Local News
Political sands shifting
Lopez mayoral exit leaves question marks By Tim Hadac The political sands of mayoral politics shifted last week, leaving many in Clearing and Garfield Ridge asking “What next?” questions. Garfield Ridge native Lopez worked the neighborhoods hard since he announced his mayoral candidacy back in April. His law-and-order stance and sharp criticism of Mayor Lori…
Godspeed, Officers Verta and Harrison
By Joan Hadac Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge (708) 496-0265 • [email protected] It’s always good to know that even in these challenging times, there are men and women are willing to step forward to brave those challenges. And leave it to Garfield Ridge and Clearing to lead the way. I say that as I…
Evergreen Park honors longtime employee
By Joe Boyle The Evergreen Park Village Board took care of some local business before Thanksgiving Day meals will be served. James Bender, a 27-year employee of the Evergreen Park Public Works Department, was selected as the “Employee of the Quarter” and honored at the village board meeting on Monday night. Mayor Kelly Burke recognized Bender…
Oak Lawn officials say pension relief will not hinder homeowners
By Joe Boyle Oak Lawn Village Manager Tom Phelan said the finances of homeowners need to be addressed while paying off pension deficits. Phelan said during the Oak Lawn Village Board meeting on November 22 that making budget adjustments for next year has to keep residents in mind due to rising inflation. “We may be…
2 men arrested for Lyons carjacking were out on bond
By Bob Bong Lyons police on Thursday arrested two men suspected of being involved in an attempted carjacking in the 7700 block of 45th Place around 2 p.m. on November 29. Justin Lebron, 20, of Cicero, and Cesar Lopez, 18, of Waukegan, were captured after a foot case, police said. Police Chief Tom Herion said…
Shepard, Stagg teams honor Ryan Plowman
Varsity girl basketball teams from Stagg and Shepard took time out before Monday night’s contest to pay tribute to Shepard student Ryan Plowman, who died earlier this year of complications from mononucleosis. Proceeds from the concession stand were donated to a gofundme campaign in Ryan’s name.
Reichman Jewelers to close Oak Lawn store
July shooting of co-owner was deciding factor By Dermot Connolly Violent robberies at their own store and others in the area have led the longtime owners of Reichman Jewelers in Oak Lawn to close their business, which has been located at 4439 W. 95th St., since 1984. Reichman Jewelers dates back to 1908, and was at…
Christmas tree lights damaged at Worth Veterans Park
By Joe Boyle Damage took place sometime over the weekend to the Christmas tree lights that were put up at Veterans Memorial Park in Worth. Bob O’Shaughnessy, supervisor of the Worth Park District, said they noticed that the Christmas tree lights were cut by an individual or individuals. O’Shaughnessy and employees noticed the damage after…
Mitten Tree returns to Worth Village Hall
By Joe Boyle The holiday season is not always warm and bright for some residents who are experiencing hardship. But providing some hats, gloves and mittens can at least give those a helping hand as Christmas approaches. The Mitten Tree has returned to the Worth Village Hall, 7112 W. 111th St., and with it is…
Health: Free Head and Neck Cancer Screening December 7 at Northwestern Medicine Orland Park
Northwestern Medicine will offer a free head and neck cancer screening at its Orland Park location from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on December 7. The non-invasive oral, head and neck screening will check for abnormal, irregular, or discolored areas or lumps that are different on one side compared to the other. Northwestern Medicine Orland…
Altman Park eyed as a future recreation jewel in Worth
By Joe Boyle When Bob O’Shaughnessy was appointed supervisor of the Worth Park District eight years ago, he had one main priority. His primary goal was to have the area known as Altman Park be managed and cared for by the Worth Park District. So, O’Shaughnessy was delighted when the Worth Village Board voted unanimously…
Brookfield VFW Post gives 45 Navy recruits a happy Thanksgiving Day
By Steve Metsch It had been about three months since Brittney Rodriguez sat down to enjoy a home-cooked meal. It’s not that the food is terrible at the Great Lakes Recruit Training Center in North Chicago, Rodriguez said. It’s just not as good as Mom’s cooking. “They have their days, but it’s not a home-cooked…
Nazareth rally celebrates fourth state football championship
By Steve Metsch Two huge cheers rocked the Rooney Student Center at Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park late Monday morning. The first was when Zach Hayes – joined by the coaches and teammates – walked in carrying the IHSA Class 5A state football championship trophy high over his head. The second was when school…
Orland Park gets in the holiday spirit with parade and tree lighting
By Jeff Vorva The Village of Orland Park’s lighting of the Christmas tree ceremony has been going on for decades, but its holiday parade just completed its sophomore run. The second holiday parade kicked off the festivities on Sunday followed by Mayor Keith Pekau and a group of children pulling the switch to not only…
Pedestrian, 70, hit by car, dies crossing Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview
By Steve Metsch A 70-year-old Bridgeview man died after he was hit by a car at 6:45 p.m. Monday in the 8100 block of South Harlem Avenue, Police Chief Ricardo Mancha said. The man identified as Brian Callaghan was walking from the east side of Harlem to the west, Mancha said. Callaghan lived at Moraine…
A Thanksgiving surprise
The kindergarteners at St. Daniel the Prophet School had a surprise visitor earlier this month–known to them as Army National Guard Sergeant Bryan Dudycha. But one student in the class knows him as Daddy; and when she saw him, Madison leapt into his arms, gleeful over his return from deployment, just in time for Thanksgiving.…
