Harold Washington Library’s Cindy Pritzker Auditorium was a full house at the opening screening of a new local series focusing on injustices in the criminal justice system. On Sept. 12, The Marshall Project released 15 video testimonies of Chicago voices affected by the justice system, “We Are Witnesses: Chicago,” is the latest installment of the nonprofit news organization’s award-winning short film series “We Are Witnesses” which explores the nature of crime, punishment and forgiveness.

A new report by the Jane Addams Senior Caucus and Loyola University Chicago’s Center for Urban Research and Learning (CURL) looked into the Chicago Housing Authorities’ Language Access Services for CHA residents and applicants and found grim results.

PAWS Chicago welcomed almost 50 animals from Florida who were affected by Hurricane Dorian, which has ravaged islands in The Bahamas and is heading for Florida's coast.

LOGAN SQUARE — Less than two months after a longtime Latino business closed up shop, a new one is opening in its place. Rey’s Tools and Supplies moved into 3738 W. Fullerton Ave. in July and had a soft opening Aug. 12. The store plans to celebrate with a grand opening sometime in September, once all the finishing touches are in place.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s campaign chairman and longtime activist Michael Bauer has died after a lengthy battle with cancer.

LOGAN SQUARE — The group behind The Whale is gearing up to open a new tavern in Logan Square. The new bar, called Welcome Back Lounge, is planned for 2423 N. Milwaukee Ave., right next to The Whale, according to a building permit on its front door. Construction was underway Thursday as two people on scaffolding traced out the bar’s name and then painted it red against a turquoise background.

A viral video has launched a Chicago-area native into the internet spotlight. A man from La Grange, who posts videos under monikers Joey Santore and Tony Santoro, is a "A Low-Brow, Crass Approach to Plant Ecology as muttered by a Misanthropic Chicago Italian," according to his YouTube page, Crime Pays But Botany Doesn't.

What does criminal justice reform look like? A new art exhibit is trying to answer that question.

LOGAN SQUARE — Gloria Pinduisaca never meant to settle in Chicago. When the Ecuador native arrived in the United States 35 years ago, she wanted a change of pace, maybe a new job. Pinduisaca, who was a teacher in Ecuador but learned to be a seamstress from her mother, decided to open her own alteration and bridal store in 2000 to make money doing what she loved, not expecting it to last long.

What does criminal justice reform look like? A new art exhibit is trying to answer that question. “Envisioning Justice” opened Aug. 6 and runs through Oct. 12 at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Sullivan Galleries, 33 S. State St. Created by Illinois Humanities and curated by visual artist Alexandria Eregbu, the free exhibition and related programming features works by professional and community artists from Rogers Park, Bronzeville, Little Village, Back of the Yards, and North Lawndale.

Lisa D. Daniels wants people who are incarcerated to remember that forgiveness and healing from a traumatic past is possible. Daniels, executive director of the Darren B. Easterling Center for Restorative Practices and a strong activist for restorative justice, was part of an inaugural event series that highlights empathy, humanity and forgiveness to men behind bars in order for them to heal from their past and move on from their mistakes.

One-hundred years ago, violent race riots rocked Chicago. What began as an innocent swim in then-segregated Lake Michigan to escape the unbearable summer heat of July 27, 1919 resulted in the death of thirty-eight Chicagoans—twenty-three black and fifteen white. More than 500 were injured, over a 1000 were rendered homeless and more than 5,000 troops from the Illinois National Guard were deployed to stem the terror. A century later, our city still reels from the impact and aftereffects of the ri

Eric Ebbert was my first friend when I moved to Logan Square about three years ago. I remember seeing him and his housemate on their porch, drinking beer and enjoying summer. Right away we started talking and quickly became friends, not just neighbors. Last week, I found out he passed away mid-May from a potential overdose. Because I was not official “friends” with him on Facebook and I have since moved away from being his neighbor, I was slow to hear the news. But I had just seen him less than a month before that.

LOGAN SQUARE — In between his visits to two art festivals in Indiana, Argentinian street artist Cobre wanted to find the closest city with a vibrating mural scene. After Chicago poet and friend Kevin Coval told him about Logan Square, he knew where to go and add to the scene. Cobre’s new mural now sits on the west-facing wall of Shilvock Co. Inc, a plumbing business at 2226 N. Milwaukee Ave. right next to the famous “Greetings from Chicago” mural.

In 2013, Camesha Jones was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after being hospitalized more than once. When she got out of the hospital, she searched for support but had trouble finding it in the community. She was the only black woman in her outpatient therapy session and said she felt like an outsider. “I couldn’t find any black therapists at the time — I didn’t know where to start,” Jones said. “So, I decided to do something about it.”

When entrepreneur Candice Cunningham was 20 years old, she created a nonprofit organization with the intention of giving back to her South Side community. It was not an easy start, but that did not deter her. She also tried to start two separate businesses that flopped in a matter of years because she did not have the proper business skills. But her mindset was unwavering to failure.

LOGAN SQUARE — When scooters hit the streets in Chicago earlier this month, Logan Square artist Derek Erdman wasted no time hopping on one, racing his girlfriend Ashley Armitage around Palmer Square Park. That mini-race inspired Erdman to create an e-scooter race in Logan Square. And so, after posting a flier to social media, the first-ever Big Purse Liberty Bank 500 e-scooter race was born.

The national and local LGBTQ architect community celebrated Pride Month with a historical panel hosted by the national chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and AIA Chicago's LGBTQIA+ alliance at Skidmore, Owings and Merill June 25.

When Spencer was 11 years old, he came out to his family as gay. But his family took the news as a shock and thought it was just a phase, so Spencer (who requested we not use his last name to protect his privacy) went back into the closet, convinced it was just that, a phase he would go away.

Graduation season is right around the corner and high school seniors are getting ready to begin a new chapter of their lives. For Janise Duckworth, a senior at Harlan High School, 9652 S. Michigan Ave. in Roseland, mixed emotions swell up when thinking about college. “I feel anxious but I think I am ready to be on my own a little bit,” Duckworth said, who will be attending Harris Stowe State University, a Historically Black College in St. Louis.