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Taste of Chicago’s future uncertain as NASCAR takes over Grant Park

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:52 GMT

CHICAGO —  Dates have yet to be announced for the Taste of Chicago in the summer of 2023, raising concerns that the event, celebrated annually in Grant Park, could be in jeopardy. WGN News spoke to locals who said they were surprised that the dates have yet to be sorted out, given that the city's partnership with NASCAR was announced last July. "Taste of Chicago is so popular and a part of summertime in Chicago. I know the car races are great but this is Chicago," said resident Mark Schechtere.SEE ALSO | NASCAR unveils names, logos for Chicago Street RaceThe event's future is uncertain due to the city's Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events website listing the dates for the Taste as "to be determined."Taste of Chicago’s future uncertain as NASCAR takes over Grant Park this summer. Ald. Brendan Reilly says Mayor Lightfoot wants the Taste moved to Polk Brothers Park near Navy Pier the same July 1-2 weekend @WGNNews— Dana Rebik (@DanaRebikWGN) March 7, 2023Grant Park ...

'Very impressed': Twin boys in Ohio help save mom after she has seizure while driving

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:52 GMT

MASSILLON, Ohio (WJW) – Twin brothers from Ohio are being honored for actions they took to help save their mother after she suffered a medical emergency while behind the wheel.Crystal Thompson, of Massillon, was taking her 11-year-old sons Jordan and Jermel Taylor to visit their grandmother on Feb. 25. That's when Thompson suffered an epileptic seizure as the family's SUV was traveling along State Route 21.Jordan noticed that his mom suddenly stopped talking."I was like, 'Jermel, I think she's about to have a seizure,' and all I knew was her neck was, like, turned back and it fell against the window," Jordan said. WATCH: Self-driving car veers into Texas bike lane As the SUV was heading for a concrete wall on the side of the highway, Jermel grabbed the steering wheel from his mom. "While she was having the seizure, I thought to myself, 'Let's not injure all the people on the road in the cars, and let's try to keep everybody safe.' I decided to grab the wheel and turn into a safer...

NASCAR unveils names, logos for Chicago Street Race

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:52 GMT

CHICAGO - The two inaugural races in downtown Chicago now have a name along with a logo. NASCAR revealed them both on Tuesday morning as the event draws closer. .@NASCARChicago has announced the names and revealed the logos for the 2 Chicago street races this July.. - Xfinity Series - July 1 - The Loop 121.- Cup Series - July 2 - Grant Park 220.@WGNNews pic.twitter.com/IMppcFHaot— Larry Hawley (@HawleySports) March 7, 2023The stock car racing company announced that the Xfinity Race that will be run on Saturday, July 1 on the Chicago Street Course will be called "The Loop 121." It will feature 55 laps on the 2.2-mile street course that starts and ends on Columbus Drive with stretches on Lake Shore Drive and Michigan Avenue. What tickets are for sale for the NASCAR Chicago Street Race? This race will start at 4 p.m. central time on July 1(NASCAR)"Grant Park 220" will be the name of the Cup Series race that will be run on Sunday, July 2 with the top drivers in NASCAR running 10...

Negotiations between United Center concessions workers and Levy continue as Big Ten Tournament approaches

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:52 GMT

CHICAGO — Negotiations resumed Tuesday afternoon between United Center concessions workers union Unite Here Local 1 and sports concession mega-business Levy Restaurants.More than 600 United Center food servers, dish washers, bartenders and cooks walked off the job and formed picket lines in front of the United Center on Sunday and as time goes on and a deal isn't struck, stakes become higher and tensions continue to rise.Beginning tomorrow, the United Center is set to host the Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament, and those 600 concessions workers are threatening to go on strike for better pay, health insurance and pension benefits.“If talks do not move forward,” Unite Here Local 1 Representatives said, “Compass/Levy employees at the United Center are prepared to take action at any moment including, but not limited to, a strike.” WGN Investigates: Woman struggles to remove squatters from Chicago home According to their company website, Levy Restaurants provides sports catering to n...

Hot air balloon makes emergency landing at Virginia middle school

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:52 GMT

HOPEWELL, Va. (WRIC) -- A hot air balloon made an unexpected landing at a middle school in Hopewell, Virginia, over the weekend.Shortly before 5:25 p.m. Sunday, the balloon's occupants called emergency services looking for a safe place to land in the city after they had been blown off their original course.Authorities created a safe landing space at Carter G. Woodson Middle School near Cavalier Square, where the balloon eventually touched down. According to authorities, units from Hopewell Fire & EMS and the Hopewell Police Department responded and assisted in clearing a safe space for the balloon to land. There were reportedly no injuries.(Photo courtesy of Wendy Davis)(Photo courtesy of Wendy Davis)(Photo courtesy of Hopewell Fire & EMS)Husband and wife Rob and Wendy Stueber told WRIC it was a normal Sunday night before dinner when the unexpected event occurred. The two saw the balloon from their window and knew exactly where it was headed. “Heading towards Cavalier Square...

