While the king and queen, and their court, will be dolled up, smiling and waving at all who wait to catch a glimpse of them in this year’s Bud Billiken parade, they are still just regular kids. King Jordan Norwood, a seventh grader at Choir Academy, likes reading, science and social studies, and is an avid basketball player.

Alittle over one year after shuttering two of its three movie houses, Chicago-based Inner City Entertainment continues to thrive with its remaining South Side movie theater. In fact, its 14-screen ICE Theaters Chatham 14, 210 W. 87th St., is the only independently owned movie theater on the South Side.

A former second lieutenant in the U.S. Army who later became publisher of the Chicago Defender, now sees himself as a community activist, as president of the Chicago Defender Charities Inc., a non-profit organization.

Bernie Mac remains in an undisclosed Chicago hospital as he recovers from pneumonia. His publicist, Danica Smith, says Mac's condition was unchanged Monday. She released a statement Friday saying the 50-year-old comedian is responding well to treatment and should be released soon.

Chicago's sweetheart, Jennifer Hudson, is set to help step off the 79th Annual Bud Billiken Day Parade Aug. 9. A new industry standout, Hudson hails from the city’s South Side and is a graduate of Dunbar high school.