Merrionette Park, IL Municipal and More

SXU honors Police Chief Dan Murphy for military service

Saint Xavier University Police Chief Dan Murphy has spent much of his life looking out for others. From his years in the U.S. Air Force to a 30-year career in law enforcement, Murphy has built his career around service, responsibility and protecting his community. Those years of service were recognized...

hoodline.com

Willie Wilson Vows to Slash $1 Billion in Spending, Shutter Empty Chicago Schools

Chicago mayoral candidate Willie Wilson told a City Club crowd Tuesday that he would cut $1 billion in city costs, generate $500 million in new annual revenue, and close under-enrolled public schools if elected — pointing to a high school he says has just 30 students in a building meant for 1,000.

partner publisher · 229.3K followers

The Center Square

Illinois Quick Hits: Pritzker urged to act after driver with Illinois CLS charged in Kansas City crash

(The Center Square) – Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe is urging Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker to take corrective action after Kehoe said a truck driver who was in the U.S. illegally plowed into stopped traffic along U.S. Highway 71 in Kansas City last Monday and claimed the lives of a 35-year-old mother and her two young sons. Kehoe said Eldar Skander was operating an 80,000-pound semi under a non-domiciled commercial driver’s license issued by the state of Illinois in March 2025. The Department of Homeland Security said Skander is a Ukrainian national who was in the U.S. illegally. Skander is charged with three counts of involuntary manslaughter. "When a state fails to vet applicants before handing over the keys to a commercial tractor-trailer, the consequences do not stop at the state line," Kehoe wrote in a letter to Pritzker on Friday. ICE nabs ex-con released from Stateville The Department of Homeland Security says U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested a Mexican national who was released after serving prison time for a DUI crash that killed a Marine veteran in 2011. The Department of Homeland Security said ICE lodged a detainer with Stateville Correctional Center in Crest Hill for Vicente Torres Vasquez

Illinois · 3h

History Snob

partner publisher · 14.7K followers

Chicago Couldn't Move The Bean, but It Once Lifted an Entire City Block

Chicago has never been a city that shies away from unusual ideas, but its latest attempt to move a major landmark didn't exactly go according to plan. On November 8, 2026, hundreds of people gathered in Millennium Park to push the city's famous Bean sculpture seven inches to the left. Despite their enthusiasm, the 110-ton stainless steel structure didn't budge. The event was inspired by an internet conspiracy theory claiming someone was trapped inside the sculpture, but it also brought attention to a fascinating piece of Chicago history. More than 160 years earlier, engineers successfully lifted an entire row of enormous buildings several feet into the air. Unlike the recent gathering, this extraordinary undertaking wasn't a joke, and it actually worked. Why Chicago Once Needed to Raise Its Buildings During the mid-1800s, Chicago had a serious problem with its geography, particularly the swampy land on which much of the city stood. Its streets frequently turned into muddy disasters whenever it rained, making even ordinary transportation surprisingly difficult. Some roads became so waterlogged that horse-drawn wagons could barely navigate them, creating constant headaches for residents and businesses. Unfortunately, the muddy streets were only part of the problem, as the city's relatively

partner publisher · 1.9K followers

Trains.com

Switch installation celebrated at Pullman historic park

CHICAGO — Visitors to the 19th-century Pullman factory complex on Chicago’s South Side frequently ask, “Where are the railcars?” The first step in eliminating that question took place when Norfolk Southern recently reinstalled a switch on an industrial lead two blocks east of the site that was once the conduit in and out of the [...] Read More...

Chicago, IL · 3d

WGN News

partner publisher · 99.3K followers

At Your Service: Gary Sinise talks about family’s military history and shares late son Mac’s music

At Your Service highlights Chicagoland's hometown heroes — both active and retired veterans — along with the latest military news and developments.

partner publisher · 57.6K followers

Willow and Hearth

HUD Launches A Public Dashboard Grading Local Housing Authorities From High Performer To Troubled, And 7 Are Already In Substantial Default

Anyone who rents with a housing voucher, lives in public housing or has a family member who does now has a new way to check how the local housing authority […]

partner publisher · 193.4K followers

ABC 7 Chicago

Cook County Sheriff's Office transforms prison transport bus into mobile library for children

A former prisoner transport bus has been transformed into a mobile library, bringing thousands of books to children in Cook County communities with limited access to reading resources.

Cook County, IL · 2d

WTTW - Chicago PBS

publisher · 12.7K followers

Meet the 21 Members of Chicago’s First-Ever Fully Elected Board of Education

For the first time ever, Chicagoans have fully elected their Board of Education. With several new faces set to join the 21-member board in January following Chicago’s first ever citywide board elections, take a moment to learn more about who will be making critical decisions for Chicago Public Schools, its students and their families.

