Robert McCoppin

Robert McCoppin reports on news and trends in Chicago's suburbs, focusing especially on the legalization of marijuana. Having worked at the City News Bureau and Daily Herald before joining the Tribune in 2010, he has covered crime, the courts, flooding, and health, and has won multiple Chicago Headline Club awards.

A horse named Golfo, left, stands near a horse named Bandit on the race track on April 6, 2024, at Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney. (Vincent Alban/Chicago Tribune)

Hawthorne Race Course faces possible closure after bankruptcy sale goes to real estate bidder

July 15, 2026 at 6:47 p.m.

Hawthorne Race Course will likely have to close after a buyer who wants to use the site for other purposes turned out to be the only qualified bidder in bankruptcy.

A possible stadium site for the Chicago Bears includes the Wolf Lake Industrial Center along Wolf Lake and Interstate-90, top right, near the state line in Hammond, as seen on July 1, 2026. The Bears initially looked at a site on Lost Marsh Golf Course near Wolf Lake, but they recently took soil tests at Wolf Lake Terminals, a nearby 83-acre site. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)

Can Indiana pay for a Bears stadium? Analysts ask how it will pay its debt as some residents balk at new taxes.

July 14, 2026 at 3:20 p.m.

Whether Indiana can pay for a new Chicago Bears stadium is uncertain, analysts say. Much depends on economic development around the stadium.

People play in the water in Geneva Lake where three children died Friday after a boat capsized during a massive storm on the Fourth of July holiday weekend in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, July 6, 2026. The boat's occupants were from Batavia, Wheaton and the town of Fontana, Wisconsin. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

Occupants of capsized boat in Lake Geneva that killed 3 children are from Batavia and Wheaton, police say

July 6, 2026 at 8:10 p.m.

The occupants who were in a boat that capsized in Wisconsin's Geneva Lake during Friday's massive storm that led to three children's drowning deaths were from Batavia and Wheaton and...

Jason Gorsline spreads grass seeds near the grave of Revolutionary War veteran Aaron Miner in the Elk Grove Cemetery on May 22, 2026, in Elk Grove Village. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

On America’s 250th anniversary, Elk Grove Village rededicates cemetery with 2 Revolutionary War soldiers

July 3, 2026 at 11:35 a.m.

Rediscovered and restored graves mark the rededication of Elk Grove Cemetery, where two Revolutionary War veterans are buried.

Yadhira Villegas, 17, has work done on her wisdom teeth by oral surgeon Dr. James Appiah at Oral Surgery Solutions in Chicago on June 15, 2026. (Antonio Perez/Chicago Tribune)

Illinois Medicaid patients can wait more than a year for critical dental care due to low reimbursements

July 1, 2026 at 3:21 p.m.

Medicaid patients can wait more than a year in Illinois for critical dental care due to low reimbursements.

Horses walk on the track on April 6, 2024, at Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney. (Vincent Alban/Chicago Tribune)

Bidder for Hawthorne Race Course expected to end horse racing unless another buyer steps in

June 27, 2026 at 5:00 a.m.

Members of the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association hold out hope that Hawthorne may be saved as the last professional horse racing track in the Chicago area.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson speaks at a protest organized by the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression held June 20, 2026, in Federal Plaza. He said afterward that a mass shooting Friday night was "heartbreaking." (Josh Boland/Chicago Tribune)

At least 13 wounded in ‘heartbreaking’ mass shooting on Far South Side

June 21, 2026 at 5:06 p.m.

At least 13 people were wounded Friday night when two gunmen opened fire from an SUV into a large crowd gathered on the Far South Side, Chicago police said.

Yadira Escamilla sits at her church,
Unity Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church in Austin, on June 2, 2026. Escamilla alleges that Aunt Martha’s Health and Wellness and A-Alert Security Services failed to protect her from repeated sexual abuse. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)

DCFS added to lawsuit alleging Chicago foster care facility failed to protect woman from sexual abuse

June 18, 2026 at 3:51 p.m.

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services was added as a defendant Thursday in a lawsuit charging a South Side foster care facility failed to protect a girl from...

A person’s legs poke out from a doorway at Albany Care along the 900 block of Maple Avenue on May 26, 2026, in Evanston. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)

State tries to shut down Evanston psychiatric facility after string of crimes and violations

June 16, 2026 at 7:44 a.m.

The state of Illinois is trying to close Albany Care in Evanston, a home for about 170 people with mental health and substance abuse issues. The facility is appealing the...

Horses are escorted in the paddock at Hawthorne Race Course in Stickney, Illinois, on April 6, 2024. (Vincent Alban/Chicago Tribune)

Hawthorne Race Course warns of 290 potential layoffs if its bankruptcy sale doesn’t keep the track racing

June 12, 2026 at 6:04 p.m.

The development is the latest in a string of bad news for the horse racing industry in Illinois.

All Stories