New emails released in the Lori Lightfoot CPS student recruitment snafu. Bronzeville gets a historic designation. Chinatown readies for Lunar New Year amid security concerns. And how to tackle mental health needs.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought mental health issues to the fore. But as more people have been willing to acknowledge their struggles, the provision of mental health services has become a major challenge.

The Lunar New Year Parade is returning to Chinatown this weekend. As hundreds are expected to gather, the Chicago Police Department will be on alert following the recent mass shooting in Monterey Park, Calif.

At least 168 teachers received the email from Megan Crane, whose LinkedIn page identifies her as the deputy campaign manager for Lightfoot, starting at 8:33 a.m. on Jan. 11 and continuing for several hours, according to records obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Fairy tales do come true, but sometimes they arrive on the stage in the most fantastical way. “Hansel and Gretel” at the Lyric Opera House proves to be an altogether richly imaginative dramatic, musical and visual treat.

“The circuit court’s decision finding the detention provisions unconstitutional should be reversed,” Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul's office wrote in a brief Thursday.

All Chicagoans can cast their votes early at the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners supersite at 191 N. Clark St. and the board’s office at 69 W. Washington St., 6th floor. An early voting location will open in each of Chicago’s 50 wards on Feb. 13.

Tony Mason III, 18, was held without bail Thursday after being charged with numerous felonies including first-degree murder and four counts of attempted murder stemming from a Sunday shooting that left 17-year-old Jordan Nixon dead.

Will Keeps was a 15-year-old member of a Chicago gang when he witnessed rival members kill his friend. He escaped the streets and moved to Iowa to help other young people from troubled backgrounds.

A federal jury in Chicago in September convicted Ji Chaoqun, 31, of conspiracy to act as an agent of China’s Ministry of State Security without notifying the U.S. attorney general, acting as a spy in the U.S., and lying on a government form about his contacts with foreign agencies.

Tyler W. Massengill, 32, of Chillicothe, is accused of malicious use of fire and an explosive to damage, and attempt to damage the clinic in Peoria, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement.

As the snow falls, we take a deeper dive into what causes that “lake effect." The veterinary drug linked to a high level of opioid deaths in Cook County. And the issue of mental health front and center in the Chicago mayoral race.

Owner Marybel Wilson wanted to share her passion for working out with women who might struggle to see themselves reflected in the fitness industry. Her gym has grown to include more than 130 members and serves women of all shapes and sizes.

A spokesperson for the Jesús “Chuy” García campaign told WTTW News the ad was revised out of an “abundance of caution.”

Data from the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office shows 146 opioid-related deaths last year where xylazine was listed as a primary cause, marking a 16.8% increase from 2021. Local harm reduction organizations have also seen an uptick in its use.