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FIRST PLACE: A newly hatched robin opens its mouth wide, waiting for food.

Daily Herald photo contest winners for May 2026

The top finishers in May’s amateur photo contest showcase nature’s beauty.

Chief blender Meghan Ireland and her dog, Murphy, walk by one of the 750-gallon pot and column whiskey stills at the WhistlePig distillery in Shoreham, Vermont.

Women take the lead in whiskey as more female drinkers and distillers change the industry

A growing number of women have become leaders inside the traditionally male-dominated whiskey industry, which has not always welcomed outsiders. Increasingly, women are launching their own brands and finding new ways to innovate in distilling and blending at a time when more women are drinking whiskey.

The Heinrich family recently moved to Elk Grove Village from Hoffman Estates, after facing a real estate market with surging home prices and limited inventory. Pictured are Dan and Nicole Heinrich with three of their four kids, Jayce, 11, left, Adalynn, 4, and Kynley, 6,

Scant supply, fierce demand lead to surging home prices in the suburbs

As housing demand exceeds supply, suburban home buyers find themselves making cash offers tens of thousands over asking price and waiving contingencies in order to get their dream home.

Dr. Mark Gomez talks with one of his patients, Ryan Kubacki of Naperville, during a recent visit to the doctor’s office in Naperville. Gomez was in a traditional practice until he went the concierge route about six years ago.

The doctor dilemma: Patients face tough choice as more suburban physicians make the switch to concierge medicine

With a growing number of doctors looking to scale back so they can practice medicine the way they want, some patients are being left to find new physicians or make the switch to concierge medicine with their doctor.

Three foods you can make in 5 minutes that taste better than stuff in the store

I decided to find out what I could stop buying. I set three nonnegotiable rules: Everything had to taste better than store-bought, cost me nothing extra and take five minutes or less (once I’d dialed in my process). Too good to be true? It turns out, I had too many to fit in this column. I picked three favorites that gave me the “why did I ever buy this” moment I sought.

Dr. Samuel Lake, left, and Dr. Paul Nourbash inside one of the two new operating rooms joining the existing four built specifically for joint replacements at Ascension Saint Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates.

Ascension Saint Alexius in Hoffman Estates expanding joint-replacement surgery capacity

Ascension Saint Alexius in Hoffman Estates will increase its capacity for joint-replacement surgeries by 50% Thursday — a major step for one of only three orthopedic specialty centers in Illinois.

If your dog is stuck indoors due to the weather, keep him busy with toys and activities.

Tips to keep dogs happy when it’s too hot or cold for walks

Here are tips from animal experts about what to do if you and your dog are stuck inside for long stretches.