🌱 Firefighter Shot On North Side + Chicago Theatre Week

Happy Friday, Lakeview! Georgi Presecky here with your brand-new issue of the Daily.

First, today's weather: Increasingly windy. High: 29 Low: 12.

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Here are the top 5 stories in Lakeview today:

1. An off-duty firefighter was shot while driving home from work on the North Side Wednesday morning, police said. He was treated for facial injuries and released from Swedish Covenant Hospital the same day. (Patch)

2. A man was arrested this week and charged with stalking Mayor Lori Lightfoot, according to the Cook County State's Attorney Office. Officials said Joseph Igartua sent the mayor a “rambling letter” and his car was spotted near her Logan Square home on Sunday. (Patch)

3. Chicago City Council is “weighing the pros and cons” of allowing the former General Iron metal shredder to move from Lincoln Park to the Southeast Side. Neighbors are concerned about how the added pollution could impact the already poor air quality. (WBEZ)

4. Former administrators at an Uptown school face wire fraud charges after a federal investigation found they helped take $250,000 in fake overtime payments. Jennifer McBride and William Jackson are accused of helping with the scheme while they worked at Joseph Brennemann Elementary. (Block Club)

5. Chicago Theatre Week kicked off Thursday, featuring discounted tickets to several shows through Feb. 27. Neighborhood theaters participating include The Second City, Mercury Theater, TimeLine Theatre Company, Pride Arts Center and more. (ChooseChicago)

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Today in Lakeview:

• Stop by the Orchid Show at Chicago Botanic Garden. (10 a.m.)
• Best Picture nominees “Drive My Car,” “Licorice Pizza” and “Nightmare Alley” screen at the Landmark. (12:30 p.m.)
• Visit the Irish pop-up at Deuce's Major League Bar. (3 p.m.)
• Check out the Chicago Pancakes & Booze Art Show. (8 p.m.)
  
• Have a laugh at the Lincoln Lodge Comedy Showcase. (8 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Personal trainer Minky Kim opened an inclusive gym in Lakeview last month, “welcoming all body types and abilities.” (Block Club)
• Lakeview Orchestra returned to the stage this week after a pandemic hiatus. (Chicago Classical)
• Registration is now open for next month’s Polar Plunge at North Avenue Beach. (Special Olympics Chicago)

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That's all for today, Lakeview! See you tomorrow for another update.

— Georgi Presecky

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.