Good Thursday morning, Evanston.
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Weather Advisory for parts of the Chicago area, including Evanston, through 9 p.m. The Weather Service forecasts temperatures falling to around 23 degrees by 5 p.m., with total daytime snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches possible.
Evanston City Council members narrowly agreed to allocate $200,000 in federal American Recovery Plan Act funds to launch a workforce program designed to create a pipeline between Evanston residents and health care jobs.
The city’s contribution matches a $200,000 contribution from NorthShore University HealthSystem. The vote was 5-4 to approve the funds; some council members expressed reservations about allocating money without a clearer plan for the city’s $43.1 million in ARPA funds.
New District 65 financial projections predict smaller-than-expected operating deficits for the school district; the deficits are expected to grow from $757,000 in school year 2022-23 (fiscal year 2023) to $12.4 million in fiscal year 2027.
Those latest projections paint a rosier picture than numbers presented in September 2021. The main reason is higher revenue, as inflation allows District 65 to raise property taxes. One major item not addressed: how to align staffing with a decrease in student enrollment.
COVID-19 by the numbers: 19 cases were reported on Tuesday, Feb. 15, the last day the city updated case totals. The seven-day average is 18 cases per day.
Elsewhere on the RoundTable website
At this time: Wednesday at 2:11 p.m. CloseKnit Yarn Store, a community of hat, sweater and blanket makers, is closing soon. The shop at 1630 Orrington Ave. was a destination for people who learned knitting and crocheting and savored time with owner Lucie Sinkler. “It’s going to be hard for a lot of us,” says manager Christine Ross, using (attention, vocabulary buffs) a “swift” to wind a “hank” of yarn into a ball. (Photo by Richard Cahan)
Evanston officials discuss setting up ‘one-stop shop’ to address housing needs. One big challenge: The city’s Housing and Community Development Committee isn’t aware of any other city with a similar program to use as a model.
A sinuous sculpture and kinetic metal ‘wall’ enliven public park at the Albion. Where Tommy Nevin’s Pub once was located, sculptor and mosaic artist Anna Soltys’ latest sculpture now stands, just south of the Albion Evanston high-rise at 1500 Sherman Ave., pictured above.
Peggy Tarr: Civil and Right. During Black History Month, our columnist reflects on the impact the Civil Rights Act of 1964 has had on her own life.
Music school may get to play on, as city panel backs its land plan. The Design and Project Review Committee has conditionally supported a revised plan that, if passed by the City Council, might allow Jim Tullio’s Butcher Boy School of Music Production to stay open.
National journalists weigh in on representation in newsrooms. Earlier this month, media executives from major outlets joined a virtual panel as part of the capstone event for the yearlong celebration of the 100th birthday of Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism.
Rank and File | ETHS takes third at state chess finals. The Evanston Township High School Chess team won a hard-to-get Illinois High School Association state trophy by finishing in third place out of 126 teams, at the State Chess Finals held last weekend in Peoria.
Registration now open for Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program Job Fair. For more than 20 years the program has provided skills and workforce opportunities for thousands of Evanston at-risk youth ages 14 to 18.
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Around the web
A new life for old things: Sustainable action at the Evanston Repair Cafe. Over the weekend, Evanston Repair Cafe founder Beatriz Echeverria and Citizens’ Greener Evanston hosted a free event for local residents to work with volunteers to fix old devices.
Skokie designates Old Orchard Mall as a business district, clearing way for extra 1% sales tax. It could soon cost you a little more to shop at Westfield Old Orchard Mall.
Everything you need to know about Cook County judicial elections. Check out this helpful guide from Injustice Watch, a Chicago nonprofit investigative journalism outlet, on how elections for judges across Cook County work.
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