Ted Gregory

Karolis Venckus, 18, son of former Lithuanian parliamentarian and judge Neringa Venckiene, plays with his dog Bella at their home on May 8, 2018, in the northwest suburbs.

She was a suburban florist. Now she’s in custody, fighting extradition on overseas charges she says are false.

December 13, 2018 at 3:23 p.m.

Eighteen-year-old Karolis Venckus and a Yorkie named Bella are living on their own in the gray and white house on a quiet street in the far northwest suburbs. His single...

More than $135,000 raised for teens injured in Glendale Heights fire pit explosion; official victim total now at 12

December 13, 2018 at 2:51 p.m.

While officials continue investigating a backyard fire pit explosion in Glendale Heights that injured 12 people Saturday night, more than $135,000 has been raised for the medical expenses of three...

The rain on Friday night left vehicles throughout the area covered with spots of dirt, as seen on this car, photographed on April 28, 2018, in Chicago.

Are we in for another round of ‘dirty rain’? Wind, rain, dry conditions contribute to tricky weather

May 23, 2019 at 5:47 a.m.

Inside her freshly washed Volkswagen bug convertible, Melanie Douglas rolled forward, dropped the top, then recalled that rain is in the forecast. And, not just any rain. On Friday, high...

An eastern cottonwood tree with a circumference of 28.5 feet towers above the surrounding trees in Bald Hill Prairie Preserve early on April 27, 2018, in Mt. Morris. It has been named this year's new Illinois Big Tree Champion by The Illinois Big Tree Register.

Just in time for Arbor Day, new preserve lays claim to Illinois’ biggest tree

December 14, 2018 at 7:26 p.m.

As soon as Todd Tucker saw the expansive eastern cottonwood at the base of a hill in January, he suspected the tree might be exceptional. So he hugged it, not...

Tom Heitmann stands beside his son's grave at St. Theresa Catholic Cemetery in Earlville. His son Thomas, a Marine, died in a training exercise in 2011.

Fallen Marine’s dream to build track is completed by his family and high school

December 14, 2018 at 5:33 p.m.

While training as a Marine pilot in Florida, Thomas Heitmann wrote to his high school track coach with an ambitious intention. "Understanding that my success in college and in the...

Hipsters in Homewood? Suburbs try to lure millennial city dwellers by showing they’re cool too

December 14, 2018 at 5:00 p.m.

The popular perception in the Chicago region and many large metropolitan areas is that urban living is for hip cats, but the suburbs? Squaresville. Now south suburban Homewood is challenging...

Lorado Taft's statue the Eternal Indian overlooks the Rock River in Oregon, Ill., on Oct. 14, 2013.

Saving landmark Eternal Indian statue may hinge on ‘1 or 2 charitable angels’ as supporters try to restart restoration

May 23, 2019 at 5:41 a.m.

For three years, fifth-grade teacher Becky Fuller and about 100 students have trudged through Lowden State Park to the bluffs of the Rock River as part of their Outdoor Education...

Sister Jean's personalized bobblehead doll on display at the Gentile Center on March 2, 2013.

Sisters of Sister Jean, used to working in the background, rejoice in attention she’s brought them

December 15, 2018 at 12:05 a.m.

They are giddy. They are also unused to the attention. They are sisters of Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the 98-year-old unlikely international celebrity and chaplain of another unlikely celebrity —...

Bob Luksta, 90, shows off his Maguire University T-shirt on March 27, 2018, at his Cicero home. He's one of the phony university's founding fathers.

Final Four might be rare for Ramblers, but Jollymen of phony Maguire U have been there dozens of times

December 14, 2018 at 11:57 p.m.

Rare as it may be for the Loyola Ramblers to reach college basketball’s coveted Final Four, the team might benefit from the advice of the Maguire University Jollymen. They’ve been...

Judge denies bail for husband charged with fatally shooting wife in Markham, abducting their 2 kids

May 23, 2019 at 5:38 a.m.

A judge Saturday denied bail for a man accused of fatally shooting his estranged wife and taking off with the couple’s two young children, sparking an Amber Alert, police said....

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