Susan DeGrane – Page 7

Rock salt "s not a high-priced commodity, but it's a necessary commodity," said Del Wilkins, chairman of the Joliet-based American Waterways Operators. Much of the salt applied to the area's roadways this winter arrived by barge.

‘Everybody’s been building up stockpiles’: Road salt companies say supply chain issues shouldn’t affect snowstorm response this winter

January 3, 2022 at 1:49 p.m.

Massive salt piles along the banks of the Calumet River on Chicago's Southeast Side loom like mountains several stories high. For now. Tamped down beneath acres of black plastic, their...

Bloom High School seniors, who obtained early acceptance and scholarships through the Chicago Scholars program are, standing from left, Ellis Ware, Traevon Reeves, Jayden Gunn and Tyler French; seated, Thaddeus White, Jr., Jacob Maduakulam and Owusu Ansong. Not pictured: Ashaad Alexander.

Bloom High School seniors on early road to college, with $518,000 in scholarships, thanks to Flossmoor chapter

December 27, 2021 at 5:00 a.m.

Eight seniors from Bloom High School in Chicago Heights participated online last October in the Chicago Scholars Onsite College Admissions Event once reserved for Chicago Public High School students. Thanks...

Sue Bennett, assistant superintendent of the Pullman National Monument, stands outside on a recent November day. "If ever there were a place that could teach the lessons of labor history, capitalism, industrialism and racism, this is it," she said.

Pullman National Monument seeks ambassador to help ‘teach the lessons of labor history, capitalism, industrialism and racism’ embodied by the site

November 30, 2021 at 2:11 p.m.

An American flag flaps and curls next to a Chicago flag at the entrance of the Pullman National Monument and Visitors Center at 111th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue. A...

A close-knit community comes together to craft mittens for those living on the margins

November 13, 2021 at 5:00 a.m.

Snow and bone chilling temperatures will soon be here. Anyone who's ever lost a glove or mitten and had to spend significant time outdoors during a Chicago winter knows the...

Morgan Park resident Dave Daruszka, who is leading a campaign to make people aware of the upcoming 175th anniversary of railroads coming to Chicago in 2023, stands in front of the Metra train station at 99th and Wood streets in Beverly.

‘If not for the railroads, we’d be another St. Louis’: Area man champions role of trains in Chicago history

November 9, 2021 at 11:16 a.m.

Dave Daruszka opened a recent presentation on the history of Chicago's railroads by blowing a handheld train whistle.

Kathy Figel, executive director of the Edna White Community Garden in Morgan Park, stands with a Catrina made by Teresa Casasola.

Day of the Dead observance returning to Edna White Community Garden: ‘When we share our pain, it becomes less of a burden’

October 29, 2021 at 9:00 a.m.

La Calavera Catrina, the Mexican grand dame of the afterlife, is believed to protect the souls of deceased loved ones. Through gaiety and celebration, she helps those left behind accept...

Orland Township Senior American Idol winner Ed Swanson displays his 2021 trophy, standing with previous winners Bob Smith, 2017, Laura Alberts, 2016, and Phil Orsi, 2018 at the competition last week at Georgio's Banquets in Orland Hills.

Singers from all walks of life give it their best shot trying to become next Senior American Idol in Orland Township

October 26, 2021 at 5:00 a.m.

Sharply dressed in a yellow jacket and black fedora, with legs slightly bowed and hands shaking as he held the microphone, Rod Marino sang the Engelbert Humperdinck love song, "Quando...

Volunteer Denise Remegi, right, performs as a witch at the launch of Friendly Reader's Theatre at Evergreen Public Library last Sunday. The Evergreen Park Public Library program brought together community members, educators and people interested in acting to produce a Halloween-themed play.

Actors with autism take center stage at Friendly Reader’s Theater in Evergreen Park

October 12, 2021 at 10:32 p.m.

Despite a sudden downpour and high winds that threatened to take down an outdoor tent, Evergreen Park Public Library's Friendly Reader's Theatre yielded frighteningly good performances. Volunteers and participants worked...

Members of the Little Calumet River Underground Railroad Project pose with a banner in their new meeting place, TCA Health, Inc., which is not far from the site of the Ton farm, the first nationally recognized Underground Railroad site in Chicago.

After a pandemic hiatus, Underground Railroad effort retains momentum, secures Park Service signs for Little Calumet site

October 3, 2021 at 5:00 a.m.

Thousands of slaves sought freedom in the years before the Civil War, traveling north assisted by a network of abolitionists and volunteers known as the Underground Railroad. An estimated 3,000...

Beverly resident leading effort to promote freight transportation on rivers, canals

October 4, 2021 at 4:39 p.m.

When Hurricane Ida hit the Gulf Coast late last month it packed a powerful punch especially for the barge industry, with news reports of 22 barges breaking loose at one...

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