News Briefs: Glencoe museum’s Black history exhibit earns national honor; Wilmette runner finds special inspiration; the latest West Nile updates

The Glencoe Historical Society has won the 2024 Leadership in History Award of Excellence for its current exhibit on the history of Black life in the small village.

The honor comes from the American Association for State and Local History as part of the Leadership in History awards, a program in existence since 1945.

The Record profiled the exhibit and its development in a 2022 story.

The exhibit, which took five years to research and develop, documents the 140-year history of Black life in Glencoe, from the early days of the settlement in 1882 to the segregation of the community in the early 1900s, the rise of racial tensions in the area following World War I, and the formation of the local syndicate that used restrictive covenants and eminent domain powers to reduce the Black population by more than half.

The exhibit also highlights the contributions of Black residents to Glencoe’s development, including the first families who lived in the village; the formation of a local and historic Black church; and the struggles of Black residents for civil rights and equality.

The GHS is one of only three organizations in Illinois to have won the award this year, which were announced at a recent AASLH conference.

After the birth of twins, local dad finds inspiration — and peace — in running

“I’ve always been active, but while my wife was pregnant and legitimately eating for three, I found myself doing the same,” Tim Little, of Wilmette, said in a statement from Bank of America. The father of six is now a two-time half-marathon runner. 

For Little, having six boys, two of whom are twins under 5 months old, was not enough of a challenge. Rather, he used his growing family as motivation to get fit and begin training for the Bank of America 13.1 half marathon on June 10. 

The inspiration came when Little and his wife, Chanteile McConnell, found out they were expecting twins.

“I’m in my mid-40s, and just doing some quick math, I realized I’m gonna be in my mid-60s when they graduate high school,” he said.

Running is nothing new to Little, but the last half marathon he ran was 10 years ago. This time, training looked a little different with four children ages 5 and under. For Little this meant taking his 5- and 4-year-olds on bike rides while he ran alongside them.

Not only did Little have the support of six boys, but also his wife, Chanteile McConnell, who had the arguably harder task of wrangling all the children to see Little cross the finish line. 

“I had my half marathon to run, but she had her half marathon,” Little said. “You can imagine trying to get two relatively newborns, a couple of other kids under 5, and my mom actually was in town too, to organize everyone to get down to an area where there are tens of thousands of people and get into position by roughly 9 a.m., was an amazing feat.”

Little and his family have been longtime supporters of the Bank of America races. Little even volunteered with the Achilles Freedom Team to help wounded military personnel and veterans complete the 2023 marathon. Now, Little will complete his own marathon this coming October at the Bank of America marathon.

Reporting by Cleo Pool, editorial intern

West Nile detected in Glencoe, Winnetka mosquito samples

Mosquitoes collected in Glencoe and Winnetka on July 18 have tested positive for West Nile virus, the North Shore Mosquito Abatement District said in a news release.

Mosquitoes found in Wilmette, Kenilworth, Evanston, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Northbrook, Northfield and Skokie have also tested positive this year, according to NSMAD data.

So far this summer, 70 of the 675 mosquito traps, or 10.3%, set up by the district have tested positive for the virus — a jump from 4.1 percent in June. The positivity rate typically increases as the summer progresses.

West Nile virus is found in mosquitoes, birds, and other animals each summer throughout the NSMAD.

The risk of infection is still considered low, according to the NSMAD, but officials recommend taking precautions against mosquito bites, such as wearing loose clothing, using insect repellent, and avoiding peak mosquito feeding times around dawn and dusk. People are also urged to check property and dispose of any items that can hold water, such as smaller items that may be easily overlooked.

For more information on mosquito-related issues, visit the NSMAD website.