News across Cook County

Evanston Grows to supply kale, salad mix, romaine, parsley to ETHS
Starting this year, the nonprofit Evanston Grows will kick off a pilot program to grow kale, salad mix, romaine and parsley for Evanston Township High School’s from-scratch kitchen to be used in student meals at the high school and the District 65 schools that receive meals from…

‘It’s a sacred service’: Volunteer Jewish group offers end-of-life ritual support
A human body lay motionless on a raised platform, surrounded by about 20 volunteers. All were gathered in a specially equipped downstairs room at Chicago Jewish Funerals, in Skokie, to learn about taharah: the practice of preparing a body for burial. The training was sponsored by…

Residents pitch in for 25th annual Wheelchair Wash
Dozens of volunteers came out to lend a hand on Thursday at the Over the Rainbow Association, 2040 Brown Ave., for this year’s Wheelchair Wash. They gloved up and spent the evening hand-washing wheelchairs for residents of the independent living facility for people with…

How local groups cleaning up Evanston beaches can raise awareness
International Coastal Cleanup Day is held annually on the third Saturday of September, spurring volunteers globally to organize and contribute to beach cleanups. Lake Michigan beaches have been part of this global effort since the Alliance for the Great Lakes launched its…

Good Neighbors: Kandi Corbbins practices and teaches hair-apy
Good Neighbors is an ongoing series introducing readers to local caregivers doing cool things in the community. For fall 2026, the hot back-to-school hair looks, as Kandi Corbbins has observed, include “a heavy emphasis [on] urban ethnic culture.” Boho braids, with hair loose at…

Melrose Park National Night Out
🎉Join Melrose Community Outreach for National Night Out 2026 on Tuesday, October 6 from 5:30 – 7:00 PM! Celebrate community spirit, enjoy free food and games, and honor the legacy […]

Latino community celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month at Levy Center
People of all ages filled the gym at the Levy Senior Center on Sunday afternoon for a Hispanic Heritage Month celebration hosted by Latinos en Evanston Northshore, a nonprofit that aims to create a thriving local Latino community where all families and older adults are connected.…

McGaw YMCA offering free learn-to-swim lessons for children ages 3 to 10 in October
The McGaw YMCA in Evanston is offering a free, five-day learn-to-swim program for children ages 3 to 10. It will run Monday, Oct. 26, through Friday, Oct. 30. This program is designed specifically for beginner swimmers and for families who may not otherwise have access to swim…

Evanston, Ill.’s Black history archive takes on a new fight over reparations
The Shorefront Legacy Center, a small archive in a church basement in Evanston, Ill., collects papers and objects that tell the history of the city's Black community.

Lula B. Sherman Church celebrates Hispanic heritage with Costa Rican Consulate
“God speaks with an accent” was the main topic of Sunday’s sermon at Evanston’s Lula B. Sherman United Methodist Church. “In Costa Rica, a law on the books in 1934 forbade Black workers from crossing the Pacific side of their own country, and as recently as 2005, the government…

New Thrive65 group encourages parents to help inform District 65 budget cuts
At the first meeting of Thrive65, a recently formed community group focused on supporting the future of Evanston/Skokie School District 65, organizers encouraged parents in attendance to consider their must-haves for the district, warning that harsh cuts to address the district’s…

Eleanor Revelle celebrates 40 years of leadership with street naming ceremony
Eleanor Revelle, who served on the Evanston City Council for nine years, looks at her honorary street sign at an unveiling on Sheridan Road just as it turns straight west north of the Northwestern University campus. Revelle dedicated more than 40 years of her life to leadership,…