Lifestyle

‘Historic levels’ of Illinoisans will pack the roads, airports this holiday weekend

What’s the busiest day at O’Hare and on the tollway this holiday? How much will gas cost? We have answers.

Where you can see Fourth of July fireworks displays in the suburbs

Fresh sour cherries are fleeting. Here’s how to make the most of them.

Moderate drought conditions exist for much of northern Illinois

‘A powerful thing’: Traveling memorial honoring fallen service members arrives in Elgin

An Italian-inspired rice salad tweaks tradition for today’s busy cooks

Ripe summer peaches are the star of the show in this sweet yet tangy cold soup. Garnish with leftover bits of cucumber and yellow bell pepper, a sprinkle of goat cheese, fresh basil and croutons.

No stove required: Refreshing cold peach soup just right on a hot day

Soup probably isn’t at the top of your dinner menu when temperatures are pushing past 90 degrees. What if we told you there’s a soup that’s cool, refreshing and doesn’t require you to fire up the stove? One that’s creamy, sweet and just tangy enough to keep things interesting — with ripe summer peaches as the star of the show? Now we’re talking.

The St. Mark Preschool and Enrichment Center in Mount Prospect has new artificial turf on its playground to replace an often muddy surface.

Muddy playground at St. Mark Preschool in Mount Prospect now just a memory

Children at St. Mark Preschool in Mount Prospect will miss less playground time due to rain with the installation of new artificial turf thanks to a fundraising effort that raised $35,000 in contributions.

Mosquitoes test positive for West Nile virus in Lake County

Lake County health officials said a batch of mosquitoes sampled June 24 at a Southlake Mosquito Abatement District trap in Highland Park tested positive for West Nile virus.

No matter what fruits you choose for your Sangria, the foremost ingredient is time: Macerate fruits in wine for at least an hour and up to overnight, depending on their hardness.

Spritzers, sangria, frosè: Tips for enjoying wine in the summertime

It’s time to switch to warm weather drinking habits. Here are tips for delicious and healthy summertime wine enjoyment.

Fireworks are illegal in Illinois, but that doesn’t prevent an estimated 150 fireworks-related injuries to be reported in the state every year. Most of them occur around the July 4 holiday.

‘Why risk it?’: Despite state ban, fireworks injure on average 150 each year in Illinois

If it’s anything like the past decade, roughly 150 Illinois residents will be injured in a fireworks-related accident this year. Most of them will occur in the days surrounding the July 4 holiday.

Gail Borden Public Library in Elgin is set to receive $221,113 in state grant money.

Elgin and Streamwood libraries to receive over $317,000

Elgins’s Gail Borden Public Library and Streamwood’s Poplar Creek Public Library are set to receive over $317,000 through the Public Library Per Capita and Equalization Aid Grants.

FDA vaccine official restricted COVID vaccine approvals against the advice of agency staff

WASHINGTON — The government’s top vaccine official working under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently restricted the approval of two COVID-19 vaccines, disrega...