All Stories
Staff revision returns citizens to decision-making role on ethics cases
By Bob Seidenberg Citizens would once again be given a role deciding ethics violations brought against public officials, based on a revised staff proposal that was backed by the City Council’s Rules Committee at their Sept. 7 meeting. Staff had…
Handling of lifeguard complaint was ‘a serious institutional failure,’ says Mayor Biss
By Bob Seidenberg rseiden914@gmail.com The City of Evanston’s past handling of charges of sexual harassment and abuse brought by female lifeguards and beach employees in a petition to the City last July represents “a serious institutional failure that we must…
Staff shortages slow Evanston restaurants road to recovery
By Bob Seidenberg rseiden914@gmail.com Gina Speckman, executive director of the Chicago North Shore Convention & Visitors Bureau, had led off with a fact-filled presentation at the city’s Economic Development Committee meeting June 23 on why the city should support her…
City may look to federal stimulus money to reduce reliance on debt funding
By Bo Seidenberg The $43.1 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds Evanston is receiving to assist its recovery from the impact of COVID-19 may also prove helpful easing the debt funding the City turns to every year to…
Evanston Mayoral candidate Lori Keenan to Council members on Ethics Board criticism: ‘You can’t keep just blaming citizens’
By Bob Seidenberg Evanston Mayoral candidate Lori Keenan spoke out Monday night about recent City Council members criticism leveled against citizens “weaponizing” the Ethics Board process with complaints against public officials. During citizen comment at the Dec. 14 City Council…
State Board of Elections slashes late filing fines against Devon Reid, cites ‘mitigating circumstances’
By Bob Seidenberg The State Board of Elections has greatly reduced the late filing penalties that office was seeking from Evanston City Clerk Devon Reid dating back to his successful run for office in 2017, acknowledging there were “mitigating circumstances”…
Covid cases hitting younger residents
By Bob Seidenberg Evanston residents, age 29 and under, are getting hit particularly hard in the resurgence of the Covid-19 virus. At the Oct. 26 City Council meeting, Mayor Stephen Hagerty reported that 50 percent of the City’s COVID cases…
Evanston City Clerk Devon Reid opens campaign to make run for 8th Ward aldermanic seat
By Bob Seidenberg Devon Reid, only 24 at the time, ran an against-the-odds race when he was elected as Evanston’s City Clerk in April 2017. “Four years ago we achieved the unbelievable. We took on a two-term incumbent, won the…
Evanston Dempster-Main owners voice property tax concerns in meeting with Assessor
By Bob Seidenberg Evanston property and business owners in the Main-Dempster Street business area, some facing blistering property tax increases in the latest tax bills, brought their concerns to Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi in a freewheeling discussion July 21.…
Northwestern to stick with remote instruction through rest of Spring Quarter
By Bob Seidenberg Northwestern University will not be resuming classes on campus this spring, but will rather continue remote instruction, the school’s top officials have said in a letter to members of the university community. Northwestern President Morton Schapiro, Professor…