“Love the laughter, giggles and shrieks of joy,” one reader wrote. “Kids are the heart of a neighborhood” another said. trib.al/H0pUNBT

Dads reveal humor and wisdom with the advice they've handed down to their children. Spoiler: If duct tape can't fix it, it can't be fixed. trib.al/FnqRII5

Juneteenth has its roots in Texas and celebrates federal troops freeing the last of the enslaved people in the Confederacy. trib.al/Xg7u3X8

What should you do if the party drags on? Join the fun and request a song? Call the police? Retaliate and mow the lawn at 5 in the morning? trib.al/G3jLjby

Readers advise: Get a dog. Move to a high-rise condo and never see a cat again. Promote TNR—that is, trap-neuter-release. Don’t be a Karen. trib.al/Z7Aptt3

McDonald's restaurants are offering freebies to observe Mercury retrograde, which astrologers believe fouls up communications. trib.al/pYj4ZOk

Some Patch readers want friendly neighbors. Others want them to keep to themselves. Neighbors with in-ground swimming pools are good, too. trib.al/gKxEvO0

KONKOL COLUMN: Scientists advised Gov. Pritzker not to base policy on coronavirus test positivity rates in May 2020. Finally, he listened. trib.al/ZDZulrD

From unkempt lawns to “junked car graveyards” to the “actual dirty,” Patch readers talk about what’s annoying them in the neighborhood. trib.al/NLO3bSm

Ramadan is the most sacred month for Muslims, who observe the monthlong holiday with fasts, acts of charity and prayer. trib.al/jEQg4c1

Whatever you do, there’s no need to “get petty and get the whole neighborhood involved,” a Patch reader responded to Block Talk's question. trib.al/9Y8Pdps

Some people are serial wavers. Others barely nod and say their neighbors shouldn’t take it personally. Some kids don’t know what to think. trib.al/xLfBgqF

Americans show support on the ground in Ukraine and Poland, with fundraisers over steaming pots of borscht, and in multiple other ways. trib.al/QdjSKep

Readers offer real-world advice on getting along in the neighborhood in Block Talk, a new regular feature on Patch. trib.al/AP36Cwc

Chuen Fat Yip, 68, a citizen of the People's Republic of China, was charged in September 2018 with five drug crimes. trib.al/8jClx1g

Applications are being accepted for the spring, summer and fall semesters of 2022. trib.al/HMvdZkL

The World Health Organization says vaccinations are still the best prevention against the new omicron variant. trib.al/SmAk2MH

NASA is testing its ability to smash spacecraft into and knock speeding space rocks off course by before they fall to Earth. trib.al/aV1yt1C

Patch is on the hunt for the Best Holiday Lights In America. Here's how you can claim bragging rights for your own twinkling displays. trib.al/maA0wkm

Are you raising grateful children? Practicing gratitude is more layered than saying “thank you,” and it doesn’t just happen. trib.al/CeW4DXT