The Chicago River is once again glowing kelly green as the city opens its annual St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.

Footage of a plump snapping turtle relaxing along a Chicago waterway has gone viral after the man who filmed the well-fed reptile marveled at its size and nicknamed it “Chonkosaurus.”.

Rowers, kayakers and other users of the Chicago River are getting a real-time look at one measure of water quality in the system that weaves through downtown and some neighborhoods.

The year 2020 ended in Chicago with more homicides than in all but one year in more than two decades. As in other cities, Chicago police attribute much of the increase in gun violence to the global coronavirus pandemic and civil unrest that erupted after Floyd died after being forcibly detained by Minneapolis police. After three years of falling homicide totals, 2020 ended with 769 homicides — 274 more than the previous year and the most since the 784 homicides in 2016. Chicago, the nation's third-largest city, saw hundreds more homicides than either New York or Los Angeles. According to the Chicago Police Department, 79 officers were shot at in 2020, compared with 22 who were fired upon the year before.

For the second time in less than 24 hours, families living along the Tittabawassee River and connected lakes in Midland County were ordered to leave home. The evacuations include the towns of Edenville, Sanford and parts of Midland, according to Selina Tisdale, spokeswoman for Midland County. Dow Michigan Operations is working with its tenants and Midland County officials and will continue to closely monitor the water levels on the Tittabawassee River, Schikorra said. The Sanford Dam, which was built in 1925, received a fair condition rating. The Tittabawassee River was at 30.5 feet (9.3 meters) and rising Tuesday night - flood stage is 24 feet (7.3 meters).

If you peered into the Chicago River, you might have thought it had rained rubber duckies, but it was actually Chicago's 14th annual Ducky Derby. If you peered into the Chicago River on Thursday, you might have thought it had rained rubber duckies, but it was actually Chicago's 14th annual Ducky Derby. Exactly 63,133 rubber ducks were dumped into the river at the Wabash Bridge to raise money for the Illinois Special Olympics, according to the organization. The iconic bath toys race down the Chicago River to win prizes for their owners, depending on how they place. After the race, the ducks are collected and reused for future races.

iStock/junialCHICAGO - A Metro Detroit man has been arrested in connection with illegal charter boat operations on the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago says the boat had not been inspected or certified by the Coast Guard. The charges also allege the person acting as captain did not have proper Coast Guard credentials. The Associated Press was unable to reach Garbowski Monday for comment. Copyright 2019 The Associated Press.