Stories by Heather Cherone

Masks will still be required in most Illinois schools as state officials ask an appellate court to reverse a decision by a Sangamon County judge who ended the mask mandate in some Illinois schools, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said.

After decades of disinvestment, two new grocery stores are being built on Chicago’s West Side — something residents have long awaited as other grocery store chains closed up shop. We spoke with two local owners about their investment in the community and what lies ahead on the road to development.

Dance performances, ice skating, Valentine’s Day-themed festivities and a classic film in concert usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago this weekend.

The City Council’s Public Safety Committee voted 9-6 to advance the nomination of Andrea Kersten, the interim head of the agency known as COPA, to the full Chicago City Council, which is scheduled to consider her appointment on Feb. 23.

Jaran Hughes, 21, was denied bail during a hearing Wednesday following his arrest on a charge of first-degree murder stemming from the Jan. 2 killing of 12-year-old Marcell Wilson.

A man who was shot multiple times in the West Pullman neighborhood Tuesday afternoon was struck by a Chicago Police Department vehicle responding to the scene and later died, though his exact cause of death remains unclear.

It’s too early to know for sure, but many doctors believe it’s possible to have long-term effects from the omicron variant of the virus.

The five women and four men who call themselves the “Laquan Nine” had gone to the courthouse Thursday to deliver a letter to U.S. Attorney John Lausch demanding charges against the disgraced officer who was released from prison last week after serving a little more than three years for killing Laquan McDonald.

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 company faces challenges on multiple fronts, but it was a dismal earnings report Wednesday that triggered the sudden collapse in its share price.

Macron met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy amid mounting fears of a Russian invasion. Moscow has massed over 100,000 troops near Ukraine’s borders, but insists it has no plans to attack.

Jesse Sharkey’s time in leadership has been marked by multiple teacher’s strikes, a contentious relationship with City Hall, and a protracted pandemic. In announcing his departure, Sharkey acknowledged the difficulties of the job, both politically and personally.

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.

Local congress members on the censure of Rep. Adam Kinzinger and more. One-on-one with outgoing CTU president Jesse Sharkey. Has Facebook jumped the shark? And an agave plant reaches for the stars.

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.

Chicago’s Trinity Irish Dance Company returned to the stage of the Auditorium Theatre for the first time since the pandemic drove it away two years ago for a thunderous performance.

Tacarre Harper, 27, has been charged with nine separate counts of burglary from incidents stemming between November 2021 and January 2022.

“It was a violent insurrection for the purpose of trying to prevent the peaceful transfer of power after a legitimately certified election from one administration to the next,” McConnell said Tuesday. 

“I’m the first person who wants to make sure we’re removing mitigations when we can keep people safe and healthy,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said at an unrelated press event Tuesday afternoon. 

White House officials are hosting a virtual event Tuesday to encourage people to send their tax forms to the IRS, including those whose incomes are so low that they might not have traditionally filed.

Stephen Calk was sentenced on Monday to a year in prison for his conviction in a scheme to make $16 million in loans to Paul Manafort to gain influence in the Trump administration.

“Judge Raylene Grischow’s ruling is out of step with the vast majority of legal analysis in Illinois and across the nation,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Monday at an unrelated press event in Chicago.

Confusion at local schools following a recent court ruling on the statewide mask mandate. Plus, a political scion goes on trial, U. of C. is set to build a giant new cancer center, and the NFL faces explosive charges of discrimination.

University of Chicago Medicine has proposed building a $633 million cancer center in hopes of addressing health inequities on the South Side, while also easing some of the medical center’s capacity constraints.

The NFL is facing explosive allegations of racial discrimination and corruption made in a class action lawsuit filed by former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores — who was recently fired by the team.

Low-fare airlines Spirit and Frontier announce a multi-billion-dollar merger; the controversy over the Miami Dolphins may have an impact on the race for Chicago's casino; and three multi-million-dollar homes are now off the market for those searching for local luxury homes.