The current $5,000 maximum fine for air pollution violations could jump to $50,000 under a proposed ordinance. The hike was prompted by events including a botched demolition of a smokestack in Little Village this past spring.
Little Village


The Chicago Police Department on Monday released a photo of a vehicle they describe as a 2008-2012 GMC Acadia that’s believed to be involved in the death of 86-year-old Eliseo Mendoza.

Three firms involved in the botched smokestack demolition in Little Village will pay $370,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, his office announced Thursday.

The family of Frank Aguilar, a 32-year-old nurse who was gunned down in November 2019, gathered in Little Village on Sunday to commemorate his life and to continue to push for justice in finding his killer.

The all-day event Saturday will take advantage of a sweet spot in the migratory timeline, with organizers expecting to record outgoing and incoming species.

After a developer purchased a neighborhood plaza earlier this year, some residents and business owners are concerned the fabric of the community — known as the epicenter of Mexican culture and commerce for the entire Midwest — could be at risk.

Little Village on Chicago’s Southwest Side is known for its rich Mexican culture. But some residents and business owners fear a neighborhood staple could be in danger.

How Chicago communities came together to push past tensions that were feeding a racial divide.

There was a message of unity Wednesday as solidarity marches replaced fears of racially motivated violence. We visited Pilsen, Little Village and the suburb of Cicero for a view from the ground.

A planned demolition of a building at the former Crawford Power Plant will take place June 5, after being delayed nearly three weeks after protests erupted and the local alderman objected, company officials announced Friday.

During a 90-minute town hall Saturday, Chicago residents questioned officials about plans to demolish what’s left of the Crawford Coal Plant and Hilco Global’s commitment to the neighborhood.

The city says what’s left of the Crawford Coal Plant needs to be demolished out of safety concerns. But this time, officials promise ample water will be on site to guard against a repeat of April’s botched implosion.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot late Thursday called off a planned demolition of a building at the former Crawford Power Plant after protests erupted and the alderman objected.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city would partner with a charity founded by Oscar-winning actor Sean Penn, fueled by a grant from Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, in an effort to conduct 10,000 tests per day in Chicago.

The plume of dust that coated homes in Little Village after the demolition of a smokestack included mercury, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and other pollutants, according to a lawsuit filed by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul.

The plume of dust that coated homes in Little Village after the botched demolition of a coal plant smokestack did not threaten residents’ health, according to final test results released Monday by the city of Chicago.