Off-duty Chicago firefighter, 43, dies swimming at 31st Street BeachAn off-duty firefighter died Sunday morning after he was pulled underwater while swimming in Lake Michigan at 31st Street Beach, according to the Chicago Fire Department. July 30, 2023
Inga Swenson, Gretchen the cook on the ‘80s sitcom ‘Benson,’ dies at 90 Actor and singer Inga Swenson, who played Gretchen the cook on the popular ‘80s sitcom “Benson,” died on July 23 in Los Angeles. Swenson died of natural causes, according to TMZ. She was 90. July 30, 2023
It’s Lollapalooza week and streets near Grant Park are closing downThe Office of Emergency Management and Communications announced several ongoing and upcoming street and sidewalk closures, advising motorists and pedestrians to take other routes. Most will reopen Aug. 7. July 30, 2023
Illinois teen drowns at Gary’s Miller BeachAn 18-year-old lllinois man drowned Saturday afternoon at Miller Beach, where high north winds created dangerous rip currents and hampered search efforts. July 30, 2023
1 woman dead, 8 other women injured in North Lawndale shootingOne woman is dead and eight more were injured in a mass shooting Sunday morning in North Lawndale, according to Chicago police. July 30, 2023
Water is refreshing in the heat, right? In parts of Florida this past week, not so muchEarlier this week, sea surface temperatures reached as high as 101.2 degrees Fahrenheit (38.4 degrees Celsius) around the state’s southern tip in Manatee Bay, according to the National Weather Service — although scientists said the context for Monday’s reading is complicated. July 30, 2023
Former investigator Jack Reed, who probed Dianne Masters’ death and was portrayed in TV movies, remembered as being devoted to family, jobJohn "Jack" Reed, of Orland Park, a former Cook County sheriff investigator whose work on the Dianne Masters death investigation was protrayed in a TV movie starring Brian Dennehy, died at age 82. July 30, 2023
Co-working spaces pop up in luxury gyms, suburban outposts as hybrid work becomes the norm Co-working is cropping up everywhere from suburban shopping centers to swanky health clubs as traditional offices continue to see low occupancy. July 30, 2023
Public interest vs. private homes: Climate change and erosion fuel disputes along Lake Michigan’s shorelineOgden Dunes wants to build another stone retaining wall to break waves, but environmentalists are citing the public trust doctrine and the long-term harm these walls will do to the shoreline. July 30, 2023
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s first big fiscal test: How to translate campaign promises into dollars and centsAt stake is whether the new mayor can deliver on his pledge of transformative investments despite fiscal holes. July 30, 2023
Police: 1 dead, five others hurt in separate triple shootings an hour apart on South SideA woman and two men were shot while sitting in a park on the Grand Crossing neighborhood on the South Side. July 29, 2023
Northwest Side woman killed, 6 others injured after boat capsizes in Lake Michigan’s ‘Playpen’Police recovered the body of a 20-year-old woman after a boat capsized near Navy Pier early Friday morning. July 29, 2023
Power outages, dangerous waves follow Friday night thunderstormsThe National Weather service will continue to look for signs of tornado damage following wind speeds above 60 miles per hour last night. Meanwhile, thousands of Chicago residents remain without power. July 29, 2023
Alabama authorities charge Carlee Russell for fabricating story about her kidnappingAuthorities in Alabama say they have filed criminal charges against a woman who confessed to fabricating a story that she was kidnapped after stopping to check on a toddler she saw walking on the side of the interstate. July 29, 2023
Chicago weather: Gusty storms with tornado potential move through area Friday nightPowerful thunderstorms with potentially damaging winds were expecting to move through the weather-fatigued Chicago area Friday evening. July 28, 2023
State Rep. Bob Rita sues Tinley Park, Orland Township, says he’s blocked from community eventsA U.S. district judge Friday denied a temporary restraining order sought by state Rep. Bob Rita, who claims in a federal lawsuit Tinley Park and Orland Township deny him access to events such as National Night Out. July 28, 2023
New law loosening post-prison conditions is latest criminal justice change under Gov. J.B. PritzkerDemocratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law a measure that loosens restrictions on people who remain under state supervision after being released from prison. July 28, 2023
E-cigarette use banned inside public spaces under measure signed into law by Gov. J.B. PritzkerE-cigarettes will be banned in most public spaces, just as regular cigarettes have been for years, under a measure signed into law by Gov. J.B. Pritzker. July 28, 2023
Guilty plea puts Chicago rap star G Herbo on path to federal prison The Chicago rapper admitted he participated in a scheme to use stolen identities to fund private jets, swanky hotel rooms, “designer puppies,” and the six-bedroom Jamaican estate where the song “Man Now” was filmed. July 28, 2023
Afternoon Briefing: Record-breaking attempt stopped by avalancheGood afternoon, Chicago. Here's what is happening today. July 28, 2023