PHIL WIELAND: Population map shows dots all, folks

Everyone in North America is more than a number. Thanks to an MIT grad student, apparently with lots of time on his hands, everyone in the United States, Canada and Mexico now is also a dot.

Chicago River flows through history

The fate of the Chicago River sounds precarious, with drought conditions and a potential carp invasion on the horizon. But the city and state plan to make the river clean enough to swim in by 2016. The future builds on the critical role that the waterway played in Chicago's history.

Low water levels add pressure to NWI, Chicago maritime businesses

Stevedoring companies and cargo carriers in Northwest Indiana and the Chicago area may be missing business opportunities as a result of lower than expected water levels on the Mississippi River and other sections of the inland waterway system.

Carnival season kicks off along the Gulf Coast

Christmas wreaths and holiday parties gave way to king cakes and street parades as the Carnival season kicked off this weekend along the Gulf Coast.

Congressmen: Don't risk Hoosier jobs in Asian carp action

INDIANAPOLIS | U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Ind., and a candidate for Indiana governor have teamed up to ensure any action taken to stop Asian carp from entering Lake Michigan and other Chicago-area waterways accounts for the impact on the region's economy.

EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD: Could we all begin to act like a region?

On the national news we have seen the impact of the swollen Mississippi River on the communities through which it travels. And so we hear about Cairo, Memphis, Vicksburg and ultimately New Orleans, a city very familiar with the destruction that can be caused by excess water.

Oh, deer: Open season for complaints

Deer spring across roads, fields and urban backyards, but how should Illinois deal with the deer?

Study will look at options for separating Great Lakes and Mississippi River

Asian carp

When disturbed, Asian carp are prone to jumping which poses a real threat to boaters. Imagine getting smacked by a 4-foot, 100-pound fish while traveling at 30 mph.

Video - Asian carp invasion

 This dramatic video documents the danger and destruction of an exotic species on the Mississippi and its tributaries. As you will see, boaters are being bloodied and a mighty river is being ruined. Now the carp are headed for the Great Lakes with potentially devastating consequences.