Local News
By Carol McGowan It was a chilly morning last Saturday, but the spirit at Argo Community High School was as warm as ever for its homecoming parade and dedication of West Gym. The parade kicked off from Summit Park at 9 a.m., with over two dozen participants. Marchers reached the school on 63rd street just…
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Argo High School, 7329 W. 63rd St. in Summit, will host a Fall Festival from 4-7:30 p.m. on Friday, October 8, at the school. Admission is free. Everyone is invited. There will be inflatables, a food truck, arts and crafts and more.
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By Steve Metsch The Democratic Party of Lyons Township Fall Fest reflects what the organization is all about, one official said. Brian Bernardoni, president of the Roberts Park Fire Protection District, said he attends each year to support fellow Democrats. “At the end of the day, this is still a political organization, a service organization,…
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By Carol McGowan There’s a new superintendent at Willow Springs School. Steve Bahn has taken over the position on an interim basis after the retirement of Frank Patrick, who was with the district for 34 years. Bahn is no stranger to the area, as he was with LaGrange School District 105 for 14 years. Ten…
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Officers from more than 300 police departments across Illinois turned out in force at local Dunkin’ Donut shops on August 20 to help raise money for Special Olympics Illinois and the Law Enforcement Torch Run. The annual event changed its name this year from Cop on Top to Coffee For Champions to better reflect the…
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By Carol McGowan Lori Charles was sworn in as the new village clerk of Willow Springs at last week’s village board meeting. She has worked in the clerk’s office for over 15 years and has been acting as village clerk since Mary Jane Mannella stepped down. Willow Springs Mayor Melissa Neddermeyer praised the appointment. “She…
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Grace Lutheran Church, at 212 S. Nolton in Willow Springs, will hold a Rummage and Bake Sale on Friday, August 27, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturday, August 28, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The sale will be held downstairs in the Fellowship Hall. The entrance is via the lower level…
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By Bob Bong Local police will all be hanging out at Dunkin’ Donuts across the south and southwest suburbs on Friday to raise money for the Special Olympics. The event formerly known as Cop on a Rooftop has been rebranded Coffee for Champions and will take place from 5 a.m. to noon Friday. Coffee for…
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By Steve Metsch A 100 or so people paid their respects to the family of slain Chicago Police Officer Ella French on Wednesday afternoon, standing along Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview. Residents and police officers from Bridgeview, Hickory Hills, Willow Springs and other suburbs quietly stood on the west side of the street near Niko’s Banquet…
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By Carol McGowan Three local residents who participated in the 2021 National Club Softball Association World Series were honored last week at the Lyons Township Board of Trustees meeting. Pitcher Krystal Levitske, of Willow Springs, a graduate of Nazareth Academy, and outfielder Natalie Metsch, of La Grange, a graduate of Lyons Township High School, were…
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Argo celebrates Homecoming, names West Gym for Helen Mallis
By Carol McGowan It was a chilly morning last Saturday, but the spirit at Argo Community High School was as warm as ever for its homecoming parade and dedication of West Gym. The parade kicked off from Summit Park at 9 a.m., with over two dozen participants. Marchers reached the school on 63rd street just…
High School Football: Oak Lawn routs Argo to keep playoff hopes alive
By Jason Maholy Sports Editor Through one half, a pivotal Week 8 matchup between Oak Lawn and Argo had the appearance of one that might be tight until the very end. The Spartans had a different idea, opening up a commanding lead by the end of three quarters and putting the game away with a…
Lyons Township Assessor Barb Weyrick to retire after 35 years
By Carol McGowan After decades of public service, Lyons Township Assessor Barbara M. Weyrick will retire at the end of the month. Weyrick has had quite a career and climb since starting as an office manager for the Township of Lyons in 1984. She ran for assessor in 1985 and lost, then came back in…
Pro Soccer Report: Red Stars battling for home playoff match
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent The Chicago Red Stars played their final regular-season game at SeatGeek Stadium on Saturday night with a 2-1 victory over Kansas City in a National Women’s Soccer League game. Is there a chance they will be back in Bridgeview for a postseason match? Even though the top four teams in the…
Roberts Park Fire Protection District donates blankets to homeless shelter
The Roberts Park Fire Department recently donated more than 200 new individually packaged blankets to the Providence of God homeless shelter in Chicago. Chief Jeff Ketchen and members of the RPFD worked with Isaac Bucio, a Chicago firefighter who volunteers at the shelter.
