Good morning, Chicago.
Shoppers and tourists were bustling down State Street this week when a woman looking down at her phone stepped into a crosswalk. At the same time, a scooter rider with no intention of yielding barreled toward her.
Alfonso Redditt, an ambassador with the Chicago Loop Alliance, reached out his arm and called out a warning to the woman, who immediately took a step back, averting a collision.
As Loop foot traffic along State Street swells during the all-important shopping season between Black Friday and Christmas, alliance ambassadors will be on hand every day from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., performing all sorts of small — sometimes thankless — tasks to improve the experience of pedestrians.
“I love coming to work … making it safe and clean out here,” said Redditt, a 57-year-old who supervised the first shift of ambassadors on Tuesday.
Ambassadors, who wear neon green jackets that indicate they are there to help, patrol the busy stretch of State Street between Wacker and Ida B. Wells drives which features the Chicago Theatre, Macy’s and other iconic attractions.
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Thanksgiving at the Salvation Army: ‘This was perfect timing’
For the last eight years, Chicago-based Levy Restaurants has partnered with the Salvation Army to serve Thanksgiving meals to people in need. An estimated 4,000 meals were prepared by Levy cooks and volunteers and delivered to the Salvation Army’s Humboldt Park location early Thursday morning, a task that required 1,700 pounds of turkey, 680 pounds of cranberries, 400 pounds of sweet potatoes, 440 pounds of russet potatoes, 300 pounds of green beans, 180 pounds of bread for stuffing and 160 pounds of butter.
Stakes rising as City Hall enters December with no budget and one month to figure it out
At City Hall, the clock is ticking and anxiety is mounting as aldermen and Mayor Brandon Johnson work to pass a 2025 spending plan.
The mayor and City Council must agree on a budget by Dec. 31 or risk stark consequences such as credit downgrades or service shutdowns. But with that state-mandated deadline just one month away, a series of recent snafus and concessions have only made the budget-balancing act more difficult.
Peoria’s Lebanese community feels pain of latest round of Mideast violence
This week, a ceasefire was reached in the war between Israel and Hezbollah. That was welcome news to the several thousand Lebanese American residents in the Peoria area, many of whom were either born in or are considered descendants of the mountainous village of Aitou.
- Day 2 of Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire sees Israeli airstrike on Lebanon and scattered attacks
- Displaced families in Lebanon who return home are faced with piles of rubble
Northeastern Illinois University celebrates new leadership and energy
With its first bump in enrollment in nearly 15 years and new leadership as of this summer, NEIU is positioned to help its nontraditional students excel. Despite facing fiscal challenges like many universities across the nation, Katrina E. Bell-Jordan — the university’s eighth president — has a vision for educational justice.
Uptown at risk of losing big chunk of affordable housing in wake of Heartland Housing’s collapse
An Uptown apartment building that was part of Heartland Housing, a nonprofit developer that went belly up after the pandemic cratered rent collections, could go on the auction block next year. The potential auction has raised fears among residents, including many with disabilities, that a for-profit developer will buy the property and transform it into luxury housing.
Chicago’s winter parking ban goes into effect Sunday. Here’s what to know, snow or no snow.
Snow or no, your car could be towed.
Chicago’s winter overnight parking ban begins at 3 a.m. Sunday. This means parking is prohibited on 107 miles of streets from 3 to 7 a.m. — regardless of snow — until April 1.
Matt Eberflus’ tenure as Chicago Bears coach is in serious trouble. Brad Biggs’ 10 thoughts.
Following Thursday’s loss, the Bears will have to consider a franchise first: Making Matt Eberflus the first head coach to be fired in-season with the Bears (4-8) mired in a six-game losing streak, the last three to NFC North rivals by a combined total of seven points.
But it’s not that simple.
- A stunned Bears locker room asks, ‘What the eff just happened?’ after another last-second loss
- Column: How the Bears found a new level of incompetence and misery — and it might cost Matt Eberflus his job
Using recycled bottles, community to build world’s tallest glass tree at Yerkes Observatory
A 36-foot glass pine tree will grow this month in Wisconsin with the help of participants who will string melted recycled glass into a sparkling structure.
Gift books for 2024: What to give, and what to receive, for all kinds of readers
Books, like socks, give themselves away behind holiday wrapping. Nothing more so than a coffee table book. Or a beloved classic in hardcover. For the right recipient, there’s a not a sock under this tree.
What to do in Chicago: Holiday lights, Cyndi Lauper and a hot tub on the river
Around the area this weekend is Christmas Around the World at the Griffin MSI and Cirque Dreams Holidaze in Rosemont.
