Avani Kalra is an intern at the Tribune focusing on the environment and breaking news. She is a junior at Northwestern University, where she most recently served as the editor-in-chief of the student newspaper. She has also covered breaking news in Atlanta and health in Wisconsin.
The success of a September swim may depend on weather. Sewage and stormwater runoff can spill into waterways raising bacteria levels during heavy rains.
The spotted lanternfly, identified for the first time in Illinois in September, targets fruit trees. The spongy moth can defoliate large swaths of land.