Author: CNN Newsource

By Todd Feurer

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    CHICAGO (WBBM) — Chicago has a weekend full of St. Patrick’s Day parades and citywide celebrations. Here’s what you need to know.

When is St. Patrick’s Day?

St. Patrick’s Day is on Tuesday, March 17. The four annual parades are held the weekend before St. Patrick’s Day. The Chicago St. Patrick’s Day parade downtown and the Archer Avenue St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held on the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day, and the South Side Irish Parade in the Beverly/Morgan Park community and the Northwest Side Irish Parade in the Norwood Park neighborhood are held on the Sunday before St. Patrick’s Day.

When is the Chicago River dyeing?

Every year on the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day, the Chicago River is dyed bright green. The best place to watch the Chicago River dyeing is along Upper Wacker Drive between State Street and Columbus Drive. The lower Riverwalk will be closed from 11 p.m. on Friday through 6 a.m. on Sunday. Bridges over the river will be closed to spectators, but the Columbus, LaSalle, and Orleans bridges will be open to cars and pedestrians.

The dyeing of the river will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday. The task usually takes about 45 minutes to complete, and the bright green color can last anywhere from a few hours to a couple of days, depending on the weather.

Downtown Chicago St. Patrick’s Day parade

The city’s downtown St. Patrick’s Day Parade steps off at 12:15 p.m. on Saturday, March 14, at Columbus and Balbo drives in Grant Park. The parade will proceed north on Columbus Drive to Monroe Street, with the viewing stand located in front of Buckingham Fountain.

Street closures for the parade will start early as 8 a.m., including Columbus Drive from Roosevelt Road to Wacker Drive and east/west streets within those boundaries. Streets within the boundary of Monroe Street between Michigan Avenue and DuSable Lake Shore Drive will be closed. DuSable Lake Shore Drive or State Street can be used as an alternate route.

Entry to the parade route along Columbus begins at 11 a.m. and will only be permitted at Jackson and Ida B. Wells Drive (formerly Congress Drive) and all entry points will have security checkpoints where all purses and bags will be checked. Coolers, alcoholic beverages, CamelBaks, and personal water bottles will not be permitted along the parade route.

How to get to the Chicago St. Patrick’s Day parade Public transportation is the best option for getting to the downtown parade on Saturday.

Blue or Red Lines: If you are taking the CTA’s Blue or Red lines, you can exit your train at any of the Loop subway stops, and walk east to Columbus Drive. Brown, Green, Orange, or Pink Lines: If you are taking the CTA’s Brown, Green, Orange, or Pink lines, you can exit at any of the elevated stops along Wabash Avenue and walk east to Columbus Drive. Metra: If you are coming in on Metra to Union Station or Ogilvie Transportation Center, you can walk seven blocks east to Columbus Drive. If you are riding Metra to LaSalle Street Station, you can walk five blocks east to Columbus Drive. If you are riding Metra to Millennium Station, you can walk south on Michigan Avenue to Monroe Street, Jackson Drive, Ida B. Wells Drive, or Balbo Drive and then east to Columbus Drive. Driving: If you are driving downtown, the Grant Park and Millennium Park garages are the closest to the parade route. Entrances to the garages are available along Michigan Avenue between Randolph and Van Buren. There is also parking available at the Hilton Chicago Hotel at Balbo and Michigan avenues.

Archer Avenue St. Patrick’s Day Parade

The Working Families Archer Avenue St. Patrick’s Day Parade steps off at noon on Saturday in the Garfield Ridge neighborhood at Archer Avenue and Oak Park Avenue, and proceeds east to Merrimac Avenue. The parade is expected to conclude at 2 p.m.

The South Side of Chicago will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with the South Side Irish St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Sunday, March 15. The parade steps off at noon from 103rd Street and Western Avenue in the Beverly neighborhood, and marches south to 115th Street.

The parade started in 1979 and has grown to become the largest St. Patrick’s Day community-based parade outside of Dublin, Ireland.

How to get to the South Side Irish parade

The best way to get to the parade is by Metra, using the Rock Island line. You can exit along the Beverly/Morgan Park branch at 99th Street, 103rd Street, 107th Street, 111th Street, or 115th Street, and walk about one mile west from the station to Western Avenue.

You can also take the CTA Red Line to the 95th Street terminal, and then hop on a #95 or #103 CTA bus to head west to Western Avenue.

Driving is not recommended, as parking will be extremely limited near the parade route, but if you need to drive, you’ll need to get to Interstate 57, and exit at either Halsted Street or 111th Street, and make your way west to Western Avenue.

