scheduled for Wednesday, he said.

All Thursday outdoor activities have been postponed, Tingley said, and all gym classes will be held indoors during the duration of the heat.

“By Friday, we’ll be fine and back to business as usual,” Tingley said.

High School District 218, with Eisenhower High School in Blue Island, Shepard in Palos Heights and Richards in Oak Lawn, moved practice times from after school to before school to comply with these temperature restrictions, said spokesperson Bob McParland. The district will also end Thursday’s school day at 11:55 a.m. due to the extreme heat, he said.

Orland Park Elementary District 135, which started school Wednesday, placed fans and air conditioners inside classrooms, Superintendent John Bryk said, and may keep blinds closed during peak heat. Physical education classes and recess periods were moved indoors with reduced strenuous activity, he said, and students were encouraged to wear lightweight clothing and bring water to school.

“We want to ensure that our students remain safe and comfortable at school,” Bryk said.

At Homewood-Flossmoor High School in Flossmoor, physical education classes moved inside and events such as practice for girls tennis and boys soccer moved indoors, said Carla Erdey, a spokeswoman for the district.

In Bremen High School District 228, with Eisenhower High School in Blue Island, Shepard in Palos Heights and Richards in Oak Lawn, schools plan to use indoor facilities for any practices or tryouts that can be switched to indoors, said Yasmeen Sheikah, a spokeswoman for the district.

Some outdoor sports events will be rescheduled, such as cross-country competitions that had been set for Thursday between the boys and girls teams from the district’s Oak Forest and Tinley Park High Schools.

In Rich Township High School District 227, a soccer game Wednesday was rescheduled, and other practices moved indoors Wednesday and Thursday, according to Matthew Shank, district athletic director.

Cook County Elementary District 130, with schools in Alsip, Blue Island and Crestwood, announced on Facebook that outdoor activities scheduled to be held outside Wednesday and Thursday will be moved inside.

Also, school uniforms will be optional both days, with students told they can wear “light-colored clothing” instead.

Prairie-Hills Elementary District 144 in Country Club Hills, Hazel Crest, Markham and Oak Forest said on its Facebook page air conditioning upgrades have been made at all schools in preparation for the start of school Wednesday for prekindergarten through eighth grade, and bottled water was available in all school buildings.

Wolcott Elementary District 154 in Thornton is keeping students in the building for recess, according administrative assistant Martha Ruiz. South Holland Elementary District 151 canceled all outside activities including practice and recess.

Thornton Township High School District 205 made the call Tuesday to shift to remote learning after determining the schools’ air conditioning systems are less reliable than the cooling systems in most families’ homes.

“Their HVAC systems are in need of repair and so the district felt that it was far safer for students to shift to e-learning in their homes versus being in the buildings where the HVAC system will not be able to chill the building sufficiently in this type of heat,” said public relations manager Mary Ann Thornton.

Thornton said there are already plans up address the faulty air conditioning system, but supply shortages have delayed the upgrades.

The district planned to keep students and teachers home for e-learning through Thursday, before the a high is expected to dip below 85 degrees on Friday, according to the National Weather Service.

Originally Published: Aug 23, 2023 at 7:08 am