Patrick M. O'Connell

Patrick M. O'Connell is a former Tribune reporter.

The pH probe at the laboratory in the Morgan Water Treatment Plant in Cleveland on Sept. 26, 2019.

Cleveland residents are used to their water being brown, even if they don’t know why. The answer lies at the bottom of Lake Erie.

July 25, 2024 at 2:17 p.m.

As agricultural runoff and urban wastewater pour into Lake Erie, the nutrients and warmth of the shallowest Great Lake give rise to massive blooms of algae and bacteria.

What are algae blooms and dead zones?

July 25, 2024 at 2:19 p.m.

In coastal communities across the planet, algae blooms and dead zones are increasing in frequency and magnitude, due, in part, to human activities and climate change.

A bat flies near the rooftop of a town home in Barrington in 2013.

Bats live mostly out of sight and out of mind. But their falling numbers are a reason to look up and worry, scientists say.

November 5, 2019 at 4:38 p.m.

Bats, the elusive winged mammals that make special appearances in popular culture this time of year, are under increasing threats across the state and the Midwest, the victim of a...

Security measures are put into place at Trump Tower in advance of President Donald Trump arriving to the building for a fundraiser on Oct. 28, 2019.

Trump’s visit draws protests along river, but for the most part, life rolls on

October 28, 2019 at 11:20 p.m.

President Donald Trump's visit to Chicago on Monday lasted only five hours. He barely set foot on the streets of the city, spending the majority of his time speaking at...

Trump made his first visit to Chicago as president. Here is what happened.

March 11, 2024 at 2:07 p.m.

President Donald Trump made his first visit to Chicago as the nation's chief executive. He spoke at the annual gathering of the International Association of Chiefs of Police at McCormick...

Charles A. Comiskey, shown in an undated photo, was the owner of the Chicago White Sox during the 1919 World Series.

‘Shoeless’ Joe’s legacy is complex, 100 years after Black Sox scandal. ‘Field of Dreams’ may provide another chance to clear his name.

October 14, 2019 at 5:02 p.m.

Debra Ebert and Sandy Schley sat toward the back of the second-floor ballroom at the Chicago History Museum, amid the crowd of 200 baseball fans and history buffs as historians,...

Soybeans are harvested Oct. 10, 2019, in Manteno. As of Oct. 6, only 11% of Illinois soybeans were harvested, according to the USDA crop progress and condition report.

Historic rains ravaged Illinois farms during planting season. Now the race is on to harvest corn and soybeans before it’s too late.

October 11, 2019 at 12:03 p.m.

Mark Tuttle cuts straight to the point when describing the field and weather conditions he has faced this year on his farm in southern DeKalb County. "In one word, I'd...

Patrick M. O'Connell

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