Karen Berkowitz

Construction crews move boulders along Lake Michigan at Lloyd Beach in Winnetka on Aug. 13, 2020. The beach is currently not open to the public due to erosion damage.

Shoreline erosion is a ‘regional problem.’ Why is a regional solution for the North Shore so elusive?

August 14, 2020 at 11:40 a.m.

As part of his job, George Russell frequently visited Sunrise Beach in Lake Bluff to monitor the receding shoreline. On one walk, he found some odd-looking lumber that had washed...

Wave crash at Sunrise Park in Lake Bluff on Aug. 4, 2020.

A lot of money for ‘a bunch of rocks’: The costs of combating erosion are forcing North Shore communities into hard choices

August 14, 2020 at 11:41 a.m.

When Mike Quattrocki moved into his lakefront Evanston home about 15 years ago, he knew there was work to do. The "environmental hazards" on his property included several tons of...

Mark Maguire, an operator with Gillen Marine Construction LLC, walks along quartzite boulders along a shoreline erosion construction project on the lakefront in Highland Park on Aug. 23, 2019.

As Lake Michigan waters rise, erosion poses an existential threat to North Shore towns and homeowners

August 14, 2020 at 11:42 a.m.

Long before the first man-made beaches in Winnetka made their debut in the mid-19th century, those hoping to take a stroll along Lake Michigan were limited to rambling along a...

Deerfield District 109 parents were demanding leadership change long before superintendent announced plans to leave

February 12, 2020 at 5:31 p.m.

Months before Deerfield Public Schools District 109 announced this week the impending departure of its superintendent, frustrated parents were calling for leadership changes at the school district. District 109 parents...

Judge tosses lawsuit that claimed $4.8 million offer on Highland Park home was a ruse

February 6, 2020 at 10:40 p.m.

A Lake County judge recently threw out a lawsuit filed by a Highland Park homeowner who alleged she was harmed by a bogus, $4.8 million purchase offer and that the...

Highland Park considers whether to ban short-term rentals following reports of gunfire near house party

February 6, 2020 at 6:40 p.m.

Neighbors concerned by gunshots that were fired near a New Year's Eve house party in Highland Park are urging city officials to prohibit the kind of short-term rentals that allowed...

Tyler Bernstein, an eighth grader at Caruso Middle School in Deerfield, works out during a physical education class at the school.

Township High School District 113 halts popular physical education waiver after learning it ran afoul of state law

January 29, 2020 at 9:03 p.m.

Hundreds of rising sophomores at Highland Park and Deerfield high schools have seized the chance each year to get health education out of the way during summer school. A policy...

Rosewood Beach in Highland Park is pictured in this 2017 file photo.

Park District of Highland Park considers long-term solutions for Rosewood Beach erosion

January 27, 2020 at 5:54 p.m.

Officials at the Park District of Highland Park averted an erosion crisis at Rosewood Beach last fall by hauling in new sand just ahead of storms that caused damage up...

In this 2019 file photo, the group Not For Profit performs during the opening night of the Highwood Evening Gourmet Market at Everts Park in Highwood.

State grants to help Highwood with Everts Park upgrades and Park District of Highland Park with conversion project

January 23, 2020 at 8:13 p.m.

Highwood and the Park District of Highland Park recently were awarded open space grants from Illinois to help cover park improvements. Highwood is set to receive $400,000 toward the first...

Former Highwood Fire Department official Ronald Pieri leaves the Lake County Courthouse Dec. 15, 2015.

Appellate court reverses Highwood fire official’s 2015 felony conviction

January 22, 2020 at 1:25 p.m.

An Illinois Appellate Court has reversed the 2015 felony conviction of a former Highwood fire official and sent the case back to the Lake County Circuit Court for retrial. Former...

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