Stories by Erica Gunderson

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation announced the latest timeline and application process for obtaining a cannabis dispensary license.

The YWCA Metropolitan Chicago is now accepting applications for a free 11-week program that pays its trainees a stipend to learn the basics of construction and utilities trades.

The new policy allows undocumented workers to make complaints about labor violations and to participate in investigations without fear of immigration-related retaliation.

Owners Yesenia and Jose Maldonado hosted game nights for years before taking the leap and converting a former bar into a bright, tropically tinged haven for game play.

The Mobility Opportunities Fund will provide stipends that help limited-income residents of North Lawndale purchase conventional bikes, e-bikes, e-cargo bikes and electric vehicles.

In “A Few Days of Trouble: Revelations on the Journey to Justice for My Cousin and Best Friend, Emmett Till,” the Rev. Wheeler Parker Jr. gives a firsthand account of those terrible days.

When Martin Luther King Jr. came to Chicago in 1965, his mission was to end the slum housing conditions that many Black residents were forced to live in. For 17 months, he fought with boycotts, rallies and marches — a campaign that ultimately contributed to the passage of the Fair Housing Act in 1968.

The afternoon slate of programming features dog-sledding demonstrations, puppet shows, raptor visits, bonfire storytelling, arts and crafts, and of course, hot cocoa.

The Illinois Tax Credit Scholarship program offers tuition assistance for families who meet income thresholds. There are no merit components to eligibility.

Chicago's history as a self-proclaimed sanctuary city dates back to 1985, when then Mayor Harold Washington issued an executive order prohibiting city employees from enforcing federal immigration laws.

The sounds of Mexican folk music cross borders, genres and generations. Oftentimes, music is passed through families who play traditional music in celebrations and at home.

According to the American Heart Association, about 55% of Black adults have high blood pressure. Black Americans also have disproportionately high rates of severe hypertension and tend to develop it earlier in life.

Energy infrastructure is under constant threat — from extreme weather to security concerns. As the effects of climate change challenge the energy production sector, the utilities charged with producing that energy sustainably, equitably and affordably are at an inflection point.

The business of Chicago-based Model Builders Inc. is in the details – precision-crafting models and prototypes of all kinds since 1950. As Model Builders Inc.’s Jeff Harris puts it: “you’re convincing the person that’s looking at it that it’s the real thing, shrunk.”

“Art is responding to life,” Pablo Serrano said. “To the things that we're going through, and fundamental questions that go to — where have we been, where are we at, where are we going?”

Openlands is hoping to find more Latino and Spanish-speaking volunteers to lead the Birds in My Neighborhood program, which educates kids on native birds through in-school lessons and field trips.

In Mexico, one or two days just aren’t enough to celebrate the holiday season. There, the traditional Christmas posadas are nine days long, and the parties keep going well into the new year.

Chicago Fair Trade Executive Director Katherine Bissell Cordova says you can knock a lot off your holiday shopping list in one stop at their shop.

The Chicago Police Department reports 661 murders occurred as of Dec. 10, 2022, down 15% from 2021 when the tally was 776. Overall shootings are also reported as down by about 20% from 2021 numbers, from 3,399 to 2,718. 

Many Cook County residents received an unwelcome surprise this month when their new property tax bill arrived with a hefty hike. The increase was especially noticeable for those living in largely Latino communities, according to an analysis by the Cook County Treasurer’s office.

The “South Side” is back on the grind. Season three of HBO Max’s hit comedy set in Chicago debuted this week — and the jokes are as fast and furious as ever.

Manasseh, the singer, songwriter and native South Sider, credits the gospel soundtrack of his childhood for creating the foundation for his sprawling, kaleidoscopic sound. 

Poetry Foundation Creative Director Fred Sasaki says the exhibition grew out of the discovery of a collection of Diana Solis’ photographs and other items abandoned in a basement.

Pilsen Gourmet organizer Esmirna Garcia says in its second year, the event’s plate is overflowing with the flavors, colors and culture of Chicago’s diverse Latino cuisine scene.

This week, CASHDROP founder Ruben Flores-Martinez announced he is putting $1 million of his own equity into what he calls the Latino Renaissance Fund, which will be distributed to 1,000 Latino-owned businesses.

Between supply chain problems, inflation and the shadow of a pandemic, the outlook for small retail and food businesses continues to be uncertain this holiday season.