Latest news with #ChicagoPublicLibrary
CBS News
a day ago
- CBS News
Fire rages at apartment building in Chicago's North Park neighborhood
A fire broke out Thursday afternoon in an apartment building in Chicago's North Park neighborhood. Citizen app video showed the fire raging at the three-story building on Kimball Avenue, just south of Foster Avenue and the Albany Park Branch of the Chicago Public Library. Black smoke was seen rising from the building. Early reports said the back porches were ablaze. Details about injuries and other information were not immediately available.
CBS News
a day ago
- Climate
- CBS News
Chicago cooling centers, pools, splash pads open during heat wave caused by Midwest heat dome
A Midwest heat dome is driving high temperatures and humidity that will push the Chicago heat index into the triple digits this weekend, but there are plenty of ways and places to cool down in the city when the weather gets this hot. Highs will be in the mid-90s on Saturday, with a heat index over 100 degrees. By Sunday, highs are expected to reach near 97 degrees with sunny skies. The heat will continue into Monday, with another over-100-degree heat index. With the exception of the Garfield Center open 24 hours, the cooling center locations below will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday: · Englewood Center (1140 W. 79th St.) · Garfield Center (10 S. Kedzie, open 24 hours) · King Center (4314 S. Cottage Grove Avenue) · North Area Center (845 W. Wilson Ave.) · South Chicago Center (8650 S. Commercial Ave.) · Trina Davila Center (4312 W. North Ave.) Extreme heat may lead to extended cooling center hours, including on weekends. Chicago Public Library locations, police stations and other public facilities may also be made available after hours or on weekends to help people find relief outside of the normal cooling center hours. Chicago libraries, over 30 Chicago Park District fieldhouses, pools, and splash pads are all free to access. Water fountains are available at library locations. For a complete list of locations, visit the Park District's website. Call 311 to locate a center near you or request a well-being check for someone who may be suffering from the heat. Chicago swimming pools open Saturday Chicago swimming pools will reopen for the season on June 21. All 50 Chicago Park District pools will be open seven days a week for the first time since 2020. The city said outdoor pools will primarily be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day, with some pools having longer hours on weekends. Schedules are now available. Along with the outdoor pools, 27 indoor pools citywide will return to their pre-pandemic schedule of being open six days a week starting June 21. Visit the Chicago Park District's swimming pool directory to find the closest public pool near you, plus its days and hours of operation. Heat exhaustion and heatstroke: Symptoms and how to treat Heat exhaustion and heatstroke are major risks during a heat wave, especially with high humidity. It is easy to become overheated and dehydrated in high temperatures, so it is essential to make sure you are drinking enough water. Heat exhaustion is milder than heat stroke. It can develop after several days of exposure to heat and inadequate or unbalanced fluid replacement. Heatstroke is a serious illness that happens when the body begins to lose its ability to regulate its own temperature and functions, and can result in permanent disability or death if not treated as quickly as possible. Heat exhaustion symptoms include headache, nausea, dizziness, weakness, irritability, thirst, heavy sweating, high body temperature and decreased urine output. If you or someone you know is experiencing heat exhaustion move into a cool indoor space or shade immediately, give them liquids to drink, remove unnecessary clothing including shoes and socks, used cold water or a cold compress to cool the person down on their head, face and neck, and frequently sip cold water. The CDC also encourages calling 911 or taking the person to an urgent care clinic or the emergency room for treatment. Heatstroke symptoms include confusion, altered mental status, slurred speech, hot and dry skin or profuse sweating, very high body temperature, loss of consciousness, and very high body temperature. If treatment is delayed, it can quickly become fatal, the CDC says. If you are with someone experiencing heat stroke, call 911 immediately and stay with that person until help arrives. Move them into a shaded, cool area and remove their outer clothing then work to cool them down as quickly as you can with cold water or an ice bath if possible. Wet the skin or place cold, wet clothes on the skin, or soak their clothing with cold water. You should also circulate the air around them by fanning to help cool them off. The CDC also recommends placing cold wet cloths or ice on the head, neck, armpits and groin to help cool them faster.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Crowds gather to protest and support Edgewater library's Pride Month event
