Local News
ESSENCE Launches ‘WeLoveUs.shop Powered by ESSENCE’
ESSENCE Communications Inc. proudly launched WeLoveUs.shop powered by ESSENCE, a community commerce platform built to support Black women-led and culturally rooted brands with stronger cash flow, consistent visibility, and direct access to consumers during the holiday season and beyond. With the debut of a new, curated digital retail destination, featuring a mix of emerging and beloved Black-owned brands across beauty, wellness, home, lifestyle, and gifting – all vetted through ESSENCE’s trusted editorial lens – consumers can meet the moment with purchases that directly invest in a founder’s dream.
Chicago Teachers Union President Advocates For Young People
Stacy Davis Gates was recently elected President of the Illinois Federation of Teachers. Gates is also the President of the Chicago Teachers Union.
Local Husband And Wife Team Own Luxury Home Fragrance Brand
Jess Osi founded Mahoghany House Candles in 2022. Drew Osi has supported his wife through the journey. Jess worked as a nurse and during her pregnancy with her first child, she transitioned to being a stay-at-home mom. She wanted to carve out her own space, using her creativity and she started out making candles as a hobby. As friends and family positively responded to the candles she gifted them, Jess decided to turn the candle making into a business.
‘Phantom’ Of The Opera Actor Brings His Authentic Self To The Role
Isaiah Bailey’s first stage experience came when he was 10 years old and attended an opera camp while growing up in Little Rock, Ark. In high school, he was introduced to musical theatre and from there, he really got thrown into theatre.
Cultivating A Positive Outlook Going Into The New Year
With so many things going on, not just locally, but globally, it can be difficult to find the silver lining. Finding ways to cultivate a positive outlook can help create a mindset shift going into the New Year.
From Prison to Prosperity: Ken Johnson’s Real Talk Story Anchors Joseph Business School Panel
Kenneth Johnson is as real as it gets. After serving three prison sentences, he vowed during his third stint that he would never go back. Determined to rebuild his life, Johnson tried the family restaurant business, maintenance work, and construction, but none of those jobs fit. At 50, he took a leap of faith and opened Bro-N-Laws Bar-B-Que in the city’s West Humboldt Park neighborhood.
Illinois Joins Multistate Enforcement Action for SAFE Act Violation
A mortgage loan originator (“MLO”) has received serious sanctions and fines from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) and 20 additional state financial regulatory agencies that accused him of directing another person to take required education on his behalf and taking the credit for himself.
Finding Meaning and Connection During the Holidays with Alzheimer’s
The holidays are often a time of joy, connection, and shared memories, but they can also bring added stress, disappointment, or sadness. For individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease or another form of dementia, the season may heighten feelings of loss as familiar traditions and abilities change. Caregivers, too, may feel overwhelmed as they try to balance long-standing holiday customs with caregiving responsibilities and safety concerns.
Be Ye Ever So Prepared…
Scripture reminds us that life is uncertain and that tomorrow is not promised. Still, nothing prepares a parent for the sorrow of losing a child. That pain is often magnified when the child who dies was also the trustee, executor, or decision-maker in the parent’s estate plan—the very person relied upon for care and protection in later years. In such moments, grief is frequently compounded by confusion and unanswered questions, especially when no backup plan exists.
Insulin Isn't Enough. Nutrition Can Transform Type 1 Diabetes.
I was 16 when I ended up in a hospital bed and heard three words that changed my life: type 1 diabetes. What I didn't know then -- and what too few doctors acknowledge today -- is that dietary changes are often the best way to combat the disease.
Rep. Evans Celebrates Launch of Chicago State University Football Program and Vision for the Future
State Representative Marcus C. Evans, Jr. (D-Chicago) is celebrating the historic launch of the Chicago State University (CSU) football program, hailing it as a vital step toward ensuring the university’s long-term sustainability and the prosperity of Chicago’s South Side.
Comcast Awards Project SYNCERE with $15,000 Grant to Support STEM Education for Students in Chicago
Comcast today announced a $15,000 grant to Project SYNCERE’s STEM in Motion program to support Chicago students in their pursuit of STEM-related fields. The company also donated 25 laptops to graduates of Project SYNCERE’s ENpowered program, which provides students with an introduction to engineering.
CPD TO ESCORT FOUR HUGE REINDEER TOW TRUCKS FULL OF TOYS AND ELECTRONICS TO SEVEN-YEAR-OLD BOY WHO RECENTLY LOST HIS MOTHER TO VIOLENCE
Early Walker and Kevin Corcoran of E&R Towing- will surprise the family of a seven-year-old boy who recently lost his mother, Romeca Meeks-Blackmon, to gun violence, with a full-scale Christmas full of Toys, Electronics, and X-Mas decorations for their home. Walker and Corcoran will be joined by members of the Chicago Police Department and community leaders. Walker and Corcoran will also present a $3500.00 check to the mother of Meeks-Blackmon to assist with her guardianship of her grandson.
OVER 700 CONFIRMED SOUTHLAND KIDS TO LINE UP EARLY FOR POPULAR CHICAGO AREA-BASED CHRISTMAS GIFT GIVEAWAY
The Village of Matteson President Sheila Chalmers-Currin and Rich Township Supervisor Calvin Jordan will be joined by State, County, the Village of Matteson Board of Trustees, the Rich Township Board of Trustees, locally elected officials and by over 700 incredibly happy children in a successful holiday giveaway and programming that has made its way to the south suburbs.