No parking will be allowed on Western Avenue from 99th Street to 119th Street beginning at 6 am. Beginning at 7 a.m., parking will be prohibited on the east side of Artesian Avenue from 103rd to 111th. There will be no parking on the west side of Claremont Avenue from 103rd to 107th. Expect other parking restrictions on side streets east and west of Western Avenue from 103rd to 112th Streets. Parking restrictions are expected to remain in place until well after the parade is expected to end at 4 p.m.

Expect traffic to be restricted on Western Avenue and surrounding side streets beginning at 9 a.m. On all east/west streets leading to Western Ave. between 103rd and 115th, expect portions of the street to be closed within 75 feet of Western Avenue or between the first alleyway and Western Avenue.

Northwest Side Irish Parade

The Northwest Side Irish Parade steps off at noon on Sunday at Onahan School, at 6634 W. Raven St. proceeding south on Neola Avenue to Northwest Highway and north to Harlem Avenue in the Norwood Park neighborhood.

Northwest Highway will be closed to vehicles at 9 a.m. Parking restrictions are in effect along the route beginning at 7 a.m. Both sides of the street on Neola, Raven, Northwest Highway, Normandy Avenue, Imlay, Neva, Palatine and Natoma along the route will be affected.

The best way to get to the parade is to hop on the CTA Blue Line and get off at the Jefferson Park stop, where you can catch a Northwest Highway (#68) bus and get off between Nagle Avenue and Harlem Avenue to walk to the parade route.

You can also take Metra’s UP-Northwest Line to the Norwood Park station, and walk to the parade route from there.

St. Patrick’s Day Weekend Security

Police want everyone to stay alert during St. Patrick’s Day festivities, especially after recent attacks in the U.S. While there hasn’t been a known direct threat to Chicago, both local and federal law enforcement agencies are keeping watchful eye this St. Patrick’s Day weekend.

Retired Chicago Police First Deputy Superintendent Anthony Riccio said the recent war in Iran heightens this year’s festivities, especially along the various parade routes throughout the city.

“They’re attractive targets to somebody who wants to, you know, make their point and do harm to other people. So there is a lot of concern and a lot of vulnerability, but again, CPD has done this many times, working in conjunction with federal partners. I believe that they are among the best in the world at securing events like this, and I think they’ll be ready for it,” he said.

Riccio said the Chicago Police Department started security planning for St. Patrick’s Day weekend months ago. Yet, with recent attacks in the U.S., such as this week’s attack on a Detroit area synagogue, police will regroup and coordinate with federal agencies.

Riccio said there will be plenty of uniformed officers providing security for this weekend’s festivities, but there will also be plainclothes officers mixed in with the crowds, watching and listening for anything out of the norm.

“Officers are going to be vigilant, our federal partners are going to be working with us on this, and you know, again, the cooperation and the eyes and ears of everybody who’s out there will make it a safe event,” Riccio said.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Adam Del Rosso

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    MINNESOTA (WCCO) — There have been no big changes to the forecast overnight. Everything remains on track for Minnesota’s major winter storm, with major impacts from Saturday evening through Sunday.

WCCO’s NEXT Weather Alert is in effect into Monday due to the effects of the storm, which will likely be the biggest of the season.

Its seriousness has prompted Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to sign an executive order authorizing the Minnesota National Guard to support emergency operations until conditions caused by the storm subside.

A significant number of flights are cancelled at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport Saturday evening into Sunday, too, with airlines advising travelers to rebook their flights.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her are expected to share information on storm preparations in a joint press conference on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. Watch that in the player above and on CBS News Minnesota.

The state will be dry for most of the day Saturday, but snow picks up in coverage and intensity, mainly after 7 p.m., with the heaviest after midnight, with 1 to 3 inches per hour snowfall rates.

Twelve to 18 inches of snow is expected across the metro, with a few isolated spots in Wisconsin reaching over 18 inches.

Closer to Interstate 90, some sleet and ice will mix in overnight, cutting back totals a bit, but the NEXT Weather team is still expecting travel area-wide to be very difficult, if not impossible, through Sunday afternoon with wind gusts 30 to 50 mph.

Most of the blizzard warnings are for Sunday morning and afternoon.

Snow wraps up into Sunday evening, but gusty winds continue into Monday with some lingering travel issues possible for the morning commute.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Kimberly King

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    LEICESTER, North Carolina (WLOS) — Neighbors near Moonrise Ridge in Leicester are reacting after a house explosion shook their homes in the early morning on Friday, March 13.

“I stepped outside and saw smoke and an orange glow from the neighbor’s house,” said neighbor Ryan Dailey. “By the time I got across the hill, the house was completely leveled and fully engulfed in flames.”

The Leicester Volunteer Fire Department responded after receiving a call about a possible house fire at a home off Gibbs Road, Fire Chief Gary Moore said.

