🌱 $10K In Donations Stolen + Guy Fieri's Favorite Chicago Restaurant

Good morning! Thanks for checking out Patch's quick guide to happenings in Chicago. In today's Daily:

• ⛪ About $10,000 in donations has been stolen from St. Vincent de Paul church
• 🏗️ Developers propose $1 billion to rejuvenate Chicago's longtime financial district
• 📼 Bric-A-Brac loses thousands of records and collectables after a massive pipe burst

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☁️ The weather:

Cloudy, mist; fog, breezy. High: 52 Low: 37.

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📰 Top 5 stories in Chicago:

1) Surveillance video captures pipes bursting at Chicago record store. Bric-A-Brac Records & Collectibles in Avondale lost thousands of records, VHS tapes and other collectables after four frozen pipes burst on Christmas morning. The owner was out of town and said water had been pouring down for about 10 hours before someone reported it. One of his biggest challenges will be restocking rare items. (FOX 32 Chicago)

2) Chicago architect behind riverwalk, CTA stations, eye-catching McDonald's designs awarded prestigious medal. Groundbreaking Chicago architect Carol Ross Barney has been awarded the Gold Medal from the American Institute of Architects, a prestigious honor previously given to luminaries, such as Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright. Barney says her work is guided by a utopian vision to use architecture to better people's lives. (WTTW)

3) About $10,000 in Christmas Mass donations stolen from St. Vincent de Paul church in Lincoln Park. The burglary occurred overnight Monday and is being investigated by CPD. The church has set up a GoFundMe page to help recover the stolen money, which goes toward parish outreach programs, religious education programs for children, operations and other ministries. (Block Club Chicago)

4) Developers propose $1 billion in work to help La Salle Street. The redevelopment plans involve seven buildings along or near La Salle Street in the central Loop, and would convert office space to residential use. The proposals were in response to the city's call last September for ideas to rejuvenate Chicago's longtime financial district, now plagued by vacancies. (Chicago Sun-Times)

5) A Chicago spot is best restaurant in Illinois, according to Guy Fieri. Of all the hot spots that have garnered buzz on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," one stands as Guy Fieri's favorite in Illinois: Kuma's Corner in Chicago. The heavy metal-themed gourmet burger bar serves 16 different burgers, along with a rotating burger of the month. The Black Sabbath burger, seasoned with blackening spice and loaded with chili, red onions and pepper jack, reportedly received praise from Fieri. (NBC Chicago)

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📌 Today in Chicago:

• "Frozen" at Northtown Branch Library (4:00 PM)
• Open Gym Volleyball at Center on Halsted (6:00 PM)
• John Oliver at The Chicago Theatre (7:00 PM)
• 90s Night at Carol's Pub (7:00 PM)
• Mustard Plug with The Crombies at Subterranean (7:30 PM)
• Vance Kelly & The Backstreet Candy Lickin' Blues Band at Kingston Mines (8:00 PM)
• Sonny with Young Jasper & Matty Woods at The Promontory (8:30 PM)
• Shoe Fest Holiday Jam at Martyrs' (9:00 PM)
• The Disco Biscuits at The Riviera Theatre (9:00 PM)
• Washed Out at Thalia Hall (9:00 PM)
• Dillon Francis at TAO Chicago (10:00 PM)
• Zedd at Radius (10:00 PM)

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📱 Social chatter:

• "Starved Rock Killer:" "On March 14, 1960, three women from west suburban Riverside departed on a midweek vacation to Starved Rock, one of the state's most picturesque sites. Two days later, the women were reported missing. Soon thereafter they were found dead, their bludgeoned bodies lying in a cave within a scenic canyon.⁠" (Chicago magazine via Instagram)
• Fast pitch softball winter clinic: "Calling all girls, ages 11 to 14 years old! Spend your winter break with us learning how to pitch, catch & defend at the FREE, 3-day, Fast Pitch Softball 🥎 Winter Clinic, Jan. 4-6 at ComEd Rec Center." (Chicago Park District via Facebook)
• Brunch spots in Chicago: "Start the year off right with brunch on New Year's Day" (Eater Chicago via Facebook)
• Free Fitness Week: "Free Fitness Week is back! Take advantage of FREE entry & use of Chicago Park District's 69 Fitness Centers, starting Dec. 30. We want to help YOU achieve your #⃣1⃣ New Year's health resolution. Pre-book your spot" (Chicago Park District via Facebook)

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See you tomorrow with another update.

— Nicole Cvetnic

About me: I'm a Midwesterner and very happy to call Chicagoland home. I love the outdoors—especially hiking—performing arts, photography, good food, travel and gardening. You can find me reading to my toddler, watching tv with my husband or cuddling with our rescue dog.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Chicago Daily? Contact me at chicago_il@patch.com