Stories by Patty Wetli

On Friday, the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation will begin clearing away any dibs objects still left on the streets, so move ‘em or lose ‘em.

Guien the agave continues to amaze. She’s now topped 20 feet and is fast approaching the Garfield Park Conservatory’s glass ceiling. Staff are trying to get the plant to slow her spurt.

The 14-story glass vending machine for cars, to be built across from a nature preserve, met with widespread opposition from residents and conservationists. At Monday’s board meeting, Skokie Village trustees gave the development the green light.

Delivering on a promise she made when the owners of the Chicago Bears announced their purchase of the Arlington International Racecourse property, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the members of a working group tasked with reimagining the city’s lakefront museum campus.

The snowy owl and the long-eared owl elicit the sort of reaction usually reserved for rock stars, including the intrusion of cameras into their personal space. Recent incidents involving aggressive photographers have reignited a debate over whether owls' locations should be shared publicly.

Admission to the Chicago Botanic Garden is no longer free. Ticket prices will range between $9.95 and $25.95 per adult, depending on anticipated demand.

The snowy owl is being treated at Willowbrook Wildlife Center, where a bald eagle is recuperating from the same issue. Anticoagulants in rodenticides can be deadly to the birds of prey that eat poisoned rats, mice and other rodents.

Chicago is digging out from a wild Wednesday that saw continuous snowfall throughout the day, dumping anywhere from 5.6 inches at O'Hare to 11 inches at Midway. That looks to be the end of active weather, for now. 

People in the Chicago region woke up Wednesday morning to heavy snowfall hitting just in time to snarl the morning commute. And there's more to come.

The National Weather Service doesn’t name winter storms, according to a spokesperson for the agency. So why are people calling the latest event “Landon”?

Punxsutawney Phil and Woodstock Willie emerged from their respective hideouts Wednesday to deliver their annual dueling Groundhog Day prognostications.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is about to embark on its first comprehensive study of the city’s lakefront in more than 25 years. 

A winter storm warning is in effect for the Chicago region, with the first round of snow expected late Tuesday into most of Wednesday, followed by a second round Thursday.   

The Jackson Park Advisory Council has canceled its February meeting due to concerns related to COVID-19, delaying an anticipated vote on controversial changes to the group's bylaws.

The Jackson Park Advisory Council is proposing a change to its bylaws that would raise the bar in terms who’s considered a voting member. Critics say the move is designed to limit input from “newcomers,” and they want the Chicago Park District to intervene.

The National Weather Service is encouraging people to avoid non-essential travel, with intense snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour.

An amendment to the Park District’s code has been submitted to formally create the Office of Prevention and Accountability. The public can take a look at the language and comment within the next 45 days on whether it hits or misses the mark.

Lake Michigan is doing the most to keep us entertained during the bleak mid-winter. First came pancake ice and now it’s serving up ice balls the size of boulders.

Recent flyovers by the International Space Station have captured some stunning images of Chicago, as seen from 250 miles above.

The gypsy moth has been going by its mouthful of a scientific name — Lymantria dispar — since July, when scientists scrapped the insect’s derogatory common name and began weighing alternatives.

“Steady is not good news,” said members of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. “We are stuck in a perilous moment.”

A couple of Indiana highway cameras caught lake effect snow in action Thursday morning, offering a picture-perfect snapshot of one of the region’s quirkier weather phenomena.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is flush with billions of dollars following passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill. Some of those funds are being funneled toward critical projects in the Chicago region, the Corps announced Wednesday. 

Upcoming virtual town halls will give Chicagoans a chance to learn about and weigh in on plans to update the city’s climate action plan, from emission reduction targets to renewable energy goals.

Forget about napkins and ketchup packets too. On Tuesday, Chicago's single-use foodware ordinance will go into effect, meaning disposable utensils will no longer be included with a take-out or delivery order unless specifically requested by the customer. 

The radio antenna, positioned at Big Marsh Park on the Southeast Side, helps fill a Chicago-sized gap in a growing network of receivers that's tracking the movement of migratory birds and other animals.