🌱 O'Hare Brawl Leads To Arrests + Heavy Traffic Delays Across Chicago

It's Thursday, Chicago. Let's get to today's top stories, including:

• Highlights from Mayor Brandon Johnson's first City Council meeting.
• How the mother of a fallen police officer is honoring her memory.
• A summer events preview, including free exercise classes, outdoor movie screenings and free museum days.

But first, today's weather: Breezy with plenty of sun. High: 60 Low: 50.

Here are the top 3 stories in Chicago today:

1. Two people were arrested after a brawl broke out Monday in the baggage claim area at O’Hare International Airport. One person was injured when a “verbal altercation” escalated into physical violence. (NBC)

2. Traffic delays increased six percent between March and May in the Chicago area, according to the GPS app Waze. The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning attributes the congestion to construction detours and a return to pre-pandemic travel. Chicagoans also told Block Club they find public transportation unreliable due to crime and inconsistent service, leading to an increase in commuting by car. (Block Club)

3. The mother of a late Chicago police officer is honoring her memory with a GoFundMe page. Dionne Mhoon is remembering her daughter, Officer Areanah Preston, with a goal of raising $150,000 for “establishing a community center that will provide a safe place and support for Chicago's youth,” the fundraising page reads. Preston was shot and killed earlier this month outside her Avalon Park home. She was 24. (GoFundMe)

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Today in Chicago:

• Uniting Voices Chicago presents a “Paint the Town Red” performance at Pritzker Pavillion, featuring local singers and groups. (11 a.m.)
• Illinois residents get free admission to the Art Institute on Thursday evenings through the summer. (5 p.m.)
• Head to Time Out Market to sample ciders from Illinois’ first female-owned brewery and cider house, Eris Brewery. (5 p.m.)
• Music icon Joan Baez discusses and signs copies of her new book at the Old Town School of Folk Music. (7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Mayor Brandon Johnson oversaw his first City Council meeting Wednesday, giving “key appointments to allies who endorsed him” as reported by WBEZ. (NPR)
• The Pritzker Military Museum & Library will offer free admission May 27 in honor of Memorial Day. (PMML)
• Stage legislators passed a bill to establish a literacy plan for Illinois public schools. (Chalkbeat)
• Free summer workouts return to Millenium Park this Saturday morning and run through Sept. 2. Offerings include Pilates, yoga and kickboxing. (City)
• The Music Box Theatre will begin its summer Garden Movie series beginning May 29 with “Easy A.” Other outdoor screening selections include “Wall-E,” “The Cabin in the Woods” and “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping.” (Music Box)

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Featured events:

• Business After Hours at Pour Decisions (May 25)
• Belmont Sheffield Music Festival (May 27)
• Free Beef! Giveaway of Italian Beef Sandwiches @ Chicago Food Stop (May 27)
• EPIC Academy's 2023 Dare to Imagine Gala (June 7)
• Barcocina Lakeview Margarita Class! (June 7)
• Five Guys Named Moe at Beverly Arts Center (June 8)
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That's all for today, Chicago. See you tomorrow for more local stories.

— Georgi

About me: Georgi is a Chicago-based newsletter writer and partner content curator. She spent five years on the entertainment beat for FF2 Media covering film festivals across the U.S. Her feature articles have been recognized with awards from the Illinois Women's Press Association and National Federation of Press Women. As editor-in-chief of the Lewis University newspaper, she and her staff earned honors from the Associated Collegiate Press and American Scholastic Press Associations. She began working for Patch in 2019.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Chicago Patch newsletter? Contact me at georgi.presecky@patch.com.