Steve Schmadeke

Strictly speaking, the five red broad-brimmed, tasseled, Italian-made silk hats strung from the ceiling of Holy Name Cathedral represent the five cardinals who have died serving the Archdiocese of Chicago....

As he fled for his life, dripping blood along a South Side sidewalk early Sunday, Morris Wilson III called a friend on his cell phone, desperately seeking help. "He kept...

To these towering landmarks of materials science -- the Liberty Bell, the world's first iron bridge, the Eiffel Tower -- another has been added: the aluminum beer can. The can...

After he was slammed to the floor of a Lincolnshire day-care center, 16-month-old Benjamin Kingan, his skull fractured, grabbed his blanket and crawled to his "comfort zone" -- a bouncer...

Acting on a friend's dare -- no word if it was the dreaded Triple Dog -- a 10-year-old Hammond boy stuck his tongue on a cold metal pole Wednesday night...

An 18-year-old Englewood woman's essay won her and her mother a free trip to Washington and tickets to see Barack Obama sworn in as president next week. Aleia Jones, a...

Irma Elliott has tried cold-proofing her Arlington Heights condominium before, but it was always easier to give up than to finish the sometimes maddening job. With a fearsome cold snap...

Cindy Almendarez avoided the homeless shelter for as long as possible, shuffling her children from a friend's basement to a roach-infested apartment before bunking down in the back seat of...

Only in Illinois? As legislators weigh impeaching Gov. Rod Blagojevich and federal prosecutors prepare to indict him on corruption charges, his acting chief of staff and a deputy governor will...

The note handed to a Fifth Third Bank teller Friday was clear enough (despite some language errors): "Be Quick Be Quit. Give your cash or I'll shoot." What was even...