Good morning, Chicago.

Cook County property taxes are going up again for the vast majority of homeowners and business operators who will finally get their bills next month after another round of delays.

Of the 1.8 million bills set to hit mailboxes Sept. 1, about 1.3 million residences and 100,000 businesses will see an increase, according to Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas’ annual analysis.

Read the full story from the Tribune’s A.D. Quig.

Here are the top stories you need to know to start your day, including: the latest story in our ongoing series “Great Waste in the Great Lakes,” what happened in last night’s Chicago Sky-Indiana Fever game and why punk icon Patti Smith is back in Chicago.

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Former sheriff’s deputy convicted of killing Sonya Massey dies, attorney says

Sean Grayson, the former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy who was convicted and sentenced for murdering Sonya Massey inside her home, died yesterday, his attorney said. He was 32.

Data centers near O’Hare win nearly $100M in local tax breaks, leaving suburban homeowners to cover the gap

More than a dozen data centers near O’Hare International Airport are receiving tens of millions of dollars in local property tax breaks this year, shifting the financial burden onto suburban homeowners even as local leaders tout the benefits of the explosive industry amid growing public backlash.

The impact lands hardest on homeowners in suburbs where the tax base leans on a handful of big businesses. In northwest suburban Northlake, the average homeowner would save more than $2,000 on their annual tax bill — a difference of almost 30% — if local data centers did not receive valuation reductions and incentives, according to the analysis.

Related:

• Data centers and tax breaks: How we reported the story

As microplastics pollute every corner of the Great Lakes, scientists push governments to combat threat

Microplastics are in every corner of the Great Lakes, from Canada’s “Chemical Valley,” a strip of fossil fuel plants off Lake Huron north of Detroit, to the pristine Apostle Islands in Lake Superior. The Tribune is documenting the scourge as part of “Great Waste in the Great Lakes,” an ongoing series delving into mostly unseen risks to the health and environment of Americans and Canadians who depend on the world’s largest source of fresh surface water.

CPS budget uncertainty looms as students head back to school

When teacher assistant Jared Edwards was laid off at Curtis Elementary in Roseland this summer, it was the second consecutive year his position had been cut. This time, he hopes it won’t be permanent: As Chicago Public Schools moves to reverse some layoffs, his principal told him he could be called back.

But with classes beginning today, a decision about his return could still be weeks away. “My biggest concern is just the impact on the classroom,” he said.

Hello students, meet Edward Gardner, the new special ed teacher at Burnham elementary

After years as a special education classroom assistant, Edward Gardner IV was promoted to a special education teacher at Burnham Mathematics & Science Academy, in South Deering, helming a class of five students on the autism spectrum. Though his path as an educator was unconventional, Gardner said he always knew he’d be working with kids — mentoring, coaching, teaching.

“It’s a childhood dream come true,” he said. “I have moments where I’m still like, ‘why me?’ But it quickly goes away. When you pick education, it picks you — you’re really chosen for it.”

Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom ejected from Chicago Sky game after he was confronted by Natasha Cloud

Former NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom was ejected from last night’s WNBA game between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky at Wintrust Arena after he was confronted by Sky guard Natasha Cloud late in the third quarter.

Kanter Freedom was sitting along the baseline. He had on a black shirt that read “WOMAN noun. adult human female.”

More on the Sky:

• Sky lose 113-90 in a rematch with Indiana Fever as teams downplay any lingering tension

Ben Johnson gives his starters a cameo: Brad Biggs’ 10 thoughts after the Chicago Bears’ preseason loss

10 thoughts on what the Bears learned during their long stay in Cincinnati and where they stand after the second preseason game, with one remaining and a host of roster moves coming quickly.

More on the Bears:

• Caleb Williams plays opening drive in Chicago’ preseason loss to Cincinnati Bengals

When Valentino swooned: Film star collapsed, died before he could settle a grudge with a Tribune editorial writer

Rudolph Valentino’s untimely death exactly a century ago may have saved a Tribune writer from getting a knuckle sandwich from the world’s most beloved celebrity.

The Italian actor/dancer/superstar, still miffed by an insulting editorial the paper published in July 1926, died at age 31 on Aug. 23 from complications from peritonitis. He had collapsed 8 days earlier, then underwent surgery for a gastric ulcer and what appeared to be appendicitis.

Patti Smith performs at the Chicago Theatre on Nov. 17, 2025. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)

Punk icon Patti Smith is back in Chicago for literary award and Riot Fest. She writes about childhood ‘because I never left it.’

Writer, artist and punk icon Patti Smith said she always felt “very romantic” about her hometown of Chicago, and can recite lines from Carl Sandburg’s “Chicago” poem by heart.

“It’s where I made my first steps, where I said my first words, and where I was baptized,” Smith said in an interview. “I just always felt proud to be born in Chicago.”

Lincoln Park dining guide: 10 of the best ways to dine through the neighborhood

With its sprawling, namesake park, beloved zoo, charming boutiques, lively Green City Market and glittering lakefront, there is much to do in Lincoln Park. There are also ample ways the neighborhood helps to sustain those who wish to explore it, thanks to a vibrant collection of restaurants, cafes and bakeries. Options run the gamut, from spots that fit snugly into the morning routine to long evenings on the patio, offering everything from takeaway pastries to tasting menus.