DePaul University student Ashlynn Reyes, 21, shares her GPS location with loved ones at all times. She carries pepper spray and tries to sit near other women. She stays off her phone so she can be alert.

That’s all for her daily commute, which includes a Chicago Transit Authority train ride.

Former Ald. Ambrosio Medrano lasted five years on the infamously corrupt Chicago City Council before going to prison for taking bribes.

But he made one thing clear about his circumstances: He was not going to snitch on anyone — least of all his council colleagues.

The next time the Geneva Public Library has a fundraiser, a cultural or educational event, alcohol could be served.

Geneva alderpersons, acting as the committee of the whole, have recommended approval of the library’s request for a liquor license so alcoholic drinks could be served during events.

Illinois has the potential to eradicate childhood poverty, but it will require a concentrated, sustained effort in partnership with families and disadvantaged communities, says Tasha Green Cruzat, president of Children’s Advocates for Change, a Chicago-based nonprofit focused on childhood wellbeing.

This hope drives the focus of the policy forum her organization is hosting in East St. Louis next week. The event will bring together social service providers, educators, health officials, and lawmakers to address the barriers to lifting families out of poverty in one of the nation’s most disadvantaged cities.