Daywatch: Public interest vs. private homes on Lake Michigan shoreline
Good morning, Chicago.
Steve Coombs’ lakefront home used to quake when waves crashed along Ogden Dunes’ receding shoreline.
“At one point, my wife said, ‘Should we just move out? Should we just go to a hotel?’ I mean, it’s very unnerving,” he recalled.
But fleeing the “biggest asset that we own” wasn’t an option for Coombs, who said he enjoyed 60 yards of sand between his home and the lake when he bought it a decade ago.
“There are some people who say, ‘Well, you folks built houses where they shouldn’t have been built,’ but that’s not the case,” Coombs said. “Years ago, there was all kinds of shoreline and sand here. In Ogden Dunes, we have houses over 100 years old.”
Today, an international port impedes sand flow to Ogden Dunes’ shore. That, combined with recent near-record high water levels, intense storms and dwindling ice coverage, has caused severe erosion.
Without stretches of sand to separate their homes from the lake, residents in the Indiana town of 1,200 are seeking to build revetments, or stone retaining walls that break the waves. However, environmentalists oppose these structures, citing the long-term consequences they will have on Lake Michigan’s shoreline.
It’s a battle that involves multiple projects, state and federal officials, a national park, and the expanded application of a legal principle rooted in 16th-century British common law.
Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day.
Subscribe to more newsletters | Puzzles & Games | Today’s eNewspaper edition
For interim Chicago police Superintendent Fred Waller, stepping in to help new mayor pays off in salary-pension double dip
A Tribune analysis found that Waller, who retired in 2020 after 34 years with the department, will be paid more than $82,000 for helming the CPD in the early months of the Johnson administration. That figure is a combination of Waller’s prorated city salary — $260,004, the same as former Superintendent David Brown’s — and his monthly pension payments of more than $12,000 that kicked in upon his original exit from CPD.
Waller, Johnson’s office and the Chicago police all declined to provide comment for this story.
Mayor Brandon Johnson’s first big fiscal test: How to translate campaign promises into dollars and cents
Brandon Johnson strode into a conference room this month at Malcolm X College, where scores of mostly West Siders had gathered to hear how Chicago’s newly minted mayor will align his unapologetic progressivism with the dollars-and-cents realities of the city’s $16.4 billion budget.
At stake is whether the bold candidate from the campaign trail can deliver on his pledge of transformative investments without breaking signature vows on property taxes, policing and other third-rail issues in Chicago.
Google plans to open in the Thompson Center by 2026. Will the tech giant help revitalize the Loop?
Google surprised many last year when it agreed to buy the James R. Thompson Center in the heart of the Loop. The tech giant hasn’t revealed its plans for the Helmut Jahn-designed building, where it plans to open an office by 2026, but that hasn’t stopped speculation that the project may give downtown Chicago a much-needed jolt.
Co-working spaces pop up in luxury gyms, suburban outposts as hybrid work becomes the norm
With downtown office vacancies at record highs and return-to-work mandates failing to catalyze the commute, co-working is making new inroads in Chicago, cropping up everywhere from suburban shopping centers and apartment buildings to a swanky health club in River North.
Lollapalooza 2023: The must-see artists, best stages and all the entry details
In recent years, Lollapalooza has sustained its success by branching out across different musical genres, and this year’s festival is no exception. Headliners stem from different musical genres and generations, including alt-pop superstar Billie Eilish, reggaeton queen Karol G, Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar and the classic rock group Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Lollapalooza runs from this coming Thursday, Aug. 3, through Sunday, Aug. 6, in Grant Park.
Chicago baseball report: What will Tuesday’s trade deadline bring for the White Sox and Cubs?
The Cubs return to Wrigley Field riding high. Although a 3-0 loss Sunday at Busch Stadium snapped an eight-game winning streak, the Cubs put themselves in a position to buy ahead of Tuesday’s 5 p.m. CT trade deadline.
Meanwhile, the White Sox have been in selling mode.
Made-to-order doughnut shop — Duck Donuts — now open for business in Naperville
Duck Donuts, a franchise chain known for its made-to-order fare, has opened its first store in Naperville.
The new business, located at 3124 S. Route 59, is owned and operated by Kevon Gardner and Elise Gardner. It’s the chain’s third store in Illinois, the others being in Geneva and Libertyville.
