Chicago’s school board sued the U.S. Department of Education after federal officials halted magnet‑school grant awards tied to two civil‑rights probes. The board says the cut was unlawful and will harm magnet programming.

HydraVault has begun work on a 20MW AI data center in Chicago’s South Loop after a 'minor change' zoning approval. Neighbors and policy groups say they were kept in the dark.

Oregon-based Grown Rogue is leasing the shuttered PharmaCann cultivation site in Dwight and plans to restart operations and jobs in 2026, pending state approval.

Illinois EPA rejected a plan to cap coal ash at Joliet's Lincoln Stone Quarry, citing gaps in groundwater monitoring and funding. Advocates called it a win.

Strong winds tore part of the roof off Walsh Academy in Niles Friday, forcing a campus closure and prompting inspections; no injuries were reported.

A suburban Chicago mother says District 126 denied her child’s enrollment after license‑plate logs showed the family’s car overnighting in Chicago. The district has a paid contract with Thomson Reuters CLEAR for residency checks.

The Illinois Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Macomb on pretrial-release rules and whether districts must extend bus routes to private-school students, with broad statewide implications.

A Libertyville man has been charged in Chicago federal court after letters were allegedly mailed to judges in Texas and Florida. An arraignment is set for March 26, 2026.

Cold, gusty weather meets Chicago’s river‑dyeing and downtown St. Patrick’s parade Saturday; here’s the local forecast and what to pack.

A Near West traffic stop ended with one person in custody and a firearm seized, police say. The 12th District posted the brief update on X.

Organizers say the 2025 Bank of America Chicago Marathon injected $756 million into the metro economy and set a record $47.1 million for charity. The uptick supported thousands of jobs across hospitality and retail.

Sublease listings shrank to about 8% of Chicago’s 95.6M SF office stock, easing a major supply overhang and tightening market conditions.

Police say a 25-year-old was arrested about 20 minutes after robbing a woman at gunpoint on West Roosevelt Road in the South Loop. He faces armed‑robbery and weapons charges.