Local News
HIRE360 AND KANE COUNTY LAUNCH PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM TO EXPAND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN THE TRADES
HIRE360, in partnership with the Painters District Council No. 30 and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), has expanded its Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program to Kane County, set to begin on April 7. Funded through the State of Illinois’ Rebuild Illinois capital plan, the nine-week program is designed to strengthen the construction workforce pipeline by preparing individuals for entry into registered union apprenticeship programs.
Governor Pritzker Announces $50 Million Rebuild Illinois Grant Program to Support Community Health Centers in Illinois
Governor JB Pritzker announced today a $50 million grant opportunity is available through the Rebuild Illinois Capital Program. The funding will support the Community Health Center Construction Grants for Federally Qualified Health Centers and look-alikes at a time when the Trump administration is cutting critical healthcare funding.
Kelley Robinson Joins Kettering Foundation Board
The Charles F. Kettering Foundation today announced that Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign and Human Rights Campaign Foundation, has joined the Kettering Foundation board of directors. Robinson previously served as a Kettering Foundation senior fellow from 2024–25.
The Advanced Leadership Institute and Carnegie Mellon University Kick-Off the New Program Year with the 2026 Emerging Leaders Program
The Advanced Leadership Institute (TALI), in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University, announces the launch of its 2026 programming year with the fifth cohort of the Emerging Leaders Program – one of TALI's cohort-based programs designed to educate, develop, connect, and position Black leaders and their allies for success. The program welcomes a new class of talented professionals and introduces key enhancements for the year ahead.
Zelle® and Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, in Partnership with Community Development Investors, Launch New Scholarship to Invest in Black MBA Students Pursuing Small Business Ownership
As millions of American small business owners prepare to retire – and thousands of Main Street businesses face closure – popular person-to-person service Zelle® and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF), in partnership with Community Development Investors (CDI), today announced a new scholarship for students at select Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) that aspire to keep those businesses alive, local and Black-owned.
Your Legacy Is Richer Than You Think
Many believe they will be remembered for what they owned—a house, a business, insurance, or a bank account. Yet when families gather—at repasts, reunions, holidays, or around the kitchen table—conversations rarely center on possessions. Instead, stories are shared, told and retold, bringing laughter, tears, and the warmth of memories coming alive.
Chicago Women’s Conference Returns to South Suburban College with Day of Empowerment, Breakout Sessions, Fashion Show, and STAR Awards Nominations Now Open
South Suburban College (SSC) will host its Annual Chicago Women’s Conference on Friday, March 20, 2026 at 9:00am, at SSC’s main campus located at 15800 S. State St., South Holland, IL 60429. The highly anticipated event will bring together women from across the region for a full day of inspiration, education, networking, and celebration.
The American Cancer Society Addresses Cancer Disparities
The American Cancer Society is addressing cancer disparities through a study that is focused on Black women and their health conditions. VOICES of Black Women was launched in 2024, as a nationwide research study, with the goal to better understand cancer and other health care conditions among African American women. Health and life history data is being collected, with the hope that it will help shape the health outcomes for generations to come.
Under Karina Villa as Comptroller, Billionaires will pay their Fair Share
Karina Villa has proposed a new bill, SB 3376, this week to bring extra revenue to the Illinois’ budget.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale to Present Chancellor’s Scholarship at Rich Township High School District 227
Rich Township High School District 227 is pleased to announce that representatives from Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) will visit the District’s Fine Arts & Communications (FAC) Campus on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, to formally present the prestigious SIUC Chancellor’s Scholarship. The presentation will take place at 1:00 PM.
OLIVE -HARVEY COLLEGE JUSTICE CENTER SHORT FILM FESTIVAL
Attend a special Black History Month screening of the newly-released documentary film, Against the Current at Malcolm X College (Auditorium) on February 18, 2026 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.
STATE, COUNTY, AND LOCAL LEADERS TO TRAVEL TO PROVISO EAST HIGH SCHOOL TO HONOR STUDENTS FOR REMARKABLE TURNAROUND
Tara Stamps-Cook County Commissioner of the 1st District) joined by Illinois Speaker of the House Emanuel Chris Welch, Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon, Illinois State Senator Kimberly Lightford, Chicago Teacher Union President Stacy Davis Gates, Maywood Mayor Nathaniel Booker, various West Suburban Mayors, Municipal leaders from across the Proviso Township region, Proviso Township High Schools District 209 Board of Education members, and Proviso East High School administration, educators, students, and families in a collective expression of joy, celebration, and recognition for a historic academic turnaround for Proviso East High School.
HSHS President and CEO Damond Boatwright Elected to Serve as Chair of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association Board
Damond Boatwright, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS), has been elected to serve as Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Illinois Health and Hospital Association (IHA). The IHA Board is the policymaking body for the Association, which represents more than 200 hospitals and nearly 40 health systems across Illinois. Boatwright ’s one-year term as Board Chair began on Jan. 1, 2026. The first IHA board meeting of the year is scheduled for Jan. 23.
THE JOFFREY BALLET CELEBRATES TRAILBLAZING 20TH CENTURY DANCE LEGENDS WITH AMERICAN ICONS, February 19-March 1, 2026
Continuing its 70th Anniversary programming, The Joffrey Ballet presents American Icons, a program of dynamic works by four trailblazing artists of the 20th century: The Joffrey Ballet co-founders Robert Joffrey and Gerald Arpino, founding Joffrey alum Glen Tetley, and prolific dance pioneer Martha Graham. Witness the daring and enduring spirit that defines the Joffrey's maverick legacy for ten performances only at the historic Lyric Opera House, 20 North Upper Wacker Drive in downtown Chicago, from February 19 through March 1, 2026.