First Financial will acquire Finward Bancorp and Peoples Bank in a $208M stock deal, adding 24 branches across Northwest Indiana and Chicagoland and boosting Chicago deposits.

A 15-year-old was shot and killed early Wednesday in the 4600 block of West Jackson Boulevard. Area Four detectives are investigating the death.

A Chicago police officer who served on Ald. Pat Dowell’s security detail was arrested and charged with misdemeanor domestic battery after an alleged attack watched over FaceTime. He has been removed from the detail and is due back in court Aug. 11.

A NORC ChicagoSpeaks poll finds 44% of Chicagoans believe violent crime is up, even as city data show shootings and homicides largely unchanged through mid‑2026.

Park employees pulled a fox from Six Flags Great America's Roaring Rapids ride after guests spotted the animal struggling in the current. Staff carried it to nearby woods and released it.

A 70,000‑square‑foot Pete’s Fresh Market and mixed‑use plan for the former Stateway Gardens site will go before the Chicago Plan Commission on Aug. 20, 2026.

U.S. Bank is selling a foreclosed Tribune Tower condo once owned by Sameer Suhail, who faces federal charges tied to a multimillion‑dollar Loretto Hospital scheme.

Wrigley Field has been named MLB’s first Certified Autism Center, formalizing a KultureCity‑designed sensory room and staff training to better serve neurodivergent fans.

An Elgin family has sued Metra after a contractor was killed at Naperville’s downtown station, alleging inadequate warnings and worker protections and seeking damages.

A cocktail-first gastropub from Jeremy Adler is set to open at 1010 Church St., aiming to capture pre- and post-show crowds around Northlight Theatre. The menu will test new cocktails monthly and offer late-night hours.

Cool, breezy day with highs near 71°F and hazardous Lake Michigan surf. Stay out of the water and heed beach flags and advisories.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker told NBC Chicago he uses AI daily, opposes a federal ownership stake and has paused new Illinois data‑center tax incentives pending guardrails.

A pedestrian was struck and killed just west of Galewood station on July 20, halting North Central Service trains. Metra reported the person died at the scene and trains later resumed with delays.