We’re pleased to announce that this blog post is the very last new post for Driving the Midwest before we move to the all-new The District.

In addition to the automotive content you’ve come to expect from Driving the Midwest, The District highlights news that connects you to your community, with features on…

ECO: practical greening, or a realistic implementation of eco-conscious living for the everyman or everywoman

TRAVEL: getting places better, i.e. in a way that is itself an experience

TECH: focused on how new technologies impact our daily lives either to engage with a larger community or explore a seldom seen secret in our own backyards

CULTURE: highlighting the hidden gems of our area, and allowing us to dabble in or discover new passions that shift the journey

So join us at www.drivethedistrict.com and on our new Twitter and Instagram channels for updates on the interests that drive us all forward. We look forward to seeing you there!

In honor of CAS, here are a few fun facts about the show:

• CAS includes more than one million square feet of show space.
• CAS is the most widely attended auto show in the United States.
• There will be nearly 1,000 vehicles on display this year.
• The auto show is open to the public from February 9 – February 18. The hours are 10am – 10pm, except for February 8, when hours are 10am – 8pm

If you’re in the market for a new car, an auto enthusiast or just looking to get out of the house, come by the Chicago Auto Show this February. We hope to see you at the Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC booths!

What are you looking forward to seeing most this year? Tell us in the comments box below!

Along with the new improvements, the Chevrolet Spark and Chevrolet Sonic will be the first vehicles in the industry to integrate Apple’s assistant, Siri, into the MyLink systems. Siri will enhance the system’s existing capabilities to improve the driving experience. If the drivers have an iOS6 device, they can pair the device to their car and perform the regular tasks while continuing to focus on the road.

Hands-free mode will allow users to tell their iPhone to:

• Make a call to contacts
• Play songs in iTunes’s library or switch from AM/FM/XM radio to iPod mode
• Listen to, compose and send a text or iMessage to a contact
• Access calendar and add, change, and/or open appointments
• Minimize distraction by keeping the screen of the iPhone from lighting up, even when Siri is talking

To further heighten the experience of the system, GM hired custom specialists and sent them to dealers across America to ensure owners fully understand the Chevrolet MyLink, Cadillac CUE or Buick and GMC IntelliLink infotainment systems.

What would you have Siri help you with while driving? Tell us in the comments below!

Funded by the GM Foundation, the Buick Achievers Scholarship Program is designed to help students who are leaders in and out of the classroom, but who may not have the financial means to attend college.

The scholarship program will award 100 renewable scholarships for up to $25,000 per year and 1,000 one-time scholarships for $2,000. The Buick Achievers Scholarship Program is open to high school seniors or college undergraduate students who plan to major in a specified course of study that focuses on Engineering/Technology or select Design and Business-related programs at an accredited four-year college or university in the United States or Puerto Rico.

Scholarships will be awarded based on participation and leadership in community and school activities, interest in the automotive industry, academic achievement, and financial need. Special consideration will be given to those who are a first-generation college student, female, minority, military veteran or a dependent of military personnel. If you have the passion to succeed, the Buick Achievers Scholarship Program is looking for you.

For more information and to apply, visit www.BuickAchievers.com.

Read on for freezing fun facts about Chicago winters, courtesy of the National Weather Service!

• The lowest temperature ever recorded in Chicago is -27 degrees Fahrenheit, recorded on January 20, 1985.
• The coldest month on record is January of 1977, when the average temperature was only 10.1 degrees.
• The coldest winter in Chicago history is that of 1903-1904, with an average temperature of 18.3 degrees.
• 1875 was the coldest year on record; the average temperature was only 45.1 degrees.
• The coldest wind chill ever recorded was that of December 24, 1983, when it felt like -82 degrees outside.

What’s your favorite way to warm up on a freezing cold day? Tell us in the comments below!

In the midst of winter, The Wood Family Foundation, founded by former Chicago Cubs pitcher Kerry Wood, decided it was time to make the holidays brighter for Chicago Public School students in need. We started our Warm Wishes Coat and Toy Drive, working with the CPS, administrators and other community organizations to identify schools in need and select the school based on the administration’s efforts on behalf of their students.

We encouraged local Chicagoans to collect donations and provide each student with a new coat and toy, setting up bins around the city for people to donate. On the day of the delivery, we turned their school auditorium into a Winter Wonderland with fake snow and even a Santa! The only key factor missing was how we would deliver all the coats and toys to the students.

