Stories by Kristen Thometz

The North Side food pantry is teaming up with nonprofit Fresh Food Connect to launch a mobile app that will allow home and community gardeners to donate some of their fresh grown produce.

Dinosaurs, a hot chocolate run, film festival and bike ride usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

Halloween parades, a haunted flea market, Día de los Muertos celebrations and a musical psychic usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

All licensed day care center staff in Illinois must receive their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by Dec. 3, according to an executive order issued Friday by Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Staff who are not fully vaccinated by Dec. 3 must, at a minimum, undergo weekly testing until they’re fully vaccinated.

More than 650 people have been infected with salmonella oranienburg nationwide, including 37 people in Illinois, according to federal health officials. 

Jack-o’-lanterns, papermaking, a “Frankenstein”-inspired play and a Halloween-themed run usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

With Halloween and Día de los Muertos fast approaching, state health officials released guidelines Friday to help people safely celebrate common fall traditions, like trick-or-treating and visits to pumpkin patches.

Architectural gems, an arts festival, cemetery walk and international films usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

“Although we are already into fall, we are expecting a warm weekend and West Nile virus remains a risk until the first hard frost,” Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike said in a statement. 

A new Northwestern Medicine study has found increased stress during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with irregularities in menstrual cycles.

Jack-o’-lanterns, thousands of runners, goat yoga and a powwow usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

While Gov. J.B. Pritzker said he’d be disappointed if the Chicago Bears no longer played in the Windy City, he said the state isn’t planning on intervening and that city officials and the team need to “work out their differences.”

A pride celebration, neon lights, fairy houses and talented teens usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in Chicago.

A Lake County man in his 80s who awoke to a bat on his neck in mid-August is the first person to have contracted the disease in Illinois in more than 65 years, according to state health officials. 

For many homeless people in the Chicago area, finding a safe space to recover from illness or injury is a challenge, especially during a pandemic. Medical respite centers aim to offer that refuge through medical care and support services.

Echoing recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Illinois health officials are recommending COVID-19 booster shots for older adults, as well as front-line workers and people who live in group settings.

A new $40 million workforce recovery grant program seeks to help job seekers get back to work, while another $4.4 million program aims to increase access to career training programs for at-risk youth, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Thursday.

German beers and brats, live jazz, a freestyle dance contest and a boozy art show usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

Bipartisan legislation to be introduced Friday by U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush would honor those whose efforts led to the successful development of COVID-19 vaccines, including researchers, scientists, doctors and vaccine trial volunteers. 

Tacos, music fests, bloody marys and an art tour by bike usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

In the wake of a new law banning nearly all abortions in Texas, Gov. J.B. Pritzker and members of Illinois’ congressional delegation vowed to protect women’s rights while calling for a federal reproductive health law. “Nobody should be forced to cross state lines to see a doctor,” Pritzker said.

Street festivals, dance classes, outdoor concerts and unique eats usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

All pre-K through 12th grade teachers and staff, higher education employees and students, and health care workers in settings such as hospitals and nursing homes now have until Sept. 19 to receive their first COVID-19 vaccine dose.

The number of new COVID-19 infections has been steadily increasing for weeks and on Friday neared 6,000 for the first time in a 24-hour period since January, according to state health officials.

Animal shelters across the city are seeing an increase this year in the number of pets coming through their doors. What’s behind that trend — and how shelters are trying to keep pets in homes.

Beefy burgers, music festivals, cycling on Lake Shore Drive and mini golf usher in the holiday weekend. Here are a dozen things to do in and around Chicago.