As we head into the weekend, we bring you news of COVID-19 and our holiday countdown. Solstice candle-making kits will be available at the Library, and the Evanston Children’s Choir will be virtual this year. COVID-19 relief money has made its way to many Evanston businesses and nonprofits, and the Governor and IDPH summarized the State’s vaccination plan. Finally, the RoundTable invites everyone to join the masked brigade – send us a photo of yourself or someone else wearing a mask to protect the welfare of the community. Click on the headlines below to read the full story.

Dec. 1  Gov. Pritzker said the first priority would be to vaccinate health care workers and then residents and staff in long-term care facilities. He said as soon as the CDC is able to deliver its recommendations about priority, “we'll be able to take that into consideration in the way that we prioritize how the vaccines will be distributed across Illinois.”

Most of today’s stories are about trying to fix things: When the Black Lives Matter sign at Northminster Church was damaged over the weekend, neighbors and the faith community reacted with shock and support. The City is looking to get more food more efficiently to those who need it – with more pop-up pantries. A buyback at a local church could get more guns off the street. But in an annual survey District 65’s scores decreased in 19 out of 20 subcategories relevant to school success. Click on the headline to read the full story.

Patronizing the shops and restaurants here in Evanston this year is crucial not just to the owners and employees but to the community as a whole. Northwestern’s is one of several institutions across the country to acknowledge that Native Americans first occupied their present site. COVID-19 figures in most of today’s other stories:  A local doctor is participating in a COVID-19 vaccination trial; a local pastor responds to a recent Supreme Court ruling; and the case numbers have abated, at least for today. Click on the headline to read the full story.