Coincidentally, we were approached by General Motors for a chance to drive a one-week loan, and the timing could not have been more perfect! After GM heard about our toy drive, they generously provided us with two vehicles, a GMC Yukon and Chevrolet Suburban, to transport the more than 500 toys and clothes to the school.

The two luxurious and large vehicles provided a safe, comfortable and reliable transportation experience to deliver the toys and coats to the families. Without the Yukon or Suburban we would have had a hard time. Not only did the size of the cars and trunk space allow us to fit hundreds of toys and coats while still seating our staff comfortably, but we also utilized seat heaters, a heated steering wheel and a back-up camera that helped us parallel park with ease on the busy streets of Chicago!

The cars made us feel safe and secure, giving us reassurance that the day of delivery would go as smoothly as possible!

Thank you GM for helping us to bring joy to the students in our community!

Read below for some facts on the hero we all know as MLK.

• Although we all know him as Martin, Dr. King was born Michael Luther King, Jr.
• His father, Michael Luther King Sr. changed both of their names to Martin when Junior was five years old.
• Dr. King skipped ninth and twelfth grades and entered college at the age of 15.
• Between 1957 and his death in 1968, Dr. King traveled more than 6 million miles, giving more than 2,500 speeches.
• In his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, those four words were originally not included; MLK ad-libbed them on the day of the momentous rally on the National Mall.
• MLK was the first African-American to be named Man of the Year by TIME magazine.
• There are more than 700 cities in the United States with a street named after MLK.
• Have you heard the U2 song, “Pride (In The Name of Love)”? It was written about Dr. King.
• The Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial in Washington, D.C. was dedicated on October 16, 2011.

How is Dr. King a hero to you? Tell us in the comments section below!

Located in Sterling Heights, Mich., the center includes nearly 600 noteworthy cars and trucks. Many of the vehicles contain the pioneer technology and designs in the industry, like the first electric self-starter found on the 1912 Cadillac, the V8 that powered the 1915 Cadillac or the first air bag found on 1974 Buick, Cadillac and Oldsmobile models. The innovation continues today as GM works to create and discover new technology and products to ensure our drivers are receiving the best made vehicles.

Visitors can also find archived documents, aircrafts, assorted “automobilia,” original brochures, manuals, build sheets, and even rare examples of badging and signage. This distinctive and growing depository reflects the historical milestones which GM uses as a base to build its future. The center is truly a compilation of automobile history for enthusiasts of all ages to enjoy.

What would you be most excited to see at the General Motors Heritage Center? Have you visited? Tell us in the comments below!

Read below for more information from the GM newsroom.

“The 2013 Cadillac ATS luxury sport sedan today was named the winner of the North American Car of the Year award.

A jury of 49 automotive journalists considered every new car released in the past year, and selected ATS as the winner. The award was announced at a press conference opening the 25^th annual North American International Auto Show.

“This is a very meaningful honor for the entire Cadillac team, especially the men and women who build the ATS in Lansing, Michigan, and our dedicated and talented designers and engineers,” said Bob Ferguson, GM vice president, global Cadillac. “A car like ATS is the result of incredible commitment and focus. That’s the only method for creating a great performing luxury car.”

The new ATS is the lightest car in its class with a unique architecture designed for nimble driving performance. The North American Car of the Year award is the latest in a growing list of accolades for the ATS, which was named Car of the Year by Esquire, and the Motor Press Guild, as well as several other awards.

A compact sport sedan, the ATS is offered in rear- and all-wheel drive versions, with a choice of powerful and efficient four- and six-cylinder engines. It recently received a 5-Star overall crash test rating in the New Car Assessment Program run by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.”

What do you think of the Cadillac ATS? Tell us in the comments below!

For me, my resolution is to keep in touch with friends better, regardless of a busy schedule or lack of sleep. For some people, a resolution is to hit the gym or spend more time with family. It’s always easier to make these resolutions than to keep them.

Read below for fun facts about these sometimes life-changing, easier-said-than-done New Year promises:

• Forty to 45 percent of Americans 18 years and older make one or more resolutions every New Year.
• Not surprisingly, the top resolutions are to exercise, lose weight, quit smoking and save money.
• By mid-January, 25 percent of people have already broken their resolutions.
• The resolution to lose weight and/or get fit is the most broken resolution. Sixty percent of gym memberships go unused and gym attendance starts to decline around mid-February.
• Women are more successful at keeping their resolution if they tell their friends about their goal.
• Men are more successful when they set measurable, specific, realistic and timely goals.

What is your resolution for 2013 and how do you plan to stick with it? Tell us in the comments below!