But maybe they're just saving too much energy -- about 100 percent -- because they keep on going out. more ›

The Tribune calls many of City Inspector General Ferguson's suggestions "politically poisonous," and they definitely are -- but at least he's thinking outside the box. more ›

The cleanup from the Blizzard of 2011 continues. Lake Shore Drive, which had 239 cars still stranded on it as of 5 p.m. yesterday, is now cleared and open to traffic. Motorists who had to strand their cars on Lake Shore Drive during the height of the storm Tuesday night should call 311 to find the location of their vehicles. The city's Streets and Sanitation department towed all vehicles to parking lots near the Drive at Wells, Chicago, Belmont, Wilson, Foster and Soldier Field. The city has set up a database so motorists can find their cars. Security details have been set up at each lot to help ensure that no one's coming to jack your car. Since these towings were weather-related emergencies, motorists stranded on Lake Shore Drive will not be charged for them. more ›

Given what we've heard about the nightmare that unfolded on Lake Shore Drive during this blizzard, my commute doesn't seem quite so bad now. It didn't involve rescue by any of the brave emergency workers or National Guard troops. I did get home at an hour that is within the realm of normal dinner time. I was greeted with hugs from the wife, who had hot tea and soup waiting. But it was no joy, either. After hearing how long people spent on the Drive waiting for rescue, I am so very grateful I wasn't among them. more ›

During an apartment fire in the 3400 block of N. Lake Shore Dr. on Friday night, one person was critically injured. Officials were called to the building and found a fire on the sixth floor, which was extinguished by 11:40 p.m., Fire Media Affairs Chief Quention Curtis said to the Chicago Sun-Times. The injured man was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in critical condition, Curtis said. "It just went up," said Phyllis Hartt, a neighbor, who saw the flames, said to the Sun-Times. "You could see that it was a total blaze from that window." The fire was contained to one apartment and no one else had to be evacuated from the building. Crews are still investigating the cause of the fire. more ›

Miguel Gonzalez, 24, of the 1000 block of West Balmoral Avenue, was denied bond on Friday, after he led police on a chase around the Northwest Side on Wednesday night. The chase left three cops injured, and also forced officers to fire shots at Gonzalez twice. Gonzalez--who had no prior criminal history--was charged with two counts of attempted murder, aggravated assault of a police officer, and DUI, one count of aggravated fleeing police and aggravated fleeing police involving bodily injury, and was ticketed for carrying alcohol and driving the wrong way on a one-way street, police said to the Chicago Sun-Times. more ›

CTA officials are continuing their investigation into why an articulated bus crashed into several trees near McCormick Place Saturday night. The #6 Jackson Park Express ran off LAke Shore Drive and into the the trees around 6 p.m. with about 70 passengers inside. more ›

Concert goers driving down Lake Shore Drive on the way to Bon Jovi's concert on Friday may have gotten a laugh out of the electronic message board that JACK-FM (104.3) installed near Soldier Field that flashed a message not warning them of a traffic emergency, but rather a cheap promotional tactic. The station, which was sponsoring the concert, hired a contractor to attach the sign to a trailer and position it between the northbound lanes near McCormick Place. The messages that flashed across the sign included, "JACK needs girls" and "104.3 FM needs beer." more ›

The south-bound lanes on Lake Shore Drive between Roosevelt and the Stevenson Expressway were reopened early this morning following a closure last night due to some buckled pavement. Flowers and grass weren't the only thing wilting in yesterday's heat as chunks of pavement along the road near 18th street buckled, forcing the closure. There's no word on the cost of the repair, but CDOT workers got the road patched up overnight so this morning's rush hour would go smoothly. The buckling occurred late yesterday afternoon, forcing closure of the south-bound lanes from around 6 p.m. to just after 1 a.m. more ›

While grilling out, having a cold one and watching the Blackhawks is on many of our Memorial Day weekend agendas, some 20,000 cyclists will be hitting Lake Shore Drive Sunday morning for the ninth annual Bike the Drive, taking over a 15 mile stretch along LSD for most of the morning. Participants can start their (self-powered) engines beginning at 5:30 a.m., after which cars are verboten until 10:30 a.m. when vehicular traffic is allowed to return. The closures will affect LSD from Hollywood all the way down to 59th St., so plan for detours along that route. Near the event entry points, Jackson Blvd. in Grant Park will also be closed, though drop-offs are allowed between 4 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at the Congress Circle at Michigan Ave. Bikers can enter north of Randolph or south of Roosevelt - crosswalks to Lakeshore Drive will be blocked at Monroe, Jackson and Balbo. more ›

More information has been released on the Chicago Police officer who died this morning after his patrol car struck a tree on Lake Shore Drive near Irving Park Road. The officer was identified as 56-year-old Sgt. Alan Haymaker, a 21-year veteran of the CPD assigned to the Town Hall District and a second generation officer (his father and uncle were also officers). Sources told the Tribune that Haymaker was en route to the scene of a reported burglary when the crash occurred. The Trib has more on Haymaker including testimonials from friends and family. more ›

Sad news to start our week with. A Chicago Police officer has died following an early morning crash on Lakeshore Drive near Irving Park Rd. The accident occurred around 5:15 a.m. this morning when the officer, driving southbound, struck a tree in the median. Additional details of the accident, including the officer's name, haven't yet been made available. [Tribune, WBBM] more ›

