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‘We had known pretty quickly that we had found our person’
When Maddy Giella was living in Washington, D.C., she had gone on multiple dates through dating apps. But after moving back to Chicago, her date with Joe Tocha would be her one and only. The two met on Bumble in the summer of 2020. When the COVID-19 pandemic prompted Giella to…

Why some local trees have been sporting ‘smiles’ lately
As a botanist, ecologist and conservationist at the Field Museum, Nigel Pitman mainly studied Amazonian trees. The native trees in Evanston, where he lives, were a mystery to him. In an effort to learn a bit more about the trees that are his neighbors, Pitman bought a tree…

Keeping kids busy when they’re off from school this fall
District 65’s calendar has nearly 10 days off and half days scattered between now and winter break. These days in District 65, up to winter break, include: Check your own school’s calendar to be sure: Catholic schools have some Archdiocese days off, for instance. Looking to keep…

Chicago man gets 18-year prison term for fentanyl, shoving cop
PAXTON — A Chicago man was sentenced to 18 years in prison after pleading guilty in Ford County Circuit Court on Monday, Sept. 14, to possession of 400-900 grams of fentanyl with intent to deliver and aggravated battery to a peace officer. Judge Matt Fitton imposed the sentence…

Letter: District 65 school board needs to get superintendent search right this time
The District 65 school board is in the midst of making one of the most consequential decisions any board can make: selecting a new superintendent. This leader will have a powerful effect on the future of our very challenged district, ideally shepherding in a new era of…

Central Street townhomes clear affordability hurdle with ‘loophole’ in city law
The 10-unit townhome project at 3233-3249 Central St. has been cleared for construction with only one affordable unit and no major fee after all, resolving a conflict with the city’s affordable housing requirements by taking advantage of an incentive in the law to produce larger…

Hispanic Heritage Month kicks off at Fleetwood-Jourdain Center
A multi-generational crowd celebrated the start of Hispanic Heritage Month on Tuesday night at the Fleetwood-Jourdain Community Center. The free event featured music, dancing, crafts like piñatas and the beloved tradition of breaking a large piñata filled with sweet treats. Every…

Arts Council funds bird collision project, live performance with last of 2026 funding
The Evanston Arts Council unanimously voted to fund two special project grants at its Tuesday night meeting at City Hall, including $2,000 each for a bird collision commemoration and awareness project and a live musical protest performance. With those two grants, the group…

Joe ‘Butch’ Martin Fund honors Gilo Kwesi Logan, Lee Austin, NAACP Evanston Youth Council
The Joe "Butch" Martin Fund honored Gilo Kwesi Logan and Lee Austin with the 2026 Real M.M.E.N. awards and granted $3,000 to the NAACP Evanston Youth Council during a ceremony at Evanston Township High School. Joe ‘Butch’ Martin Fund honors Gilo Kwesi Logan, Lee Austin, NAACP…

NLRB blocks Saint Francis union vote out of concern for free and fair election
The National Labor Relations Board’s Region 13 office in Chicago has blocked the originally scheduled Sept. 17 union election at Saint Francis Hospital. The move follows allegations from the National Nurses Organizing Committee (NNOC), part of National Nurses United, that a free…

Mexican fast-casual restaurant Talkin’ Tacos to take over Guzman y Gomez location, plans to expand into Chicago
Another Mexican fast-casual restaurant has hit downtown. Talkin’ Tacos, a Florida-based chain with locations along the East Coast, is planning to open a new location in the former Guzman y Gomez spot, 1710 Sherman Ave. Talkin’ Tacos also told the RoundTable it plans to expand…

North Shore sewer rehabilitation project to resume on Sept. 16
Inliner Solutions has been hired by the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD) to continue the North Shore Sewer Rehabilitation Project. The project aims to maintain and improve the MWRD sewers along Sheridan Road. Work began last summer and will resume…