Lomelok, a 15-month-old lion cub, relaxes in his outdoor enclosure Tuesday at Lincoln Park Zoo. Zubaer Khan/Sun-Times Looking at the four lion cubs romping around their exhibit at Lincoln Park Zoo on Tuesday, it might have appeared to be any regular day. And that's what their veterinarians hoped for — nothing out of the ordinary. But it was a big day. One of the 15-month-old lion cubs, Lomelok, was reintroduced to the outdoor exhibit as part of his recovery from spinal surgery March 5. Lomelok was born with an abnormality in his lower spine, affecting his movement and activity in his bac ..read more

A cloud of dust spread over the Little Village neighborhood when the Crawford coal plant smokestack was imploded Easter weekend in 2020. Tyler LaRiviere/Sun-Times Thousands of Little Village residents are eligible for payments after a federal judge approved a more than $12 million class-action settlement Monday for the botched implosion at a former coal plant that left the community blanketed in dust in 2020. Hilco Redevelopment and its subcontractors consented to the settlement, which will thwart potential future lawsuits from those residents covered by the agreement. Planning for the i ..read more

Lithuanian National Cemetery manager Leonas Putrius stands near green burial graves at the cemetery in Justice. Paul Beaty/For the Sun-Times Before Ruth Laskowski died of skin cancer, she asked to be buried as naturally as possible. She wanted an environmentally-friendly “green" burial that skips a conventional vault and metal casket, which don’t biodegrade. Most importantly, she wanted to avoid embalming chemicals that include formaldehyde. “She didn't want her body filled with a chemical that would preserve her,” said her husband, Erwin. “She just wanted to be in the ground and for us ..read more

The Burnham Prairie wetland in south suburban Burnham is protected because it is in the Cook County Forest Preserves, but other critical wetlands in Illinois have lost their protections because of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year. Provided In Illinois, certain wetlands are at risk. The Legislature has an opportunity to protect them, and it should. Wetlands store carbon; provide habitat for endangered species; reduce flooding and erosion; and improve water quality by filtering pollution. Wetlands also stockpile nutrients that nurture plants and animals, and they recharge layers of gr ..read more

A woman shields herself from the rain as she crosses North Wabash Avenue near East Washington Street in the Loop as rain falls across the Chicagoland area on Feb. 22, 2023. Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times Light to moderate showers will move through Chicago on Thursday evening and into Friday. Showers and gusty winds will begin to pick up about 6 p.m. and are expected to last until midnight, according to meteorologist Zachary Wack with the National Weather Service. The rain caused the Cubs game against the Marlins on Thursday at Wrigley Field to be postponed. The Cubs will play a double ..read more

Cherry trees sprout green leaves but no blossoms Thursday in Jackson Park. Sun-Times Staff Cherry trees in Chicago will not bloom this spring due to erratic weather. The Chicago Park District said the cold and wet weather in April kept the buds of 190 cherry blossom trees at Jackson Park, 6401 S. Stony Island Ave., from fully opening for the second consecutive year. Some buds opened during warmer days earlier this month, but the weather quickly turned and was followed by strong winds and snow that caused the petals to fall from the trees, park officials said. Related Will Chicago area ..read more

Chicago birdwatchers are seeing some species of birds arriving earlier this year, bird experts say. Manuel Martinez/WBEZ Chicagoans may notice robins coming in earlier this year. Weather fluctuations shape the migration of certain bird species in the Chicago area, experts say. As the spring warms up earlier, some species are arriving earlier, while others may struggle to keep up with changing weather conditions. Temperatures in March were six degrees above normal, according to the National Weather Service. “On average, a lot of these species are arriving four or five days earlier than th ..read more

Chicago’s new buildings department chief and other city officials were warned of possible dangers months before the botched 2020 implosion of the Crawford smokestack in Little Village. Alejandro Reyes The City Council on Wednesday approved Mayor Brandon Johnson’s pick to run the Department of Buildings, an official who was previously found to be negligent for her role overseeing the botched implosion that covered Little Village in dust four years ago. Marlene Hopkins, a 25-year City Hall veteran, was approved 42-0 after nearly two dozen alderpersons lavished praise on her. All but two of ..read more

Brumby is one of two koalas making their debut at Brookfield Zoo Chicago during Memorial Day weekend. Courtesy of Brookfield Zoo Chicago Chicagoans will soon get a rare chance to meet two new mates from "down under" at Brookfield Zoo Chicago. Visitors can see two 2-year-old koalas, named Brumby and Willum, for the first time in the zoo's history, starting Memorial Day weekend. The male koalas, which are on a two-year loan from the Australian government, will find their new home in the Hamill Family Play Zoo. The koalas will likely arrive at the zoo in early May, the zoo said. Related B ..read more

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