There are millions of practicing Catholics in the United States today, and many of them don’t have time to attend mass on the many Holy Days celebrated during Lent.

So an Indiana church decided to change that.

Ash Wednesday was celebrated on Wednesday, March 1, and it marked the start of the 40-day Catholic Lenten season that leads up to the celebration of Easter Sunday each year. As a tradition, the palms used in the previous year’s Palm Sunday celebration are burned and turned into ashes. On Ash Wednesday, members of the church come together and have a cross of ashes applied to their foreheads.

But Catholics aren’t the only Christian denomination that celebrate this Holy Day.

Reverend Roger Bower of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Valparaiso, Indiana realized that many of his parishioners were too busy to come to church in the middle of the work week. He came up with an unusual alternative instead — donning a bright orange safety vest over his clerical robe and observing Ash Wednesday out in the parking lot. Bower stood outside the church and created a sort of drive-through Ash Wednesday service. He would say a small prayer and give each driver their own set of ashes from the comforts of their own car.

Neglecting vehicle maintenance costs the U.S. economy an estimated $2 billion a year, but hopefully these parishioners’ vehicles will be blessed thanks to the holy drive through. This was Bower’s fourth year doing a mobile Ash Wednesday service. He said the idea came from parishioners who had noticed a church in Minnesota doing something similar. And it seems that this simple act of kindness that, which gives parishioners the option to bow out of the traditional service but still get blessed, went a long way.

Mike Bodnar, a retired machinist and member of the church, explained to the Chicago Tribune what this convenience means to him.

“I was just driving by and saw the woman in the safety vest. “This is to remind us: ‘ashes to ashes, dust to dust.'” We’re just here renting our bodies. Then it’s time to go,” he said.

For many practicing Catholics, the Lenten season is a time for renewal. In the same way that 53% of adults come back feeling refreshed after a vacation, it is a time for penance, charity, and giving back. And St. Andrew’s church isn’t the only congregation trying to give back for Lent.

In Chicago, another parish is trying to make the religious LGBTQ community feel welcome with their uniquely inclusive Ash Wednesday service.

And, naturally, they did it with glitter.

Berry United Methodist Church in Lincoln Square, Unity Lutheran Church in Edgewater, and Holy Covenant Metropolitan Community Church in suburban Brookfield all mixed their traditionally dark black ashes with purple glitter as a festive way to show support for Chicago’s LGBTQ community.

Known as the “Glitter Ash Wednesday” initiative, the event was spearheaded by Parity, a New York City organization that fights for the rights of the LGBTQ community. The goal is to have the church provide a message that represents both the traditional symbol of repentance that Ash Wednesday brings, but mixed in with a dash of solidarity.

April Gutierrez, pastor at Berry United Methodist, says that for her, the idea behind Glitter Ash Wednesday means much more than mixing glitter. It is a moment for Catholics and Christians everywhere to remember their religious values of inclusivity and acceptance.

“We want to make sure the Christian message is one of love and inclusivity, of empowering people to be who they are,” Gutierrez explained to the Chicago Tribune.

Pastors like Gutierrez believe that when looking at the deeper meaning of what Lent stands for, Glitter Ash Wednesday can prove to be something quite powerful indeed.

“Right now there are people in this country that feel threatened that their very presence should not be in public spaces. We are called to ensure that people know our Gospel teaches a gospel of love,” Gutierrez said. “Our visible sign should be a sign of solidarity of love and not one that excludes and condemns people.”

Usually, a C- grade is nothing to celebrate. That’s the letter grade The American Society of Civil Engineers just gave Illinois for its state infrastructure.

So what’s the good news?

In 2010, the last time The American Society of Civil Engineers released an infrastructure report card, Illinois was given a D+. Unfortunately, D+ is also the score given to the country’s infrastructure as a whole this year. Overall, it’s a bleak assessment of the country’s roads, bridges, railways, airports, dams, and more.

“Today’s rating from the American Society of Civil Engineers validates what we already knew: The condition of America’s infrastructure is unacceptable,” wrote U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, D-Chicago, in a statement. “Investing in our connected infrastructure system is the key to improving quality of life, strengthening our economic competitiveness and securing our leadership in a changing world.”

In packed urban centers like Chicago, mass transit systems and highways were designed to accommodate far less people, and public infrastructure is breaking down as a result. According to Greg DiLoreto, the former president of the ASCE, crumbling infrastructure has a direct impact on Americans’ quality of life.

“More than 2 out of every 5 miles of America’s urban interstates are congested, and traffic delays cost this country $160 billion in wasted fuel and time,” DiLoreto told NPR. On top of that, “on average, Americans waste 43 hours a year stuck in traffic. Or in other words, one in your two weeks’ vacation, gone.”

