Local News
By Steve Metsch The teachers union in Lyons School District 103 is not pleased with COVID-19 cleaning, some paycheck issues and operation of its preschool. Union President Toni Jackman, at the school board’s meeting on Sept. 28, voiced the concerns of the 218 teachers she represents. Three other union members – of the two dozen…
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By Steve Metsch After a year of not seeing folks march with their dogs, cats and other creatures down the streets, anticipation is high for this year’s La Grange Pet Parade. Last year, the parade was held virtually and people watched on their computers or cell phones. It was a far cry from the live-action…
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By Carol McGowan There’s a new face at the Village Hall in Forest View, as Michael Dropka has recently been named the village administrator. While he may be a new face there, he is no stranger to working in local government, or to the area. “Forest View appealed to me because it’s an area that…
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Here’s the amount of money going to local communities Bedford ParkÊ$74,623 BridgeviewÊ$1,988,626 BrookfieldÊ$2,262,161 BurbankÊ$3,495,044 CountrysideÊ$733,009 Forest ViewÊ$82,283 Hickory HillsÊ$1,693,841 HodgkinsÊ$243,513 Indian Head ParkÊ$459,474 JusticeÊ$1,557,691 LyonsÊ$1,281,438 McCookÊ$27,181 StickneyÊ$811,215 SummitÊ$1,373,358 Willow SpringsÊ$694,462 Source: Illinois Municipal League
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Spar over police funding, Fair Tax Amendment By Tim Hadac October 23, 2020 State Senator Celina Villanueva (D-11th) and her challenger, business leader Mary Ellen “Mari” Brown, appear to agree on most public policy issues of consequenceÑexcept two. Over much of this year, Brown has worked to highlight those two issues and exploit them to…
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By Bob Bong The state’s COVID-19 positivity rate inched higher to 4.2 last week led in part by a surge in confirmed cases in Lyons, Countryside, Bridgeview and Summit, according to the Cook County Department of Health. The number of confirmed cases in Lyons increased by 45 in the past two weeks, a 221 percent…
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By Bob Bong Pillars Community Health and the Stickney Public Health District have teamed up to offer drive-up testing in Burbank. Limited tests are available and appointments are required by calling Pillars. You do not have to be an existing Pillars Community Health patient or a Stickney Township resident to be tested. Once an appointment…
Read More By Bob Bong The coronavirus has hit nursing homes hard since it first appeared in Illinois last month, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Sunday in his daily briefing on the pandemic. Six of those deaths were of elderly residents at Bridgeview Health Care Center, 8100 S. Harlem Ave. in Bridgeview, according to the Cook County Medical…
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By Bob Bong The coronavirus has hit nursing homes hard since it first appeared in Illinois last month, Gov. JB Pritzker announced last Sunday in his daily briefing on the pandemic. One facility in Bridgeview has had six deaths. Pritzker said 1,860 cases of COVID-19 in Illinois can be traced to nursing home. There have…
Read More By Bob BongÊ The Cook County Department of Public Health has created a map that allows visitors to track the number of COVID-19 cases town by town in suburban Cook County. The map is updated daily. As of Monday, the number of cases in our area ranged from none in McCook to 30 in Bridgeview,…
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Midnight Terror is bigger, better, uglier and scarier
By Jeff Vorva Justin Cerniuk, of Oak Lawn, is 31 but his philosophy is the same at it was when he was 10 years old and started a horror show in his front yard. “I’ve always had the same goals since I was 10 and that’s to have fun with a group of friends building…
SD230 joins discussion on special needs field in Orland
By Jeff Vorva The Village of Orland Park is not the only government body exploring the possibility of erecting a special-needs baseball/softball field in the village. Consolidated High School District 230 Assistant Supt. for Business Services John Lavelle brought up the possibility of tag-teaming with Orland School District 135 to provide a field for special-need…
Justice board appointments inspectors
New ‘smart’ water meters on the way By Carol McGowan The Justice Village Board made two appointments at last week’s meeting and announced new water meters are coming. Jason Horn was appointed electrical inspector, and Edward A. Shilka was appointed framing inspector for the period to end May 15, 2022. Both appointments were unanimous. Clerk…
New hours for Moraine Valley COVID-19 test sites
New hours for the free COVID-19 testing clinics at Moraine Valley Community College’s sites went into effect this week. The Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) saliva test is being administered in the Moraine Rooms in Building M on the main campus in Palos Hills, and at the extension sites in Blue Island and Tinley…
Zakat Foundation makes its mark on the world
