Old Town

Ray Tate, musician who ran Old Town School of Folk Music and taught John Prine guitar, dies at 86

Mr. Tate helped thousands of students reach their goals — whether it was becoming a professional, making music on the living room couch with friends, or playing alone after a day of work.

By Mitch Dudek

Crime

4 wounded in shooting near Clark and Division streets

Police were seeking a gunman who fled in black car after the attack late Sunday in the 100 block of West Division Street, police said.

By Allison Novelo

Eric Lee, an artist from Ukrainian Village, painted this mural of Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner, on a building at 1290 N. Clybourn in Old Town in June.

In Old Town mural, artist Eric Lee captures Wile E. Coyote’s futile pursuit of the Road Runner

By Sun-Times staff

Exterior of the McDonald’s headquarters building in Chicago’s Fulton Market district.

City Hall

No honeymoon for Brandon Johnson — at least not with Fulton Market Association

Just as the new mayor settled into his first full workday at City Hall, Fulton Market restaurant owners and business and community leaders were making demands.

By Fran Spielman

Ald. Timmy Knudsen (left) and challenger Brian Comer participate in a 43rd Ward candidate forum at Lincoln Park High School last month.

Elections

Lightfoot put Knudsen in 43rd Ward seat — and into runoff against challenger Comer

Five months after a City Council appointment from Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Ald. Timmy Knudsen only got about a quarter of the vote in February. Now he’s lining up other Democratic support to survive a runoff with Brian Comer.

By Mitchell Armentrout

Lisa Davis (right), a pickleball player who started a petition to retain and expand pickle ball hours, stands beside Leslie Miller, who started a petition to remove the courts, at Bauler (Mathias) Park, which also has a playground, in the Old Town neighborhood, Wednesday, March 1, 2023.

Lincoln Park

Dispute heats up between pickleball players and parents and kids at North Side park

Exactly who gets to use the concrete slab at Bauler Park — and when — has become the source of “elevated emotions.”

By Mitch Dudek

A photo of architect Edgar Miller inside Glasner Studio, 1734 Wells St., a private apartment completed in 1932 that’s considered Miller’s masterwork.

Art

The Glasner Studio, a true Chicago gem

“It’s beautifully intact,” said Tim Samuelson, Chicago Cultural Historian emeritus. Edgar Miller “worked on it over a long period of time, so it’s like a museum of his development.”

By Bob Chiarito | Special to the Sun-Times

Zac Bleicher stands for a portrait in one of the many intricately designed rooms at a condo designed by famed artist/architect Edgar Miller , Tuesday, December 20, 2022.

Chicago

Legal dispute keeps Chicago treasure off limits to art lovers

At issue is an Old Town condominium known as the Glasner Studio, once a party house for industrialist Rudolph Glasner. From 1928 to 1932, it was a colony where artists would stay in exchange for working to rehab the building.

By Bob Chiarito | Special to the Sun-Times

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Crime

Video shows Chicago cop fatally shooting man who fired gun during chase in Old Town

Video shows no police aid being given to Antonio Calmese Jr., 20, killed Oct. 2 in the 400 block of West Blackhawk Street after he fired at a police officer.

By Kade Heather

Los robos ocurrieron entre las 7:20 y las 8:20 a.m. el jueves, según la policía. | Archivos Sun-Times

Crime

Officials ID man shot and killed at Hotel Lincoln rooftop bar

Cordayl Allen, 35, was involved in a fight about 1:20 a.m. at the lounge in the 1800 block of North Clark Street when he was shot in the chest, police said.

By Sun-Times Wire

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News

Man fatally shot in Old Town

Garvis Jones was found with a gunshot wound in the chest in 1300 block of North Hudson Avenue, police said.

By Sun-Times Wire

City Hall

Ald. Michele Smith to resign City Council seat Aug. 12

The decision by the Lincoln Park alderperson gives Mayor Lori Lightfoot the rare chance for a third appointment to the Council. Lightfoot already has replaced Patrick Daley Thompson, forced to resign after a federal conviction, and Michael Scott Jr., who left for a private sector job.

By Fran Spielman

A 14-year-old boy was among two wounded in a shooting June 4, 2022 on the Near North Side.

Crime

Boy, 14, among 2 wounded in Old Town shooting

The teen was with a 23-year-old man in the 1300 block of North Hudson Avenue about 2:30 a.m. when they were struck by gunfire.

By Sun-Times Wire

Patricia Dillon, who has been pushing church officials to ban a homeless man from St. Michael’s in Old Town after he was convicted of attacking a woman there in 2018.

The Watchdogs

Parishioner keeps fighting to get Old Town’s St. Michael’s to ban homeless man who attacked woman in church

After Donald F. Johnson’s conviction, a judge ordered him to stay away for two years. But then he returned. Fighting to ban him, attorney Patricia Dillon says he threatened her.

By Robert Herguth

Roger Romanelli, the Chicago Restaurants Coalition coordinator, at news conference on Jan. 12, 2021.

City Hall

Possible indoor vaccine mandate faces flak from city restaurant group

The plea against an indoor vaccine mandate is in response to a letter eight aldermen sent to the city health commissioner, urging her to require proof of vaccination for entrance to some gathering spots, such as restaurants, bars, gyms and theaters.

By Jason Beeferman

A Chicago police procession drives by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office early Sunday morning, Aug. 8, 2021. The procession was in honor of Officer Ella French, who was shot and killed during a traffic stop in West Englewood Saturday night.

Crime

Suspect in killing of Officer Ella French was out of jail despite being charged in April with serious hit-and-run while on probation for robbery

Authorities had sought to find him in violation of his probation, but a hearing that could have put him in jail was not scheduled until Aug. 10 — three days after French was killed.

By Emmanuel Camarillo and Matthew Hendrickson

A woman browses the site of US home sharing giant Airbnb on a tablet.

City Hall

Home-sharing crackdown delayed for two-months

A city officials told aldermen that the city needs more time to develop and test a system that will make the city the “point of intake for registration applications.”

By Fran Spielman

News

Woman, 19, missing from Old Town

By Sun-Times Wire

Seven people were killed including five children in a crash July 31, 2022 in McHenry County.

Crime

Pair sought in string of carjackings, thefts in Rogers Park, Lake View, Old Town: police

The men allegedly stole a vehicle and used it to commit other carjackings and purse thefts in several North Side neighborhoods and South Loop.

By Sun-Times Wire

A taxi driver shot a man attempting to carjack him Mar. 24, 2022, in Austin.

Crime

Burglar hits 3 apartments in Old Town, Near North: police

The man forced his way into the apartments, police say.

By Sun-Times Wire