Good afternoon, Chicago. ✶
The holidays are in full swing, but if you’re like me, the gloomy weather these last few days has made it a little challenging to get into the spirit.
That’s why I’m thankful for neighbors like the volunteers who helped decorate more than 8 miles of Dr. Martin Luther King Drive over the weekend. They banded together to spread some light and joy — something we all can always use more of.
Below, we’ve got the full story on their efforts. 👇
Plus — the community news you need to know today.
Thanks for spending a little bit of your afternoon with us.
⏱️: A 7-minute read
— Matt Moore, newsletter reporter (@MattKenMoore)
TODAY’S TOP STORY
New natural gas discounts a ‘game changer’ for Chicagoans struggling with heating bills
Reporting by Mitchell Armentrout
Help for Chicagoans: A new discount rate system is expected to help prevent more utility shut-offs in low-income neighborhoods across Chicago. The Illinois Commerce Commission on Nov. 16 ordered Peoples Gas and other utilities to implement a tiered discount rate system — the second of its kind to be introduced in the nation— by October 2024, promising to expand the pool of Chicagoans eligible for help with their heating bills.
How it will work: The new energy edict sets five tiers of discounts for households in relation to federal poverty guidelines. They range from a 5% discount for customers with a household income up to three times the federal poverty level, up to an 83% discount for those below half the level. The new discounts will apply to a customer’s entire bill, not just fixed delivery costs, as Peoples Gas pushed for in talks with regulators.
Key context: The new system was approved as part of the decision that also saw regulators cut a rate hike requested by Peoples Gas from $402 million down to about $301 million. That’s still a record-high increase — which will tack on $6 to the average monthly household bill, as estimated by consumer watchdogs — but the revamped discount rates will deliver much more help to the people who need it most, advocates say.
WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON?
- Migrant tent shelter construction halted: The state has paused construction at a Southwest Side site intended to house newly arrived migrants amid an environmental report that found toxic contaminants and heavy metals in its soil.
- Man dies months after shooting: Alex Alvarado, 19, has died more than three months after he was shot in Logan Square. He was a “wonderful son, brother and friend” who could make anyone smile and “brighten up the whole room,” his family said.
- Chicago Public Media CEO steps down: Chicago Public Media chief executive Matt Moog announced his resignation this morning from his post of three years, saying he intends to “return to my roots as a technology entrepreneur.” Chicago Public Media is the parent organization of WBEZ, Vocalo and the Sun-Times.
- NASCAR tickets on sale this week: Tickets for the 2024 NASCAR Chicago Street Race go on sale Wednesday. The race is set to run July 6-7.
- ‘The Sting’ turns 50: Released on Christmas Day 1973, “The Sting” is one of the most acclaimed, popular, enduring and exquisitely crafted blockbusters of all time, writes Sun-Times critic Richard Roeper in a salute to the classic Chicago-set film.
SUN-TIMES STAFF SUGGESTS 🛍️
Shop at AngMir-Hecho con Cariño
I spoke with my colleague, reporter Elvia Malagón, who suggests checking out AngMir-Hecho con Cariño boutique Pilsen for some shopping.
Opened this year, the store adds to a number of neighborhood shops dedicated to crafts from local artists, Elvia tells me.
Why you should go: “Walking into the small boutique feels like a celebration of Latino culture,” Elvia tells me. You’ll find shirts with messages like “Brown Girl Magic” and that you’re only interested in ‘’cafecito y chisme” and a sticker reading, “Don’t break my Mazapán,” Elvia says.
Tempting products: “I recently stopped by to buy stickers I plan to include as stocking stuffers, and I was tempted to buy myself a candle that smelled like a fresh cup of tea de canela,” Elvia tells me.
If you go: “The shop is located steps away from the CTA’s 18th Street station, and it’s participating in the Pilsen Christmas Window Walk that runs through Jan. 7.”
📍AngMir – Hecho Con Cariño, 1653 W. 18th St.
BRIGHT ONE ✨
Volunteers deck South Side homes for the holidays: ‘It just brings the whole area to life’
Reporting by Violet Miller
For a sixth year, the community group My Block, My Hood, My City decorated homes on the South Side Saturday for the holiday season.
Dozens of volunteers brightened more than 8 miles of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive — as well as other South Side stretches — with lights, inflatables, ornaments and wreaths.
The “Be A Part of the Light” effort began in 2017. Five blocks were decorated that year, according to Jahmal Cole, the group’s founder, who said doing this adds beauty, improves safety, “inspires hope and interrupts trauma.”
The volunteers gathered at Park Manor Christian Church, where they picked up 250 boxes filled with decorations.
Leon Peatry, the organization’s program manager, compared the effort to the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival that illuminates Michigan Avenue every year.
“We want to have that same vibe on the South Side,” Peatry said. “It just brings the whole area to life.”
YOUR DAILY QUESTION ☕️
What’s a Chicago holiday season tradition everyone should experience?
Email us (please include your first and last name and where you live). To see the answers to this question, check our Morning Edition newsletter. Not subscribed to Morning Edition? Sign up here so you won’t miss a thing!
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Editor: Satchel Price
Newsletter reporter: Matt Moore
Copy editor: Angie Myers
