Here’s a graphic I made, in the style of “Dear Photograph.” The graphic shows photos taken on a bridge, where a triple murder was discovered, 40 years ago overlaid on an image of the same bridge today. Link to story
‘All tatted up’
The KU men’s basketball players are all tatted up. Our sports section wrote a story about the team’s tattoo culture and our photographer took Instagram shots of a few choice pieces of art. As a digital component for this story, I used Thinglink and easel.ly to combine these elements in a diagram of the ink … Continue reading »
Best of the web: Snowstorm edition
It’s been snowing outside. A lot. There was even some thundersnow as a wake-up call this morning. Whether you’re weathering the storm inside or need to go out and brave the elements, make sure you’re well-equipped with our collection of links to snow resources: If staying in isn’t an option, check the Kansas Department of … Continue reading »
You’ve got mail, Dr. Jones
12/17/2012 – The mystery has been solved! Hover over the picture for fun facts about the mystery package (Tumblr/University of Chicago Admissions) When a crinkly manila envelope addressed to Henry Walton Jones, Jr. arrived at the University of Chicago’s admissions office few days ago, no one paid much mind. It’s prime time for them: college … Continue reading »
12 things to know about Chicago
It’s 12/12/12. So how about a dozen interesting factoids about the Second City? 1. Chicago was incorporated as a city in 1837. 2. The Harold Washington Library Center is the world’s largest public library. 3. The gloves are off: 16-inch softball was invented in Chicago. 4. Route 66 starts in Grant Park. 5. Dan Ryan … Continue reading »
Museum unearths Lincoln’s expense reports
If you think 55 cents per mile for travel reimbursement is low, it’s not much better than what Lincoln got. The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum found its namesake’s old travel expenses at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. He got $8 per day and another $8 for every 20 miles he traveled between … Continue reading »
Chicago’s Christmas Tree Ship re-enacts 100-year tradition
Chicago’s Christmas Tree Ship re-enacts 100-year tradition from WBEZ on Vimeo. Chicago’s Christmas Ship Committee and the U.S. Coast Guard delivered 1,300 Christmas trees from Cheboygan, Mich. to needy families in Chicago Friday. The Cutter Mackinaw plays the role of the Christmas Ship, re-enacting an annual tradition from the 1800s by Captain Herman Scheunemann. He … Continue reading »
Reining in the rats
In August, Chicago decided to crack down on its rat problem by beefing up its rodent baiting army. But have more boots on the ground in the last three months helped? The city added more crews because this year, 311 service calls for rodent baiting — where crews search for and set out poison for … Continue reading »
Who is (and isn’t) running for Congress
Despite winning his congressional seat back in the Nov. 2012 election, Jesse Jackson Jr. resigned a short time after due to bipolar disorder. Then, Chicagoans – prevalent and not – started throwing their hats into the ring, announcing candidacy or discussing the possibility of running. To help keep it all straight, I created a Pinterest … Continue reading »
CTA awards contract for Red Line South reconstruction
The Chicago Transit Board awarded the contract for its biggest reconstruction project on Wednesday. F. H. Paschen, S.N. Nielsen and Associates, LLC will rebuild the Red Line South from Cermak-Chinatown to 95th Street. With an estimated budget of $425 million, plans include improving stations, tracks and ties, drainage systems and more. “We are looking forward … Continue reading »
Interactive Map: Early voting locations in Cook County
Illinois residents can follow in the president’s footsteps and vote before Election Day. Cook County Clerk David Orr said early voting benefits people who have scheduling conflicts on Election Day. “Since the U.S. votes on a work day, it’s important for people to have options,” Orr said. Since early voting began October 22, approximately 127,000 … Continue reading »
CTA: Expanded surveillance program results in more arrests
The Chicago Transit Authority’s top official announced its expanded camera network successfully helps deter crimes and leads to more arrests at rail stations. Since June 2011, CTA installed more than 1,800 security cameras, equipping all 145 rail stations with multiple high-definition cameras that provide live feeds to CTA and the Office of Emergency Management and … Continue reading »
Medill Innovation Project – The Breakdown
As part of my final quarter at Medill, I participated in the innovation project, a long-standing tradition at the school for graduate students. For 10 weeks, our team toiled away to research, develop and build products – from scratch – for our client, WBEZ, to help it reach its goal of expanding to a younger, … Continue reading »
The politics of Persian poetry
Please note that this story was recorded for a quarter-long project submitted to WBEZ. Iranian poetry gives a voice to the hushed. The United States’ relationship with Iran centers on politics and nuclear weapons. But one Chicago group is trying to change that by showcasing the Middle Eastern country’s art across the city. Many great … Continue reading »
A year’s worth of Lotto
For my final project in data visualization, I was tasked with finding an interesting set of data to map out. On the Illinois Data Portal, I found the amount of dollars Illinoisans spend on Lotto tickets organized by zip code. Take a look at the interactive map: How much are people spending in your zip … Continue reading »