Stories by Patty Wetli

The North River Commission — serving Albany Park, Irving Park and North Park — is the latest community organization to give rat birth control a try.

Holiday light shows captivate people of all ages for the simplest of reasons: They make the season bright.

A trio of Republican challengers is looking to break Democrats’ hold on every commissioner seat on the board of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.

November has a tough act to follow after October delivered unseasonably warm and dry weather.

The Clark family of Kane County has donated its nearly 50-foot-tall Norway spruce to Chicago for the city’s holiday display in the hopes it will bring “joy and wonder to millions."

The time change means people will be driving more in the dark, which unfortunately coincides with a period when certain animals are particularly active.

Elected officials and civic leaders officially broke ground on the long-awaited DuSable Park, which has been decades in the making.

Another sign of progress: All six rescued belugas have now been consistently eating their full daily diet for nearly a month, according to Shedd officials.

Saturday was one of the deadliest days for birds in Chicago since 2023, when 1,000 were killed or injured at McCormick Place Lakeside alone.

In a win for residents on Chicago's Southeast Side, a Cook County Circuit Court judge this week ordered Pullman Innovations to cease its “odor-causing operations” until it comes into compliance with environmental law.

Finalists have been announced in the "name that 50-ton boulder" contest. Now it's up to the public to choose the winner.

All signs are pointing to a very strong or “super” El Niño event shaping up in the Pacific Ocean, which will affect Chicago's upcoming winter in ways forecasters are beginning to predict.

Think Open House Chicago is just for architecture buffs? Think again.

Carlos Ramirez-Rosa received a vote of confidence from the Chicago Park District board of commissioners, which extended his contract through the end of 2029.

Chicago basked in rare October heat Monday, setting a new daily record high temperature of 88 degrees, blowing past the old record of 84, according to the National Weather Service.

“We’re all super motivated and we’re all super passionate, and so it’s not going to be something that fizzles out anytime soon,” said Robyn Detterline, advocacy chair with Chicago Ornithological Society.

Staff at Shedd Aquarium are mourning the loss of another rescued beluga whale, announcing the death of 27-year-old Caspian, who arrived at Shedd in August from the shuttered Canadian park Marineland.

After powerful storms tore through the Chicago region in August, the leaders of numerous south suburban communities were faced with recovery efforts that far exceeded the capacity of their personnel, equipment and financial resources.

The Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events has announced its annual search for the city’s official Christmas tree, which will be the centerpiece of holiday celebrations in Millennium Park.

This one-time crown jewel of Chicago’s movie palaces has sat empty for decades amidst multiple attempts to revive the dormant, 101-year-old theater and restore it to its former glory.

The Chicago Park District is grappling with a new state law governing the use of e-bikes and other micromobility devices.

Last year, Chicago lost its unofficial title as America's “rattiest city." Now the push is on to see how low its ranking can go.

Preliminary medical findings released Friday are pointing to chronic gastrointestinal disease as a contributing factor in the deaths of two rescued beluga whales at Shedd Aquarium.

The Park District is holding town halls in advance of statewide e-bike and e-scooter regulations taking effect Jan. 1, 2027.

What’s so eye-catching about dead wood? A stump in a Chicago neighborhood has been turned into a tribute to longevity.

Shedd Aquarium shared the disheartening news of another death among the beluga whales it rescued this summer from a defunct marine park in Canada.