Stories by Patty Wetli

Bakers in Washington, D.C., started a movement that’s gone global. Now Chicagoans are taking part in the virtual bake sale, with proceeds going to local nonprofits that support racial equality.

Chicagoans are getting their beloved lakefront trail back, with the reopening of the 18-mile path set for next week. There’s just one condition: You’ve got to “keep it moving,” people.

Chicago native Deja Perkins was one of the organizers of the recent #BlackBirdersWeek campaign. Her mission is to get more people who look like her interested in wildlife, natural resources, ecology and conservation.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Friday that the Illinois State Fair, scheduled for August, will be canceled in 2020 due to risks posed by the coronavirus.

Angela Tovar, a Chicago native who grew up in the South Chicago community, has been named the city’s chief sustainability officer.

Left out of phase three reopening with no plan for how to move forward, bar owners have had the rug pulled out from under them a second time, they say.

Ald. Susan Sadlowski Garza is joining the chorus of 10th Ward neighbors calling for the Illinois EPA to delay consideration of General Iron’s permit to move from Lincoln Park to the Southeast Side. 

For parents who’ve been strapped for child care during the coronavirus shutdown, relief is in sight. But there will be even less capacity than normal this year, so prepare to act fast. 

Chicago parks have reopened — though technically the outdoors was never “closed,” except along the lakefront — but access to facilities and equipment will remain limited.

Chicago’s City Council is poised to toss a lifeline to the city’s struggling hospitality industry, but brewery owners say it would do nothing to help their taprooms survive.

Chicago Public Library branches are reopened as of Monday, but patrons will experience a few new restrictions. 

You can camp, golf and — starting next weekend — even go zip lining, but plenty of closures and restrictions remain in effect. Here’s a look at what you can and can’t do in the preserves, and when.

These days, buying flowers might seem like the very definition of a nonessential luxury purchase. But dozens of struggling nonprofits are in fact relying on flower sales to fund the vital social services they provide.

Neighbors are taking care of each other, grabbing brooms, raising money and distributing food. “I’m cleaning up my community on behalf of my people,” said one volunteer.

The mercury soared to 94 degrees on June 2, topping the previous record of 92 degrees set for the date back in 1944.

The social media campaign running through Friday was founded by 30 African American scientists, birders and nature lovers as a response to the racism encountered by birder Christian Cooper in New York’s Central Park.

A “surge of destructive action” across Illinois prompted Gov. J.B. Pritzker to issue a disaster proclamation Monday for nine counties and deploy additional state police and National Guard members. 

Officials are worried Chicago may see a spike in COVID-19 cases after a weekend of not just protests but a general abandoning of public health guidelines. 

A weekend of protests, looting and violence rocked many of Chicago’s commercial districts, which were already suffering due to the coronavirus pandemic that temporarily closed many businesses and kept residents at home.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Police Superintendent David Brown disputed claims that resources were used to protect downtown at the expense of Chicago’s neighborhoods during weekend protests and rioting. The opposite occurred, they said.

Chicago’s restaurant scene has been hit hard during the coronavirus pandemic. A new episode of the Netflix series “Somebody Feed Phil,” which filmed in the city in 2019, serves as a reminder of why these businesses are worth saving.

The Illinois Native Plant Society is hosting a Facebook Live virtual hike through James Woodworth Prairie Preserve on Saturday.

A new guidebook showcases the region’s best hiking trails accessible via the CTA, Metra or the South Shore Line. Because someday, we’ll ride trains again.

First of all, take note that “reopened” doesn’t mean “back to normal.” Guidelines, including limiting campsites and campfires to registered occupants, are in place.

It’s a big day for NASA and Elon Musk’s SpaceX as they send humans into space Wednesday, the first crewed launch from American soil since 2011 and the first by a private firm.

After hearing oral arguments last week, appeals court judges are questioning whether a lawsuit against the construction of the Obama Presidential Center has any standing in federal court.