Plus, roads in poor condition put more stress on cars, which leads to increased auto repair costs and even accidents. So while modern cars are generally much safer — features like anti-lock brakes have been shown to reduce nonfatal crashes by 14% — the nation’s roadways are not.

Fortunately, Illinois does fare better than the nation as a whole in the infrastructure report. Whereas the national report card rated U.S. airports as a D, Illinois was rated C+. Even though state roads and public transit systems were rated as D and D-, the state still outranked the national average.

In the wake of the report, many politicians are calling on President Donald J. Trump to make good on his campaign promise to invest $1 trillion in the nation’s infrastructure.

If there’s a niche market, there’s probably a trade show that caters to it. All across the nation, expos focused on virtually every industry take place on a near-daily basis. And while the average U.S. trade show visitor spends around 9.5 hours viewing exhibits, there are some expos that simply have higher attendance rates than others. Recently, one trade show was recognized for its popularity, hard work, and fresh approach, and was named as one of the 50 fastest-growing expos in the nation.

As its name might suggest, the United Fresh expo focuses on highlighting fresh produce and connecting those in the food industry. Their mission is to showcase new trends and relevant tools and technology, as well as connecting businesses and promoting education. From growers to retailers, United Fresh wants to bring the entire produce supply chain together for the annual Chicago-based event.

It seems their efforts are working, as last year’s attendance rates were high enough to catapult the expo onto the 50 fastest growing list. Those trade shows recognized were deemed worthy based on their net square footage, number of exhibitors, and number of attendees.

United Fresh is also eligible to receive the Fast 50 Grant Award, which is bestowed upon one of those 50 companies initially recognized. The winner will be announced in mid-April.

United Fresh VP of Convention and Industry Collaboration, John Toner, said in a statement:

“We’re elated and honored to receive this recognition. Being named one of the 50 fastest growing shows validates the work we do throughout the year to ensure that all parties in the industry are in attendance in Chicago each June. It’s imperative to the success of the industry and the event that the right exhibitors, buyers and influencers come together annually. Steady positive growth means we’re attracting the right people — and a lot of them.”

The 2017 United Fresh Expo will take place June 13 to 15 in Chicago. For more information, visit the United Fresh website.

UPDATED 8/24/20

Everyone loves to have a good laugh at Looney Tunes’ Pepe le Pew and his hilarious attempts at romance, but the real skunks of the world merit a little less laughter and a little more caution. Experts are now warning Chicago homeowners to be extra careful this February as skunk mating season unofficially starts, especially since the nocturnal animals are beginning to encroach on city turf.

Skunks have always been fairly common in Lake County, Cook County, and the Chicago suburbs, but officials have reported sightings of the striped scavengers much closer to downtown recently. Lincoln Park Zoo Wildlife Ecologist Liza Lehrer explained last year that skunks have been sighted even within the limits of Lincoln Park.

“We’ve seen them on camera here,” she said.

Lehrer said in an interview with NBC Chicago that the zoo’s biodiversity monitoring program currently operates near 100 trap cameras in downtown Chicago and the surrounding areas. Almost all of the cameras have revealed footage of skunks traveling further into the city over time.

Making skunk matters worse: February to March is peak skunk mating season, apparently. This is a particularly serious problem for homeowners in the suburbs, as skunks can choose fairly inconvenient places to settle down during this time of year.

During the mating season, many mammals, including skunks, find a safe place and stay put as they prepare to raise their young come springtime. That’s a problem, because skunks can be just as likely to burrow into a safe wooded area as under a homeowner’s deck.

And despite the signature scent that too often comes with skunks, many homeowners won’t even realize what they’re dealing with. Instead of calling animal control or wildlife removal services, they’ll call an HVAC company or a plumber. Often, these unfortunate contractors are the ones who discover that a skunk has taken up residence near the home.

So what should residents do if they encounter a skunk on the property? The most important thing for homeowners to keep in mind, especially during the skunk mating season, is to give skunks their space. According to wildlife removal experts in Lake County, skunks can spray their sulfur-scented defenses distances of more than 10 feet, so it’s important to stay at least 15 to 20 feet away if possible.

As with all nuisance wildlife problems, experts advise that homeowners never try and relocate or interact with wild animals in any way.

Skunks are known to nest in whatever occupied space they can claim as their own. They will take over abandoned burrows of other animals, hollow logs and tree stumps, and crawl spaces under the home or porch/deck. Unfortunately this means most homeowners have several spaces available for a skunk infestation. So what exactly is the best approach to skunk removal?

