Downtown update: New program hopes to revitalize small businesses
City council will soon vote on hiring a graphic design firm to build a website and logo for Evanston’s brand new Legacy Business Program, working group member and Preservation Commissioner Carl Klein said Thursday night. In the coming months and years, that program could help distribute grant…
Rats, safety dominate Eighth Ward community meeting
Rats, trash and safety dominated discussion at the Eighth Ward’s community meeting Thursday, Jan. 26, in which residents packed the…
Evanston moves up to medium Covid risk, Cook County stays at medium
The seven-day average of new Covid cases in Evanston was 13.9 on Jan. 25, up from 11.6 in the prior…
Red, Purple and Yellow Line service delayed at Howard
The CTA announced Thursday night that Red, Yellow and Purple Line trains were delayed or suspended due to track conditions…
Clark Street closed between Orrington and Sherman avenues Jan. 30–Feb. 2
Power Construction will be conducting crane lift activities on Clark Street between Orrington Avenue and Sherman Avenue beginning January 30.…
RECENT CITY NEWS POSTS
MORE CITY NEWS POSTS
Second ward weighs Ryan Field and redistricting
The proposed redevelopment of Northwestern University’s Ryan Field was the main topic of the discussion at the Second Ward meeting Tuesday, Jan. 24, with school officials dominating the conversation. “We feel that this project is going to provide generational benefits for individuals from Howard Street all the way to Isabella [Street],” said Dave Davis, executive director of neighborhood and community relations at Northwestern. About 40 people attended the nearly three-hour long virtual meeting,…
Biss joins leaders nationwide in analysis of guns used in local crimes
Submitted by the City of Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss and 30 other members of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, a nonpartisan coalition of current and former mayors that is part of Everytown for Gun Safety, have released new data about the manufacturers of guns recovered in local crimes. The data, compiled in a report, “Who is Manufacturing Crime Guns?,” highlights the gun industry’s role in supplying and profiting from guns used to commit crimes.…
City OKs police access to ETHS security cameras; ETHS board to vote next
At its Feb. 6 meeting, the Evanston Township High School board will consider granting the Evanston Police Department access to its surveillance camera footage in the event of an emergency. The move would amend a 2019 intergovernmental agreement between the school district and the city designed “to share public safety resources to better serve the community.” City council already approved its side of the amendment at a meeting Monday, Jan. 23. According to…
Evanston Police: Woman fights off attempted kidnapping by masked offenders
From the Evanston Police Department On Monday, Jan. 23, at approximately 4 p.m. Evanston Police responded to an attempted kidnapping that took place in the 1200 block of Fowler Avenue. Officers met with the victim, an 18-year-old female resident of Evanston, at her place of employment in the 2400 block of Main Street. Officers interviewed the victim and she provided them the following account: Approximately 20 minutes earlier the victim was walking southbound…
Firefighter/Paramedic Joseph Moskal retires after 34 years of service
After more than 34 years of dedicated service, Firefighter/Paramedic Joseph Moskal retired on January 19. Moskal began his career in Evanston as a firefighter on August 15, 1988.
