Local News

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Volunteers raise $18,000 at Worth FOP Polar Plunge

By Bob Bong / March 14, 2024 /

By Joe Boyle The temperatures were hovering near 50 degrees, but Worth Mayor Mary Werner said it was still going to be a challenge. “They took the temperature of the water and it was 46 degrees. That is still cold,” the mayor said. The eighth annual Worth Fraternal Order of Police Polar Plunge was held…

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Shepard takes plunge for Special Olympics Illinois

By Kelly White / March 14, 2024 /

By Kelly White Shepard High School has been diving into great things once again this academic year. The high school, 13049 S. Ridgeland Ave., Palos Heights, honored Special Olympics Illinois with a unique school-based Polar Plunge that took place right on campus on March 7. “This is one of my favorite days of the year.…

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Worth approves new parking, traffic regulations

By Bob Bong / February 21, 2024 / Comments Off on Worth approves new parking, traffic regulations

By Joe Boyle Two ordinances were passed at the Worth Village Board meeting Tuesday night requiring changes for pedestrian crossings and vehicular traffic. Police Chief Tim Denton said one ordinance needed to be amended regarding pedestrian and vehicular traffic. It needed to be made clear that individuals should not be walking along main streets and…

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Richards student awarded the Legion of Valor Bronze Cross Award

By Kelly White / February 17, 2024 / Comments Off on Richards student awarded the Legion of Valor Bronze Cross Award

By Kelly White Richards High School senior Michael Wickman has set his educational bar high. Wickman, a member of Navy Junior Reserve Officers Corps at the high school, 10601 Central Ave., Oak Lawn, was recently awarded the Legion of Valor Bronze Cross Award for his outstanding achievement in the NJROTC. “Being Awarded the Legion of Valor Bronze…

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A Little Bit of Germany at Shepard High School

By Kelly White / February 9, 2024 / Comments Off on A Little Bit of Germany at Shepard High School

By Kelly White German culture and cuisine made its way in to one local area high school cafeteria last weekend. Alan B. Shepard High School, 13049 S. Ridgeland Avenue in Palos Heights, hosted its annual A Little Bit of Germany event on February 3 bringing oversees traditions right to the south suburbs. “I like the…

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Shepard, Richards cheerleaders earn highest sectional scores

By Bob Bong / February 2, 2024 / Comments Off on Shepard, Richards cheerleaders earn highest sectional scores

The varsity cheerleaders from Shepard High School in Palos Heights on second place on Saturday at the IHSA Sectional tournament at Hinsdale South High School.  The team advanced to the IHSA state finals as a result. Coached by Shepard graduate Felicia Marr, the Astros earned their highest score ever at a sectional tournament.   The team…

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Webb Chevrolet hosts SD218 auto tech students from Richards, Shepard

By Bob Bong / January 18, 2024 / Comments Off on Webb Chevrolet hosts SD218 auto tech students from Richards, Shepard

Despite their busy schedules, general manager Tim Gehr and several other supervisors from Webb Chevrolet in Oak Lawn found time in December to show automotive technology students from Richards and Shepard high schools the career possibilities waiting for them. Teachers Keith Luszcak and Matt Krogh brought 29 students to tour Webb facilities, talk with various…

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Worth Township property tax review workshop

By Bob Bong / January 17, 2024 / Comments Off on Worth Township property tax review workshop

Worth Township Assessor Shaun Murphy, Worth Township Supervisor Patricia Joan Murphy, and Board of Review Commissioner George Cardenas will be hosting an in-person Board of Review Workshop on Monday, January 29, from 5-7 p.m. at Worth Township Hall, located at 11601 S. Pulaski Road in Alsip. The workshop is free.  Analysts will be on hand…

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Community Calendar

By Bob Bong / January 11, 2024 / Comments Off on Community Calendar

SD118 to host referendum meetings Palos School District 118 will host three public information meetings in January and February for the community to learn more about a referendum question on the March 19 ballot. Palos School District 118 is asking voters to approve a referendum that will allow it to shift approximately $4.35 million in…

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Shepard staff keeps active in December through Shepardathon

By Bob Bong / January 3, 2024 / Comments Off on Shepard staff keeps active in December through Shepardathon

By Kelly White Shepard High School is pushing its faculty and staff to stay active during these chilly winter months that often keep people indoors. Through the implementation of an inaugural SHEPARDTHON, a modification of the Marcothon, a challenge that is popular in the UK where participants run 3 miles or 25 minutes every day…

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Mother McAuley junior Abbey Williams delivers a pitch during last week’s 18-1 loss to Benet. Photo by Xavier Sanchez

Softball | Mother McAuley seeks to right ship

From Staff Reports The 2024 season is off to an uneven and somewhat rocky start for Mother McAuley. The Mighty Macs opened the spring with consecutive losses — 9-3 to Oak Forest on March 11 and 18-1 to Benet on March 13 — before getting off the schneid with an 18-1 win over Stagg on…

Evergreen Park senior Nolan Sexton (right) will play in the Illinois Hoop Prospect Senior All-Star Games at Joliet Junior College. Photo by Xavier Sanchez

Boys Basketball | Players from Evergreen Park and Brother Rice to ball at prospect showcase

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Five players from the area have been invited to play on the South Suburban Team at the Illinois Hoop Prospect Senior All-Star Games scheduled to be played March 24 at Joliet Junior College. Brother Rice’s Zavier Fitch and Ty Wooten join Evergreen Park’s Nolan Sexton, Marist’s Darshan Thomas and Stagg’s Connor…

