Ally Marotti – Page 7

As the new era for legal marijuana in Illinois begins, legally purchased marijuana is seen at a home in Calumet City, Jan. 1, 2020. Marijuana was purchased at the Mission Dispensary store in Chicago.

Illinois delays awarding 75 licenses for new marijuana dispensaries amid coronavirus outbreak

April 30, 2020 at 12:33 p.m.

The state will delay awarding licenses for 75 new recreational marijuana dispensaries due to the coronavirus pandemic. Applications for the licenses were due Jan. 1 and were set to be...

Adams and Son Garden co-owners Irene Adams, center, her husband Gus Adams, right, and neighborhood volunteer Lionel Santiago, unload plants and flowers from a truck as they prepare to partially open on Friday.

Illinois COVID-19 restrictions will ease Friday for nonessential retailers and animal groomers, but it won’t be business as usual

April 29, 2020 at 4:36 p.m.

Thousands of vegetables, herb and house plants died after Adams & Son Gardens closed more than five weeks ago to help stop the spread of the new coronavirus. But since...

Hector Estrada plays with his sons Hector, 9, left, Damian, 2, and Noah, 8, right, in the yard of their home in Brighton Park on April 7, 2020.

Smartphone location data can tell if people stay home during the pandemic. Experts worry users are sacrificing privacy for safety.

April 29, 2020 at 11:45 a.m.

The coronavirus outbreak has sparked a new use for data smartphones collect about users' locations. Technology companies are using location data to track how much people are staying at home...

Lloyd Ramsey, 72, buys ice cream for his granddaughter Skylar Ramsey, 6, on April 20, 2020, at the Original Rainbow Cone store in Chicago's Beverly neighborhood.

Chicago’s warm-weather businesses prepare for the worst as coronavirus shutdowns are extended. ‘I visit the store and I say a prayer.’

April 23, 2020 at 5:00 p.m.

April 1 was the magic date for Tony Zarcone, owner of The Freeze in Logan Square. Whatever happened — rain, snow or shine — that was when he would open...

Kayla Jarzab, seen April 20, 2020, was waiting tables at Siena Tavern March 15 when Illinois restaurants and bars were ordered closed to dine-in customers. She landed a new job at a marijuana dispensary, considered an essential business.

The coronavirus shutdown got her furloughed from her restaurant job. She landed at a marijuana company.

May 27, 2020 at 3:38 p.m.

Kayla Jarzab was in the middle of her shift at Siena Tavern on March 15 when Gov. J.B. Pritzker gave the order for all restaurants and bars to close to...

In 2015, in-flight WiFi provider Gogo is moved its headquarters and more than 460 employees to downtown Chicago from Itasca.

In-flight internet company Gogo furloughs 60% of workforce amid coronavirus pandemic

August 3, 2020 at 11:36 a.m.

In-flight internet company Gogo will furlough more than 600 employees — roughly 60% of its workforce — in an effort to cut costs amid the coronavirus pandemic. The furloughs will...

An ammonium chloride disinfectant is sprayed in the refrigerated food section by Platinum Events employees at Super Fresh Market in Waukegan.

As COVID-19 canceled gatherings, Platinum Events founder needed new business plan. Meet Platinum Sanitation, sanitizing against the coronavirus.

May 27, 2020 at 3:41 p.m.

When the rest of the city was stocking up on toilet paper, Justin Jacobson was buying hundreds of gallons of anti-viral cleaning solution. Jacobson is founder and president of Platinum...

A former Garrett Popcorn Shops employee has filed a lawsuit against the Chicago chain, alleging it retaliated against her after she raised concerns about health and food safety issues.

Former Garrett Popcorn employee sues the chain, alleging retaliation for safety complaints

March 12, 2024 at 12:10 p.m.

A former Garrett Popcorn Shops employee has filed a lawsuit against the Chicago chain, alleging it retaliated against her after she raised concerns about health and food safety issues. The...

Photographer Allison Williams sits in her home office, April 13, 2020, in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood. Eighty percent of Williams' business is wedding photography and so far, she's had 11 clients postpone their weddings because of the coronavirus pandemic.

A small, porch wedding? Here’s how one Chicago photographer is helping clients keep their dream wedding dates during the pandemic.

May 27, 2020 at 3:46 p.m.

The last wedding that Logan Square-based photographer Allison Williams photographed was in early February. That was before the coronavirus pandemic took hold of the city — no one wore masks...

Scott Urban, who requested his face not be photographed, with a pair of Reflectacles glasses which prevent facial recognition, at his studio on Feb. 26, 2020, in Chicago. Urban began designing them in 2015 and they became available for purchase in 2017. He has several designs and accessories.

As the use of facial recognition rises, so do privacy concerns. These Chicago-made glasses are designed to block the technology.

April 20, 2020 at 3:33 p.m.

The chunky, thick-framed glasses Scott Urban makes in his Humboldt Park workshop look like normal eyeglasses, but when viewed on a security camera, the wearer's face becomes a shining orb....

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