Stories by Eunice Alpasan

Riders would see their base fare for both bus and rail to increase by $0.25 — bringing the fare up to $2.50 for buses and $2.75 for rail — starting on Feb. 1, 2026, according to a CTA budget proposal released Monday.

Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the chaplain of the men’s basketball team at Loyola University Chicago who died last week, will be honored during a wake and funeral mass scheduled for later this week.

Broadview Mayor Katrina Thompson signed an executive order shrinking the designated protest area outside the suburban Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility.

Tonika Lewis Johnson, an Englewood native, explores the impacts of segregation and disinvestment in Chicago neighborhoods through her “Folded Map Project,” “Inequity for Sale” and “UnBlocked Englewood” projects. MacArthur Fellows receive a “no-strings-attached” $800,000 award.

President Donald Trump plans to deploy 400 members of the Texas National Guard and 300 members of the Illinois National Guard to the area any day. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson have asked a federal judge to block that move.

The return of normal express lanes operations comes as all Kennedy outbound local lanes open, the Illinois Department of Transportation announced Sunday. Work continues on several outbound ramps through late October, with construction on pace to finish before Thanksgiving, according to IDOT.

The 4000-series rail cars that commuters and train enthusiasts rode through the Loop on Wednesday were built in 1923 by the Cincinnati Car Company. As part of the special occasion, some CTA employees and retirees were seen sporting Chicago Rapid Transit Company uniforms, a nod to CTA’s predecessor.

This fall, free take-home meals at Malcolm X College, Kennedy-King College and Olive-Harvey College will be available for students and their family members.

A $15 million homeowner relief fund program aims to assist Cook County homeowners who have experienced a substantial increase in property taxes in recent years, officials announced during a Monday news conference.

While Planned Parenthood of Illinois is also affected by Medicaid reimbursement cuts, President and CEO Adrienne White-Faines said the organization is not planning to make any changes to services in Illinois.

Sister Jean provided a message to Loyola students and faculty on her 106th birthday on Aug. 21, where she said she had a “bad summer cold and other health issues” that made her unable to celebrate her birthday on campus this year.

The Out of the Darkness Chicagoland Walk, hosted by the Illinois Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, will be held Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Montrose Harbor.

The world premiere of filmmaker Kevin Shaw’s “One Golden Summer,” a documentary that revisits the trials and tribulations of the Jackie Robinson West Little League, opens up this year’s Chicago International Film Festival.

After passing an emissions test, motorists can purchase their vehicle registration sticker at the DMV’s annex building without having to pay the additional $9.50 charged by outside vendors, according to the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office.

Nine preservation projects in Illinois, including three in Chicago, are being recognized as part of an annual awards program highlighting “exceptional preservation efforts,” the preservation nonprofit Landmarks Illinois announced Wednesday.

A suburban Cook County resident in their 60s has died from the West Nile virus, the Cook County Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday. The risk of West Nile virus in suburban Cook County remains high, according to the public health agency.

The vending machines will be located at the 47th Street Red Line station, Wilson Red and Purple Line station, Jefferson Park Blue Line station, Harlem/Lake Green Line station and the Central Park Pink Line station.

The latest COVID-19 vaccines were approved for people who are 65 and older or have certain health conditions. But medical organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics — and some states — are breaking from the federal guidelines by expanding their recommendations.

The Chicago Stars will play at the Evanston stadium on Sept. 7 for their “Lakefront Faceoff’ match against the Orlando Pride before moving to the stadium for the entire season in 2026.

The One Book, One Chicago program brings together residents to read the same book, with book clubs and other related programming held across Chicago Public Library locations citywide.

The 211 call center will be home to more than 50 full-time staff connecting residents to resources such as housing, access to food and utility assistance. The center, 7247 S. South Chicago Ave., is located at the tech workforce hub Xchange Chicago.

Community leaders, supporters and family members held a memorial Thursday at the burial place of Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, at Burr Oak Cemetery in south suburban Alsip to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Till’s murder.

The busiest day for O’Hare and Midway airports is expected to be Friday, with O’Hare seeing nearly 285,000 passengers and Midway seeing nearly 58,000 passengers, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation

The Narcan newsstands, which were officially launched during a harm reduction event Wednesday, will be at four locations in Uptown.

The Reader announced it would be introducing Noisy Creek’s event discovery platform, EverOut, as well as entertainment ticketing service Bold Type Tickets to Chicago as a way to help diversify revenue sources, with goals to launch those services early next year.

Two bills aimed at further protecting reproductive rights in Illinois were signed by Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday, expanding protections to health care providers and making contraception and medication abortion more accessible to college students.