Stories by Joanna Hernandez

The Lunar New Year Parade is returning to Chinatown this weekend. As hundreds are expected to gather, the Chicago Police Department will be on alert following the recent mass shooting in Monterey Park, Calif.

At least 168 teachers received the email from Megan Crane, whose LinkedIn page identifies her as the deputy campaign manager for Lightfoot, starting at 8:33 a.m. on Jan. 11 and continuing for several hours, according to records obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request.

Fairy tales do come true, but sometimes they arrive on the stage in the most fantastical way. “Hansel and Gretel” at the Lyric Opera House proves to be an altogether richly imaginative dramatic, musical and visual treat.

“The circuit court’s decision finding the detention provisions unconstitutional should be reversed,” Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul's office wrote in a brief Thursday.

All Chicagoans can cast their votes early at the Chicago Board of Election Commissioners supersite at 191 N. Clark St. and the board’s office at 69 W. Washington St., 6th floor. An early voting location will open in each of Chicago’s 50 wards on Feb. 13.

Tony Mason III, 18, was held without bail Thursday after being charged with numerous felonies including first-degree murder and four counts of attempted murder stemming from a Sunday shooting that left 17-year-old Jordan Nixon dead.

Will Keeps was a 15-year-old member of a Chicago gang when he witnessed rival members kill his friend. He escaped the streets and moved to Iowa to help other young people from troubled backgrounds.

A federal jury in Chicago in September convicted Ji Chaoqun, 31, of conspiracy to act as an agent of China’s Ministry of State Security without notifying the U.S. attorney general, acting as a spy in the U.S., and lying on a government form about his contacts with foreign agencies.

Tyler W. Massengill, 32, of Chillicothe, is accused of malicious use of fire and an explosive to damage, and attempt to damage the clinic in Peoria, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement.

As the snow falls, we take a deeper dive into what causes that “lake effect." The veterinary drug linked to a high level of opioid deaths in Cook County. And the issue of mental health front and center in the Chicago mayoral race.

Owner Marybel Wilson wanted to share her passion for working out with women who might struggle to see themselves reflected in the fitness industry. Her gym has grown to include more than 130 members and serves women of all shapes and sizes.

A spokesperson for the Jesús “Chuy” García campaign told WTTW News the ad was revised out of an “abundance of caution.”

Data from the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office shows 146 opioid-related deaths last year where xylazine was listed as a primary cause, marking a 16.8% increase from 2021. Local harm reduction organizations have also seen an uptick in its use.

A majority of candidates hoping to oust Mayor Lori Lightfoot from City Hall’s fifth floor office have pledged to reopen public mental health clinics. Lightfoot said her network of nonprofit Trauma-Informed Centers of Care provide better and more accessible service. 

Southwest canceled about 16,700 flights over the last 10 days of December. The U.S. Department of Transportation is investigating whether the airline deceived customers by knowingly scheduling more flights than it realistically could handle.

Admission for a Chicago adult will increase from $9 to $15 at the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and from $18 to $21 at the Field Museum. The Park District Board of Commissioners approved the hikes Wednesday.

The powerful NRA joined a parade of gun-rights activists seeking to toss out the newly minted prohibition on dozens of rapid-fire pistols and long guns, as well as large-capacity magazines or attachments.

Read the headlines these days, and the sharply sardonic edge of “Cabaret" feels more chillingly ironic and on target than ever.

The facility includes a “scenario village” that features multiple two- and three-flat residential brick buildings complete with fences, curbs, alleys, sidewalks, yards, back stairways, porches, basements and garages. It will also include a new 18,000-square-foot location Boys & Girls Club and two restaurants. 

Deputy Inspector General Amber Nesbitt said her office has seen a rise in the number of district schools, charter schools and vendors that have launched investigations into sexual misconduct allegations without contacting the inspector general or CPS.

One person is dead and multiple people are injured after a fire broke out on the 15th floor of a Kenwood high-rise building Wednesday morning.

WTTW News explains the science behind lake effect snow. (Hint: We’re lucky to be on this side of Lake Michigan.)

The Black Crowes and Charley Crockett round out the music lineup for Chicago Street Race Weekend, July 1-2.

Chicago White Sox pitcher Mike Clevinger is being investigated by Major League Baseball following an allegation of domestic violence, the team announced in a statement.

Lingering lake effect snow could make the evening rush hour an equal exercise in patience, according to the National Weather Service.

Assessing COVID-19 three years to the day of the first case in Illinois. Why day care providers are waiting for checks from the state. And boosting safety for street vendors who've been robbed in Little Village.