An unidentified woman died after her car crashed through a barrier and drove into almost 12 feet of water at DuSable Harbor in Lake Michigan at about 7:50 a.m. this morning. Chicago Police and Chicago Fire Department divers transported the woman in critical condition to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, said Chicago Fire Department spokesman Kevin MacGregor. She was pronounced dead at the hospital at 8:49 a.m. more ›

Lake Shore Drive has just re-opened after being closed since 5:30 for the annual Bike the Drive. We were at 31st Street and snapped a few shots on what has turned out to be a gorgeous morning for riding bikes. No word yet on whether any bikers were consumed by the potholes that plague the drive. More photos after the jump. more ›

Bike the Drive is Sunday, and registration for the annual event closes tomorrow at 5pm. Registration is $40, though sneaking in isn't unheard of. more ›

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The moon doesn’t care about the frigid weather – it’s holding its event anyway. A total lunar eclipse will occur tonight and the Adler Planetarium is raising the roof (literally) for an al fresco celebration. The generous folks at this Chicago landmark are opening the Doane Observatory to the public for this special event so stargazing visitors can see the eclipse up close. Peer through one of the souped-up telescopes to enhance your viewing pleasure, assuming you can see past the icicles on your eyelashes. more ›

The Chicago City Council held off on voting on a controversial ban on urban chickens yesterday. Since urban chickens are all the rage, it seems like a perfect time to ban them, right? Southwest Side Alderman Lona Lane (18th), who proposed the ban, said she didn't know why the vote on the ban was held up. Maybe it is, as the Sun-TImes suggests, because Mayor Daley has a thing for urban poultry: "Let's be realistic,"... more ›

Where Can I Go Sledding? more ›

It wasn't your imagination. There really were extra problems on Lake Shore Drive this morning, with 20 vehicles damaged and 3 people injured. Stupid potholes. Now it's even more convenient for the City to take your money! New robot kiosks now accept payments for your parking tickets, water bills and red-light tickets. An update to this morning's story about the 4-year-old who was shot and killed: her brother has been charged, as a juvenile,... more ›

What's the Speed Limit? more ›

Let's be clear: Friday night’s Chicago Critical Mass ride will not be the last. No matter what the veteran masses staffing the ad hoc “Grand Finale Committee” decree, cyclists will keep coming to Daley Plaza the last Fridays of October (Halloween Mass!), November and, barring a citywide emergency or SWAT-style police crackdown, every month after that. Want us to prove it?... more ›

- As the CTA moves along with its Doomsday Scenario, Mayor Daley raised the possibility of dedicated bus lanes on Lake Shore Drive. - Dick Devine's current term as Cook County State's Attorney will be his last. - The city is placing the search for a new Police Superintendent in the hands of a highly respected D.C. think-tank. - Good news and bad news on the historic preservation front. - Four men are charged... more ›

When we were kids, we used to visit many of the neighborhoods around Chicago as part of our parents endless quest to eat food from as many cultures as possible. Pierogi in Avondale, tortas in Pilsen, souvlaki on Halsted, dhal on Devon, and the biggest polish-with-kraut you ever saw on Maxwell are just a taste of what we've had the good fortune to eat over time. It isn't the food that sticks in our minds... more ›

While many of you shuffle back and forth from stage to stage in Grant Park this weekend, we thought we'd take the opportunity to show you how it looked about 80 years ago. It's just a touch different today, isn't it? While the landscaping had yet to take its place in 1929, Buckingham Fountain and the general layout of the park are clear. The Art Institute is in place and looks exceptionally lonely, and while... more ›

Head 300 miles south to The Creation Museum and you may be dazzled by their Because The Bible Said So, That’s Why! explanation of life’s origins. That prospect is too much for The Field Museum. On Friday they open Darwin, a new traveling exhibition focused on the man and scientist considered the creationists’ biggest gadfly. Now a household name, Charles Darwin is remembered primarily for publishing Origin of Species and Descent of Man, the most... more ›

The State House passed legislation on Tuesday designed to bring Illinois into compliance with a 2005 U.S. Supreme Court ruling by limiting the amount of sales an Illinois winery can directly ship to a customer to 12 cases a year. The 5-4 decision in Granholm v. Heald ruled that laws in Michigan and New York permitting the direct sale and shipping of wine produced in state to customers while prohibiting out-of-state wineries from doing the... more ›

Last night, North Side/North Shore Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky sat down with Stephen Colbert to discuss her participation in the House Hunger Caucus' Food Stamp Challenge. After accidentally introducing her as Jane (and insisting on calling her such for the rest of the evening, not wanting to admit an error), Colbert dished out his usual satire, suggesting that the food stamp allotment be decreased to $2 to combat obesity. Although she had some difficulty getting... more ›

What happens when you remove all the cars from Lake Shore Drive? It gets filled with bikes. Thousands of bikes. Even with a little drizzle enveloping the skyline. And what fills the absence of auto noise and noxious emissions? The sweet smell of the lake, clicking of gears, the squeaks of bicycle chains, the voices of toddlers being pulled along by their fathers and mothers as they ask, “How much longer until the pancakes?” But... more ›

Growing up off the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, we've seen our share of stingrays, unfortunately most still had their barbs, so touching them wasn't something advised. With their barbs removed, you can see, and touch, these graceful creatures at Stingray Bay Brookfield Zoo, First Avenue and 31st Street in Brookfield. Tickets are only $2. We were out of town last year for the Bike the Drive event, but we plan to make it there... more ›