Niles chamber still touts village’s industry

Industry has been an important part of the Niles’ economy for most of the village’s existence.

So when the Niles Chamber of Commerce and Industry incorporated in 1971, it chose a name that would reflect its effort to promote the well-being of commercial and industrial …

Decrepit Des Plaines River dam could be removed in Niles

With the help from the state, canoers and fish may soon travel downstream more easily from the North Branch of the Chicago River.

The Niles Park District and Illinois Department of Natural Resources are in talks to remove broken concrete of a decrepit dam located …

Niles West grad swapping English for Chinese this summer

Skokie native Yevgeniya Berdysheva immersed herself in the study of multiple languages after graduating from Niles West High School in 2010.

Now, her determination to master Chinese has landed her a prestigious scholarship from the U.S. State Department.

Berdysheva — a junior at Macalester College …

Kitchen bands play everything but the sink

Who needs polished violins and grand pianos when there are pickle jars and spoons to play?

Local seniors are turning normal household goods into instruments, proving that music can be made with anything.

More than 100 of these creative musicians gathered at the Niles Senior …

Niles planning new ways to get around

If you’re a bicyclist, Niles has some things to offer. The North Branch bike trail runs through the village, along the Chicago River. Niles Free Bus vehicles are equipped with bike racks, and so are many Niles public buildings. But the village hasn’t done much …

Purple Hotel set for demolition again

Lincolnwood’s iconic Purple Hotel appears to be dead.

Plans to use the hotel as part of a $20 million mixed-use development have been spiked, after the hotel owners announced Tuesday a decision to demolish the colorful building and start fresh with plans for a larger …

Construction on Touhy bridge over Edens delayed

Prep work for construction on the Touhy Avenue bridge over the Edens Expressway is continuing to force intermittent closures of half the connecting ramps, but the full project has been delayed until after Memorial Day.

The bridge rehab project, headed by the Illinois Department of …

Local Disaster Center opens for flood victims

A Disaster Recovery Center, which will allow residents to apply for federal reimbursement and financial aid for damage caused by April 18 flooding, has opened in Des Plaines.

The center is located at 1486 Miner St., next to the Des Plaines Theatre. It is operated …

Park Ridge, Niles cops head back to doughnut shop rooftops

Park Ridge and Niles police officers will be headed back up to the rooftops of local Dunkin’ Donuts shops for the annual “Cop on Top” fundraiser for Special Olympics.

Evanston teen charged in shooting near Old Orchard mall

An Evanston teenager has been charged in the shooting of a boy near Old Orchard mall last week.

Rayshawn Taylor, 17, of the 1900 block of Jackson Avenue in Evanston, was charged with one count each of aggravated discharge of a firearm and unlawful use …

3 Brookfield Zoo dolphins expecting

Chicago Zoological Society officials say three Brookfield Zoo bottlenose dolphins are pregnant. Officials say Allie, 26, Tapeko, 31, and Spree, 10, are due to give birth this summer and fall.

With mayor ineligible, Niles picks new liquor leader

With Niles’ newly-elected mayor officially seated, the village board is busy tackling its first order of business: finding a liquor commissioner.

The role, traditionally held in the suburbs by the village president or mayor, poses an issue for new leader Andrew Przybylo. As part-owner of …

Hawkettes coach dances around conflicts

Maine South High School’s Hawkettes varsity dance team has won awards at the local and national levels. But when Hawkettes arrived at the Maine Township High School District 207 board meeting in May, they were doing a different sort of dance.

Stringing together 36 years of business in Niles

On a weekday afternoon, Minstrel Music store is buzzing with activity.

In the front, an employee answers a customer’s questions about one of the guitars hanging on the walls. In the workshop area in back, another employee is taking apart an amplifier. And over in …

GQ editor, Park Ridge native digs into dad’s death

Michael Hainey grew up with a family mystery. He was just 6 years old when his father, Bob, a copy editor with the Chicago Sun-Times, died suddenly at age 35. As an adult, Hainey, a Park Ridge native, realized that certain things he had been told about his father’s death didn’t add up.