SHAREIf you walked past Jarvis Avenue in Rogers Park on Thursday afternoon, you would’ve seen passersby stopping to take a selfie with a near-7-foot-tall smelly plant.Dale Wheeler, a Rogers Park resident, bought a handful of Amorphophallus titanum bulbs nearly a decade ago — better known as the “corpse flower.” The flower currently on display outside of his building has taken about seven years to bloom, he said. Corpse flowers are named so because they exude an odor that smells like a rotting corpse. Wheeler started gardening 16 years ago, when he took out the front yard of his building,...…SHAREIf you walked past Jarvis Avenue in Rogers Park on Thursday afternoon, you would’ve seen passersby stopping to take a selfie with a near-7-foot-tall smelly plant.Dale Wheeler, a Rogers Park resident, bought a handful of Amorphophallus titanum bulbs nearly a decade ago — better known as the “corpse flower.” The flower currently on display outside of his building has taken about seven years to bloom, he said. Corpse flowers are named so because they exude an odor that smells like a rotting corpse. Wheeler started gardening 16 years ago, when he took out the front yard of his building,...WW…

SHAREChicago Black Restaurant Week will return for its sixth year with nearly 100 restaurants participating.The annual event celebrating Black-owned restaurants in Chicago will now last two weeks, kicking off Sunday. Lauran Smith, the event’s founder, said the extra week was added to help businesses financially by allowing more time for patrons to visit.Black Restaurant Week was founded in the summer of 2015 to create community support and increase visibility of Black-owned restaurants and food businesses in the city. The annual event is typically held to honor “Negro History Week,” which...…SHAREChicago Black Restaurant Week will return for its sixth year with nearly 100 restaurants participating.The annual event celebrating Black-owned restaurants in Chicago will now last two weeks, kicking off Sunday. Lauran Smith, the event’s founder, said the extra week was added to help businesses financially by allowing more time for patrons to visit.Black Restaurant Week was founded in the summer of 2015 to create community support and increase visibility of Black-owned restaurants and food businesses in the city. The annual event is typically held to honor “Negro History Week,” which...WW…

SHAREThe man who boarded the train at the Wilson Red Line stop wasn’t wearing a mask — not even one slung loosely around his neck.He paid no attention to social distancing rules, holding onto a pole and standing less than six feet from another, masked passenger. His behavior drew anxious stares from other passengers.“Why are you staring at me?” the unmasked man said at one point. “I can see you staring at me.”The man was one of several passengers seen not wearing a mask during an hourlong trip from the Howard Street station to downtown this week — despite the ubiquitous signs reminding...…SHAREThe man who boarded the train at the Wilson Red Line stop wasn’t wearing a mask — not even one slung loosely around his neck.He paid no attention to social distancing rules, holding onto a pole and standing less than six feet from another, masked passenger. His behavior drew anxious stares from other passengers.“Why are you staring at me?” the unmasked man said at one point. “I can see you staring at me.”The man was one of several passengers seen not wearing a mask during an hourlong trip from the Howard Street station to downtown this week — despite the ubiquitous signs reminding...WW…

SHAREAfter years of promising a multibillion-dollar overhaul, Metra will finally give its passengers some nicer coaches to ride in.The commuter rail system’s board of directors on Wednesday unanimously approved buying up to 500 new rail cars from the French firm Alstom Transportation. The initial order is for 200 coaches, with an option to buy 300 more.The first cars should start arriving in about three-and-a-half years, with the entire first order of 200 cars delivered within about six years. The acquisition is part of Metra’s 2014 modernization plan.“This is something that our passengers...…SHAREAfter years of promising a multibillion-dollar overhaul, Metra will finally give its passengers some nicer coaches to ride in.The commuter rail system’s board of directors on Wednesday unanimously approved buying up to 500 new rail cars from the French firm Alstom Transportation. The initial order is for 200 coaches, with an option to buy 300 more.The first cars should start arriving in about three-and-a-half years, with the entire first order of 200 cars delivered within about six years. The acquisition is part of Metra’s 2014 modernization plan.“This is something that our passengers...WW…

SHARETwo and a half months into the city’s latest indoor dining ban, the Chicago Restaurants Coalition called on Mayor Lori Lightfoot and all 50 aldermen to pressure Gov. J.B. Pritzker on partially reopening restaurants.Restaurant owners, caterers and long-time residents made their case Tuesday for restoring indoor dining at 20% capacity by Jan. 29. Roger Romanelli, the coalition’s coordinator, cited a joint Northwestern University and Stanford University , which found capping indoor dining at 20% reduces the number of new infections by more than 80% compared to fully reopening.“Is this not...…SHARETwo and a half months into the city’s latest indoor dining ban, the Chicago Restaurants Coalition called on Mayor Lori Lightfoot and all 50 aldermen to pressure Gov. J.B. Pritzker on partially reopening restaurants.Restaurant owners, caterers and long-time residents made their case Tuesday for restoring indoor dining at 20% capacity by Jan. 29. Roger Romanelli, the coalition’s coordinator, cited a joint Northwestern University and Stanford University , which found capping indoor dining at 20% reduces the number of new infections by more than 80% compared to fully reopening.“Is this not...WW…