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Chicago River dyed green in surprise move by city's mayor

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CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago River has been dyed a bright shade of green after Mayor Lori Lightfoot reversed an earlier decision not to tint the waterway for second year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Crews on boats began dumping green dye into the riverfront about 7 a.m. Saturday after Lightfoot authorized the river dyeing ahead of St. Patrick’s Day, delighting pedestrians with the vivid scene.

Lightfoot abruptly canceled last year's parades and the river dyeing early in the pandemic.

She had called off the parades and river dyeing again this year, but a Lightfoot spokesman says the city opted “to honor the long-standing tradition" of dyeing the river.