Chicago-based ShoreBank, which primarily lended financing to the South and West side communities failed Friday and was seized by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. ShoreBank’s deposits and assets were acquired by Urban Partnership Bank, which will reopen the 15 branches, including those in Detroit and Cleveland, under the new name. It's closing marks the 15th Illinois bank to be seized by the Feds this year, and the 118th nationally. more ›

• A community organization on the South Side is fighting for the right of local commuters to get access to Metra's inbound South Shore train which city commuters are currently prohibited from boarding.
• Authorities are blaming a space heater for a fire that killed two and injured two in the Austin neighborhood.
• New evidence and charges in the murder of Melissa Bridgewater.

Aston Wise, 11, of the 6800 block of South East End Avenue, was killed Friday night when someone opened fire with a shotgun while he was in a vehicle with his father, police said. His father, 42, was wounded and taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in critical condition, but is expected to survive. Wise was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a spokesman for the Cook County medical examiner's office. more ›

All South Shore train service, which carries passengers between Chicgao and South Bend, Indiana, has been cancelled for at least the remainder of today due to damage caused to the rail line by a freight train. John Parsons, spokesman for the Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, said the service might not resume until tomorrow morning.

The damage was caused when a Union Pacific freight train ran a damaged wheel for several miles along the South Shore track in East LaPorte County, Parsons said. The wheel broke welds along the line, and several miles of track will have to be replaced, Parsons said. more ›

Here are some things to do this evening to consider bringing your voter receipt. more ›

The only thing worse than being on a Greyhound bus at 3:15 a.m. is having that bus spin out of control and crash. Luckily, no one was killed or seriously hurt, but 17 passengers were injured when a bus from Chicago wiped out in Indiana. more ›

Paris in the Springtime in Chicago? more ›

The International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) is holding its annual Cookbook Expo this weekend in Chicago. And, for the first time, they're opening it up to the public. This is your chance to hobnob with some of your favorite cookbook authors and chefs, who will be on hand to sell and sign their latest books. The event runs from 5-6 p.m. tomorrow at the Hilton Chicago. Even though it's free, reservations are required; e-mail... more ›

Motorola settled a sex discrimination suit right before Ed Zander was supposed to testify. If ComEd can raise your rates, People's Gas can too. U of I has scaled back an MBA scholarship program for veterans. Four people, including a firefighter, were hospitalized after a fire at 3550 N. Lake Shore Drive. Two women were killed in Gary when a South Shore train hit their SUV. The historic Montgomery Ward Catalog House on the... more ›

How 'bout that weather, Chicago? OK, we'll shut up now. A armed 19-year-old man holed himself up in his mother's apartment overnight with four hostages, but let them go without incident Sunday morning. Police responded to reports of a man with a gun at a four-unit building in the South Shore neighborhood around 1 a.m. The man in question gained access to his mother's place and locked himself in with three of his siblings, two... more ›

It's October, which means Chicago’s arts community is once again collaborating with the City to promote its glorious self during Chicago Artists Month. Through Halloween, you may discover (or be reminded) how accessible and downright friendly that community is and, if they have their way, you'll spend the frigid months touring galleries instead of watching shameful TV. There's simply not enough time for us to visit every event in every corner of the city, but we'll try to make time for these: more ›

Police made a few sad discoveries in the city over the past few days. First, a Chicago man was found dead in a sewer on the Northwest Side on Sunday; then early Monday morning, they found two more bodies in a burning van in the South Shore neighborhood. Upon investigation, they determined that the two, a 28-year-old Stephanie Lee and her nine-year-old son, Troy, had been murdered. Lee had been stabbed several times. Her son was bound and gagged with duct tape. They were last heard from on their way to Lee's sister's house Saturday night. Police say an accelerant was used, and both victims were probably dead before the fire was started. Lee's father had recently pleaded with her to move out of the city to escape the crime. more ›

Long before there was a League of Chicago Music Venues or a Hawk Winter Music Festival, the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs (under the guidance of program director – and fellow Lane Tech grad – Michael Orlove) was bringing together the city’s club scene via the World Music Festival. After seven years, the festival has earned a place beside both Blues and Jazz Fest as one of Chicago’s premier music showcases. WMF is also one... more ›

We've all been hung out to dry with no way to get home, left in some remote location with seemingly no other option than an expensive cab ride. Your boyfriend got stuck at work and couldn't pick you up from the airport, and you have too much luggage for the train. You missed the last Metra train of the night and it's either $50 to Waukegan or sleeping on the grimy floor of the station. Annoying as these situations may seem, home is still within reach, not as bad as, say, being stuck in South Bend with no way to get home but your bike. more ›

Chicagoist thinks the city’s pedway is the best invention since feet. Many a lunch hour, the pedway has guided us to Potbelly’s, shielding us from harsh winters and heavy rain. So, imagine our delight when we heard the pedway is expanding. We are thrilled to pieces. more ›

