Trump’s Justice Department announced it is sending roughly 1,000 election monitors and observers to all 50 states, listing Chicago among Illinois locations. Chicago Lawyers’ Committee volunteers and ICIRR’s hotline are prepared to assist voters and report suspected intimidation or ICE sightings.
Formal objections have been lodged against the nominating petitions of Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and several rivals seeking the Feb. 23 mayoral ballot. Rickey Hendon challenged Johnson's submission of over 30,000 signatures, alleging most are invalid, as candidates must meet a 12,500-valid-signature threshold.
Chicago's 35th Magnificent Mile Lights Festival and Parade is set for Nov. 21, with Neon Trees, Michael James Scott and Thelma Houston headlining. Organizers plan about 40 floats, fireworks and one million lights along North Michigan Avenue.
Christopher “Mister” Festa said he will produce and lead the TBOX bar crawl in Wrigleyville for the last time in 2026, its 30th year. The Dec. 12 event, which organizers say has drawn more than 250,000 participants, has raised more than $370,000 for local charities over three decades.
Chicago school board member Carlos Rivas is facing criticism days before the election over a 2018 disciplinary notice from UIC College Prep that cited unwanted touching of a colleague and intoxication at a work event. Rivas said he took responsibility for the incident and is seeking reelection in District 3b.
Chicago plans $2 million in city funds for Cameron Elementary School's play space in Humboldt Park and $900,000 for pedestrian safety changes at the Division, Grand and Monticello intersection. Work is scheduled to start in 2027.
Chicago added eight library branches to its free food-scrap drop-off program, raising the total to 40 sites. The Streets and Sanitation initiative has diverted roughly 2.4 million pounds from landfills and serves more than 9,500 households.
Howard Brown Health will convert about 10,500 square feet at its Clark Street clinic in Rogers Park into exam rooms, behavioral health space and a larger lab. The project, expected to cost over $5 million, is slated to start construction in spring 2027 and could expand annual capacity by roughly 2,400 patients.
Chicago officials broke ground Friday on a 64-unit affordable housing project at 3959 N. Lincoln Ave. in North Center for domestic violence survivors. The Brinshore Development and Apna Ghar partnership is expected to cost about $60 million and take 20 months.
The Logan Theatre in Chicago's Logan Square removed its vertical neon sign last week for repairs and energy-efficiency upgrades, with ownership expecting it to be relit along Milwaukee Avenue by mid-November. The marquee remains operating while the historic 1915 cinema undergoes the signage refurbishment.
Nitro Nostalgia, a Bronzeville ice cream and board game café, won $15,000 in the South Side Pitch competition and plans to use the prize for mobile refrigeration and eventually a food truck. The father-and-daughter-owned shop also aims to sustain winter payroll and raise local awareness.
Chicago breweries are rolling out their annual barrel-aged stouts, including Goose Island’s Bourbon County releases on Black Friday and Revolution’s Deth’s Tar lineup. Half Acre, Maplewood and Old Irving also have seasonal imperial stout releases.
Café Jon and Galleria has opened in Pilsen inside the former Ruben’s Auto Service, combining a coffee shop, gallery and event space. The project is a collaboration between mechanic and artist Ruben Mandujano and Jon Basíl Tequila founders Uduimoh Umolu and Bellal Taher.
Chicago is forecast to see a wet, gloomy first week of November, with rain chances through Friday after one of its sunniest and driest Octobers. National Weather Service meteorologist Todd Kluber says temperatures should stay above normal, possibly influenced by a record El Niño pattern.
The Archdiocese of Chicago removed Rev. Samson Mukundi as pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in McKinley Park after receiving an allegation concerning boundary violations and inappropriate physical contact with an adult, Cardinal Blase Cupich wrote to parishioners. Mukundi will undergo a period of evaluation and is barred from public ministry while Rev. Deogratias Mbonyumugenzi administers the parish during the investigation.
DJ Sam Chatman, a West Side native credited with naming Chicago steppin’, died at 85, his family said. Visitation and funeral services are set for Nov. 6 and 7, followed by a steppers repast in Dolton.
A non-binding referendum on Chicago's midterm ballot asks whether the city should create permanent festival grounds, modeled on Milwaukee's Henry Maier Festival Park. Supporters cite park damage from events like Riot Fest, while some residents fear festivals would lose their neighborhood character.
A new Wicker Park post office branch at 1520 N. Damen Ave. is expected to open the first week of December, nearly two years after the neighborhood's Ashland Avenue location closed over an expired lease. Residents have had to travel elsewhere for mail and shipping services.
Open Books will close its West Loop store on Nov. 8, citing falling foot traffic, higher operating costs and CTA construction and a Lake Street closure. All books are half off until then, and a curated selection will move to the Pilsen shop, which becomes its only remaining bookstore.
The Six Corners Association, a nonprofit that has promoted the Portage Park business district since 2002, will close at year's end. Its managing director says other neighborhood groups now do the work, and that losing taxing-district funding made continuing hard.