High School Football: Streaking St. Rita pounds Providence
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent St. Rita is still back on track. On Sept. 11, St. Rita’s football team came home after being battered around by Loyola in Wilmette, 37-7. That dropped the Mustangs to 1-2 after suffering a tight loss to Mount Carmel two weeks prior. In that game, they lost talented running back and…
Sheriff Dart, state Sen. Collins propose legislation to ban ‘ghost guns’
From staff reports Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart and state Senator Jacqueline Collins have proposed legislation to ban “ghost guns”–homemade, untraceable weapons that are increasingly being found by police fighting Chicago area violence. “The rapid proliferation of these weapons is alarming, and they are intentionally being used by individuals who want to thwart investigations…
Illinois News
Public speaks out on proposed congressional maps
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Members of the public got their first chance to speak directly to state lawmakers Wednesday about a proposed set of new congressional district maps, and most of those who did were critical of the plan. Democrats in the General Assembly released a proposed new map Friday…
Heavy workload expected next week as lawmakers cancel Thursday session
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The legislative action was light during the General Assembly’s first week of fall session, and lawmakers in both chambers left town a day early after leadership canceled the Thursday session. That means bigger items, such as a vote on congressional maps and potential changes to the…
Federal court throws out June legislative maps, declines to send issue to bipartisan commission
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – A three-judge federal court panel in Chicago ruled Tuesday that the legislative redistricting plan that Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law in June – before official 2020 U.S. Census numbers were available – was unconstitutional because the population variances among districts violated the “one-person, one-vote” doctrine.…
State ramping up vaccine booster campaign
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday urged eligible Illinoisans to get a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot and called on skilled nursing facilities to make booster shots available to patients and staff by Thanksgiving. Currently anyone who received the Pfizer vaccine and is over 65 years of age…
State worker vaccine deadline extended to Oct. 26 for first dose
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker announced Monday that his administration has reached agreement with multiple trade unions requiring certain state workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19, but it is extending the deadline for workers to get their first shot to Oct. 26 while negotiations continue with the state’s…
Lawmakers returning to Springfield to consider congressional remap, more
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Illinois’ first congressional remap draft is out but changes could be in store as lawmakers return to Springfield Tuesday for the first of their final two weeks of scheduled session in 2022. It’s customary for lawmakers to meet each fall to consider overriding or accepting any…
CAPITOL RECAP: New congressional maps unveiled ahead of veto session
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – Democrats in the Illinois General Assembly released a proposed set of new congressional district maps Friday, just days before lawmakers return to the Statehouse for the start of their fall veto session, which begins Oct. 19. All states redraw their congressional districts following each decennial census. The proposed new…
UPDATED: New congressional maps unveiled ahead of fall veto session
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Democrats in the Illinois General Assembly released a proposed set of new congressional district maps Friday, just days before lawmakers return to the Statehouse for the start of their fall veto session, which begins Oct. 19. All states redraw their congressional districts following each decennial census.…
Tax summaries show Pritzkers made $5 million last year – not including family trusts
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker’s campaign released summary documents of his 2020 tax returns Friday, which showed the first family reporting $5.14 million in adjusted gross income, all from taxable interest and dividends. The campaign released seven pages summarizing the governor’s and first lady MK Pritzker’s returns, which…
Democrats release draft congressional maps
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Illinois lawmakers released the first draft of new congressional maps Friday, the latest step in a process that occurs every 10 years after the U.S. Census and could impact the balance of power in the U.S. Congress. The new maps are only a draft and will…