Streetsblog Capitol Hill

As NYC eases fire department control over street redesign projects, Chicago’s fire chief calls for “more conversations… with CDOT”

According to our colleagues at Streetsblog NYC, last Election Day, local residents gave robust support for ballot initiatives to speed up the process of installing bus and bike lanes. One of the five proposals from Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Commission on Government Efficiency, which called for repealing bureaucratic speed bumps to safer street redesigns, passed with two-thirds of the vote.

hoodline.com

Albany Park's Lawrence Gateway Tops Out, Bringing 40 Homes Across From Ronan Park

Approx. W. Lawrence Ave. — Lawrence Gateway Topping-Out Site. Developer MAS Ventures LLC and Malek Abdulsamad marked a major construction milestone this week, celebrating the topping out of Lawrence Gateway, a five-story mixed-use building rising across from Ronan Park in Albany Park. Chicago's Department of Planning and Development Commissioner Ciere Boatright joined the celebration, underscoring the city's stake in a project that pairs market-rate apartments with affordable housing and ground-floor retail.

partner publisher · 546.3K followers

POLITICO

A political musical chairs game

Happy Veterans Day, Illinois. Today, and every day, we’re grateful to those who served. TOP TALKER WHAT IF? One big political move could trigger a chain reaction of vacancies in Illinois. From the governor’s mansion to City Hall and the county board, here’s how succession dominoes could fall. Starting at the top: If Gov. JB Pritzker were to run and win the presidency, he would resign as Illinois’ top elected official and incoming Lt. Gov. Christian Mitchell would take over as governor. No special election is required under the Illinois Constitution. That’s what happened when former Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn became governor in 2009 after then-Gov. Rod Blagojevich was removed from office. If Mitchell moves into the governor’s office, his former office would “remain vacant until the end of the term,” per the Illinois Constitution. The calendar matters: If Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias wins the Chicago mayor’s race next year, the governor would appoint someone to fill the seat, and a 28-month calculation would kick in: Under the Illinois Election Code , if more than 28 months remain in Giannoulias’ term, voters would choose a successor at the next general election. Otherwise, an appointee would serve out the term.

Illinois · 2d

WBEZ

publisher · 6.0K followers

How a retired Chicago Army veteran found peace and purpose through baking

At 4:30 a.m. Tuesday, with most of Chicago still asleep, Quinton McNair already was in the kitchen. By 9 a.m., the 49-year-old had baked enough cookies, muffins and other treats to fill the display cases at his Hyde Park bakery. And McNair still had the rest of another long day ahead of him.

partner publisher · 39.2K followers

Main Street Dollars

Homeowners 65 and older get an extra $60,000 off school taxable value in Texas, $20,000 in West Virginia, and up to $9,000 in North Dakota and $8,000 in Illinois

Homeowners 65 and older can have a slice of their home’s value taken out of the property tax calculation, and the size of that slice depends heavily on the state. Texas school districts must give an extra $60,000 homestead exemption, West Virginia exempts the first $20,000 of assessed value, North Dakota reduces taxable valuation by […]

Texas · 4d

abc57.com

South Shore Line airport terminal move on hold after rejected federal funds

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Plans to slash travel times between South Bend and downtown Chicago to 90 minutes have hit a roadblock after federal officials denied a critical $56 million grant for the South Shore Line. Local partners had previously committed $56 million to relocate the rail terminal at the...

South Bend, IN · 1d

illinoislawyernow.com

publisher · 12.7K followers

The Two-Year Clock After a Fire

A serious burn changes daily life in an instant, and the legal side of recovery starts with a clock. Illinois sets a firm filing window, and it keeps running while the injured person is still in treatment. Knowing how that window works helps families plan with the deadline in view.

Cicero, IL · 22h

WTTW - Chicago PBS

Caroling, Trees and the Christkindlmarket — Celebrate the Holidays With These Classic Chicago Traditions

From a mug of hot glühwein at the Christkindlmarket to a trip to the Walnut Room’s Great Tree, there are some Chicago activities that have become iconic holiday traditions. Read on for opportunities to shop, snack, carol and ride holiday trains. Christkindlmarket. The beloved German-style market is returning...

Riverside Brookfield Landmark

Riverside adopts 4-year police union contract

Riverside trustees approved a new collective bargaining agreement on Thursday, Nov. 5, between the village and the Fraternal Order of Police, which represents Riverside’s officers and sergeants. The deal is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2026, and will expire Dec. 31, 2029. The new contract was established through negotiations that...

Riverside, IL · 2d

anash.org

Chicago Bochurim Hear Firsthand from the Rebbe’s Cardiologist

A group of Shluchim from Lubavitch Mesivta of Chicago visited the Rebbe’s cardiologist, Dr. Ira Weiss, on Rosh Chodesh Kislev for a special farbrengen and an opportunity to hear firsthand stories about the Rebbe. During the visit, the doctor shared memories from his years of connection with the Rebbe,...