Bridgeview-based Muslim relief agency celebrates 20th anniversary By Jeff Vorva Khalil Demir can’t keep up. How could he? How could anyone? His Zakat Foundation of America turns 20 this year and the generosity of the group is so far-reaching that there is no way he has been able to visit all of the places Zakat…
SD103 teachers union unhappy with district, start of school year
By Steve Metsch The teachers union in Lyons School District 103 is not pleased with COVID-19 cleaning, some paycheck issues and operation of its preschool. Union President Toni Jackman, at the school board’s meeting on Sept. 28, voiced the concerns of the 218 teachers she represents. Three other union members – of the two dozen…
Former Lyons mayor Marie Vachata gets a fond farewell
By Steve Metsch Pat Wideman will never forget the first time she met Marie Vachata. “When I first moved to Lyons 50 years ago, she was the very first neighbor who welcomed me to Lyons,” Wideman said while sitting on a bench outside the village hall. Vachata resided two doors down on 46th Street when…
Illinois News
CAPITOL RECAP: Congressional redistricting hearings begin
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – The process of redrawing congressional district maps in Illinois got off to a slow start Thursday when only one person showed up to testify at the first legislative public hearing, which was held in Chicago. Ryan Tolley, policy director for the advocacy group CHANGE Illinois, urged the House Redistricting…
Task force considers changes to qualified immunity for Illinois law enforcement officers
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – A new state task force continued discussions Thursday as to what changes could be made to the way state law approaches qualified immunity for law enforcement officers. Qualified immunity is a court doctrine granting protection for law enforcement officers and other government officials from certain civil…
Only one testifies at first congressional redistricting hearing
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The process of redrawing congressional district maps in Illinois got off to a slow start Thursday when only one person showed up to testify at the first legislative public hearing, which was held in Chicago. Ryan Tolley, policy director for the advocacy group CHANGE Illinois, urged…
Plaintiffs: New legislative maps dilute Latino vote
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Plaintiffs in two lawsuits challenging the state’s legislative redistricting plan have filed new complaints in federal court charging that the district maps that lawmakers approved in August dilute Latino voting power and thus violate the U.S. Constitution and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Mexican…
Officials outline progress in Cairo river port development
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – A proposed river port development in the southern Illinois town of Cairo is drawing much attention and interest from companies that believe it could open up greater access to international markets, officials behind the project said Tuesday. The Alexander-Cairo Port District project has been on the…
Report details disparities faced by aging LGBTQ Illinoisans
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Many aging LGBTQ Illinoisans face barriers to health care and financial security and fear discrimination in senior communities, according to a combined report from senior and LGBTQ advocacy groups released Tuesday. The Disrupting Disparities: Challenges and Solutions for 50+ LGBTQ Illinoisans report by the senior advocacy…
Law enforcement steps up efforts to fight online child exploitation
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – State Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined local and federal prosecutors Monday to announce new efforts to combat a rise in online child exploitation in Illinois. The efforts include greater outreach and education for parents and teachers, and a new mobile computer forensics unit that will…
Pritzker order aims to end subminimum wage for disabled people in state contracts
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker signed an executive order Monday that would prevent companies contracting with the state from paying disabled workers at less than the minimum wage. Pritzker took the action in what he said was a broader effort to try to push federal lawmakers to change…
CAPITOL RECAP: What to know as state’s eviction moratorium expires
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – The state’s eviction moratorium will expire Sunday, Oct. 3, and what comes next for renters will likely depend on their county of residence, as county courts and sheriffs will all have different approaches to executing evictions. Susan Simone, director of litigation and advocacy at Land of Lincoln Legal Aid,…
What to know ahead of this weekend’s eviction moratorium expiration
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The state’s eviction moratorium will expire Sunday, and what comes next for renters will likely depend on their county of residence, as county courts and sheriffs will all have different approaches to executing evictions. The original eviction moratorium was issued in March 2020 when the COVID-19…