CHICAGO — Dozens of people protested outside the Chicago Public Library in Edgewater, criticizing a Pride Month event held there on Monday morning. Hundreds of others came to counter protest, supporting the library's decision to host story time with a drag queen. Supporters used pride flags to help shield the families who were walking into the event from those protesting against it. 'We never even saw the hateful protestors, but we did see a strong showing of loving counter protestors wearing rainbow flags and trans pride flags. [They] actually chaperoned us into the front door of the library,' William Kelly said. The library promoted the event online as a special story time with books, music, and a guest drag performer. Critics argued that the event shouldn't have been held at a public library. 'When I go to a public library, whereI pay my taxes, I don't want to see a man dressed up in drag. I don't want my kid to be subject to that,' Danielle Carter Walters, the Vice President of Chicago Flips Red, said. Supporters argued that the library should have programming for everyone. 'We're talking about fun, sparkly costumes and reading some books. There are still age-appropriate books for these young children,' Asher McMaher, the Executive Director of Trans Up Front Illinois, said. The families who attended the event told WGN News that despite what was happening outside, their children had a great time. 'They enjoyed that there was a book, they enjoyed that there was some music, they enjoyed that there was some dancing… honestly, it was a really fun story time,' Kelly said. Chicago police say one person was arrested at the protest. A 48-year-old man allegedly pushed someone and tried to bite an officer, before being taken into custody. WGN News reached out to the Chicago Public Library for comment but have not heard back. They have four drag story times scheduled at different libraries in June. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Honoring a Chicago icon: Dr. Lou Della Evans Reid's lasting legacy
The Brief Dr. Lou Della Evans Reid, gospel legend and co-founder of Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, is being honored ahead of her 95th birthday. She's in hospice after a pancreatic cancer diagnosis but says she feels no pain and is at peace. Four hundred guests, including Mayor Brandon Johnson, will attend Wednesday night's celebration. CHICAGO - Dr. Lou Della Evans Reid is being honored as a gospel legend in Chicago after more than 70 years of directing church choirs. Reid, the last surviving co-founder of Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church at 45th Street and Princeton Avenue, was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. In her own words: "It's all right." On Wednesday night, the 94-year-old will be honored ahead of her 95th birthday. What we know Reid helped establish Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church, which rose to national prominence in the 1970s and 1980s under her brother, Pastor Clay Evans. The church was among the first in Chicago to broadcast weekly nationally syndicated radio and television services. Its 300-member choir has drawn Christians and music lovers from around the world. Reid has led choirs and mentored singers and directors in Chicago for more than seven decades. Her work is now archived in the Chicago Public Library system. Last month, Reid was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She declined surgery and is now in hospice care at home. "I want you to know and I want everybody else to know that I don't have pain. I'm not sad that I don't have cancer. This is what God, that's His problem. I gave it to Him. But I don't feel no signs of cancer," she said. What's next Reid's birthday celebration begins Wednesday night, with 400 guests expected to attend, including Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, clergy and former choir members.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Obama Foundation touts progress on library after Trump mockery
The Obama Foundation touted progress on the construction of its presidential library Tuesday after President Trump mocked builders for being behind on developing the property. 'We can't wait to open our doors to the Obama Presidential Center next spring! In addition to a world-class museum, the 19.3-acre campus will feature a gymnasium, a fruit and vegetable garden, a branch of the Chicago Public Library, a playground, and so much more,' the Obama Foundation wrote in a post on the social media platform X. A separate post thanked all the workers for contributing to the project. The comments follow Trump's Tuesday statements criticizing the time it's taken to develop the library. 'I mean look, President Obama — and if he wanted help, I'd give him help because I build on time and on budget — he's building his presidential library in Chicago. It's a disaster,' Trump said during a presser with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. 'And he said something to the effect, 'I only want DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion], I only want woke.' He wants woke people to build it. Well, he got woke people and they have massive cost overruns, the job is stopped. I don't know, it's a disaster,' he added. The Obama foundation responded to the president's criticism in a Tuesday statement by emphasizing visitors' positive experiences. 'Everyone who sees the Obama Presidential Center is blown away by its beauty, scale and the way it will be an economic engine for Chicago and a beacon of hope for the world,' a spokesperson wrote in a statement to The Hill. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
