There was a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the long-awaited completion of the Jane Byrne Interchange on Wednesday.

 

The original Circle Interchange was built in the late 1950s and early 1960s, and had no major overaul until the reconstruction project began in 2013. The project took nearly a decade to complete.

 

After eight years, the project to overhaul the entire interchange, where three expressways meet, is now substantially complete. It was slated to be complete in 2017, with a price tag of $535 million. It will end up costing $806 million.

 

"The goal was to get it done as fast as possible and at the time we were doing the project at the planning stage and during the planning stage that's only 30% level of engineering detail," said John Baczek, IDOT program development engineer.

 

In order to keep traffic moving, maintain access to the CTA, to UIC and all the city events, the construction schedule had to be re-evaluated. Unexpected issues with utilities, water, and poor soil added to the cost and time early on; COVID, supply chain and labor issues more recently. Still, the benefits outweigh the construction struggles.

 

Stroger Hospital marked a big anniversary on Monday — 20 years.

 

The current hospital replaced the 90-year-old Cook County Hospital in 2002. It was a $551 million investment that not everyone agreed with at the time.

 

The hospital places a strong focus on equitable health care and making quality health care available to all residents, regardless of their ability to pay.

 

 

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle announced the appointments of Tanya S. Anthony (left) to Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the County’s Bureau of Finance (BOF) and Zahra Ali (right) to Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of the County’s Bureau of Administration (BOA) today. The two will assume their new roles on January 1, with confirmation from the Board of Commissioners expected at the January board meeting.

 

“I am truly grateful for the work Tanya and Zahra have done to ensure that the County meets its obligations to our residents,” President Preckwinkle said. “They have dedicated their careers to public service and have initiated programs that put the well-being of our residents first. Their experience, dedication and professionalism make them the ideal choice to lead the Bureaus of Administration and Finance.”

 

Anthony was chosen for the role after a County-hired executive search firm conducted a nationwide search to fill the CFO position. Her credentials and experience stood out among the pool of highly qualified candidates.

 

Anthony has dedicated her career to public service with roles in budget and administration both at the County and the City of Chicago. She returns to the Bureau of Finance after three years as the County’s CAO. In her role as CAO, Anthony has led the BOA’s 12 departments and divisions, with a budget of more than $600 million and workforce of over 650, providing strategic oversight for programs and initiatives. Anthony oversaw the bureau’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, working with the Department of Emergency Management and Regional Security and the Medical Examiner’s Office to establish a fatality management plan ensuring that decedents in Cook County were treated with dignity and respect. As CFO, she will be responsible for setting financial strategy that addresses the long-term fiscal health of the County.

 

Before taking on the role of CAO, Anthony served as the County’s budget director within the BOF from 2015 – 2020, working collaboratively with departments throughout Cook County to pass five budgets, helping to close $790 million in budget gaps, establishing standards to address pension liabilities and ensuring transparency and accountability by launching the County’s first interactive budget website.

 

Chicago’s longest running lights festival is back with millions of twinkling lights to brighten up the holiday season.

 

“Holiday Magic” features over two million twinkling LED lights with the “Sea of Lights” returning with a new design of two miles of colorful lights synchronized to music on the zoo’s entire West mall.

 

There will also be the 600-foot-long “Tunnel of Lights” that guests can walk through along with a 41-foot-tall tree lit with LED lights to greet the guests as they enter through the north entrance.

 

Along with the lighted festivities, many animal habitats will be open for the public from the Pachyderm House, Big Cats to reptiles and Birds. Kids will also be able to deposit their written holiday greetings and drawing for animals in a designated box as well as drop off letters to Santa Clause in a giant red box on the zoo’s south mall.

 

Guests can take a spin on the skating rink, located on the East mall. The cost for unlimited time for all skaters on the rink is $7. A limited number of skates are available to rent for a $5 fee. Skaters are welcome to bring their own skates.

 

The Lights festival sis returning from November 25-27 and 30, and December 1-4, 7-11, 14-18 and 26-31 from 3:00 to 9:00 p.m.