Hey there! The 40th annual Reeling LGBTQ+ Film Festival kicks off today. Here’s the backstory of how Chicago films once thought to be lost ended up in this year’s lineup. Anyway, here’s what you need to know today.

1. Enrollment at CPS continues its decadelong decline

The nation’s third-largest public school system continues to shrink. Enrollment in Chicago Public Schools has fallen for the 11th consecutive year, WBEZ’s Sarah Karp and the Chicago Sun-Times’ Nader Issa report.

Preliminary data shows that CPS is down about 9,000 students this year, bringing the district total to about 321,000 pre-K to 12th-graders. The data, published on the district’s website, includes both district-run and charter schools.

The new numbers mean that Chicago has now lost about 82,000 public school students over the past decade. The drop, which may lead to Chicago losing its “third-largest district” status to the Miami-Dade County Public Schools in Florida, is significant but not as steep as some had predicted.

Experts say low birth rates, a decrease in immigration and families leaving the city have prevented CPS enrollment from bouncing back to where it once was. [WBEZ]

2. An Indiana judge has blocked the state’s abortion ban

The judge’s injunction means an Indiana abortion ban that went into effect last week is now on hold.

Abortion clinic operators claimed in a lawsuit that the ban violates the state constitution.

Judge Kelsey Hanlon wrote that “there is reasonable likelihood that this significant restriction of personal autonomy offends the liberty guarantees of the Indiana Constitution” and therefore the clinics could win the lawsuit, according to the Associated Press. The order prevents the state from enforcing the ban until the lawsuit is resolved. The state’s Republican attorney general said his office plans to appeal the judge’s ruling.

The ban, which includes limited exceptions and tightly restricts abortions after the 13th week of pregnancy, was passed by Republican lawmakers in August and signed into law by GOP Gov. Eric Holcomb. The move made Indiana the first state to pass tighter abortion restrictions following the Supreme Court decision in June that overturned Roe v. Wade. [AP]

3. The Tylenol murders have been unsolved for 40 years, but investigators are again pushing for charges

It’s been nearly 40 years since the 1982 Tylenol murders — when seven people in the Chicago area were killed after taking Tylenol that was laced with potassium cyanide — and the Chicago Tribune has learned that investigators are once again trying to get prosecutors to bring charges against a longtime suspect.

The Tribune reports that investigators traveled to the Boston area this week in an attempt to interview the suspect, but the efforts may not result in any charges.

The newspaper learned about the new movement in the long-unsolved case while conducting a monthslong investigation into the murders. In the first installment of the series and podcast, reporters retell the story of the day the seven people died after taking the poisonous pills. [Chicago Tribune]

4. An Illinois church reverses its promise to address sexual misconduct allegations

Former members of a predominantly Asian American church near the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus tell WBEZ that the church has gone back on vows to investigate allegations of abuse.

WBEZ first reported on the allegations of sexual and spiritual abuse at Covenant Fellowship Church last year. In the aftermath, the church promised to be transparent and make structural changes, but more than a year later, people familiar with the church say it is reversing course.

Sources say the church has cut ties with an outside organization that was hired to investigate allegations and has stopped providing updates on its website. [WBEZ]

5. Here’s your bucket list for fall in Chicago

Fall is finally here! Now is the time to get outdoors and whether you’re looking for a pumpkin patch, a corn maze, places to hike or scenic drives, WBEZ has you covered.

Writer Kerry Cardoza put together a fall bucket list of everything you should do before it becomes winter, which is predicted to be particularly harsh this year, at least according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.

“So if any year is the year to get outdoors while you still can, this is it,” Cardoza writes. “Take advantage of all the Midwest has to offer now, from the crisp, temperate air to the enchanting fall foliage.”

Cardoza’s list is chock full of places that are a short drive from Chicago, perfect for a day trip or afternoon adventure. Happy planning! [WBEZ]

Here’s what else is happening

• Former President Donald Trump is accused of using his Chicago tower as a part of alleged fraud. [Chicago Tribune]

• Ginni Thomas, the wife of a Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, will speak to the House committee investigating Jan. 6. [NPR]

• A Cook County judge who is facing domestic violence charges has been assigned restricted duties. [Chicago Tribune]

• These new photos of Neptune are out of this world. [NPR]

Oh, and one more thing …

Do you suspect your home is haunted? My colleagues at Curious City want to hear from you!

We’ve all heard tales about haunted places in Chicago, such as the Congress Plaza Hotel or Graceland Cemetery, but this fall, Curious City is “searching for spooky stories of the most domestic variety.”

Maybe you’ve heard some scary noises that have prompted you to take action like digging into the history of where you live or maybe there’s some neighborhood folklore that you can’t get out of your mind.

Whatever it is, you can send in your ghost-at-home story. If your tale is downright haunting, Curious City might come out to see you and your otherworldly visitors. [Curious City]

Tell me something good …

What are you looking forward to this fall?

Diane writes:

One of our favorite [hikes]: Johnson’s Mound in Kane County. It has one of the highest peaks in Kane County (though that’s not saying much). Still, it is not that difficult a hike/bike/cross country ski because of the road. There are other trails there, too.

Thanks for reading! Hunter is back tomorrow.