Stories by Patty Wetli

Tim Walz will take centerstage on Wednesday, the third night of the DNC, introducing himself to the American people as the Democratic party's vice-presidential candidate. 

If Night 1 of the Democratic Nation Convention was largely about honoring Pres. Joe Biden for his lifetime of service, Night 2 is about shifting the conversation toward "A Bold Vision for America’s Future.”

Lake County Forest Preserves has acquired a 41-acre property in order to protect its “rare ecological attributes,” which include the largest heron and egret rookery in the county.

Organizers of the Chicago River Swim have taken the city’s suggestion and will hold the open-water swim event in Lake Michigan on Sept. 22, with the goal of proving themselves for a 2025 plunge in the river.

The Democratic National Committee is using Trump Tower to troll the former president during the Democratic National Convention now underway in Chicago.

There were also a pair of police-involved shootings, one of them fatal, which are being investigated by the Civilian Office of Police Accountability.

Waves topping 8 feet were recorded off Chicago’s shore Sunday. High waves and dangerous currents are expected through Tuesday night, the National Weather Service said.

VIP guests are arriving in Chicago for the Democratic National Convention, prompting a number of street closures in River North and the so-called "Viagra Triangle" as security is tightened around various downtown hotels.

Full supermoons appear brighter because the moon is closer to earth when they occur.

Dragonflies are on the move, turning up in swarms during feeding frenzies as they begin migrating south for the winter. “It’s the most exciting time of the year if you love dragonflies,” said Cindy Crosby, a dragonfly monitor.

Brookfield Zoo Chicago is one of only a few zoos in the U.S. to have successfully bred and birthed pangolins. The newest pup arrived July 25, according to zoo officials.

After a dramatic announcement two months ago that Riot Fest would be relocating to suburban Bridgeview’s SeatGeek Stadium, the music festival has pulled an about-face and will be returning to Douglass Park Sept. 20-22, pending Park District approval, the Chicago Park District announced Wednesday.

The streaming service has still offered no explanation for the more than one-hour delay in dropping Tuesday night’s episode of “Hard Knocks.” 

Prepare to get all nostalgic for the extremely recent past.

The Democratic National Convention doesn’t get underway until Aug. 19, but the traffic headaches have already started with first of many street closures and parking restrictions.

The Perseid meteor shower is back for its annual sky show, with peak viewing Sunday night into Monday morning.

The piping plover hatchling is prepping for their first migration south.

One man has died after being rescued from Lake Michigan near the Adler Planetarium on Wednesday, according to Chicago police officials.

Lincoln Park Zoo has been increasing its profile as a caretaker of plants and trees as much as animals, and it now has official accreditation as a botanic garden to show for it.

Registration opens Saturday for the two-day festival set for Sept. 14-15. 

Chicago received 9,000 reports of tree emergencies following July’s tornadoes, and a whopping 6,500 of those involved entire trees felled.

While parts of the U.S. experienced record-breaking heat, July in Chicago was actually slightly cooler than normal.

After analyzing data from a community science project on urban milkweed patches, Field Museum researchers have identified common milkweed as the species most attractive to monarch butterflies. 

An eruption of solar particles is headed toward Earth and the impact could be strong enough to make the aurora borealis visible in the lower Midwest, including northern Illinois, through Thursday.

A male Grevy’s zebra foal arrived July 27, Brookfield Zoo announced. The newcomer is already off and running.

The not-so-little one — measuring 5 feet and weighing 105 pounds — arrived Wednesday night, the first beluga born at Shedd since 2020.