Cindy Dampier

‘Windy City Rehab’ troubles highlight a cardinal rule of rehabbing: Always be good to the neighbors

July 19, 2019 at 6:57 p.m.

You've heard the gripes about Chicago house flippers who take over old homes, swoop in to do a "gut rehab" and then slap up a For Sale sign — complaints...

Finding some relief from the heat could be as easy as checking the ceiling fan, if you have one. Ceiling fans should be turning counterclockwise in warmer months to blow the cooler air straight down. The powerful blades provide a breezy air stream that is welcomed after a long day.

Think you’re hot now? Wait until you get your electric bill. (Here’s how to save money while keeping your cool.)

July 19, 2019 at 8:18 p.m.

If you're lucky, you're already avoiding the 100-plus degree heat that is forecast for Chicago Friday: hunkered down at home, sipping a glass of iced tea, staying downwind of an...

Seeing the world (and tweeting about it) from the Humboldt Park Lagoon.

Looking for the Chicago alligator? You can hit him up on Twitter

July 16, 2019 at 8:43 p.m.

The weather was muggy, the July Fourth hoopla had died down and it was starting to feel like Chicago had hit the summer doldrums. Like summer, so fleeting in our...

Los niños son vulnerables a las enfermedades transmitidas por el agua que son causadas por el parásito cryptosporidium.

Una buena razón para no tomar agua de la alberca

July 5, 2019 at 8:18 p.m.

¿Te acuerdas las veces que estabas nadando en la piscina y tu mamá te gritaba, "¡No tomes agua!"? El Centro de Prevención y Control de Enfermedades (CDC) quiere que le...

Kids can be vulnerable to waterborne illness caused by the parasite Cryptosporidium.

Don’t swallow the pool water — it’s crypto season. July and August see spike in outbreaks of illness caused by parasite that can live in swimming pools

July 5, 2019 at 11:44 a.m.

Remember when summer meant splashing willy-nilly in the public pool, your mom yelling from the side, "Don't swallow the water!"? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would like you...

If your child suffers from anxiety, just getting to school can be a challenge.

‘I don’t want to go to school.’ When morning jitters become school refusal — and what parents can do about it

July 1, 2019 at 7:49 p.m.

On the list of top 10 complaints parents have to listen to, "I don't want to go to school today" probably ranks right up there with "He's bugging me" and...

Parties are great — until a disruptive one breaks out in the short-term rental down the street.

Broken windows, shootings, bedroom lock-ins. How to prevent someone from hosting an all-night rager in your Airbnb

August 2, 2019 at 4:55 p.m.

It has become the stuff of urban, suburban and even placid resort town legend: the Airbnb house party. Like any good horror story, it has endless variations: The Airbnb host...

Legal cannabis comes with a whole new set of social issues to navigate.

Can I bring pot to the potluck? Lizzie Post weighs in on etiquette in the age of legal weed

September 11, 2019 at 12:26 a.m.

When Illinois' legislature voted to legalize cannabis, you thought it sounded like a cool idea. Then you realized ... you're actually not all that cool. In fact, your experience with...

Those luscious, home-grown tomatoes you've been longing for are within your grasp, if you plant your garden now.

Thanks to rain and cool weather, it’s not too late to start planting. Here’s what Chicago gardeners should know.

June 7, 2019 at 7:03 p.m.

2019 was going to be your Year of the Garden. The year you finally jumped on the grow-your-own bandwagon. You'd dig while the spring buds were bursting, plant your veggies...

Changing abortion rights: How Illinois’ new law compares with what other states are doing

June 18, 2019 at 5:29 p.m.

Crossing a state line often means crossing a deep divide in abortion laws and policies. We're tracking which states are aiming for more regulation of abortion and which ones are...

All Stories