Stories by Acacia Hernandez

Illinois is setting record highs for the number of coronavirus cases and hospitalization rates with more than 6,800 now in hospitals due to COVID-19. Meanwhile, hospitals across the state are working to maintain the ability to take patients, and are delaying certain procedures amid a bed shortage.

Chicago Public Schools distributed over 150 thousand PCR tests Tuesday at more than 300 schools in communities hardest hit by the pandemic. Students who test positive will be asked to stay home.

Some Chicago restaurant owners are asking for more time before the city’s proof of vaccine requirement takes effect at local restaurants, bars, gyms and entertainment venues Jan. 3. A coalition of about 30 restaurants is saying there hasn’t been enough time to adjust operations amid the holidays.

The majority of hospitalizations in Chicago continue to be among those unvaccinated, but health officials advised everyone take precautions.

Many, including doctors, are still searching for treatment for people whose symptoms continue more than a month after being infected and answers about persistent symptoms.

For years, companies have sold data from cable, phone and power bills -- including names, home addresses and more.

Cabrini-Green residents were promised jobs and housing after its demolition. A new investigation from the Better Government Association reveals how those promises fell short.

Families are lining up around the city to meet with the big guy himself. In some places, there's a struggle to meet the demand.

WFMT, our sister station, is celebrating 70 years on air. Chicago's classical music and fine arts radio station first hit the airwaves in December 1951. On Monday, the station will be live from Northeastern Illinois University’s Jewel Box Recital Hall for a day full of live performances.

An analysis of 280,000 drug possession cases between 2000 and 2018 revealed about half of those cases were dismissed. In 2018, such dismissals rose to 72% of cases, according to a report by the Chicago Sun-Times and Better Government Association.

Located in the Edgewater community on Chicago’s North Side, Andersonville has one of the most concentrated areas of Swedish heritage and is home to a large LGBTQ community. Learn more about the history as well as what the area is doing to adopt eco-friendly initiatives.

The city of Chicago has been partnering with Hotel Julian downtown, paying for 175 rooms to house those experiencing homelessness amid the pandemic. Alderpeople recently extended this partnership into February. But is it enough?

Jurors in the trial of Antioch native Kyle Rittenhouse have now completed three days of deliberation and still no verdict. This comes as demonstrators made their voices heard outside the Kenosha County Courthouse again, and as the outspoken judge in the case admonished a member of the news media. 

Located about 35 miles north of downtown Chicago on the shores of Lake Michigan, North Chicago houses Naval Station Great Lakes, home of the Navy’s only boot camp.

According to Chicago police data, shootings have increased in both the downtown police districts over last year, with District 1 seeing a 66% increase and District 18 seeing a 59% increase.

Mark Kelly served as commissioner of the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special events for more than five years. Now that he’s no longer in office, “I get to be another citizen enjoying the glories of our city that have been put together by so many people,” he said.

Despite COVID-19 concerns, celebrations are coming together in Pilsen, a community just southwest of Chicago’s Loop with a substantial Mexican population.

Public safety apps like Citizen and Nextdoor allow users to report incidents and crime in the area. But some skeptics say these apps have fueled fear.

A video showing a group of Marist High School students kneeling during a Spanish song played at a school dance has gone viral. And some students want action to be taken.

Located on Chicago’s West Side, North Lawndale is a neighborhood that has dealt with decades of disinvestment and vacant spaces. Community members have taken things into their own hands by creating community gardens and safe spaces for the next generation.

Airline employees refusing COVID-19 vaccines could lose their jobs. What impact could that have on the airline industry?

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals has given immigrants who were brought here as youth an opportunity to work and study in the U.S. lawfully. But recently, DACA recipients have been reporting longer delays in the renewal of their status, putting many of their employment eligibility at risk.

Players from Minnie Miñoso to Luis Aparicio to Ozzie Guillén have been fan favorites on Chicago’s South Side for decades. Never has the Latino presence on the White Sox roster been more important than this year, when the Sox could have seven or more players of Latino heritage starting in the playoffs.

“This year we’re on the precipice of something fairly special,” said Chicago White Sox General Manager Rick Hahn, who was the chief architect of the team’s five-yearlong rebuild that saw dozens of strategic trades, draft choices and free agent signings. 

Arlington Heights is a suburban neighbor to O’Hare airport and about a 40-minute drive from downtown Chicago. The village is one of the largest in the northwest suburbs and is home to what was, until last weekend, the world-renowned Arlington International Racecourse.

More than two years after a state law legalizing recreational marijuana was passed, an estimated 34,000 Illinoisans are still waiting to have their cannabis records expunged, according to the Sentencing Policy Advisory Council.