Stories by Heather Cherone

City officials agreed Friday to conduct an environmental justice assessment of the proposed shredding operation before issuing the final permit the facility needs to start operating. 

Specially trained “turtle dogs” took part in a field study of threatened ornate box turtles at Nachusa Grasslands, one of the species last homes in Illinois.

In all, 3,168 cases involving the variant, known as B.1.1.7, have been found in samples of COVID-19 positive tests from Illinois since Jan. 15, officials said.

A federal grand jury has indicted the four former Minneapolis police officers involved in George Floyd’s arrest and death, accusing them of violating the Black man’s constitutional rights, according to indictments unsealed Friday.

COVID-19 vaccines can include some common side effects like muscle pain and headache. But can they affect menstrual cycles? Researchers are gathering data to find out.

Three calves, with their distinctive reddish-brown coats, were spotted this week at Midewin. Bison calves are typically born in April or May.

The district said the investment will support staffing, training and learning resources for International Baccalaureate, STEM/STEAM, fine and performing arts, and dual language programs at seven elementary schools over the next six years.

The boil order was in place for approximately 20 hours in parts of Beverly, Morgan Park and Mount Greenwood, officials said.

Live from Evanston on the suburb's reparations program. Plus, a push for more Latino political representation. The status of film production in Chicago. And a whopper of a fish tale. 

Located along the lakefront just north of Chicago, Evanston is known for its dining scene, arts and culture, and Northwestern University. But it also has a history of racial segregation and redlining, which city leaders hope to address through a historic reparations program that passed in March.

The Latino Policy Forum’s Roberto Valdez Jr. said that his group is counting on Illinois lawmakers to set aside at least 20 state legislative districts – 15 House seats and five state Senate seats – that are at least 50% Latino.

After a big downturn last year, film and TV production in Chicago is looking up.

Scientists in Australia have identified an enzyme that could help millions of people around the world. Rabiah Mayas of the Museum of Science and Industry discusses that and other science stories making headlines.

The 240-pound, 100-year-old, nearly 7-foot-long sturgeon is making headlines. But fish that size used to be common in the Great Lakes and maybe, thanks to restoration efforts, they will be again.

What can an apartment building that once hosted royalty tell us about Chicago’s Norwegian American community? Geoffrey Baer has the story of this former social club designed by a pair of famous Chicago architects.

While the final decision on a new Chicago Public Schools CEO is ultimately up to Mayor Lori Lightfoot, she said she doesn’t want to make that decision behind closed doors.

With the state’s economy recovering faster than expected, Gov. J.B. Pritzker said the state could afford to fully fund the state’s education system.

A study found that many migrants weren’t driven by new jobs or weather — or even a fear of the virus — but a desire to be closer to family and a freedom to make it happen because of remote working. 

Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown has not acted on the recommendation of the Civilian Office of Police Accountability that the officer who shot and killed Anthony Alvarez in Portage Park be stripped of his police powers during the ongoing probe.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot has vowed to “force a reckoning” on the issue of pensions, which she called “the biggest problem” facing Chicago’s finances.

“The days of vaccine scarcity are over,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Thursday. “Today, we’re initiating the expansion of vaccine administration to physician offices across the state of Illinois, allowing them to become COVID-19 vaccine providers for their patients.”

Illinois is ready to move into the next phase of reopening, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Thursday, and the state could be ready for a full reopening as soon as June 11. What to know about the bridge phase of Illinois’ reopening plan.

Chicagoans in the Beverly and Morgan Park neighborhoods are under a water boil order possibly until Friday, following a service disruption at the Roseland Pumping Station.

Just 3.5% of the approximately 5,500 residential search warrants served by Chicago police officers between 2017 and 2020 targeted white Chicagoans, according to a new report from the inspector general’s office.

The short answer: Not yet, but there are ways to make it safer if you go.

The Biden administration on Thursday proposed revoking a rule imposed under former President Donald Trump that weakened the government’s power to enforce a century-old law that protects most U.S. bird species.