Darcel Rockett

Layne Pollard, right, carries weights while training with Alex Santiago during a workout session at Fit Nation on June 6, 2023, in Gurnee. Pollard and his daughter Jorie plan to hike to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

Gurnee dad, his daughter set sights on climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to celebrate his 60th and fatherhood

June 12, 2023 at 12:14 p.m.

Layne Pollard, of Gurnee, has a trifecta of milestones hitting around the same time. His doggy day care and grooming business, Central Bark, celebrated its 10-year anniversary this month, and...

Artist Dwight White works on drawings at his studio in Chicago on May 31, 2023.

How Chicago football players’ mental health journeys led them to focus on wellness for Black communities

June 13, 2023 at 8:58 a.m.

It's been almost nine years since the life-changing event that forced Dwight White, then a defensive back on Northwestern University's football team, to change his trajectory. White took a hit...

2023 Joyce Awards winners Regina Agu, Marisa Morán Jahn, Sonny Mehta, Marlena Myles and Julie Tolentino.

3 Chicago artists awarded $75,000 each from the Joyce Foundation to create large-scale artworks

June 7, 2023 at 9:36 a.m.

By this time next year, artistic projects that re-envision a basketball court space, take a look at the Black community in Lake Michigan towns, and meld the iconic musical traditions...

Rose Kyoma Garrett, also known as Mother Rose, works in her longtime Hyde Park art and jewelry store Kilimanjaro International on May 23, 2023. Kilimanjaro International has been selling art from American and African artists for over 30 years.

U. of C. student documentary highlights university’s complicated relationship with Hyde Park community

June 4, 2023 at 7:58 p.m.

It was the use of hand sanitizer, or lack of it, that sparked the creation of a 70-minute film, "The Heart of Hyde Park: Stories of Small Businesses." So says...

Isis Gullette (at right) takes a Paris selfie with Christal Westmoreland (left) and Unique Moore (center) in front of the Eiffel Tower as part of their trip to the Cannes Film Festival.

Young Chicago filmmakers get a trip to Cannes Film Festival with Chaz Ebert

June 2, 2023 at 4:08 p.m.

For three young filmmakers, a trip to the Cannes Film Festival was everything. It was their first, and a bevy of supporters hope it won't be their last. The May...

Hayden Cheng, 5, plays in a gym as physical therapist Alex Meeske watches at Chicago Pediatric Therapy & Wellness Center on May 17, 2023, in Chicago. Hayden was diagnosed with a rare genetic mutation called SynGAP1, which has delayed her speech and motor skill development.

The absence of a gene protein makes 5-year-old Hayden Cheng a medical rarity. Her mom shares their journey with SynGAP1.

May 27, 2023 at 5:00 a.m.

Five years ago, Hayden Cheng entered the world following a normal pregnancy and birth. Then her mom, Minnie Zhou, noticed her child wasn't sleeping as a newborn should. "You know...

Terri Hudson wears a mask, goggles and a face shield to protect herself in public from COVID-19 on April 17, 2023, in downtown Chicago. Her portrait by photographer Megan Doherty will be included in a project that centers on people with disabilities and immunocompromised individuals.

Photographs shine a light on how a lack of masking is pushing Chicago residents with disabilities out of the public sphere

May 19, 2023 at 4:23 p.m.

Artist Terri Hudson jumped at the chance to be a part of photographer Megan E. Doherty's latest work, "Compromised" — over a dozen portraits of people who are immunocompromised trying...

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