Dealing with skunks can be very difficult because of their spray. If you are researching how to deal with a skunk, the answer is don’t. Contacting pest management services is your best recourse for dealing with skunks. The local skunk removal Chicago residents count on, for example, come from these pest management services. Although most people attribute their work to post control for your home, home pest prevention means preventing animals like squirrels and skunks from getting too comfortable on your property as well. If suffering from an infestation, make sure you are not dealing with skunks on your own. Contact a professional to deal with the skunk and seal off any desirable habitats for future home pest prevention. Don’t risk being sprayed, contact professional pest management services.

Raising chickens is becoming increasingly popular these days for non-farmers, and even city dwellers are joining in on the trend. Chicagoans, as well as residents in Collinsville and Swansea, are now allowed to raise chickens on their property, and many are taking advantage of this opportunity.

While getting farm fresh eggs in a city setting without the city prices is one of the most heavily cited reasons to start raising chickens, there are plenty of other reasons that people raise fowl as well.

“Chickens are great companionship, they’re great entertainment. A lot of people keep them as just pets. The eggs are a bonus to them,” said Roger Sipe, editor of Chickens and Hobby Farms magazines. “They also provide bug and pest control for yards. Chickens love to just freerange in the backyard and eat whatever type of things they can find, be it grubs or worms or mosquitoes, whatever you’ve got.”

Not only are chickens great to keep around, raising them is relatively easy if you have the right equipment. Typically, a mother hen only needs one square foot of area in order to lay her eggs. If you plan on raising multiple chickens, as most people do, you should plan to have one roll out nest box for every four or five chickens, and always keep at least two inches of organic nesting material down for the chickens to nest in.

If you’re just getting started in the chicken game, there are plenty of resources available to help you. In fact, Chicago-based Jennifer Murtoff works as a chicken consultant in order to help people start their own backyard or rooftop chicken coops. Her primary objective is to make sure that the chickens are able to live happy and healthy lives in their containments.

Murtoff says that she has about 900 clients on her mailing list, and about 400 of them live within the Chicago city limits. Ativan is considered to be the drug hhttps://www.simpleglutenfreekitchen.com/buy-ativan of first choice in status epilepticus. Most live in Logan Square or Humboldt Park.

The Illinois Department of Agriculture is not responsible for zoning laws that allow or disallow chicken-raising in urban or suburban settings; those matters are left up to local legislators. In Chicago, however, the practice is legal and very much alive.

To find out if your particular municipality allows chicken farming, call your local town hall. If it is not legal where you live, you may be able to overturn the decision during a town board meeting.

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The empty lots scattered along South Prairie Avenue, between 39th and 46th streets in the Bronzeville neighborhood, will soon be filled in with brand new market-rate homes. Developers will be able to purchase the lots from the city for just $1 each in order to build 42 new homes in the neighborhood, the first five of which are already slated to be completed by August.

“I am looking forward to seeing these vacant lots finally being turned into much-needed homes for families in Bronzeville,” said Alderman Pat Dowell of the Third Ward in a statement released by the Mayor’s office.

With the new homes sprinkled throughout the neighborhood rather than concentrated in one area, “we can send a stronger signal to the market that you can have confidence living in this neighborhood,” said Benjamin Van Horne of Greenline Homes, one of five developers currently working with the city.

The homes will be priced in the range of $440,000 to $589,000 and feature contemporary amenities, inside and out. Homes built before 1990 are often only equipped with single-pane glass windows, for example, which can be enormously inefficient when it comes to heating and cooling costs. Some 69% of homeowners are also willing to pay more for new kitchen appliances, so the prices may scale depending on features.

“It’s an opportunity to be part of the transformation of a community,” said Lenox Jackson of the building firm Urban Equities.

The so-called “Third Ward Parade of Homes” is just one of many revitalization efforts in the Bronzeville neighborhood. A new Mariano’s grocery store recently opened on King Drive, and the Ellis Park Arts and Recreation Center and pedestrian bridge to the lakefront make this South Side locale an up-and-coming location. The highly anticipated Obama Presidential Center and Library may also draw continued growth to the South Side.

“The parade of homes will foster new residential development that, in turn, will support commercial development that’s occurring throughout Bronzeville,” said Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

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Updated 12/2/20

Do you know what the bed bug capital of the world is? It used to be Chicago, but now it’s Baltimore. They get all kinds of bed bugs in Baltimore. But you don’t have to live in Baltimore to experience the nightmare of bed bugs. If you have bed bugs, you need to get rid of them as soon as possible or they’ll quickly multiply. In fact, a beg bug can spawn up to 500 eggs in its lifetime, which is far too many bed bugs for comfort.

