Stories by Patty Wetli

Openlands’ searchable guide to parks, preserves, prairies, woodlands and more is a great resource for nature lovers. 

With confirmed cases climbing in 40 states, governors have ordered the wearing of masks in public, and families were urged to celebrate their independence at home. Even then, they were told to keep their backyard cookouts small.

Watch the July 2, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

At the beginning of the pandemic, the Auburn Gresham neighborhood was considered a hot spot for cases of COVID-19. It has recently become a hot spot for some of the city's increasing violence, too.

Standardized college entrance tests like the ACT and SAT may soon be a thing of the past. More than half of all U.S. colleges and universities have dropped the requirement for ACT and SAT scores due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker takes a win and a loss in court, as separate judges make opposite rulings on his executive actions during the coronavirus pandemic.

Geoffrey Baer shares the story of a clash between women’s suffragists and anti-lynching activists.

Chicago officials failed to act after the city’s watchdog found significant problems with the program that allows Chicago police officers to patrol schools, and used a federal judge’s order requiring reforms to delay any changes, the city’s watchdog told aldermen.

“What we’ve seen is a very disturbing week,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious-disease expert, said in a livestream with the American Medical Association. 

When it comes to Midwest brewing, Chicago tends to get overshadowed by neighboring cities. The revival of a popular early Chicago beer aims to prove the sudsy beverage has always been a vital part of the city’s economic and social life.

Chicago’s pension debt soared by approximately $1.7 billion in 2019, according to the city’s audited annual financial report released Thursday.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot had clear words for bar and restaurant owners who refuse to follow the city’s coronavirus guidelines during the Fourth of July weekend: You will be shut down and you will not reopen soon.

AMC Theaters, the nation’s largest chain, is pushing back its plans to begin reopening theaters by two weeks following the closure because of COVID-19. 

Millennium Park’s Great Lawn is open to visitors again, with painted-on circles in place to emphasize social distancing guidelines. 

Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the new rules in May after the delivery apps came under fierce criticism for hurting already-struggling restaurants by charging steep fees and service charges.

The northern saw-whet is a tiny owl with a big personality. U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service staff caught this normally secretive owl performing a hilarious stare down.

Why artwork small enough to fit on a postage stamp is causing some trouble for the United States Postal Service.

Public schools in Illinois are now required to include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history in their lesson plans. The Inclusion Curriculum Law is one of only five such laws across the country.

The pandemic and economic shutdown have made it difficult for many people across the state to pay their rent, which is why Gov. J.B. Pritkzer extended a moratorium on evictions through the end of July. Is that enough time?

July 1 marks the start of Illinois’ new fiscal year, which ushers in a bushel of new laws. Here are a handful that may come in handy.

An effort to ban the sale of all flavored tobacco products in Chicago will take center stage Monday, as aldermen redouble their effort to reduce a surge in vaping by teens. The move will be hotly opposed by business groups.

Patrons might be flocking back to Chicago’s bars and restaurants in phase four of the state’s reopening plan, but there’s one major industry still waging an uphill battle: hotels.

What will weddings look like in the age of COVID-19? Here’s what betrothed couples and their guests can expect as Illinois settles into phase four of its reopening plan.

Watch the July 1, 2020 full episode of “Chicago Tonight.”

There is little evidence that the protests that erupted after George Floyd’s death caused a significant increase in U.S. coronavirus infections, according to public health experts.

A “perfect storm” is to blame for the surge in homicides during June, which has put the city on pace to record more murders than any year since 2016, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Wednesday.