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7 award-winning Chicagoland breweries to check out this summer

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:09:27 GMT

While plenty of Chicagoans love to kick back with a cold Miller Lite or Modelo during 'Summer Time Chi,' there are more than a half-dozen Chicagoland craft breweries who recently took home awards from the 'Olympics of Beer' that could step up to the plate and be the beer in your hand this summer.The World Beer Cup (WBC), often known as the Olympics of beer competition, was founded in 1996 and every year since, brewers from around the world have come together to determine the best brews across a number of growing beer categories.In 2023, more than 10,000 beers from nearly 2,400 breweries in 51 different countries competed in the competition, with seven craft breweries from the Chicagoland area medaling in their respective categories.Here are each of the breweries, a little bit on their history, and the story behind each of their their award-winning beers:Sketchbook (Skokie & Evanston)Sketchbook Brewing exterior in Evanston.Sketchbook Brewing interior in Evanston.Sketchbook Brewin...

Suburban man accused of striking 2 horses, fleeing scene

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:09:27 GMT

LAKE COUNTY, Ill. — A man was charged after striking two horses and then allegedly driving away from the scene.At around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, authorities responded to the 18400 block of West Casey Road in unincorporated Grayslake on the report of two dead horses in the road.Police at the scene noted that the horses were struck by a Nissan pickup truck, which had parts left behind, that fled the scene.A short time later, police said a Park City officer discovered a man, later determined to be Nabor Carrillo, 56, of Park City, removing items from a damaged Nissan Frontier.Carrillo was transported to a hospital for injuries sustained in the crash.He was charged with driving with a suspended license and leaving the scene of an accident. CPD issues alert after 10 apartments ransacked downtown Following an investigation, police determined four horses escaped from an enclosed farm in the area. The other two horses were located and safely returned.

CPD issues alert after 10 apartments ransacked downtown

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:09:27 GMT

CHICAGO — Police issued a community alert after 10 apartments were recently ransacked downtown.In each of the incidents, residents had their front doors pried open with a tool to gain access to the apartment. The apartments were ransacked, police said. Five of the incidents happened on the morning on June 20 in the 300 block of West Ohio Street. 25-year-old woman dies after South Shore shooting A timeline of the incidents is below.500 block of North Michigan Ave., Thursday, June 15 during the afternoon hours.500 block of North Michigan Ave., Thursday, June 15 in the afternoon hours.300 block of West Hubbard St., Saturday, June 17 in the afternoon hours.300 block of West Ohio St, Saturday, June 17 in the afternoon hours.700 block of West Jackson Blvd., Saturday, June 17 in the afternoon hours.300 block of West Ohio St, Tuesday, June 20 in the morning hours.300 block of West Ohio St, Tuesday, June 20 in the morning hours.300 block of West Ohio St, Tuesday, June 20 in the morning hou...

Ford planning to lay off hundreds of workers

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:09:27 GMT

(The Hill) -- The Ford Motor Co. is planning to cut at least 1,000 employees in North America, largely from its engineering department. A company spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday that the company began informing some salaried employees that their jobs will be cut in the following weeks. The spokesperson also told the media outlet that managers informed employees that layoffs were coming in meetings on Monday, asking the affected teams to work from home for the rest of the week. The Hill has reached out to Ford for comment and more information.  Americans are hiding their credit card debt The news comes nearly a week after initial reports of another round of layoffs happening at the company. The latest cuts impacted employees who worked in the company’s electric vehicle (EV) and software division, as well as those who work in Ford’s gas-engine side of the business. Ford also had a round of layoffs last August, cutting about 3,000 white...

Hazy conditions, less humid

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:09:27 GMT

Tuesday will be partly to mostly sunny with highs in the upper 70s for inland areas and low 70s along the lake. Wildfire smoke causing air quality issues for Chicago area Smoke will filter in from wildfires burning in Canada today. That will impact air quality across northern Illinois. Latest warnings and watches from the National Weather Service.Air quality will be in the unhealthy range throughout Tuesday and overnight. Winds will be out of the northeast about 10-15 mph with gusts near 20 mph.Full forecast details and more at the WGN Weather Center blog Humidity has decreased and overall it will be more comfortable today. Temperatures will continue a warming trend, with highs into the low 80s Wednesday and close to 90 by Thursday.

