Evanston, IL
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Latest reporting from the Local Government desk.
Local Government
Evanston's Preservation Commission postponed a landmark hearing for the Chase Bank building at 1900 Central St. to Nov. 18, giving the bank more time to respond to a nomination that could block its plans to demolish the 1979 structure designed by a Mies van der Rohe associate.
Local Government
The Evanston City Council voted 7-0-1 on Tuesday to advance an ordinance ending alcohol sales at Ryan Field after the third quarter of football games, clearing the way for the stadium's Oct. 2 opener against Penn State.
Local Government
About 230 Teamsters Local 700 workers ratified a new contract with the Forest Preserves of Cook County on Sept. 2, ending a 16-day strike with wage increases, one-time payments and improved working conditions, though the union's pay-scale grievance remains unresolved.
Local Government
Developer Continuum Development has revised its proposed high-rise at 900 Clark St. in downtown Evanston from 27 stories to 26, adding two apartments for a total of 360 units while keeping 72 affordable. The Land Use Commission takes up the project Wednesday, Sept. 9.
Local Government
Two Evanston firefighters were treated for minor injuries after rescuing a man trapped against the Lighthouse Beach breakwall on Sunday, Aug. 23, while the beach was closed and a National Weather Service hazard statement warned of life-threatening conditions on Lake Michigan.
Local Government
Evanston City Council approved an $863,850 contract with John Keno & Company to build an ADA-accessible entrance at Dog Beach, ending a four-year debate but requiring $113,850 in additional 2027 bond funding beyond the project's original budget.
Local Government
Illinois State Police named Theresa "Teri" Belenske as a person of interest in the 1992 kidnapping and murder of Evanston resident Tammy J. Zywicki, as investigators retest 200 pieces of evidence with modern DNA technology and the FBI offers a $50,000 reward.
Local Government
Police Chief Schenita Stewart has formally asked the Cook County State's Attorney's Law Enforcement Review Unit for guidance on prosecuting three named U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents accused of beating, pepper-spraying and detaining Evanston residents during Operation Midway Blitz on Halloween 2025.
Local Government
Northwestern University's nearly 9,000 undergraduates are arriving for fall semester with a packed November 2026 ballot ahead, and the university's NU Votes program has scheduled registration drives, voter services stations and shuttle vans to help students cast ballots locally in Evanston.
Local Government
Former 7th Ward Ald. Jane Grover, 63, announced Friday, Aug. 14, that she is running for Evanston mayor in the 2027 special election, becoming the sixth declared candidate and making a February primary increasingly likely.
Local Government
The City of Evanston opened its 2027 wheel tax payment portal with a Sept. 30, 2026, deadline and a $90 fee for regular passenger vehicles, but seniors and veterans must now actively apply for discount permits rather than receiving reduced rates automatically.
Local Government
Police Chief Schenita Stewart's temporary appointment as acting deputy city manager now has a defined end date of September 2026, clarifying a dual-leadership arrangement made by City Manager Luke Stowe during the FY2027 budget season.