Chicago Tribune (original) (raw)

Chicagoan of the Year

As we approach the end of 2024, the critics and columnists of A+E reflect on the year to highlight some people who have made a difference in the city’s arts.

Chicagoan of the Year in Film: Keith Kupferer, headliner at last, thanks to ‘Ghostlight’

Chicagoan of the Year in Jazz: Saxophonist Isaiah Collier has found his shape

Chicagoans of the Year for Pop Music: From hit album to a Lollapalooza set, this is Friko’s year

Best of 2024

This last year was busy on Broadway, with new musicals and several impressive plays featuring ensemble casts. As always, the best shows asked the fundamental questions of human existence and focused on how human relationships can both destroy our certainty and save our souls. And the shows listed below also managed to be great nights out on the town.

Best of 2024: TV, movies, live music, theater and much more around Chicago

Top 10 dance in Chicago of 2024: There’s room for big, boisterous productions

Top 10 live music shows in Chicago in 2024: The concerts that stood out, and why

Politics

Calumet City litigation against City Clerk Nyota Figgs will proceed after aldermen failed to override Mayor Thaddeus Jones' veto.

Of Notoriety: President Jimmy Carter’s farmer quality and faith-filled spirit never left him

Glencoe, Skokie, North Shore remember Jimmy Carter’s visit

House Speaker Emanuel ‘Chris’ Welch taps former Cook County state’s attorney candidate as chief of staff

Education

Nina Shoman-Dajani, a Moraine Valley Community College assistant dean, was invited into the Cultivate: Women of Color Leadership cohort.

Evergreen Park library offers ‘social network’ for adults with disabilities

Trinity High School’s next president has a long history at the school

‘Nothing but positive’: AI seen as an asset to teaching, in Bremen High School District 228

Environment

Canoe trips aim to increase accessibility to the river and advance conservation efforts.

Illinois at the forefront of research and treatment for turtles infected with rare fungus

Wild Chicago: Hunters fend off coyotes for a shot at deer on city’s South Side

ATVs are swarming Pembroke Township. Residents say a rare ecosystem and the community are defenseless.

Investigations

A WWII veteran's sons hope to give his long-lost Purple Heart medal to his grandson, who also served in the Army and had a special bond with him.

Corruption has burdened Illinois since its earliest days. But change is possible. Here’s how.

Our culture of corruption: Read the series on Illinois’ notorious political legacy

Paper tigers: Intentionally weak government oversight gives Illinois public officials cover for corruption

Restaurants, Food and Drink

Chicago-based Lactation Network recently launched a new initiative that aims to create a welcoming experience for those breastfeeding at restaurants.

New Year’s Eve 2024: 71 Chicagoland restaurants and bars with specials and parties to ring in the new year

Restaurant review: Feld goes beyond farm to table in Chicago

Cafe opens in historic spot on East Side of Aurora

Crime and Public Safety

As 2024 nears its end, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Police Superintendent Larry Snelling on Tuesday again highlighted citywide drops in several violent crime categories, asserting that the city’s public safety efforts will remain steadfast in the coming year.

Woman burned to death inside New York City subway is identified

Cops warn of armed female carjacker in red coat and fur hood in South Shore neighborhood

Southland crime: Alsip robbery, Park Forest home burglary, and more

Local News

A new all day cafe, lounge and restaurant meant to enhance the experience for future and current shoppers at Westfield Old Orchard, which will include residential buildings in the near future, opened in Skokie in early December. Cupitol, pronounced cup-it-all, opened its first location in Evanston in 2016, according to co-owner Sellia Georges. With three other locations in the Chicago area, the first one in Evanston, one in Streeterville and one in the West Loop, the Skokie location is the first Cupitol location to have an all day service with heavier entrees in the evening hours.

Award to honor work on Batavia peace projects

Monee workers set to move into new Village Hall in new year

Hobart welcoming bids to demolish former Main Street bar

History

On Jan. 1, 1863, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation during the Civil War, declaring that all enslaved people in rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free.”

Today in Sports History: Fog obscures much of Bears game

Today in History: New York’s Times Square hosts first New Year’s Eve celebration

Today in Sports History: San Antonio assistant Becky Hammon becomes first female to coach an NBA team

Best Reviews

If you want to stay warm, dry and comfortable when spending time in the snow, you need a high-quality pair of snow pants to keep your lower half protected.

The best snow pants to keep kids cozy and dry

Stay snug on frosty days in these top parkas

Best dog boots for winter fun with your furry friend