Local News
Police to hit Dunkin’ roofs for Special Olympics
By Bob Bong Local police will all be hanging out at coffee shops across the south and southwest suburbs on Friday to raise money for the Illinois Special Olympics. The event, which is again being called Cop on a Rooftop after it was rebranded last year as Coffee for Champions, will take place at more…
Orland Township announces new pet photo contest
A new pet contest has been created to get the community ready to “raise the woof” at Pet-Palooza. Orland Township residents can nominate their beloved pets to be Orland Township’s ‘SuPETvisor’ of The Year. Until Friday, Aug. 26, Orland Township residents can nominate their pet by messaging the Pet-Palooza Facebook page (facebook.com/orlandtownshippetpalooza) a photo. The…
Orland Park giving incentives to fill big, empty spaces
By Jeff Vorva Orland Park officials are looking to fill a few large vacant storefronts in the village and that’s not going to be easy. “It’s hard to fill because we have just about every large retailer here,” Mayor Keith Pekau said at the Aug. 1 village board meeting. “We have a few vacancies right…
More Orland cops honored while Capone’s appeals suspension
By Jeff Vorva If it seems like every couple of months, the Village of Orland Park is honoring its cops, well, that’s because it is. Mayor Keith Pekau phased out the once-a-year presentation in favor of honoring the police quarterly. His reasoning is that an annual presentation could be lengthy for family members and children…
Lions looking to start SW Side club
Set meeting at Archer Heights Library By Tim Hadac Eye screenings for children ages 6 months to 6 years will be offered at no charge by Lions International, from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20 at the Archer Heights Branch Library, 5055 S. Archer. Each child must be accompanied by a parent or other…
Worth questions but provides funding for park district
By Joe Boyle The request by the Worth Park District for financial assistance was granted by village officials but not without some specific concerns being addressed first. Trustee Brad Urban believed that the initial request for $30,000 through intergovernmental sharing of American Rescue Plan Act funds to make up for deficits caused by COVID-19 was a…
Shepard High School welcomes new faculty
Principal Dr. Jennifer Pollack and Shepard High School welcomed two new faculty members for the 2022-2023 school year. The new staff members include Family and Consumer Science teacher Jorie Martinez, who earned a bachelor’s degree from the Eastern Illinois University and special education teacher Justin Perkins, who earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of…
Richards High School welcomes new faculty
Principal Dr. Mike Jacobson and Richards High School welcomed several new faculty members for the 2022-2023 school year. The new staff members include foreign language teacher Blanca Alcantar, who earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Aaron Griffin, Dean of Students, who earned a bachelor’s degree from North Park University and…
SD218 Class of 2026 gets off to a fast, relaxed start
Designed to calm their nerves and introduce them to all that high school will offer, Freshman Day in District 218 greets new students with a warm embrace. For a long time, researchers have known that ninth grade operates as a gateway: Students who succeed tend to excel in later years, while those who struggle tend…
Ridgeland School District 122 unveils Fine Arts Center
By Kelly White Highlighting its love of the arts is Ridgeland School District 122. The district proudly showcased its new Fine Arts Center during ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday, Aug. 11, at 6500 W. 95th St. in Oak Lawn. “The layout of the Fine Arts Center has an aesthetic that promotes teamwork and invites students to…
Palos Heights delays vote on ordinance that has advisory board upset
By Jeff Vorva The Palos Heights City Council delayed a vote Tuesday night to draft an ordinance that has the Recreation Advisory Board up in arms. Among the sticking points of this ordinance is reducing the advisory board meetings from once a month to three times a year. After reading a long list of accomplishments…
Mother McAuley welcomes new principal as school starts
By Kelly White Dr. Kathryn Baal, an accomplished transformational educational leader who is known for influencing others and inspiring action to make change happen within schools, has taken on a new role on Chicago’s South Side. She just recently stepped into the role of principal at Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School, 3737 W. 99th…
‘Mario’s Pad’ stays, for now
Neighbors vow vigilance over short-term rental By Tim Hadac The short-term rental of the single-family home at 5304 S. New England (listed as “Mario’s Pad” on airbnb.com) will continue for the weeks and months ahead, despite the objections of some of its neighbors. The property’s owner, 30-year-old David Anthony Williams, accepted an invitation last week…
Some saying ‘Nope to dope’
Concern over dispensary in Scottsdale By Tim Hadac Owners of a cannabis dispensary want to set up shop in the Scottsdale Shopping Center—a move some in the community are questioning and others are opposing. “There’s a lot of concern out there,” said Scottsdale Neighborhood Watch President Jason Huff. “First, there’s concern about whether a dispensary…
Dart warns of Kia, Hyundai thefts
Suggests steps to protect vehicle owners From staff reports Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart is warning the public about what he is calling a dramatic rise in thefts of certain models of Kia and Hyundai vehicles. He is urging owners to take additional precautions to reduce the risk of theft. In the past few…
Overnight closures coming Monday night for Roberts Road, 87th Street
