Good Tuesday morning, Evanston.
Ninth Ward Council member Cicely Fleming announced she will step down from her seat effective with the selection of the City Manager next month.
Fleming delivered her stunning announcement during Call of the Wards, at the end of the Dec. 20 Council meeting, saying the recent death of her mother, Marsha Cole, a much-praised senior housing advocate, was a deciding factor in her decision.
On Friday, Dec. 17, new cases of COVID-19 reported in Evanston hit a record high, with the city reporting 161 positive tests and two deaths.
According to a Monday afternoon community notice from the city Health and Human Services Department, the seven-day rolling average of new daily COVID-19 positives in Evanston is now 93.57, compared with an average of 28.14 new cases per day just one week ago.
Reflecting this high level of community transmission, cases have also increased substantially in Evanston public schools. Evanston Township High School reported a record 129 new cases among students for the week ending Dec. 17.
At This Time: 12:48 p.m., Monday Dec. 20. Moving day. Carlos Martinez hands a piece of outdoor sculpture to Juan Blancas as they help a new Evanston family move into their home on Maple near Crain.
Congratulations to the raffle winners of two tickets to a Northlight Theatre production. Enjoy the show – Jill, Pam, Steven, Maria, Robert, Chie, Timothy, Kristin, Susan, Amanda, Martha, Evelyn, Ann, Vicky, Christine and Steven. Thank you for your support of the Evanston RoundTable.
This week’s raffle is a $100 gift certificate to The Barn Steakhouse and a gift certificate for a pound of chocolates and novelties from Belgian Chocolatier Píron. Join the more than 600 readers who have made a gift during our fall fundraising campaign.
In the United States, 25% of newspapers have ceased operation, and 2,000 community newspapers have closed in the past 15 years. The vacuum created when local journalism declines poses a serious threat to democracy. Our democracy relies on a free press to educate the public.
Through year-end, your donation to the RoundTable will be matched through commitments from national and local partners.
Elsewhere on the RoundTable website
Corky Siegel and Lynne Jordan perform at virtual Jamming Jean Concert. Local harmonica legend Corky Siegel, jazz and blues singing sensation Lynne Jordan and Grammy-nominated, Emmy-award winning musical director John Anderson entertained a virtual crowd of nearly 400 attendees.
This week in photos. Last week’s storm brought strong winds that tore up some large trees, including the one pictured above. Mike Roche snapped these pictures just south of Foster on Sherman Ave.
Northwestern pays for new Evanston fire engine with $800,000 donation. The City of Evanston and the Evanston Fire Department announced that Northwestern University has donated $800,000 to the city to fund the purchase of a new fire engine.
Here comes Santa Claws! Thinking about a hairy, four-legged bundle of joy as a memorable, long-lasting gift? Go for it. However, here are a few things to consider before signing up for a dog.
Les Jacobson: What we know about Evanston. Go ahead and make fun of us. Evanston is still one of the best towns around, and here’s why.
Around the web
Wave of closures for Chicago restaurants, bars amid COVID-19 spike puts industry on edge: ‘This was an absolute rug pull.’ The dark days of the COVID-19 pandemic have arrived for Chicago’s bars and restaurants once again.
America Is Not Ready for Omicron. The new variant poses a far graver threat at the collective level than the individual one—the kind of test that the U.S. has repeatedly failed.
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