Elon Musk apologizes after mocking laid-off Twitter employee with disability

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:52 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — If you're not told you are fired, are you really fired? At Twitter, probably. And then, sometimes, you get your job back — if you want it.Haraldur Thorleifsson, who until recently was employed at Twitter, logged in to his computer last Sunday to do some work — only to find himself locked out, along with 200 others.He might have figured, as others before him have in the chaotic months of layoffs and firings since Elon Musk took over the company, that he was out of a job.Instead, after nine days of no answer from Twitter as to whether or not he was still employed, Thorleifsson decided to tweet at Musk to see if he could catch the billionaire's attention and get an answer to his Schrödinger’s job situation. Tucker Carlson said he hates Trump ‘passionately’: legal filings “Maybe if enough people retweet you’ll answer me here?” he wrote on Monday.Eventually, he got his answer after a surreal Twitter exchange with Musk, who proceeded to...

Chicago Wolves goalie has a memorable finish to a March game

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:52 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. - One of the most dynamic young goaltenders in hockey is currently playing with the AHL team that calls Chicago home.This past weekend, Pyotr Kochetkov delivered on of the more memorable sequences for a netminder at any level of hockey. Facing the Manitoba Moose on the road on Friday, the Carolina Hurricanes' prospect managed to score a rare "goalie goal" in the closing moments of the game, pulling off a memorable celebration that's been replayed many times on social media.It's the 20th goalie goal in the history of the AHL, and the beginning of a very unique final three-and-a-half minutes to the game."Pyotr has been looking for that for a long time," said Wolves play-by-play announcer Jason Shaver of the moment, which he called on AHL-TV that evening at the Canada Life Centre. "In fact, the week earlier, he just missed. Didn't get the puck up high enough and it got knocked down at the opposing blue line. "So when he went back behind the net, he knew he was going to ...

Army unveils rebranding campaign amid recruiting challenges

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:52 GMT

(The Hill) - The Army on Wednesday unveiled a rebranded campaign to bolster recruiting efforts as the military struggles to meet recruitment goals, particularly among younger generations of Americans.The Army's latest recruitment campaign brand has a focused interest on attracting the next generation of Americans to the branch through an emphasis on self-discovery and limitless possibilities.The new campaign includes a tweaked logo design — the same gold five-star symbol ,but without the box, to suggest the sky is the limit — along with a return of the Army catchphrase “Be All You Can Be” with a fresh look.The Army is also now airing a commercial that leans into the idea of exploration and limitless discovery while tapping into the core message of serving the nation and the U.S. Constitution.Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth said that, amid economic, political and social challenges in the U.S., the rebrand "illustrates how service in the Army is grounded in passion and purpose...

Celebrating 75 years of WGN-TV with Dean Richards

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:52 GMT

He's been called a 'man of many hats’ and rightfully so. Dean Richards started out as a lottery and booth announcer at WGN and has appeared on every broadcast the station has ever produced. Including here on Daytime Chicago. He's joining us now to help us celebrate WGN's 75th anniversary.Daytime Chicago airs weekdays on WGN from 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.

Siegfried & Roy's 'Jungle Palace' for sale, listed at $3 million

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:15:52 GMT

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – Can you put a price tag on a genuine piece of Las Vegas history? When it comes to a home formerly owned by the famous illusionist duo Siegfried & Roy, someone has.The home, known locally as the "Jungle Palace" was listed for sale this week with an asking price of $3 million.Siegfried Fischbacher and Roy Horn were headliners of their Siegfried & Roy magic show in Las Vegas for decades. An onstage attack by a tiger named Mantecore during a show at The Mirage on Oct. 3, 2003, severed Horn’s spine and ended his performing career. They later produced an animated sitcom — “Father of the Pride” — before retiring in 2010. Horn died of complications caused by COVID-19 on May 8, 2020, and Fischbacher died on Jan. 13, 2021, of pancreatic cancer.Siegfried & Roy's Jungle Palace home in Las Vegas for sale, listed at $3 million. (Photo: Ron Miller - Zipp3D)Siegfried & Roy's Jungle Palace home in Las Vegas for sale, listed at $3 million. (Photo: Ron Miller - Zipp3...