Last Friday marked a milestone here at Chicagoist, and we didn't even notice it. On July 13, 2006, we debuted this very column. Truthfully, we never planned on it actually becoming a regular staple of the site. We were only looking to file something on that fateful day, and figured that "Beer of the Week" would run its course in short order with a few glances. However, we seemed to strike a nerve with readers with the next week's selection. By the time we hit you with the one-two punch of Goose Island Matilda and Point Honey Light, there was no turning back. In the past twelve months, we've run all over the city — OK, we've only gone as far north as Hopleaf and Simon's — looking for selections we feel worthy of the "BotW" designation. Ironically, this column has helped us reduce our alcohol consumption. more ›

Last Friday, 775 teachers in the Chicago Public School system were given the ol' heave-ho. All involved are Probationary Appointed Teachers, or PATs, those who have been in the system less than five years. Unlike last year, these firings are not budget-related; they were let go for "various reasons," with the emphasis on teachers that were not performing well. more ›

Last Friday, Chicago firefighter William Grant was killed when Truck No. 51, en route to a reported fire, was struck by a school bus. Yesterday, close to 1000 mourners gathered to pay tribute to Grant at his viewing, funeral and burial. In the wake of all of the negative cop coverage as of late, it was refreshing to read about a dedicated, good man who was loyal to both his family at home as... more ›

Ok, let's get the story straight ... or at least we'll try. more ›

Last Friday we were winding down our work week when shots rang out at the offices across the street. Outside was pandemonium, with police everywhere, streets closed, sirens, and helicopters. Inside was not much better. Our office just stopped and was looking everywhere for more information online, playing radio broadcasts and trying to figure out alternate ways to get home. All the while, we tried to keep you up to date. more ›

Can the Windy City Get THAT Windy? more ›

If there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that stupid is an equal opportunity employer. Stupid doesn’t care how old you are, where you live or how much money is in your bank account. Stupid comes in all shapes and sizes. more ›

Last Friday night, we braved the deep freeze of February and headed over to the Park West to see the Chicago stop of the Undertow Orchestra. We were drawn by way of Will Johnson (also of Centro-matic), but we were familiar with Mark Eitzel (also of American Music Club), and curious about the music and musings of Vic Chesnutt and David Bazan (also of Pedro the Lion). more ›

Two area policemen are in hot water for coming down with a case of kleptomania. Last Friday, an Oak Park officer resigned after allegations surfaced that he had a hand in a semi-truck heist from a Bedford Park loading dock last year. The semi was filled with about $1 million in Samsung plasma TVs and DVD players. Mani Adams hasn't been officially charged yet, but the Oak Park PD and the FBI are investigating claims that he knew the two other suspects and had foreknowledge of the heist. He lives in Oak Park and his garage is just 500 feet from where the truck hit a utility pole while trying to back down an alley. Cell phone records also show that Adams contacted the two other suspects on the day of the heist. more ›

As 2005 comes to an end, Mayor Daley is taking some time to reflect upon his time in office, the Hired Truck scandal, and the prospects of running for another term. Last Friday Daley appeared on Chicago Tonight and said of the City Hall corruption scandal: People give me a public trust. ... When [corruption] takes place, I get mad at myself. You get depressed. You get upset. But you lift yourself up. ...... more ›

Last Friday, Veterans Day, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on the Chicago River between Wabash and State was dedicated and opened to the public. Chicagoist couldn't be there for the ceremony where they read the names of the 3,000 Illinois soldiers who lost their lives in the war (stupid work!), but we stopped by after work to take a look. Even though the memorial is in the heart of the city, it's very peaceful and serene. Everyone there was being respectful and quiet.. the lights were beautiful and the sound of the water, very relaxing. more ›

Last Friday, Chicagoist's favorite Mac blogger, DrunkenBatman hosted a conference for Mac developers and enthusiasts deep in the bowels of Adler Planetarium. He brought together ten panelists and over a hundred audience members for an evening of talking about the types of things Mac developers and enthusiasts can't get enough of. (How do you tell the difference between writing software as a hobby and a job? Will the Objective-C programming language last another decade? And so on.) more ›

Chicagoist has learned that the ostrich that was on the loose for the past week in the south suburbs is actually a South American rhea and that it's name was No Neck. We say was because yesterday the bird was captured but then it died. more ›