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| What Chicago's Talking About |
| | New 911 Dispatch System Postponed | A new 911 emergency dispatch system was set to go live yesterday. But after pushback from dispatchers and alders over potential dropped calls and callback issues, it’s been delayed. The update was planned as part of a $75 million modernization project. [NBC 5] | | Northwestern and U Chicago Drop in Rankings | Northwestern University and the University of Chicago are now tied for 9th place, according to U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking. That marks a fall of three places for U Chicago and a fall of two places for Northwestern. This may be due to a new measurement criterion: Earnings by Major. [Tribune 🔒] | |  | This was NOTHING compared to the real mud pits I traversed at Riot Fest. (Emmi Mack / City Cast Chicago) |
| What Happens After a Muddy, Muddy Fest? | The Douglass Park grounds were deteriorated by Sunday of Riot Fest, full of massive mud pits. As neighbors complain over losing normal park access, fest organizers say they’re working with the Park District on restoration efforts. It appears three acres require new sod. [Block Club] | | Another Beluga Dies | Another beluga whale has died at the Shedd Aquarium: Osiris, a 26-year-old female. She’s the third whale from the shuttered Marineland to die at the Shedd, and the fourth recent beluga death there overall. [Sun-Times] | | Now Showing at CUFF | This year’s Chicago Underground Film Festival features more than 100 films from 22 different countries, including four world premieres: “Nightgame," "Moth," "Woolve," and "A Stranger Has No Eyes." According to a CUFF co-founder, “Truly independent and formally adventurous work can still be difficult to see … in a theater with an audience.” | | | Why Are There Giant Sukkahs in North Lawndale? | On today’s podcast, we discuss more film festival picks, E3 Radio’s Purple Tie Affair, the Chicago Sukkah Design Festival, and Good Neighbor Week. [City Cast Chicago 🎧] | |
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| | | This fall, Chicago’s architecture takes center stage as Open House Chicago®️ returns October 17-18, 2026. | Explore more than 200 sites across 30+ neighborhoods, including iconic landmarks, hidden gems and buildings rarely open to the public — all free to explore. | Whether you’re a longtime architecture fan or simply curious about your city, OHC is your chance to step inside, discover something new and see Chicago from a different perspective. | Join us October 17-18 and discover what makes Chicago’s neighborhoods unique. | Learn more at openhousechicago.org |
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| How Not to Overflow Chicago’s Sewers |
| | More rain means more combined sewer overflow in Chicago — and it’s been very rainy. This summer alone, Bubbly Creek’s combined sewers overflowed eight times, the most since 2022. | | But what are combined sewers? And how can we prevent damage? | | Heavy Rains = Sewer Overflow | Most sewers in Chicagoland carry a combination of sanitary sewage (read: poop) and rainwater from storm drains. These combined sewers were built before the advent of wastewater treatment technology and once flowed straight into waterways, hence Chicago’s “Stinking River.” | | The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District — more on that later — added intercepting sewers to carry that water to cleaning plants in the early 1900s. But during heavy rainfall, even in 2025, more water can enter these combined sewers than can be cleaned, causing overflow. | | This overflow can pollute waterways and flood banks, streets, and, yes, basements. It can also disrupt the environmental food chain. But there are ways to ease the strain. | | Overflow Action Days | When it’s especially rainy, the WMRD declares Overflow Action Days. That’s when Chicagoans should: | - Delay or reduce shower times
- Put off running the dishwasher
- Put off doing laundry
- Replace old or leaky faucets, toilets, and showerheads
| In conclusion: You can be a little grody on Overflow Action Days. It's nothing compared to the grodiness of flooding sewage. | | The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District | You’ve seen the name on your ballot, and maybe you’ve passed right over it. But as former MWRD commissioner Kim Neely du Buclet told City Cast Chicago, “It’s the most important agency that no one knows about.” | | MWRD handles water leaving your home — whether through flushing the toilet, cleaning dishes, doing laundry, taking a shower, anything. Meanwhile, water that comes into the home is handled by the Water Department. Think of it as drains versus faucets. | | The job of MWRD, essentially, is to make sure wastewater doesn’t go back into the lake, where we get our drinking water. That’s why the agency sets Overflow Action Days. Sign up to receive alerts.
Editor’s note: A version of this article was originally published May 22, 2025. |
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| | | This year marks the 34th anniversary of Downtown Oak Park’s Oaktoberfest. The two-day festival celebrates the fall season with great music, craft beer, and food. The event will be held on Friday, September 25, from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Saturday, September 26, from noon to 10:00 p.m. The festival is located in Downtown Oak Park, south of Lake Street on Marion Street and North Boulevard. Admission is free. |
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