The contest categories include Best Curb Appeal Gardening, Best Backyard Oasis, Best Herb and Vegetable Garden, Best Pollinator Garden, and Best Bungalow Window Box.

Commissioner Precious Brady-Davis introduced the resolution to recognize the AIDS Garden as the city’s first public monument dedicated to those lost to HIV and those continuing the fight.

Between Memorial Day and Labor Day in 2024, microbial water quality readings in the Chicago and Calumet rivers showed that conditions remained good or low-caution for recreational users on 78 of 101 summer days, according to a report released Friday by local water innovation hub Current.

Chicago-area residents have been asked to reduce water use, including delaying showers and not doing laundry, as heavy rains fall across the region, with more rain expected throughout the day.

In Fiscal Year 2024 (FY24), Durbin secured a $20 million earmark for MWRD to address excessive flooding in historically underserved communities in the Chicagoland area, including Harvey, South Holland, and Blue Island.

MWRD recommends people delay showers or baths, flush less frequently and wait to run the dishwasher or washing machine.

People can notify the agency by clicking on the “Report an issue” link at the bottom of the page on the MWRD website.

The Space to Grow program works with teachers, students and school administrators to dream up what a vibrant outdoor space could look like, how it could foster learning and a connection with the outdoors and reduce flooding.

Openlands and another nonprofit, the Healthy Schools Campaign, came together to develop the Space to Grow program — which is dedicated to transforming schoolyards using green infrastructure to manage stormwater and reduce flooding.

According to the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District, an “Overflow Action Day” was issued Wednesday, with up to two inches of rain possible across parts of the area in coming days.