Community
Wildfire Smoke Closes All Evanston Beaches as Air Quality Hits 'Very Unhealthy' Levels
Evanston closed all city beaches Thursday, July 16, after wildfire smoke from Canadian fires pushed the Chicago area's Air Quality Index to 248, a level rated "Very Unhealthy" on the EPA's scale.
Community
Wildfire Smoke Closes All Evanston Beaches as Air Quality Hits 'Very Unhealthy' Levels
Evanston closed all city beaches Thursday, July 16, after wildfire smoke from Canadian fires pushed the Chicago area's Air Quality Index to 248, a level rated "Very Unhealthy" on the EPA's scale.
Community
Wildfire Smoke Closes All Evanston Beaches as Air Quality Hits 'Very Unhealthy' Levels
Evanston closed all city beaches Thursday, July 16, after wildfire smoke from Canadian fires pushed the Chicago area's Air Quality Index to 248, a level rated "Very Unhealthy" on the EPA's scale.
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Local Government
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Illinois Tollway Proposes First Toll Hike Since 2012; I-Pass Users Would Pay About 45 Cents More
The Illinois Tollway is proposing its first passenger vehicle toll increase since 2012, adding an average of 45 cents per toll for I-Pass users as part of a $26.5 billion capital plan that includes $3.07 billion for the I-94/I-294 corridor near Evanston. Public comment is open through noon on August 3.
Local Government
Evanston Board Drafting Two-Tier System to Ease Zero-Emission Rules for Affordable Housing
Evanston's Healthy Buildings Accountability Board is developing a two-tier compliance system that would give affordable multifamily rental buildings extra time and subsidies to meet the city's zero-emission building rules, with public input planned for fall 2026 and final standards targeted for March 2027.
Business
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Business
ETHS Board to Vote on $11.75 Million Honeywell Energy Deal With Guaranteed Savings
Evanston Township High School District 202 is considering an $11.75 million Honeywell-backed energy-efficiency and solar project financed through 20-year debt certificates, with the contractor guaranteeing roughly $400,000 in annual savings. The board plans to vote August 10.
Business
Evanston's $1.9 Million Vacant Lot Still Awaits Planning Process After Missed Deadlines
Nearly two years after demolishing seven houses on a one-acre site at Emerson Street and Jackson Avenue, Evanston has yet to launch the community engagement process for the city-owned land despite multiple self-imposed deadlines from 5th Ward Ald. Bobby Burns.
Sports
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Sports
Northwestern's Shurna and Thompson Return to Welsh-Ryan as Wildcats Rebuild for 2026-27
Northwestern basketball's No. 2 and No. 7 all-time scorers, John Shurna and Juice Thompson, returned to Welsh-Ryan Arena on Monday, July 7 for a summer practice session as the Wildcats rebuild their roster heading into the 2026-27 season.
Sports
Northwestern Pairs Coaches With Kellogg Faculty in Year-Long Program on NIL, Recruiting
Northwestern's Kellogg Coaches Leadership Academy completed its first year, bringing head coaches and senior staff from all 21 varsity programs together with Kellogg School of Management faculty for three sessions focused on data analytics, recruiting strategy, and the shifting economics of college athletics.
Community
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Wildfire Smoke Closes All Evanston Beaches as Air Quality Hits 'Very Unhealthy' Levels
Evanston closed all city beaches Thursday, July 16, after wildfire smoke from Canadian fires pushed the Chicago area's Air Quality Index to 248, a level rated "Very Unhealthy" on the EPA's scale.
Community
Five Evanston Cooling Centers Open as Heat Index Climbs Toward 105 Degrees
Evanston opened five cooling centers as the National Weather Service issued an extreme heat warning with heat index values forecast to reach 105 degrees through at least Thursday, July 17.
Education
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Northwestern Engineers Build Brain-Inspired Chip That Detects Irregular Heartbeats in a Fifth of a Second
Northwestern University engineers published a Nature Communications study on July 10 describing a cerebellum-inspired electronic device that detects anomalies like irregular heartbeats with 98%+ accuracy while using 10,000 times fewer operations than conventional AI.
Education
Northwestern Program Teaches High Schoolers Python and Astronomy With No Experience Required
Northwestern's REACH summer program brings high school students to the Evanston campus for three-week sessions in Python coding, astronomy research and art-science projects, with full or partial tuition assistance available and no prior experience needed.