Donna Vickroy: Tornadic winds demolish everything but the human spirit
Fierce winds cut a damaging swath through northeast Illinois and northwest Indiana, but it didn't destroy the goodness of people.
All Stories
Donna Vickroy: We were exhausted long before weather fatigue became a thing
When it's problem after problem after problem -- destructive storms, government issues, food contamination -- the fatique adds up.
Donna Vickroy: Saying ‘no, thank you’ to stores are now fightin’ words
Trying to check out at a store has become a lesson in patience due to the constant push to sell you something you don't want or need.
Donna Vickroy: Mother Nature’s fury has become a constant wrecking ball
I have never loved my house more than the afternoon Mother Nature threatened to take it away by releasing a bevy of angry tornadoes.
Donna Vickroy: The real winner of the 2026 FIFA World Cup? Respect.
The way World Cup fans interacted with each other while attending games in the U.S., Mexico and Canada was a thing to behold and love.
Donna Vickroy: We went to a garden party — in chef Rick Bayless’s back yard
Rick Bayless' Chicago garden paradise is open to visitors who sign up for summer tours led by the iconic chef himself.
Donna Vickroy: Mother Nature knows how to crash a party
It was historic, all right. Just not the kind of history we were hoping to make. When life hands you torrential downpours, microbursts and tornadic winds — while 70 people...
Donna Vickroy: Kids take on the supermarket in order to take on the kitchen
Give kids an inch, and they might take a mile -- especially with a project like cooking -- but don't be surprised when they surprise you.
Donna Vickroy: High winds, soft whiskers and a prophecy fulfilled
When a cyclist traveling through the area in a storm found an abandoned kitten, he dropped it off at a hospital — and fate intervened.
Donna Vickroy: Maybe because of El Niño, Illinois has become the new tornado alley
After the most recent storms, Illinois has logged 145 tornadoes this year, a record for a state with about 54 sightings annually.