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Good Wednesday morning, Evanston.
While nearby Viet Nom Nom and the Celtic Knot have recently closed, Mt. Everest Restaurant owner Ramakant Kharel intends to hold on. “This is my pride,” he said. (Photo by Richard Cahan)
A woman was arrested at the Evanston Public Library Tuesday after threatening a man and a safety monitor with a knife, police and library staff said. “The woman appeared to be hitting the man in the face and throwing books at him” before taking out the knife, according to a library spokesperson, who said no other patrons were nearby on the second floor. The safety monitor called 911 and the situation was “resolved relatively quickly,” police spokesperson Ryan Glew said.
More than 100 Northwestern students gathered outside Swift Hall on the Evanston campus Tuesday night to protest a speech by far-right figure James Lindsay, who has espoused anti-LGBTQ and Islamaphobic rhetoric on social media. The demonstration stayed peaceful as protesters waved Pride flags and erupted in chants of “We are here, we are queer, we’re not going back” and “Whose campus? Our campus.”
A 15-year-old girl from Chicago found dead at the Holiday Inn on Sherman Avenue Dec. 10 died of a drug overdose, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office said this week. Nyasia Jennings had a combination of heroin, cocaine and fentanyl in her system, according to the toxicology report. Evanston Police said their investigation is ongoing because people with Jennings at the hotel could face charges for possession of controlled substances in the presence of a minor.
News & Brews: Treat yourself to an evening of live music and drinks at Sketchbook Brewing on Sunday, May 7. Join us from 6 to 8 p.m. as the RoundTable celebrates 25 years serving the Evanston community. Your ticket includes two drinks and unlimited selfies with the folks who make local journalism happen!
COVID-19 by the numbers: Four new cases and no new deaths were reported on Monday, May 1, the last day the city updated case totals. The seven-day average is 3.4 cases per day. The RoundTable will discontinue daily reporting of this data when the national COVID-19 emergency ends May 11.
More RoundTable reads
The city’s post-pandemic future is looking a little brighter, according to speakers at yesterday’s Fourth Ward meeting. Residents could see new murals, public seating, unique branding and improved pedestrian infrastructure pop up around business districts over the next few years.
The inaugural Evanston is Family Strong! Fest at the Robert Crown Community Center on Saturday honored the late Dr. Marjorie Fujara, who specialized in child abuse pediatrics. Mariana Fujara-Shevick said her mother “was strong enough to see all the injuries and tears from the most innocent among us – children.”
Square dancers at the Robert Crown Community Center aren’t just following the caller, they’re staying fit to the beat. Ahead of the Aging Well Conference this week, the RoundTable checked in on a few of the ways local seniors keep active.
On Sunday night, 23 local students were honored at the annual Warren “Billy” Cherry Scholarship awards dinner. Cherry was a beloved District 65 educator, and ETHS Superintendent Marcus Campbell gave the event’s keynote speech.
“Teachers play a very important role in students’ lives. Thank goodness I had some alert, caring teachers,” columnist Peggy Tarr writes in honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, celebrated the first week of May.
Evanston author Laurie Lawlor recently published a nonfiction children’s book about environmental activism in a small Wisconsin town where volunteers turned an eight-acre lot that had once been a garbage dump into a nature trail.
Local nonprofit Evanston Scholars, which helps students access and graduate from college, is hosting its annual POMP! benefit on Saturday, May 6, with a buffet dinner at Double Clutch Brewing Company. Tickets are $150.
Picturing Evanston: Mighty words/mighty small type on a light pole at Custer Avenue north of Washington Street. (Photo by Joerg Metzner)
Photos from our readers
Mike Roche spotted a male downey woodpecker during the first Canal Shores Bird Walk of the season, led by Matt Rooney. Send your photos to news@evanstonroundtable.com for a chance to be included in this newsletter.
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Around the web
Fight or flight: Evanston’s small businesses struggle to survive in the post-COVID economy. More than 30 have shut their doors since March 2020, and many still open face daunting challenges.
Three Northwestern students named reparations interns for Evanston. They are expected to provide research assistance to the city Reparations Committee by interviewing residents and diving into Evanston’s archives.
Expired food, infections, infestations reported at Chicago police stations serving as makeshift shelters for immigrants. With more migrants expected to be bused from Texas this week, temporary shelters are hitting a breaking point.
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