Stories by Patty Wetli

In the midst of a surge in COVID-19 cases, health officials are now warning Chicagoans about possible exposure to another infectious disease.

From a sociological perspective, we rake because no one wants to be the neighbor with the messy lawn, but ecologically speaking, the benefits of a little mess outweigh the merits of a pristine yard.

On Wednesday, Illinois set a new single-day record of COVID-19 cases as state health officials reported 145 virus-related deaths. Officials are urging residents to work from home and limit non-essential activity in the coming weeks.

The former Woodlawn home of Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, is now in the hands of the nonprofit Blacks in Green. Founder Naomi Davis shares the group’s vision for the historic site.

A strong cold front is moving toward Chicago, bringing fast-moving thunderstorms, plunging temperatures and the threat of damaging wind gusts and tornadoes.

The transportation agency’s first-ever Bike Car makes its debut Saturday on the Milwaukee District North Line as part of a pilot program that will run through spring 2021.

Pumpkin Smash events are taking place Saturday throughout the Chicago area as part of an effort to keep the hefty Halloween jack-o’-lanterns out of landfills. 

The holidays are shaping up to be quite different in 2020, but Chicago is still officially putting on a festive face. 

The coronavirus pandemic has devastated Chicago’s cultural landscape, and that pain is likely to continue into 2021, Mark Kelly, commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, said during Thursday’s budget hearings.

Chicago tied a record Wednesday for high temperature when the mercury hit 74 degrees at O’Hare Airport, and more records could fall in the coming days.

An upcoming virtual tour will offer insights into the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District’s inner workings and will revisit the reversal of the Chicago River. 

After being hit with a dozen citations from city inspectors in the past year, General Iron has agreed to pay a penalty. Meanwhile, environmental activists continue their fight to block the scrap metal recycler’s move.

While a record number of Chicagoans have already voted, plenty of others are set to cast their ballots on Tuesday. Have questions about where or how to vote? We’ve got answers. 

We gain an hour this weekend when daylight saving time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday. 

Saturday’s full moon will be the second one in October, earning the label “blue moon.” It’ll have a red companion, in the form of Mars. 

The trail, which took nearly 60 years to complete, was one of 30 designated a National Recreation Trail by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

From eating mosquitoes to restoring rainforests to making tequila (sort of), bats are amazing. The creature gets its due during International Bat Week, running through Oct. 31.

Opponents of the Obama Presidential Center care more about trees and traffic than they do about people impacted by decades of systemic disinvestment, proponents of the project said in an open letter.

Leaves don’t belong in the streets, or in dumpsters. Call 311 for a yard waste pickup after you’ve raked and bagged your leaves.

“The Batman” continued filming stunt sequences in Chicago over the weekend, rewarding onlookers with a sighting of the new batsuit.

Chicago recorded its first official trace of snow of the season at O’Hare Airport on Monday morning, according to the National Weather Service. Oct. 30 is the “normal first date” for snow.

Efforts to increase demand for Asian carp as a food are aimed at buying time for development of a long-term solution to the threat posed by the invasive fish.

Open House Chicago will now run through Nov. 1, with additional online programming to be made available during the seven-day extension.

Disposable face masks, hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes and disposable gloves will be available for purchase later this year at vending machines at CTA stations on the Red, Orange, Blue and Green lines.

It's getting to be the time of year when young coyotes strike out from home in search of a mate and a territory to call their own. 

El Paseo Community Garden is hosting an open house Saturday to celebrate its achievements in 2020, which include the city handing over a half-acre vacant lot that neighbors feared would be developed into luxury condos.