Local News
Cook County Confirms Another Measles Case
Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH) has confirmed the third suburban Cook County measles case this year. The case was identified in a suburban Cook County adult whose vaccination status is unknown. Public health officials believe the case was acquired from exposure to the last reported measles case announced on 9/16/2025. CCDPH is working to identify and notify people who may have been exposed to this new case.
Giannoulias Launches Self-Service Emissions Testing Kiosk at Chicago South DMV
Chicagoans now have a new city-based option for getting their vehicle’s emissions test completed. Following the success of the vehicle emissions Mobile Testing Unit pilot at the Chicago South DMV, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias moved forward with installation of a permanent emissions testing self-service kiosk at the facility. This is in partnership with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA).
Landmarks Illinois awards $43,000 in grant funding to preservation efforts across Illinois
Landmarks Illinois has awarded $43,000 in grant funding to 10 preservation projects across the state through three grant programs: the Preservation Heritage Fund, Barbara C. and Thomas E. Donnelley II Preservation Fund for Illinois and the Timuel D. Black, Jr. Grant Fund for Chicago’s South Side.
NATIONAL ROAD SAFETY FOUNDATION AND CHICAGO AUTO SHOW INVITE TEENS TO CREATE SCRIPT FOR TV PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGE ABOUT DANGERS OF SPEEDING
Teens from Chicagoland and throughout Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Iowa are invited to help promote safe driving by creating a message about the dangers of speeding.
New PBS documentary highlights enduring legacy and evolving future of HBCUs
A new documentary, Opportunity, Access & Uplift: The Evolving Legacy of HBCUs, hosted by journalist Brandis Griffith Friedman, is now airing nationwide on more than 300 PBS member stations and online throughout the country. This documentary is funded by Lumina Foundation.
Richard J. Daley College to Offer Aquatics Classes Through its Continuing Education Department
Richard J. Daley College is pleased to announce that Chicagoans can dive into the fun with its Aquatic program, that will be opening to the public through its Office of Continuing Education starting on Tuesday, Oct. 14, so register today!
Gov. Pritzker Issues Executive Order to Protect Life-Saving Immunization Access for Illinoisans
Governor JB Pritzker signed Executive Order 2025-04 launching a statewide effort to protect vaccine access during the fall respiratory virus season.
Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller Convenes Third Hearing to Examine Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Rates in Cook County
Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller convened a hearing of the Cook County Board’s Health and Hospitals Committee to hear from stakeholders about ways Illinois can better protect women during and after pregnancy and childbirth. In June 2023, Commissioner Miller held the first hearing on the topic after reports showed that in 2020, Illinois had a maternal mortality rate of 23 deaths per 100,000 live births, and for Black women, that rate was six times higher — surpassing the national average. Although the Illinois Department of Public Health noted an improvement in 2024, with Black women being three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related conditions than white women, the disparity remains alarming.
2023 Data Shows Life Expectancy Nearing Pre-Pandemic Levels, CDPH Reports
New data from the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) highlights a third consecutive year of growth in life expectancy for Chicagoans, reaching 78.7 years in 2023. This marks an increase of 1.5 years since 2022, when life expectancy was 77.2 years. The latest data brings the city close to its pre-pandemic peak of 78.8 years in 2019, which was the highest life expectancy ever recorded in Chicago.
Giannoulias Awards Over $28 Million in Library and Literacy Grants
Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian Alexi Giannoulias awarded $28.3 million for library services and literacy programs throughout the state.
Poetry Foundation Announces 2025 Recipients of the 21st Annual Pegasus Awards
The Poetry Foundation is proud to announce the recipients of the 2025 Pegasus Awards, a suite of literary prizes established by the Foundation in 2004
The Protege Project Awarded $199,712 ICJIA Grant to Reduce Violence and Empower Chicago Youth
The Protege Project, a leading Chicago-based nonprofit focused on youth empowerment and violence prevention, has been awarded a $199,712 grant through the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority's Community-Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Program (CB-VIP).
CHICAGO URBAN LEAGUE TO HOST 64TH ANNUAL GOLDEN FELLOWSHIP DINNER
The Chicago Urban League announced that its 64th Annual Golden Fellowship Dinner (GFD) will feature a special performance by Grammy Award-winning artist Ledisi and will honor distinguished leaders George E. Johnson and Julieanna L. Richardson. The gala will be held Saturday, Nov. 8, in the Skyline Ballroom at McCormick Place.
Chicago Residents Rally as Men Wear Pink Ambassadors for the American Cancer Society
The Men Wear Pink of Greater Chicagoland has announced its ambassadors for 2025. 45 leaders from community will join together with the American Cancer Society to raise funds to support breast cancer research, patient programs, and direct services.
