Stories by Meredith Francis

Do you keep up with the news in and around Chicago? Take our September 2023 news quiz to test your knowledge of the headlines this month. 

October in Chicago offers plenty of food truck festivals, wine tastings, and more.

Carlos Lozano was 10 years old when a fire broke out at Our Lady of the Angels school in 1958. Some 65 years later, his daughter, Bianca Lozano, worked as the associate producer for the upcoming WTTW Chicago Stories documentary about the fire. They share what the experience meant to their family and the difficulties of discussing a traumatic event.

Chicagoan Cam Brenson has taken to TikTok to share his journey of attempting to eat the cuisine of nearly every country without ever leaving the Chicago area.

There was a lot of political news this month in Chicago. Did you keep up with the headlines? Take our August news quiz.

A popular Polish food festival returns this September, along with various Oktoberfest celebrations. 

Alex Moncada didn't have much baking experience when he set out to make his "empanolis," which are a hybrid of an empanada and a ravioli. But Moncada found inspiration in the flavors and recipes from his mother's kitchen.

Brent Raska, the founder of Burning Bush Brewery, is used to getting questions about how he went from the pastor of a small church to the head of a North Side brewery. But he has found one common thread: community.

Take our July news quiz to see how much you know about the stories in and around Chicago that made headlines this month.

South suburban Homewood, Illinois is home to Rabid Brewing, a mythology-inspired brewery that the founders say is meant to be a welcoming place for people who might not stereotypically fit into the brewery scene. 

Joe Weber, founder of Four Star Mushrooms near the West Loop, thinks mushrooms are a prime example of how to produce food that is both good for the environment and for people.

The food events in and around Chicago this August feature an eclectic bunch: beer, wine, corn, garlic, and ribs—to name a few.

Revist the 1915 Eastland Disaster, which took 844 lives when the steamship tipped over onto its side before leaving the dock on the Chicago River.

Chicago hosted the inaugural Special Olympics at Soldier Field on July 20, 1968. Take a look back at the event’s history.

Between black bear sightings and jockeying for a new Bears stadium, there were plenty of local and state headlines to keep up with this month. How much news do you know? Take our monthly news quiz.