Stories by Patty Wetli

Meltwater carries dissolved road salt into streams and rivers, which can cause salinity to spike to deadly concentrations for freshwater fish and other wildlife. 

A mountain lion that ventured into Illinois has met with a tragic end, confirmed to have been struck and killed by a vehicle on I-88 in DeKalb County on Sunday, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources has announced.

It wasn't exactly a winter wonderland, but the first snowflakes of the season were recorded Monday morning at O'Hare, according to the National Weather Service.

Some 50 miles south of Champaign-Urbana, a tree stump in the middle of otherwise tilled acreage has become the stuff of legends. And now it's the subject of a short documentary, "The Magic Stump."

Whether you plan to watch the Chicago Marathon from your couch, are excited to join the cheering throng of spectators or just want to steer clear of traffic jams, here's what you need to know.

Early voting sites will open to all Chicago voters and voter registration services will be available.

"Chicago Sings Karaoke," a citywide competition, launches Oct. 9. The winner will receive $5,000.

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments this week in Sackett v. EPA, which challenges the scope of the Clean Water Act and could have far-reaching implications for the nation's wetlands.

Chicago bills itself as a world-class city, but when it comes to recycling, its performance has been less than first-rate. 

Nominations for the city's official Christmas tree are being accepted through Friday.

Between 1841 and 1872, the building served as the seat of Illinois Supreme Court, during which time justices heard several cases linked to Illinois' Underground Railroad.

Along with accepting items for donation, experts will be on hand to share tips not only about recycling but re-using, re-purposing and reducing consumption.

His alter ego, Ron Swanson, may have been an anti-government government employee, but in real life, actor Nick Offerman has thrown his support behind a referendum that would increase the property tax levy for the Forest Preserve District of Cook County.

The beloved duo live on in limestone, their instantly recognizable images carved into a block of the rock wall that separates the dunes from an adjacent paved path. They now join the thousands of modern-day “petroglyphs” that date back to at least the 1930s.

Jupiter is making its closest approach to Earth since 1963 on Monday night, and the views should be especially spectacular.

Hundreds of millions of birds are currently on the move every night across North America as they wing their way south during fall migration. Chicago is under a high alert Sunday, with a massive number of birds expected to pass overhead.

Officials are reporting that nine of the endangered bees were found during a recent survey of Lake County forest preserves.

Chicago's City Council approved a pilot program that will allow restaurants and grocery stores to make deliveries via "personal delivery devices (PDDs)," aka, robots.

The two-day architecture festival, set for Oct. 15-16, is back to in-person tours, with new sites and new communities — hello, Chatham and Hermosa — making their debut. Time to start mapping out a plan of attack.

A measure was introduced to City Council to rename the Henry B. Clarke House as the Henry B. and Caroline Clarke/Bishop Louis Henry and Margaret Ford House. The change will better reflect all of the home’s most influential owners, city officials said.

The annual Adopt-A-Beach cleanup, organized by the Alliance for the Great Lakes, is set for Saturday.

The monthly Sustainability Market provides a one-stop drop-off point for items that range from crayons to wet suits. 

Chicago Police announced arrests and charges tied to a Sept. 13 shooting on the city’s Near West Side. The 12-year-old victim is still fighting for his life after what police say was a random act of violence.

Audubon's new digital platform, Explorer, brings together puzzle pieces from different elements of migratory science and provides the clearest picture yet of species' epic journeys.

The funds will be used for repairs, debt retirement and pension contributions.

An amendment has been proposed to the Chicago Park District code, which, if approved, would insert commissioners into the permit approval process for events drawing more than 10,000 attendees.