Overnight road closures, including weekend full intersection closures with detours, will be scheduled on Roberts Road and 87th Street during the next two weeks to accommodate mainline bridge beam placement as part of the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project. Overnight lane closures will also be scheduled on southbound I-294 during this time to complete the work. On Monday, August 15,…
Traffic shift coming Monday on Tri-State between 83rd Street and Mile-Long Bridge
Beginning Monday, night, a traffic shift is scheduled on the northbound Central Tri-State Tollway between the 83rd Street Toll Plaza and the Mile Long Bridge, including removal of the current counterflow configuration. Four lanes will remain open. Overnight August 15, on northbound I-294 between the 83rd Street Toll Plaza and the Mile Long Bridge overnight lane closures will be scheduled, with traffic reduced to a single lane…
Marching Astros take the field
Weeks before the start of the new school year, marching band members from Shepard High School baked in the summer sun to prepare for the coming competitive season. As much as any event, marching band camp signals the start of a new school year. For a week, the Marching Astros arrived early and stayed late…
Oak Lawn residents offer staunch support for police
By Joe Boyle Oak Lawn residents came out in force to offer support for the village’s police department after a well-publicized arrest of a teen following a traffic stop last month. Residents jammed the Oak Lawn Village Hall for the board meeting Tuesday morning to provide testimony in support of officers after the arrest of…
Tunes and tons of local restaurants come together at the Taste of Orland
By Isabella Schreck The Supremes, John Mellencamp and The Beatles came to the Taste of Orland. Well, really, tribute bands brought their music and presence to Orland Park Village Center’s stage. “I was really impressed with American English,” Rebecca Whealan, of Palos Heights, said. “From the costumes to their sound [Eric Michaels] as Paul McCartney,…
Illinois News
GOP rallies at State Fair to ‘Restore Illinois’
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Republicans gathered for their annual day at the State Fair on Thursday to showcase their candidates in the Nov. 8 election, vowing that the party will “restore Illinois.” But as the party faithful celebrated amid the sunshine, barbeque sandwiches, corn dogs and other fair staples,…
‘Democrats deliver’ is party’s rallying cry at State Fair festivities
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – In one of the largest annual gatherings of Illinois Democrats on Wednesday, the party had a message for its faithful that attended a pair of Illinois State Fair week events: “Democrats deliver.” This year’s gathering of the Illinois Democratic County Chairs Association had 19 speakers,…
State Police questioned over handling of report on alleged Highland Park shooter
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Officials from the Illinois State Police faced questioning Wednesday from Republican lawmakers who said the agency had authority to reject a gun permit application from a man who later allegedly carried out a mass shooting at a July 4 parade in Highland Park. The alleged gunman,…
Pritzker talks session timeline, highlights infrastructure spending
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – In a series of downstate news conferences coinciding with the Illinois State Fair, Gov. JB Pritzker this week gave an update on the possibility of a special session, outlined new state infrastructure investments and announced a new program for some Illinoisans over age 55. While the…
10-day sales tax reduction on clothing, school supplies begins Friday
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Beginning Friday and lasting through Aug. 14, the state will reduce its sales tax rate from 6.25 percent to 1.25 percent for certain clothing items costing less than $125 and school supplies. The “tax holiday” was included in Gov. JB Pritzker’s “family relief plan,” one prong…
State lays out $34.6B multi-year spending plan for roads, bridges, ports, airports, rail and transit
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Transportation on Friday laid out a $34.6 billion six-year spending plan for road, bridge, transit, rail, airport and port upkeep. It’s the latest multi-year plan backed by the state’s 2019 Rebuild Illinois bipartisan infrastructure law, which doubled the state’s motor fuel tax…
2022 Illinois State Fair officially opens
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The 2022 Illinois State Fair officially got underway Thursday when Gov. JB Pritzker and Secretary of State Jesse White cut the ceremonial ribbon in front of the main entrance to the fairgrounds. “As many of you know, the Illinois State Fair, one of my favorite events…
CAPITOL RECAP: State Fair begins in Springfield
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker and Illinois State Fair organizers unveiled the 101st State Fair butter cow Wednesday, an unofficial kickoff of the fair which began Thursday, Aug. 11, and runs through Aug. 21. The sculpture – by Iowan Sarah Pratt – consists of more than 800 pounds of recycled butter…
‘Grow with Us’ State Fair, butter cow theme a nod to agriculture, infrastructure
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker and Illinois State Fair organizers unveiled the 101st State Fair butter cow Wednesday, an unofficial kickoff of the fair which begins Thursday and runs through Aug. 21. The sculpture – by Iowan Sarah Pratt – consists of more than 800 pounds of recycled…
Pritzker eying Indiana firms after abortion law signed
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker said this week that he is actively reaching out to businesses in Indiana and other states that have recently passed restrictive abortion laws in hopes of luring those companies to Illinois. “Well, already I’ve reached out to companies that are affected in…
