ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Displayed in a wicker chair on the front porch of Ben Johnson’s boyhood home, atop a hill 15 minutes southeast of downtown, is a framed sign with North Carolina Tar Heels logos that reads, “Whatever It Takes.” It represents what the region the new Chicago Bears coach hails from is going through: cleanup and rebuilding from the devastating aftermath of … [Read more...] about ‘He’s the smartest football mind in the room’: How Ben Johnson’s background shaped the Chicago Bears coach’s rise
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Landmarks: Potential church closure could put Park Forest history at risk
They had to move everything — the old photographs and books, collections of dolls and games, including one celebrating the television show “Leave it to Beaver,” the furniture, and yes, even the kitchen sink. In fact, the last time the Park Forest 1950s House Museum moved, in 2015, the entire kitchen went along. “They let us take the kitchen because they wanted it out,” said … [Read more...] about Landmarks: Potential church closure could put Park Forest history at risk
Reblooming amaryllis requires patience
How difficult is it to get an amaryllis to flower again at home? — Beth Lavin, Chicago Most gardeners compost their amaryllis once it finishes flowering, but I’ve had success getting mine to rebloom in a container with the right growing medium. It does require patience, as it can take several months, including a period of dormancy, before the bulb has enough energy to produce … [Read more...] about Reblooming amaryllis requires patience
A Chicagoan’s journey through incarceration, deportation and the fight for ‘A New Path’
Erick vividly remembers stepping off a plane at the Texas-Mexico border, shackled, when he was deported in 2013. The group he was with was marched single-file across the border to Matamoros, Mexico, to a bus terminal, which he said was just sandbags and barbed wire. Though Erick was familiar with gangs in Chicago, he said he had no familiarity with what group violence looked … [Read more...] about A Chicagoan’s journey through incarceration, deportation and the fight for ‘A New Path’
Today in Chicago History: WGN morning host Bob Collins killed in midair collision
Here’s a look back at what happened in the Chicago area on Feb. 8, according to the Tribune’s archives. Is an important event missing from this date? Email us. Weather records (from the National Weather Service, Chicago) High temperature: 62 degrees (1925) Low temperature: Minus 17 degrees (1899) Precipitation: 1.1 inches (1887) Snowfall: 3.9 inches (2021) 1921: Medill School … [Read more...] about Today in Chicago History: WGN morning host Bob Collins killed in midair collision