Local News
By Jason Maholy Sports Editor During the week heading into Sandburg’s matchup with Stagg, Eagles coach Troy McAllister’s message to his players was to not take the winless Chargers for granted. The Eagles were coming off the program’s most significant victory since at least 2015, a 30-27 triumph over powerful Lincoln-Way East in a game…
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By Kelly White For years, the Crisis Center of South Suburbia has been helping women in need. “By the time a victim of domestic violence finds the courage to leave and come to our emergency shelter, they are barely hanging on,” Sarah Tygart, Director of Victim Services at the Crisis Center for South Suburbia, said.…
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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…
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By Jason Maholy Sports Editor Shepard coach John Rone would have preferred his Astros not dug themselves a hole by starting 0-4, but being faced with having to win their five remaining games to be playoff-eligible may have had some unintended benefits. Rone does not think having their backs against the wall helped the Astros…
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By Jason Maholy Sports Editor Facing a perennial state power might not be considered by some people to be the best medicine for a struggling team coming off its worst game of the season. But the only choice a team has is to play the next opponent on its schedule, so to Frankfort went Sandburg…
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By Jason Maholy Sports Editor One down, four to go. Entering Week 5 winless, Shepard was faced with having to run the table to have any hope of qualifying for the IHSA playoffs for a sixth consecutive season. Five wins will most likely get the Astros into the postseason, given their strength of schedule, but…
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By Randy Whalen Correspondent Turning a program around doesn’t happen overnight. There are usually some bumps along the way. Sandburg football coach Troy McAllister knows that. He turned Phillips of the Chicago Public League into a two-time state champion. But in his first season there in 2010, the Wildcats finished 2-7. The Eagles have four…
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By Jeff Vorva The price of water in Palos Park is going up and officials are bracing for some complaints. The Palos Park Village Council voted unanimously on Sept. 13 to approve an ordinance to increase water rates to $12.82 per 1,000 gallons of water supplied by the village, up from $12.76. The new rate…
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By Jeff Vorva Thousands came to Palos Park’s Autumn in the Park events last weekend after missing a year due to COVID-19 concerns. For the village, it meant a return to several spring and summer outdoor events it sponsored in 2021 that had to be waxed in 2020 including Chili in the Park and a…
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Palos Park Police are advising motorists to slow down after sundown and before sunrise to reduce their risk of having a close encounter with a deer. Deer collisions are an annual occurrence that will continue through Thanksgiving week. Deer aren’t paying close attention to what’s going on around them during the fall breeding season, commonly…
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High School Football: Jake Maziarka runs for 4 TDs in Sandburg’s win over Stagg
By Jason Maholy Sports Editor During the week heading into Sandburg’s matchup with Stagg, Eagles coach Troy McAllister’s message to his players was to not take the winless Chargers for granted. The Eagles were coming off the program’s most significant victory since at least 2015, a 30-27 triumph over powerful Lincoln-Way East in a game…
High School Football: JCA beats Rice in battle of top-rated teams
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Brother Rice quarterback Jack Lausch has put up some impressive running and passing numbers in both wins and losses this year. The Crusaders, who were ranked No. 1 in the state by the sportswriters in the Associated Press poll heading into Friday’s action, had a 49-46 setback to Class 8A No.…
College Football: Olivet tops Saint Xavier in offensive showdown
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent The number 13 was not lucky the second time. For the second time in as many home games, St. Xavier University faced the 13th-ranked team in the nation in NAIA play according to the coaches polls. While they stunned 13th-ranked St. Francis, Indiana, 38-0, on Sept. 25, the 18th-ranked Cougars had…
Pro Soccer Report: House wins first game at home; Milazzo scores first pro goal
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent It was a weekend of firsts when it came to the area’s professional soccer teams. The Chicago House won its historic first home game Saturday at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview with a 1-0 triumph over San Diego 1904 FC. Sunday night, Orland Park’s Tatumn Milazzo, a defender who doesn’t get many…
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…
Zelda’s Kitchen Witches bring new hope to women in need
By Kelly White For years, the Crisis Center of South Suburbia has been helping women in need. “By the time a victim of domestic violence finds the courage to leave and come to our emergency shelter, they are barely hanging on,” Sarah Tygart, Director of Victim Services at the Crisis Center for South Suburbia, said.…
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…
Orland Park says village shortchanged by feds in rescue plan allocation
By Jeff Vorva Orland Park village trustees and Mayor Keith Pekau are now taking issue with the federal government. After months of taking umbrage with county and state government bodies for various reasons, Pekau and Co. are fed up with the Feds for being allocated $5 million from the American Rescue Plan Act when similar…
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…
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…
