Robert McCoppin

Ryan McBride, of a company called Sesh, rolls cannabis joints in his lounge bus outside a Verilife cannabis dispensary on West Superior Street, July 28, 2022, in Chicago. Customers were invited to lounge in the cannabis-focused bus before getting a ride in a shuttle bus to attend the Lollapalooza music festival.

As cannabis customers celebrate 420, consumption becomes more common at sponsored events

April 19, 2023 at 6:55 p.m.

One crucial new element will be added Thursday in Chicago to public celebrations of 420, marijuana's unofficial holiday: smoke. Cannabis has been legal in Illinois since 2020, but consumption in...

Rise dispensary employees Heather Alvarado, left, and Reilly Drew picket outside their workplace on April 19, 2023, in Niles. Employees at three Rise locations, including two in Joliet, went on an open-ended unfair labor practice strike to demand better wages and retirement contributions.

Teamsters plan to strike at three Rise cannabis stores on the eve of 4/20 pot festivities

April 21, 2023 at 12:54 p.m.

The Teamsters plan to strike at three marijuana retail shops in the Chicago region on the eve of April 20, or 4/20, an informal holiday for cannabis consumers. Local 777...

People walk through downtown Arlington Heights on Sept. 29, 2021.

Bears stadium development could hinge on TIF money — a financial tool that’s had varying success in Arlington Heights

April 18, 2023 at 10:57 a.m.

Arlington Heights officials proudly point to their downtown as an example of tax subsidies that work. The village transformed the once-sleepy area into a thriving destination with high-rise luxury apartments...

Kitty Brandtner at her Winnetka home on July 9, 2022. The Save Our Students march was organized by March Fourth, a nonpartisan group founded by Brandtner.

Chicago-area protesters march in Washington for federal assault weapons ban

April 17, 2023 at 6:51 p.m.

Fed up with repeated mass shootings, hundreds of people from the Chicago area took part in a march in Washington, D.C., Monday to call for a federal ban on assault...

Mark Dolezal, co-owner of Durty Nellie's, speaks with bartender Alyssa McDade on April 12, 2023, in Palatine. It plans to rebuild into a six-story apartment building with retail and a rooftop bar.

Durty Nellie’s rock music bar in Palatine plans to rebuild as a 6-story apartment building with retail, rooftop bar

April 12, 2023 at 4:11 p.m.

Durty Nellie's in Palatine, one of the leading sites for live music in Chicago's suburbs, plans to close next year to allow its owners to build a luxury apartment building...

Harvey Mayor Christopher Clark dances to Frank Sinatra music after seeing election results come in at his campaign headquarters in Harvey on April 4, 2023.

Suburban elections: Wehrli declares victory as Naperville’s next mayor; D’Arcy claims win over Joliet incumbent O’Dekirk; Elgin’s Kaptain gains 4th term

April 5, 2023 at 10:52 a.m.

While Chicago attracted most of the media attention for its mayoral race Tuesday, several prominent suburbs held hotly contested elections to choose new mayors. Some races, including Naperville and Oak...

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As cannabis customers celebrate 420, consumption becomes more common at sponsored events

Teamsters plan to strike at three Rise cannabis stores on the eve of 4/20 pot festivities

Bears stadium development could hinge on TIF money — a financial tool that’s had varying success in Arlington Heights

Chicago-area protesters march in Washington for federal assault weapons ban

Durty Nellie’s rock music bar in Palatine plans to rebuild as a 6-story apartment building with retail, rooftop bar

Suburban elections: Wehrli declares victory as Naperville’s next mayor; D’Arcy claims win over Joliet incumbent O’Dekirk; Elgin’s Kaptain gains 4th term

Horse track/casino proposed for south suburban Richton Park as lawmakers seek to eliminate Hawthorne veto power

Craft marijuana grower to open in Franklin Park after raising $7.5 million by selling ownership shares

New customer-friendly legal recreational cannabis in Missouri cuts into Illinois’ market

Hawthorne Race Course still seeking financing for casino, but officials not backing off plan for 2024 opening