🌱 Spring Break Flight Cancellations + Teen Indicted By Grand Jury

Welcome back, Chicago! I'm here in your inbox this morning to tell you everything you need to know about what's going on around town, including news about these three stories.

But first, today's weather:

Showers of rain and snow. High: 42 Low: 31.

Interested in reaching our local readers with targeted messaging that drives traffic to your business? I have a limited number of sponsorships available to introduce our readers to local businesses they need to know. If that's you, then I invite you to learn more and secure your spot now.

Here are the top three stories today in Chicago:

1. Severe weather, including thunderstorms, damaging winds, hail, and tornadoes, is threatening the Chicago area, leading to flight cancellations and a ground delay at O'Hare International Airport. The cancellations have surpassed 250 at both O'Hare and Midway airports combined as of Friday evening, making it a challenging travel period for those heading to or from the area during Spring Break and Holy Week. Over 2.56 million passengers are expected to travel through both local airports between now and Apr. 10. (NBC Chicago)
2. Bryion Montgomery of Chicago was indicted by a grand jury earlier this week on the incident involving the murder of three people. The 17-year-old is currently facing three charges of first-degree murder of his former girlfriend, her father, and a 9-year-old child. Montgomery is currently being held at the River Valley Juvenile Detention Center and will be transferred to the Will County Jail upon turning 18. (U.S. News & World Report)
3. Chicago's upcoming election on Tuesday, Apr. 4, is generating intense public interest, with the two mayoral candidates espousing highly different visions for public safety. Paul Vallas is advocating for strengthening the police department by filling vacancies, cracking down on minor crimes, and increasing arrest rates. Meanwhile, his opponent, Brandon Johnson, is pushing for a different approach that emphasizes promoting officers to detective positions and investing in youth, mental health, and resources for victims. These competing ideas reflect a broader national debate about how best to ensure public safety. (Scripp News)

Today in Chicago:

• Time Traveler's Escape Room (One) - Eisenhower Public Library District (10:00 AM)
• Community Yoga at the Library - Eckart Park Branch Library (10:00 AM)
• The Comedy Of Errors - Chicago Shakespeare Theater’s Courtyard Theater (2:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Baseball is back and just like we want to see, a Cubs win! The Cubs defeated the Brewers on opening day 4-0 and will be back this afternoon! (Chicago Cubs via Facebook)
• The Chicago Police Department is working day in and out to bring justice to all our victims. Last week, detective Tom Purtell secured charges against four robbery offenders closing down two of his cases. (Chicago Police Department via Facebook)
• History is everywhere and baseball is a huge connector between the past and the present. On Apr. 27 prize-winning architecture critic, Paul Goldberger will be talking about the connections between cities and ballparks. (Chicago Architecture Center via Instagram)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Improovy Painters Chicago — (Visit website)

Featured events:

• First Saturday Evanston Art Events (April 1)
• STEM Adventures at Kiddie Academy of Crown Point (April 1)
• K9 Egg Hunt & Easter Bunny photos (April 1)
• NEWCITY and the Chocolate Factory (April 1)
• Wedding Band Event at Bella Cosa Jewelers (April 15)
• Nonprofit Entrepreneurship (April 17)
• A Graduate Degree Designed for You—Attend an Information Session (April 19)
• JigJam Concert (April 21)
• Finance and Accounting for Non-finance Professionals (April 25)
• Celebration of the Century (April 29)

Featured job listings:

• Automotive Intern (Paid) (Details)
• Temporary Seasonal Employment - Public Works Dept. (Details)

Alrighty, you're all caught up for today. See you all tomorrow for another update!

— Kaytlyn Mroz

About me: Kaytlyn Mroz is a copywriter at Lightning Media Partners – a content creation agency. She is a Rowan University graduate where she earned a bachelor's degree in journalism and a master's degree in writing. Outside of work, Kaytlyn is a dog mom to a boglen terrier named Finn and a golden retriever named Willow.