Uncategorized

A one-of-a-kind state park in downstate Illinois could be in danger of closing its gates if its state funding is cut. Gov. Pat Quinn’s budget, unveiled last week, eliminates a big chunk of money heavily relied upon by the Wildlife Prairie State Park, located just outside Peoria. “The park will close if sufficient community interest...
Read more »

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate unanimously approved legislation Wednesday that would make some changes to the legislature’s controversial scholarship program but keep it intact. The program has been under fire in recent months after stories by ChicagoTalks, The Chicago Tribune and the Associated Press. Senate Bill 365 – sponsored by Senate President John J. Cullerton...
Read more »

ChicagoTalks reporter Devin Katayama reports on a new bill that would require Illinois motorcyclists to wear a helmet. Listen to the story here.
Read more »

Jim Tyree didn’t come right out and say it during his Feb. 3 lecture on the South Side, but based on a look into his crystal ball, he thinks big city news publishing on paper is on the way out. Tyree wondered out loud if his grandchildren will even know what paper and ink...
Read more »

Local faith leaders, along with representatives from more than 300 social service organizations, headed to Springfield on Tuesday to show their support for House Bill 174, which would raise the states income tax and expand the sales tax. “Typically, these are organizations that are in competition against each other for limited state dollars, but instead...
Read more »

Illinois lawmakers and pedestrian advocates are proposing a law that would require drivers to stop, rather than yield, for people in crosswalks – a second attempt after the divisive proposal failed in the assembly last year. Supporters say the change would create more pedestrian- and bike-friendly roads and would reduce the number of vehicle-pedestrian crashes,...
Read more »

The Community Arts Assistance Program (CAAP) was created in 1987 through funding provided by the Illinois Arts Council Access Program. The goals of CAAP are to discover, nurture and expand Chicago’s multi-ethnic artists and nonprofit arts organizations, and to foster new and emerging individual artists and arts groups by providing grants for professional, artistic...
Read more »

Chicagoist has slides, and we thought it was a timely idea. More about “Chicago January 7th 2010,” posted with vodpod.
Read more »

Volunteers are needed on Thursdays from 3:45-5:00 p.m. at Perspectives Charter School, 8131 S. May St., Chicago. These mentoring sessions include a coordinator from the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, so you can learn how to mentor better if you are interested, but don’t know where or how to start. There are opportunities to...
Read more »

This is not your father or your mother’s opera. Get out of your comfort zone and give this form of multimedia entertainment a try: Chicago Opera Vanguard reimagines Jean-Paul Sartre’s existential play “No Exit” as an opera. For this modern morality play, director George Cederquist has gathered an impressive ensemble of singing actors, musicians and visual...
Read more »