“It was below freezing this morning,” Moore said. “And in our area, we have no fire hydrants, so we had to shuttle water in. It’s a narrow, one-lane road down to the house.”

Authorities confirmed the home was destroyed. Dispatch calls were for a propane tank explosion, but Moore said the cause of the blast is still under investigation. Fire crews spent hours extinguishing hot spots while the Buncombe County fire marshal continues investigating.

Jeff Williams, a home restoration expert with an emergency response company, monitors fire dispatch notes that come through an app for licensed response firms. He said initial information indicated a propane tank explosion that ignited the home. He showed News 13 the note that went out.

“This one was actually a propane tank [that] exploded and burst in the home,” said Williams.

Williams said propane systems require routine inspections.

Another neighbor, Josh Lockhart, uses propane to heat his home. He said he’s aware there can be risks, but he said there are checks and balances. Fire officials recommend having heating systems inspected regularly by a certified propane or gas company.

“We have monitors to let us know if there’s carbon monoxide or if it has a smell to it as well,” he said. “And I assume that if they were here, and I don’t want to make assumptions, if they were here, they probably would have smelled it, if there was a leak, because it does have a very noticeable smell.”

Lockhart said a retired couple owns the home.

“I feel horrible for them with the fact that they’re going to have to come home to this,” he said.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Adam Rife

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    MILWAUKEE (WDJT) — The man accused of kidnapping a woman and robbing her after meeting on a dating app took the stand in his own trial Friday, March 13.

Timothy Olson is representing himself and testified in his own defense.

But Olson’s behavior in court again made waves.

As he has for much of the trial, he frequently derailed the proceedings and earned several reprimands.

Olson tried to explain what he says happened the night he’s accused of kidnapping a woman.

Olson described meeting up with her at a bar, saying, “We decided to leave about an hour after I arrived.”

He claimed she let him drive them in her car for hours to liquor stores, other bars, and a hotel.

And Olson claimed it was all consensual.

But Olson’s erratic behavior has dominated the trial and it continued Friday.

Most of his testimony lacked focus. He frequently drifted off on tangents. He routinely forgot what he was saying. And he fell into long stretches of silence.

The lack of direction repeatedly frustrated the prosecution. At one point the deputy district attorney told the judge, “Your Honor, we’ve been talking about going around in circles for 45 minutes now. I object to the relevance.”

Olson also frustrated Judge Kristy Yang, who told him, “Mr. Olson, some of those details are not relevant. So stick to what’s relevant. Continue your testimony, please.”

He was repeatedly warned and admonished.

At one point, Yang told him, “Mr. Olson, you were instructed by the court not to make any commentaries. And that would have been argumentative.”

Olson never did finish his testimony. Time ultimately ran out and the court was forced to adjourn for the day.

They will resume Saturday at 8:30 a.m. because they are trying to avoid coming back next week when the winter weather could be a problem.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.

By Loureen Ayyoub

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    SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) — Inside Ben Einstein’s home, an entire wall tells a story. Floor to ceiling, the space is lined with books and memories, a tribute to his late wife, Grace, who died of ovarian cancer in 2020.

“I love to read and have a lot of books, so it’s very convenient to have,” Einstein said of the towering shelves, which include a rolling ladder.

The project began as a passion after Grace’s passing, but had its roots in a shared dream.

“I’m oftentimes connecting with the memory of Grace,” Einstein said.

Though she did not live to see the finished bookshelf, her vision inspired him to complete it.

“I remember sitting next to her hospital bed, talking to her about the design, and showing her pictures of it,” he recalled.

The bookshelves are more than just storage. Many of the books were sent by strangers who had lost loved ones after Einstein’s story spread online. The books also reflect elements of Grace’s personality.

“…her inclination to better herself, and read, and therapy, and connecting with spirituality and all of the things that were really important to her,” Einstein said.

The intricate design is a telling reflection of his love for her.

“There’s like a lot of aspects to it. It holds a lot,” he added.

The project now holds the key to a new chapter in Einstein’s life. He now works with members of the community to design their homes or offices in a personal, uplifting manner, all free of charge.

He travelled to a nearby home where one family heard about his services through Reddit.

“The more I found out about the story, the why behind the what, I realized for me, it wasn’t about him designing my space, like in a conventional way, but he was coming at this from a more emotional and psychological point of view, which really resonated with me,” said Shrikala Kashyap, a client of Einstein’s.

After witnessing how much a physical environment can impact an individual, Einstein calls his effort “sacred spaces.”

“I think prioritizing an object or a space that is trying to incline you to be the best version of yourself has made a huge difference in my life, and I wanted to enable other people to do that without having to spend gobs and gobs of money and time,” he said.

Back at home, the bookshelf that started it all continues to do what it was built for: carry stories and preserve the memories that come with them.

Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.