Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced $2 million in state funds for the Green Era Urban Farming Campus, pushing financing for the project over the top and paving the way for Friday’s groundbreaking in Auburn Gresham.
Stories by Patty Wetli
This Virtual Walking Tour of Printers Row Has a Twist: An Old School Printing Demo
Brick of Chicago’s virtual tours of Printers Row, set for Saturday and Sunday, will bring the history of printing to life with a demonstration from Starshaped Press.
$10M Chicago Prize Awarded to Auburn Gresham Team to Build Health Hub, Urban Farm
The inaugural $10 million Chicago Prize grant was awarded to a team from Auburn Gresham, who have ambitious plans to bring transformational change to the community.
Meet the Chicago Woman Who Spent 800 Hours Swimming With Sharks, Without Leaving Home
Shedd Aquarium volunteer Betty Goldberg took citizen science to the next level, contributing a massive number of hours to a global survey of reef sharks.
Open House Chicago Is Still Happening In October. Here’s What Will Be Different
The Chicago Architecture Center’s popular event, now in its 10th year, will stick to the outdoors and offer online programming, with a focus on Chicago’s South and West sides.
City Likely to Give General Iron OK to Restart Shredding Within Days. ‘Unconscionable,’ Alderman Says
Following a May explosion, General Iron has put appropriate controls in place to resume its metal shredding operation, experts say. Neighbors say they have little faith in the company’s commitment to compliance.
TreeKeepers Course Set to Start Training New Class of Stewards. Sign Up ASAP
The conservation group Openlands started the program in 1991 and has since certified 2,000 TreeKeepers, who play an important role in conserving, protecting and advocating for the Chicago region’s trees.
Visitors to Cook County Suburbs from COVID-19 Hot Spots to Quarantine for 2 Weeks
Anyone entering suburban Cook County from a designated COVID-19 hot spot — including travelers and returning residents — will have to quarantine for 14 days. The list includes 22 states, and could grow more.
Chicago Jumps on Bandwagon to Help Save North America’s Birds
North America has lost nearly 3 billion birds in the last 50 years. A new bird banding station at Big Marsh Park is part of a massive effort to figure out ways to help our feathered friends.
Virtual Film Screening, Discussion Focuses on ‘Outdoors While Black’
The organization Environmentalists of Color is teaming up with the One Earth Film Fest to screen a pair of films focusing on the theme of “Outdoors While Black: Unpacking History, Reframing Safety & Taking Action.”
Forget Catch of the Day. This Bass Is the Catch of the Year, and Here’s Why
A largemouth bass fished from the Skokie River provided proof of the success of a 2018 dam removal on the Chicago River.
Proud of Your Garden? Enter This 60-Second Video Challenge
The Chicago Excellence in Gardening Awards has shifted to a video format for 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Submissions are open through Sept. 30, so get those cameras rolling.
The Greatest of the Great Lakes Has a Twitter Account With a Superiority Complex
The “greatest lake of all time” has a Twitter account to match its swagger, run by a human who speaks not on behalf of the lake but as the lake in a brash, anthropomorphic way. And we can’t get enough of it.
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime or Quarter? US Mint Asks People to Get Coins Back in Circulation
Whether piled up in change jars, cup holders or couch crevices, coins are not circulating, and that makes it difficult for businesses to deal in cash, the U.S. Coin Task Force says. Here’s how to help.
Lookingglass’ World Premiere Short Film ‘Sunset 1919’ Commemorates 1919 Race Riots
The short film written and produced by Lookingglass Theatre’s J. Nicole Brooks premieres Monday to commemorate the 101st anniversary of the start of 1919 Chicago race riots.
General Iron Town Hall: City Says It Will Safeguard Health of East Side Residents But Neighbors Not Appeased
The city outlined a laundry list of rules General Iron would have to abide by in order to start up its metal shredding operation on the Southeast Side, while neighbors continue to push officials to deny the company's permit application — which has yet to be filed.
Looking to Volunteer? ‘Pitch in for the Parks’ to Help Keep Them Clean
The Chicago Parks Foundation has created a citywide volunteer program to help keep the parks clean.
Chicago’s Annual Chicken Coop Tour Is Still on for 2020. It Just Needs Host Sites
Organizers are moving forward with the outdoor event, which showcases urban livestock and agriculture in its many forms. Prospective hosts have until July 26 to apply to be part of the September 2020 tour, no chickens required.
Report: Streets & Sanitation Inefficient in Clearing Weeds from Vacant Lots
An audit by the Inspector General’s Office found numerous flaws in the Department of Streets and Sanitation’s system of clearing weeds from vacant lots, including the lack of an up-to-date list of city-owned vacant property.
Park District Board Says of Douglas Park Name Change: ‘It Will Be Done’
Students leading the movement to change the name of Douglas Park said they were frustrated to have been left out of the board’s meeting Wednesday, and for their broader campaign to have been ignored.
Who Speaks for Chicago’s Trees? Aldermen to Propose New Urban Forest Advisory Board
It’s time to be strategic, rather than reactive, when it comes to managing a vital piece of Chicago’s infrastructure — it’s trees.
Officials Say No ‘Backroom’ Deal for General Iron, But a ‘Clear Path’ to Reopen
Opponents of the Lincoln Park metal shredder want General Iron closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but if the facility checks all the right boxes, it could eventually restart operations, officials said.
Movement to Rename Douglas(s) Park Gets a Second Wind, Campaign Relaunches Saturday
The movement to rename Douglas Park after Frederick Douglass had hit a bureaucratic brick wall. Recent shifts in the political and social landscape encouraged activists to keep forging ahead with their campaign, which relaunches Saturday.
EPA Soil Test Reveals Manganese at Hegewisch Baseball Diamond
After finding arsenic and lead in the soil at the Hegewisch Little League Field, the EPA tested a second a ball diamond in the neighborhood and found manganese. “We fight for every breath we take here,” said one resident.
OK to Use Air Conditioners During Pandemic, City’s Top Doc Says
With temperatures set to soar in Chicago in the coming days, Dr. Allison Arwady reassured residents that it’s “safe and appropriate” to use air conditioning in their apartments and homes without risking the spread of COVID-19.