If you have seen bed bug activity, such as bloodstains on your sheets, you need bed bug assistance. Another word for bed bugs is bloodsucker, so little pools of blood in your linen are a sure sign you probably have bed bugs feeding on you while you sleep. Don’t delay. If you notice signs of bed bugs, aash everything you own in hot water and call a bed bug exterminator today. Living with bed bugs is hazardous to your health and they’re a nuisance. Don’t be the victim of bedbugs while you’re sleeping. Get rid of them while you’re awake with the help of professionals.

The good news for Chicago residents is that according to pest control service Orkin, the Windy City is no longer the bedbug capital of America. Following its four-year run at the top, Chicago dropped down to number three on Orkin’s 2016 “Top 50” list of cities in which it performed the most bed bug treatments.

The new leader in bed bug infestations is Baltimore, which jumped up nine slots to make its debut in the top five. Also in the top five are Washington, D.C., New York City, and Columbus, Ohio.

While 20% of homeowners in a recent survey cited termites as their main pest concern, bed bugs are becoming more and more prevalent in both residential and commercial buildings in the United States.

“We have more people affected by bed bugs in the United States now than ever before,” said Ron Harrison, Orkin entomologist and director of technical services. “They were virtually unheard of in the U.S. 10 years ago.”

Major metropolises aren’t the only communities affected, either. Mid-sized cities throughout the U.S. made the top 50 list this year, including Syracuse, New York, Dayton, Ohio, and Tacoma, Washington.

Furthermore, Harrison explained that bed bugs are not an indication of poor hygiene or lack of cleanliness. Bed bugs simply need blood to survive and they are exceptional travelers, attaching themselves to luggage or purses, and laying eggs as they go.

“Anyone can get bed bugs in their home. We have treated bed bugs in everything from million-dollar homes to public housing,” said Harrison.

Bed bugs are often found hiding out in furniture, which is why purchasing these items from yard sales or online used-goods marketplaces (like craigslist or Facebook buy/sell/trade groups) can be a big risk. You are much better off buying home furnishings, including mattresses and sofas, brand new from a retail store. Fortunately, the luxury furniture market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 4% between 2015 and 2019.

In addition to carefully selecting your home furnishings, you can also avoid infestation by inspecting hotel rooms for these little, round, flat, reddish-brown bugs. Experts from the website https://sdarcwellness.com/buy-soma-online/ have found out that the recommended dose of Soma for adults is 15 mg (1 capsule of Soma 15 mg) once a day. Some patients may need to increase the dose to 30 mg (1 capsule of Soma 30 mg or 2 capsules of Soma 15 mg) once a day. Check box springs, bed skirts, mattresses, baseboards, and even behind pictures and torn wallpaper. The safest spot to store your luggage while you are traveling is in the bathroom, where insects have fewer places to burrow and hide.

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Unfortunately, driving drunk is all too common in the United States. Scarily enough, every day there are about 300,000 drunk drivers on the road, but fewer than 4,000 get arrested. However, this holiday season the cops in Chicago are cracking down on inebriated offenders.

In the beginning of December, an intoxicated Orland Park man was caught after hitting a school bus and driving away. Sean Gill, 23, hit the bus from behind, then drove up next to the driver, made eye contact, then sped away. Luckily only the bus driver and a school attendant were on board at the time, and neither were injured.

After driving away, police put out an alert with the description of Gill and his car. He was spotted and then arrested for drunk driving on December 5. His blood alcohol content was three times the legal limit of 0.08.

A few weeks later, a Posen man was taken into custody after he rammed his vehicle into several parked cars. Wesley Rodgers, 32, suffered minor injuries, but three of the four passengers in his car died as a result of the incident. The fourth is still in the hospital in critical condition.

Rodgers was charged with three counts of aggravated DUI causing death, and one count of aggravated DUI causing great bodily harm. He has since posted bail, and is currently walking free.

Lastly, just a few days before Christmas, a drunk driver was arrested in Mettawa for crashing into a parked squad car in the early hours of December 23. The parked car was protecting the scene of an auto accident, and Lauren R. Kimbrell, 27, of Waukegan was found to be driving drunk after she pummeled both the parked car and another car from the initial accident.

While no bystanders were injured, Kimbrell was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, illegal transportation of alcohol, and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident as well as multiple other traffic violations. Additionally, as a result of the circumstances, she may face additional charges for endangering the lives of emergency and construction workers on the scene.

Kimbrell was released at the scene of the crime, and is scheduled for a February 1 court date.