City Council holds cashless ban for additional review
An ordinance banning businesses from not accepting cash collected support from the Human Services Committee as well as Health and Human Services Director Ike Ogbo. But even with that support, once it got to the City Council floor Monday, Jan. 23, it fell short. Instead, the council sent the proposed ordinance to the Equity and Empowerment Commission and the Economic Development Committee for further review. “As much as I agree with the underlying…
Evanston police get major pay boost under new contracts
Evanston police have seen a drain in manpower in recent years with the department down by more than 30 officers at one point, including a number exiting for better paying jobs in neighboring suburbs. Evanston City Council members took a major step to address that problem at their meeting Monday, Jan. 23, voting unanimously to approve new pay packages and longevity bonuses for the department’s sergeants and patrol officers. Eighth Ward City Council…
City drawing up lease for Jens Jensen group to handle grounds upkeep at Harley Clarke
Editor’s note: This story has been changed from the original to reflect several corrections. Members of a city committee are moving forward on a proposal for the city to award a 40-year lease to the Jens Jensen Gardens in Evanston for exclusive rights to manage the coach house and grounds surrounding the Harley Clarke mansion, at 2603 Sheridan Rd. City Council Administration & Public Works Committee members voted 4-1 at their Jan. 23…
Revising city cannabis, alcohol ordinance delayed to Feb. 13
Editor’s note: This article has been revised for clarity. The proposal to amend the alcohol and cannabis possession ordinance will be reviewed a third time on Feb. 13. The proposal to loosen the city’s alcohol and cannabis possession ordinance was amended due to an objection by the Evanston Police Department. The City Council will review the proposal again at its Feb. 13 meeting. Eighth Ward Council Member Devon Reid’s proposal amends City Code 9-5-10. If…
Harley Clarke mansion lease ‘built on quicksand’
After a tumultuous city Administration and Public Works Committee meeting earlier this month, the board members of the Artists Book House “looked at each other and said, ‘We need a board meeting,’ ” explained Audrey Niffenegger, the group’s founder and president in an interview last week. Two days later, the group told the city via Council Member Eleanor Revelle, in whose Seventh Ward the mansion and grounds are located, that it would not be continuing…
Police announce steering wheel lock give away for Hyundai vehicle owners
In an effort to combat rising Hyundai vehicle thefts, the Evanston Police Department, in partnership with Hyundai Motor America, will be giving away free steering wheel locks to Evanston community members that own or lease a Hyundai that was manufactured prior to 2021.
Proposal would ease city cannabis, alcohol ordinances – just a bit
The Evanston City Council is set to debate loosening the city’s ordinance regarding alcohol and marijuana possession during its meeting Monday, Jan. 23. Fifth and Eighth Ward Council Members Bobby Burns and Devon Reid are pushing to have the ordinance be no stricter than Illinois state law concerning possession of open containers. For the most part, the Evanston Police Department is on board. The city currently bundles its possession and consumption laws for…
Evanston Dog Beach opening planned for March
The city’s Parks & Recreation Department, Public Works Agency and Facilities Management Division have been working toward reopening the Evanston Dog Beach in 2023 following several years of high Lake Michigan water levels. The City tentatively plans to reopen the dog beach for public use on March 1, if weather and conditions permit.
Covid update: Evanston community risk ‘low,’ Cook County ‘medium’
In Illinois, the seven-day average of new Covid cases was 10,967 on Jan. 15, the most recent day for which data is available on the Illinois Department of Public Health’s website. This is down from 16,602 in the prior week, or a 34% decline. IDPH no longer reports the number of new Covid cases on a daily basis, but has shifted to providing weekly data once a week. In Evanston, the seven-day average of…
No exception to library firearms ban, director says
In an apparent rebuke to the off-duty officer who drew his gun on a homeless man in the Evanston Public Library earlier this month, the top library official said there’s no exception to the prohibition against firearms for anyone working there as a safety monitor.
Evanston lottery winner still a mystery
Someone who stopped into the 7-Eleven at 847 N. Dodge Ave. last week and bought a lottery ticket is a newly minted millionaire. While all eyes were on Maine, as one person there won the massive $1.3 billion Mega Millions jackpot Friday, Jan. 13, an Evanston buyer matched all five numbers to win the second top prize in the Mega Millions contest, the Illinois State Lottery announced. The winner has not yet been…
City panel backs $4 million for affordable housing project
The city’s Housing & Community Development Committee on Tuesday, Jan. 17, recommended providing $4 million in gap financing to a non-profit developer partnering with a local church to create 44 affordable housing units at 1805-15 Church St., just east of Dodge Avenue. Committee members voted unanimously at their meeting in favor of the financing for the Housing Opportunity Development Corporation (HODC), using a combination of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and affordable-housing funds. The…
Loading…
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.