Author

Leslie Hurtado

Leslie Hurtado is an award-winning journalist whose bilingual, community-rooted reporting serves Cicero and Berwyn, IL. As the environmental reporter for Cicero Independiente, she translates dense findings into clear steps families can use. Her Ability Park series examined how a new playground had been built on historically contaminated land and the risks faced by residents. It earned a Peter Lisagor Award for best environmental coverage. A two-time City Bureau Civic Reporting Fellow, she investigated environmental impacts tied to Little Village’s industrial-corridor expansion, including demolition dust. Her reporting has been co-published with Borderless Magazine, Inside Climate News, WBEZ and South Side Weekly. She has also been recognized with a regional Edward R. Murrow Award and the Chicago Headline Club Watchdog Award.

Leslie's Latest Articles

Coloring Roots: Cicero Residents Share Their Vision for Future Green Spaces
By
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Stories by Our Fellows
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July 16, 2026

Phil Fuentes Ability Park was constructed to provide accessible green space for all abilities in Cicero, funded through state and federal grants. However, arsenic and lead contamination that was not remediated remain. Read to hear about residents’ visions for greener, healthier community spaces in Cicero.

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