If your modern/traditional/casual/Ikea home furnishings could use a little dose of culture, a new store in River North may have the answer. Guerramo Gallery (441 N. LaSalle) is the first Moroccan furniture gallery in the Midwest, and it just opened earlier this month. Owner Mohamed Guerraoui, originally from Casablanca, Morocco, has been living in the U.S. for 15 years and in Chicago for six. The store is filled with one-of-a-kind pieces handcrafted in Morocco... more ›

Chicagoist has seen its share of the stupid this week, but there’s always enough stupid to go around with a little bit left over. There’s not much left over, but we do what we can. There’s always next week. more ›

As more than 8,000 athletes prepare to head to Chicago to participate in this summer’s Gay Games 2006, a new book touts Chicago as a “thriving gay capital.” "The Field Guide to Gay and Lesbian Chicago" (Lake Claremont Press) by Kathie Bergquist and Robert McDonald, says the city is often overlooked by gay-friendly travel guides, and those that mention it usually focus on the bar scene. McDonald argues that authors of other guides have only... more ›

The news was a little light on stupidity this week, but we were still able to find a few gems: On Wednesday, two men tried to rob two others sitting in a parked car in the South Shore area, but ended up getting shot. Turns out the intended victims were undercover cops on a stakeout. On Thursday, a fired employee of the Loop Old Navy store had to be taken in handcuffs after she showed... more ›

Remember in the beginning of the year when the CTA raised rates for those who paid with cash, but not for those who use the Chicago Card? It looks like everyone rushed out and bought Chicago Cards. No one wants to pay more when they don't have to, right? Well, now a bunch of grocery stores and currency exchanges are out of the cards, and the CTA is getting sued for not making the cards more available. more ›

Looking for an excuse to use that new digicam? Love where you live and wish everybody else knew how amazing your neighborhood is? Or your block? Or your house? The purveyors of Turn Here want to hear from you. The recently founded site aims to chronicle every “hot” neighborhood in the country, a project promising to be overwhelmed by hip kids and realtors. Chicago’s two entries so far—from Wicker Park and the Gold Coast—chalk up... more ›

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A new report says that the Chicago Park District could raise a whole lot of cash by further developing harbors for boat slips, especially by Navy Pier and Loyola University. Right now there are about 5,000 100-boat slips downtown but they're about 98% full. The report estimates that over the next 20 years we're going to have about 3,000 more boats and nowhere to put them. The Park District expects that it'll clear about $10... more ›

For some Chicagoans, today’s World Music Festival Chicago 2005 kickoff validates our town's role as ambassador of global culture. For many more of us, this week will serve as an introduction to a glut of inventive musical stylings prompting a pledge to continue broadening our musical horizons. The most adventurous music fans can see dozens of performers from five continents at venues spanning every corner of Chicago. If you'd like a low-risk introduction, check out... more ›

Chicagoist's little desktop WeatherBug is currently showing a temperature of 59 degrees, along with a little cloud and tiny, menacing lightning bolt. Those conditions fall well outside the parameters of what we consider ideal swimming weather, but we're still excited that the Chicago Park District's stellar collection of lakefront beaches officially opens today. more ›

Amidst all the hoopla leading to U.S. Senator-elect Barack Obama's coronation -- er swearing-in -- some other interesting Chicago political doings happened this past weekend: Obama's successor for the State Senate was selected and sworn in on Saturday. Chicago City Colleges senior attorney, Kwame Raoul, 40, was selected to fill out the remaining two-year term of the South Chicago lakefront 12th State Senate District. Because the seat was held by a Democrat, Obama's replacement was... more ›

Chicagoist could fill up posts every week with all the great programs being put on by the Old Town School of Folk Music. There are always good shows playing over there and they offer so many classes that Chicagoist can finally justify buying that $20 ukulele at Costco over the summer (and there’s no experience necessary! Woo!) But one of the best things about Old Town is their commitment to youth outreach and making music... more ›

A bizarre, but important South Side natural landmark crashed to the ground on Saturday, the giant Ash full of South American Monk Parakeets in Harold Washington Park. Animal Control, Chicago Police, and Park District employees rushed to save the birds' nests, placing them in near-by trees. The tree was one of two that dozens of parakeets took over in the late 70's. The first tree, on 54th street, was taken down by ComEd in 1997.... more ›

What the frick is up with trains around here, anyway? Let's put aside the crazy string of Metra crossing hits a couple of weeks ago, the one in South Shore, the one in Glenview, and that other one in Arlington Heights. But now there's more news about a an Amtrak derailing on the South Side by the Dan Ryan this afternoon. Nobody was hurt this time, but Chicagoist is getting just a little freaked out. more ›