A sweet salute to veterans
Rhine VFW Post 2729 members William Haas and Jerry Dipasquale survey some of the bags of candy, pastries and other treats given to the post earlier this month by the students of Sahs School in Central Stickney. The Sahs boys and girls also wrote personal letters and made patriotic posters expressing their thanks and appreciation…
Summit lights Christmas tree, holds last Neighborhood Watch for the year
By Carol McGowan Summit officials and residents were on hand November 17 for the lighting of the village Christmas tree in front of the police station on Archer Road. In what’s become an annual event the last couple of years, the tree is lit before the last Neighborhood Watch meeting for the year. There is…
Cook County Board approve Aguilar’s proposal for a sheriff’s helicopter
The Cook County Board of Commissioners voted overwhelmingly last week to approve Commissioner Frank J. Aguilar’s proposal to lease a helicopter to the Cook County Sheriff’s office. While Cook County is among the largest metropolitan areas in the nation, its helicopter fleet lags far behind other large urban areas. The Los Angeles metropolitan area has…
Football Class 5A State Championship: Roadrunners win shootout for fourth state title
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Nazareth opened the season in August with a 2-0 win over Kankakee. It closed the season the afternoon of Nov. 26 with a 45-44 win over Peoria at Memorial Stadium in Champaign to take the IHSA Class 5A state championship. In between was a rollercoaster of wins and losses and…
Illinois News
State elections board certifies 2022 results
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois State Board of Elections certified its election results Monday, putting the final stamp on another Democratic sweep of statewide offices. The board reported that 4,142,642 out of 8,115,751 registered voters cast ballots in the election, a turnout of roughly 51 percent. That’s down from…
Tax credits, prison reform pass in veto session
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Illinois lawmakers last week passed significant legislation dealing with electric vehicle manufacturing incentives and the availability of hygiene products for prisoners in the state’s correctional system. But some weightier issues, including a possible assault weapons ban, will wait until a lame duck session scheduled for early…
CAPITOL RECAP: SAFE-T Act changes head to Pritzker; unemployment debt deal advances
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – Lawmakers on Thursday passed a long-awaited amendment to the SAFE-T Act criminal justice reform’s provisions that will eliminate cash bail when the calendar hits 2023. The measure expands the list of crimes for which a judge can order pretrial detention, adds to what a judge can consider when determining…
Lawmakers advance $1.8 billion unemployment fund bailout
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – On the final day of their fall veto session, Illinois lawmakers on Thursday advanced a pair of bills that would infuse $1.8 billion into the state’s unemployment trust fund, which was depleted during the economic shutdown brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The bipartisan agreement came…
Pretrial detention changes to SAFE-T Act will head to governor
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Lawmakers on Thursday passed a long-awaited amendment to the SAFE-T Act criminal justice reform’s provisions that will eliminate cash bail when the calendar hits 2023. The measure expands the list of crimes for which a judge can order pretrial detention, adds to what a judge can…
Contempt citations against DCFS director reversed by appellate court
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] An appellate court on Wednesday reversed several contempt of court citations that were filed in recent months against Department of Children and Family Services Director Marc Smith for failing to comply with court orders to place state wards in appropriate settings. The court found that Smith did not…
State lawmakers pass measure limiting state investment in Russian assets
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House gave final passage Wednesday to a bill aimed at prohibiting state investment in assets tied to Russia and Belarus in retaliation for their participation in the war in Ukraine. House Bill 1293, by Rep. Lindsey LaPointe, D-Chicago, urges the state’s five retirement systems…
Changes to cash bail statute surface before Thursday’s planned adjournment
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Two days before lawmakers were scheduled to adjourn for the year, one of the lead negotiators of the SAFE-T Act criminal justice reform filed a long-awaited amendment detailing several changes to the landmark cash bail overhaul. Sen. Robert Peters, D-Chicago, filed a 308-page amendment to House…
CAPITOL RECAP: State announces deal to pay down remaining unemployment debt
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – Lawmakers on Tuesday announced a bipartisan plan to use state revenues to pay down the remaining $1.4 billion in debt taken on by the state’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The unemployment trust fund is generally funded by the state’s businesses through insurance premiums collected via…
Lawmakers announce bipartisan plan to pay down remaining unemployment debt
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Lawmakers on Tuesday announced a bipartisan plan to use state revenues to pay down the remaining $1.4 billion in debt taken on by the state’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Part of the agreement is expected to move through the General Assembly this…
