Deronis Cooper works in his garden in Garfield Park. (WTTW News)

Deronis Cooper said getting his hands in the dirt helps him cope with the challenges of being a police officer. What started with four planters has grown into more than 50 plant species in his backyard.

(WTTW News)

Ten years ago, the Chicago Board of Education and former Mayor Rahm Emanuel decided to close nearly 50 public schools, mainly on the South and West sides of the city. Some buildings remain vacant; others are being transformed into community assets.

Lincoln Park Conservatory’s “Sugar Plum” show. (Credit: Chicago Park District)

Winter flower shows, fitness classes, hot coffees and teas and thousands of holiday lights usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in Chicago.

(Photo by irws on Unsplash)

Greek eats, music fests, hot dogs and German beers usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in Chicago this weekend.

(Credit: Chicago Park District)

Colorful flowers, cabaret shows, dance performances and circus acts usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago this weekend.

(Photo by Heidi Peters / Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago)

Global Christmas traditions, holiday lights, festive floral arrangements and comics usher in the holiday weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

The spike of an agave plant at Garfield Park Conservatory is just beginning to emerge, and should reach 6 feet. This is the beginning phase of the plant's first, and last, bloom. (Courtesy of Garfield Park Conservatory)

Visitors to the Garfield Park Conservatory have a rare and exciting opportunity to witness a plant in its spectacular death bloom as an agave prepares to flower for its first and last time.

(Millennium Park / Facebook)

Holiday lights, intricate artwork, butterfly yoga and stand-up comedy usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

(Courtesy of Navy Pier)

Jack-o’-lanterns, papermaking, a “Frankenstein”-inspired play and a Halloween-themed run usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in and around Chicago.

Taste of Greektown (Photo by Dimitri Kandalepas)

Greek eats, house music, circus acts and retro tunes usher in the weekend. Here are 10 things to do in Chicago.

Garfield Park's Gold Dome fieldhouse and cultural center. (Google Street View)

Garfield Park is set to receive an infusion of Tax Increment Financing dollars for various projects that will help restore some of the park’s historic features, while reimagining others.

Police tape marks off a Chicago street as officers investigate the scene of a fatal shooting in the city's South Side on Tuesday, June 15, 2021. An argument in a house erupted into gunfire early Tuesday, police said. (AP Photo / Teresa Crawford)

Five people standing outside on Chicago’s West Side were shot in a violent end to a day that began with a mass shooting on the city’s South Side that left four people dead and four more injured, police said.

Eco House’s Englewood farm site. (Patty Wetli / WTTW News)
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Eco House is planting the seeds for a homegrown flower industry on vacant lots in Englewood, Woodlawn and West Garfield Park. We learn about the mission behind this slow flowers movement.

(WTTW News)

All Chicago neighborhoods have been hit hard by shutdowns related to the coronavirus, but lower-income communities that rely on social service organizations are facing a unique set of challenges.

Yolanda Fields, chief program officer of Breakthrough, appears on “Chicago Tonight” on Wednesday, April 1, 2020. (WTTW News)

Breakthrough Fresh Market food pantry in Chicago’s East Garfield Park neighborhood usually provides groceries to about 70 people a day, three times a week. But in recent weeks, the pantry has seen its numbers spike at least 25%.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot appears on “Chicago Tonight” on location in the East Garfield Park neighborhood on Wednesday, April 1, 2020. (WTTW News)
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A Chicago city employee has died of COVID-19, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Wednesday. “This sobering moment should remind us that the numbers we report every day are not mere statistics,” the mayor said.