Evanston, IL Municipal and More

Evanston's Café Au Lake Nearly Doubles Profit, City Eyes More Lagoon-Style Cafes

A cafe that almost never opened is now one of Evanston's better municipal bets. Café au Lake, the city-run coffee and wine spot tucked into the Arrington Lagoon picnic shelter, saw its profit nearly double in its second year, and city officials say that success is fueling plans to bring food service to more public spaces, including a new cafe set to soft-open on Nov. 16 at the Prieto Community Center.

Evanston, IL · 2d

evanstonroundtable.com

partner publisher · 2.2M followers

City seeks volunteers for 2026-27 Snow Shoveling Program

The City of Evanston is offering its Snow Shoveling Program again this winter to connect older adult residents and persons with disabilities with volunteers who are offering snow-shoveling services. Those seeking assistance or wanting to volunteer should sign up at cityofevanston.org/shoveling. This year, the program is expanding to offer two...

Evanston, IL · 1d

Fox News

Illinois teachers union boss Stacy Davis Gates gets major pay bump as state reading scores lag

The Illinois Federation of Teachers approved a nearly 39% pay raise for its president Stacy Davis Gates as state reading and math proficiency scores lag.

Illinois · 3d

CBS Chicago

200-acre South Works site pitched as new lakefront Bears home

Related Midwest says a stadium and entertainment district at the former South Works site would also host concerts and community events. As of late October, the Bears said Arlington Heights and Hammond, Indiana, were their only options.

evanstonroundtable.com

New state e-bike law prompts Evanston to draft its own ordinance

The City of Evanston is drafting an ordinance to comply with a state law taking effect Jan. 1 that will regulate who can use electric bikes and scooters, where they can be used and how fast they can go. The Illinois law, signed by Gov. JB Pritzker in August, sets...

Evanston, IL · 1d

CBS Chicago

Pritzker pauses events next week for medical procedure

Governor JB Pritzker will pause his events next week so he can recover from a medical procedure, his office said Friday.

CBS Chicago

Soul Train Awards held in Chicago for the first time

Thursday night was a homecoming for one of Chicago's cultural treasures, as the Soul Train Awards arrived in the city where the iconic show originated. The taping of the awards show brought stars to the Loop.

CBS Chicago

partner publisher · 61.7K followers

Illinois Holocaust Museum in Skokie reopens Nov. 11

The Skokie museum has been closed since July 2025. Veterans, active-duty and retired military personnel and up to four family members get in free on opening day.

Skokie, IL · 1d

WBBM News Radio

Voters in Illinois decide whether or not to separate from Cook County and form a new state

Cook County, IL · 3d

fox32chicago.com

Illinois secession movement grows as 12 more counties back split

The movement to separate parts of Illinois from the state continues to grow, with voters in 12 more downstate counties approving non-binding secession referendums in the November election. That brings the total to 45 counties, plus several townships within Adams County, that have approved the measures since 2020. Woman behind...

Illinois · 2d

hoodline.com

Mount Greenwood Rink Gets New Chiller After Closure Scare Rattles Neighbors

Mount Greenwood Park Fieldhouse — Announced Learn-To-Skate Registration Venue. The outdoor ice rink at Mount Greenwood Park has a new chiller as the Chicago Park District gears up to open the facility for the season, easing fears in a neighborhood that was recently bracing for the rink to go dark for good. The equipment arrived just weeks after rumors of a possible closure sent local hockey families into a panic.

Chicago, IL · 4h

evanstonroundtable.com

District 65 board will not vote on budget plan Monday

The Evanston/Skokie District 65 school board will not vote Monday to advance the district’s budget plan, according to an email sent to the community late Friday afternoon. For weeks, parents have been calling on the school board to delay the vote, which would trigger the implementation of the budget plan, including kick-starting the official hearings necessary before the board can officially vote to close schools.

Evanston, IL · 1d

uhighmidway.com

Public library creates community, provides confidence

VOICE-OVER: Tucked away on South Blackstone Avenue and East 49th Street, on a dead-end corner where busy Lake Park Avenue once lay, stands a tall granite building. It’s over a hundred years old, with soaring columns and a green glass Tiffany dome familiar to any Chicagoan. This is the Blackstone Memorial Library, the oldest branch of the Chicago Public Library system.

epodcastnetwork.com

Top 4 Personal Injury Law Firms in Chicago (2026 Guide)

Kennedy Watkins Injury Attorneys is the top personal injury firm in Chicago for injured people who want a trial lawyer, not a call center. The River North firm won a $34 million wrongful death verdict after an apartment fire and a $30 million verdict after a deadly truck crash. Clients pay no fee unless the firm wins, and calls are answered 24/7.

Chicago, IL · 2d

trapezeonline.com

Engineer: Oak Park Ave construction nearly done

The Renew the Avenue project is on schedule to be finished by Thanksgiving, according to Village Engineer Bill McKenna. Since the start of the project in January, the construction occurring on Oak Park Avenue has been a part of Oak Parkers’ daily lives. Noting that construction has not experienced major delays, McKenna said “the project is still scheduled to be substantially complete by Thanksgiving.”

Oak Park, IL · 2d

wheninyourstate.com

publisher · 4.4K followers

Report links ICE fears to changing shopping patterns among Chicago families

For some Chicago families, a simple trip to the grocery store has become something they would rather avoid during the day. Fear of encountering federal immigration agents is pushing some immigrant households to move everyday activities into the evening and late-night hours. Shopping, laundry, childcare and even work schedules are...

Chicago, IL · 2d

Injustice Watch

All Cook County circuit judges on track to win retention, but three face narrow margins

This story is developing. Follow the latest results on our live retention election tracker. All 60 Cook County circuit judges up for retention are on track to keep their seats for another six years — but three hover just above the 60% threshold needed, according to preliminary results from the Cook County clerk and the Chicago Board of Elections.

Cook County, IL · 3d

Block Club Chicago

publisher · 7.3K followers

3 Candidates File To Replace Matt O’Shea As 19th Ward Alderman

BEVERLY — The 19th Ward will have a new alderperson next year for the first time in more than a decade. Three people have filed to replace outgoing Ald. Matt O’Shea (19th) after O’Shea announced in September he would not seek a fifth term. He first ran for alderman in 2011 following then-alderwoman Ginger Rugai’s decision to retire after 20 years in office.

Chicago Public Radio