Jailers' 'negligence and misconduct' blamed in Jeffrey Epstein suicide: DOJ watchdog

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:09:27 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department’s watchdog said Tuesday that a "combination of negligence and misconduct" enabled financier Jeffrey Epstein to take his own life at a federal jail in New York City while he was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.Inspector General Michael Horowitz cited the federal Bureau of Prisons' failure to assign Epstein a cellmate after his previous one left and problems with surveillance cameras as factors in Epstein’s death.Horowitz also said that Epstein was left in his cell with too many bed linens, which are a security issue and were used in his suicide.The inspector general issued a report detailing findings of his investigation into Epstein's August 2019 death, the last of several official inquiries into the matter. He reiterated the findings of other investigations that there was no indication of foul play, rebutting conspiracy theories surrounding the high-profile death.Horowitz echoed previous findings that some members of the ...

US sending $500 million in weapons, military aid to Ukraine

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:09:27 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration announced Tuesday that it is sending up to $500 million in military aid to Ukraine, including more than 50 heavily armored vehicles and an infusion of missiles for air defense systems, as Ukrainian and Western leaders try to sort out the impact of the brief weekend insurrection in Russia.The aid is aimed at bolstering Ukraine's counteroffensive, which has been moving slowly in its early stages.It's the 41st time since the Russian invasion into Ukraine in February 2022 that the U.S. has provided military weapons and equipment through presidential drawdown authority. The program allows the Pentagon to quickly take items from its own stocks and deliver them to Ukraine. Because the aid packages are generally planned in advance and recently included many of the same critical weapons for the battlefront, the contents weren't likely chosen based on the weekend rebellion by Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Wagner mercenary group that he has control. It is...

Connor Bedard gets one more award before NHL Draft

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:09:27 GMT

NASHVILLE — Just for good measure, the likely No. 1 overall pick of the Blackhawks got one more honor before Wednesday's draft.This time it comes from the league that many expect Connor Bedard to excel in over the coming years. On Tuesday night at the annual NHL Honors, the center and likely top draft pick of the Blackhawks was named the recipient of the E.J. McGuire Award. The honor is given to the top prospect in the upcoming draft that shows "commitment to excellence through strength of character, competitiveness, and athleticism." Get to know more about Connor Bedard The McGuire Award has been given since 2015 by NHL Central Scouting, which also decides who gets the annual honor.It's yet another honor for Bedard, who is considered one of the draft's best prospects in years. A few weeks back, he was named the first recipient of the International Ice Hockey Federation’s 2023 Male Player of the Year after his strong performance with Team Canada in world competition.Earlier in Jun...

Illinois waitress surprised with $800 tip in honor of customers' late daughter

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:09:27 GMT

SWANSEA, Ill. (KTVI) – Tipping stories are not uncommon among folks in the service industry. But an $800 tip? It took waitress Maggie Carty’s breath away.“Well, I was at a loss for words when it all happened,” she said. “I had none.”A family outing brought Karen and Scott Gebke, along with their children Emma and Austin, to Fletcher’s Kitchen & Tap in Swansea, Illinois, last week. The group was commemorating the death of the Gebkes' daughter, Alice, who died at birth 18 years ago on June 21.“We were having a family day for our daughter’s birthday,” Karen Gebke said. “She would have been 18 last Wednesday. So, every year for her birthday, we go out and do a family day.”And on this day, the family had $800 to give away and an idea to do some good. They collected money from friends and family and picked a family-owned establishment to visit.“We didn’t expect [people to contribute] this much,” Karen Gebke said. “We expected people to give $1 or $2 or, at most, $5. Many people gave $...

Former Bears GM Ryan Pace reportedly gets a promotion

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:09:27 GMT

ATLANTA — A former Bears' general manager is getting a promotion with his new team ahead of the 2023 NFL season. Per Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, Ryan Pace will get bumped up to the role of Director of Player Personnel for the Falcons.Prior to that, he served as a senior personnel executive in the team’s scouting department under general manager Terry Fontenot. Pace had worked for him during his time with the Saints, with the pair working in the front office together from 2003 through 2014.He was also the New Orleans director of player personnel in 2013 and 2014 before accepting the Bears' general manager job in January 2015. Community meeting with Bears President and CEO held in Arlington Heights Pace remains on the Falcons with another former Bears general manager, Phil Emery, who has served as a scout for Atlanta since 2016. It was Pace who replaced Emery in Chicago in 2015 after he served in that role for three seasons. Hired at 37 years old to lead the Bears, Pace would have...