Stories by Patty Wetli

Nominations for the city's official Christmas tree are being accepted through Friday.

Between 1841 and 1872, the building served as the seat of Illinois Supreme Court, during which time justices heard several cases linked to Illinois' Underground Railroad.

Along with accepting items for donation, experts will be on hand to share tips not only about recycling but re-using, re-purposing and reducing consumption.

His alter ego, Ron Swanson, may have been an anti-government government employee, but in real life, actor Nick Offerman has thrown his support behind a referendum that would increase the property tax levy for the Forest Preserve District of Cook County.

The beloved duo live on in limestone, their instantly recognizable images carved into a block of the rock wall that separates the dunes from an adjacent paved path. They now join the thousands of modern-day “petroglyphs” that date back to at least the 1930s.

Jupiter is making its closest approach to Earth since 1963 on Monday night, and the views should be especially spectacular.

Hundreds of millions of birds are currently on the move every night across North America as they wing their way south during fall migration. Chicago is under a high alert Sunday, with a massive number of birds expected to pass overhead.

Officials are reporting that nine of the endangered bees were found during a recent survey of Lake County forest preserves.

Chicago's City Council approved a pilot program that will allow restaurants and grocery stores to make deliveries via "personal delivery devices (PDDs)," aka, robots.

The two-day architecture festival, set for Oct. 15-16, is back to in-person tours, with new sites and new communities — hello, Chatham and Hermosa — making their debut. Time to start mapping out a plan of attack.

A measure was introduced to City Council to rename the Henry B. Clarke House as the Henry B. and Caroline Clarke/Bishop Louis Henry and Margaret Ford House. The change will better reflect all of the home’s most influential owners, city officials said.

The annual Adopt-A-Beach cleanup, organized by the Alliance for the Great Lakes, is set for Saturday.

The monthly Sustainability Market provides a one-stop drop-off point for items that range from crayons to wet suits. 

Chicago Police announced arrests and charges tied to a Sept. 13 shooting on the city’s Near West Side. The 12-year-old victim is still fighting for his life after what police say was a random act of violence.

Audubon's new digital platform, Explorer, brings together puzzle pieces from different elements of migratory science and provides the clearest picture yet of species' epic journeys.

The funds will be used for repairs, debt retirement and pension contributions.

An amendment has been proposed to the Chicago Park District code, which, if approved, would insert commissioners into the permit approval process for events drawing more than 10,000 attendees. 

Chicago is mourning the loss of one of its most celebrated native sons, as the family of Ramsey Lewis announced the award-winning musician died peacefully at his Chicago home Monday morning, at the age of 87.

Intense rains fell Sunday morning at a rate rarely seen in Chicago, overwhelming the city’s stormwater system and flooding streets, viaducts and basements.

Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark is in Chicago for the grand reopening of the National Hellenic Museum. A godson of the new King Charles III, the prince will observe a moment of silence for his “Aunt Lilibet,” the late Queen Elizabeth II. 

Before the Chicago Bears kick off their 2022-23 season on Sunday, the team might want to send some scouts to Brookfield Zoo.

What's that you say? Cicadas have been uncommonly loud all day long? There's likely a simple explanation for the sustained volume.

For more than a century, Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church has been an anchor in the Bronzeville community. Now its supporters are one step closer to securing the building's future for the next 100 years.

The fate of a pair of endangered 20th century State Street skyscrapers remains up in the air after the Commission on Chicago Landmarks punted during its monthly meeting Thursday when it came time to decide whether to afford the Century and Consumers buildings landmark status.

Like any good host, the Forest Preserve District of Cook County has done its best to make sure the guests feel welcome.

In renderings released Tuesday of a proposed master plan for Arlington Park, the Bears stressed that the “stadium shown is a placeholder and not an actual design.” But that didn't stop people from poking fun at the artwork.