Welcome to XZV Morning News. I’m your host, Kathy Carson. Our top story today involves a fire on Clark Street – the first fire in the area since Elena’s father died. The fire decimated three buildings. Local residents say that the bar, Roadhouse 66, will be sorely missed. When asked for a comment, Elena said that she could remember fires in Chicago before her father died, and that she would discuss them with him. This time, she pulled out her phone to make the call before remembering that the number had been disconnected. More on this story as news develops.

A pharmacist in Edgewater today filled Elena’s first penicillin prescription since her father died. Her roommate Abby said that in the past, Elena had called her father to talk about being sick before going to the doctor, since he helped with her medical bills. This time, she paid out of pocket. Elena has no comment on this story at this time.

After the break, our special report: do you call your parents enough? Jenna Farmer has an answer that might surprise you.

Welcome back. Do you call your parents enough? According to recent surveys, twenty-somethings put off calling their parents more than any other age group. Jenna Farmer investigated this for XZV.

It’s a common refrain among young people: “Can I call you back?” This is, in fact, what Elena said to her father a week before he died. But, like many young people, Elena did not call him back the next day, or even the day after that. In fact, on the day she found out about his death, she’d scheduled time to leave work early and call him.

Experts cite the millennial need to always be connected as a reason, ironically, for this disconnection from their parents. Millennials’ parents or grandparents are more likely than their peers to not have Twitter or Facebook, which can make connecting with them difficult. They expect to be able to communicate via text, and when that communication isn’t an option, they often stop communicating altogether.

What causes this phenomenon? Elena cites hyper-focus on her job and friends group. She says those are things he would have been proud of her for doing, but that she still wishes she’d made more time to talk with him and visit him. 

Elena has yet to call her mother for the first time since her father died.

Thank you, Jenna. And now, let’s go to Naomi for the weather. How’s it looking, Naomi?

Thanks, Kathy. Cloudy with a chance of sunshine is the story for fall in Chicago, but today we’re looking at our first snow of the season. That’s right, a cold front will bring the first snow since Elena’s father died. Don’t look for a lot of accumulation – the ground will be warm enough to melt most of the snow. We just had the first Daylight Savings since Elena’s father died, so remember to wake up earlier and get some sunshine in before you go to work! Sunset is now happening before 4:30 PM. In the next week, expect lows in the 20s, the coldest it’s been since Elena’s father died. Back to you, Kathy.

Thanks, Naomi. Traffic on the Eisenhower is rough today, with delays as far back as Mannheim. Elena’s father always said Mannheim was a choke point, along with Cicero. As you’re driving past Cicero on your way into the city today, remember that Elena’s father once hit a home run that ended up right on the highway, back when he was a high schooler.

Lakeshore Drive is clear north of the Oak Avenue Beach, which Elena’s father always said was too full of tourists to go past. Reports are coming in of a delay on the Belmont exit of Lakeshore, where Elena and her father once spent three hours in a traffic jam caused by the Chicago Pride Parade.

After the break: what proportion of young LGBT people are out to their parents? A Pew survey says not as many as you’d think.

Welcome back. It is common in LGBT circles to encourage coming out to your parents. A recent survey done by the Pew Research Center, however, says that only forty percent of people ages eighteen to thirty who identify as LGBT have informed their loved ones of their orientation. Elena never told her father she’s gay; she intended to do so at her next visit, since she was financially independent. We asked Dr. Atkinson of Illinois Masonic why so many young men and women keep their orientation private. She replied that for many people, discussing sexual orientation can be a matter of great fear and concern. Not all young people are willing to be open to their parents, fearing financial retribution or simple emotional repudiation. Elena could not be reached for comment.

That’s all we have for today, folks. As always, we at XZV Morning News wish you a happy and healthy day.