George Shimko, who coached the Queen of Peace girls basketball program and its de facto successor St. Laurence, has been named head coach of the Mustangs girls basketball program. Supplied photo

Girls Basketball | George Shimko takes reins for Mustangs

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent One longtime area basketball coach will succeed another at Evergreen Park. George Shimko, who brought success to the girls basketball programs at Queen of Peace and St. Laurence, has been named the new girls hoops coach at Evergreen Park. He will succeed Bruce Scaduto, who retired after 27 years with the…

Harold Blackmon (right) is welcomed to De La Salle by Meteors athletic director Tom White. Photo courtesy of De La Salle

De La Salle tabs Harold Blackmon as next football coach

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent A pair of familiar coaches from the area have landed in new spots. Harold Blackmon, who has been head football coach at St. Laurence and Oak Lawn, has been named coach at De La Salle. George Shimko, a former girls basketball coach at Queen of Peace and St. Laurence, will serve…

SEATGEEK

Red Stars, rugby will highlight big weekend at SeatGeek

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Things will get busy in Bridgeview this weekend. The Chicago Fire II will host its season opener against Toronto FC II at 6 p.m. Friday, March 22 at SeatGeek Stadium. The following day, the Chicago Red Stars make their 2024 home debut against Seattle at 3 p.m. Rugby invades the stadium…

Chicago Red Stars players celebrate a goal against Utah in the season-opener for both teams on March 16. The Red Stars won, 2-0. Photo courtesy of Chicago Red Stars

Red Stars Report | Cooks provide recipe for success in Red Stars’ win over Utah

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent The Lorne Donaldson era is already Cook-ing. The new Chicago Red Stars coach enjoyed a victory in his debut with a 2-0 triumph over Utah in the NWSL season-opener for both teams on March 16 at America First Field in Sandy, Utah. The game was the first in franchise history for…

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College Sports Wrap | Morton College OF Angelo Luna slugs two grand slams in one day

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Area college baseball sluggers had a grand time on March 16. Former St. Laurence standout Angelo Luna, a sophomore outfielder at Morton College, hit two grand slams and drove in 10 runs over two games as the Panthers beat Highland, 7-3 and 18-5, in a doubleheader at home. Luna has crushed…

Sergio Lemley (top), who won three state championships at Mount Carmel, finished in fourth place at the Big Ten tournament during his freshman season. Photo courtesy of University of Michigan Athletics

College Notebook | Ex-Mount Carmel wrestler Sergio Lemley takes fourth in Big Ten

By Mike Walsh Correspondent One reason the Michigan wrestling team has been successful this season is freshman Sergio Lemley. At the Big Ten tournament, Lemley won three of his five matches to finish fourth at 141 pounds. The Wolverines placed second with 123.5 points behind conference champion Penn State (170.5). In the consolation semifinals, Lemley,…

Sandburg sophomore Zoe Trunk high-fives teammate Grace Torgerson (12) after the former scored a run during the Eagles’ 9-1 win over Richards to open the 2024 season. Photo by Xavier Sanchez

Softball | Sandburg tops Richards, Crete-Monee to begin rebound season

By Xavier Sanchez Correspondent With a blank slate, unblemished record and all goals still theoretically intact, beginning of the season for any sports team offers — if nothing else — hope. Teams are looking to start fresh and either rebound from a season that failed to meet expectations, or build on the success from and…

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SD122 parents demand answers on school psychologist’s status

By Nuha Abdessalam A petition demanding the firing of a school psychologist at Ridgeland School District 122 for posting Islamophobic social media messages has gathered more than 1,400 signatures. The petition on change.org is “calling for the removal of the schoo psychologist Laurie Hoke for sharing posts and comments that are explicitly racist, Islamophobic, hateful,…

Illinois News

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

After being rebuffed by regulators, utilities file slimmed-down spending plans

 By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State regulators are once again considering massive electric utility spending plans that would affect the state’s climate goals – and 5.4 million electric customers’ monthly bills – after rejecting previous versions late last year. The Illinois Commerce Commission forced the state’s two major electric utilities, Commonwealth…

Capitol Briefs: Pritzker executive order creates advisory council for affordable sickle cell treatment

Capitol Briefs: Pritzker executive order creates advisory council for affordable sickle cell treatment

DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday signed an order to create an advisory council to examine how Illinois’ Medicaid program can help cover costs of emerging gene therapies that effectively treat sickle cell disease and other rare disorders. About 5,000 Illinoisans live with sickle cell disease, a gene defect most…

Illinois high court asked to review law limiting venue in constitutional challenges

Illinois high court asked to review law limiting venue in constitutional challenges

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court is being asked to decide on the constitutionality of a new state law that says constitutional challenges to state laws and actions can only be filed in Cook or Sangamon counties. Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office on Monday filed an appeal directly…

Diversity, judicial appointments at issue in 1st District Supreme Court race

Diversity, judicial appointments at issue in 1st District Supreme Court race

By HANNAH MEISEL DILPREET RAJU & JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com The race for one of the seven Illinois Supreme Court seats pits an appointed incumbent against a second-time candidate as the two Democrats vie for their party’s nomination next week. Because no Republican has filed to run for the Cook County-based seat, it’s…

Pritzker agency heads questioned on $1.1 billion revenue proposals

Pritzker agency heads questioned on $1.1 billion revenue proposals

By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker’s revenue and budget directors took questions from a legislative panel Thursday on his proposals to generate another $1.1 billion in the upcoming fiscal year through various tax changes.  Pritzker’s proposed spending plan anticipates $52.9 billion in revenue, with new funds raised by increasing…

Diversity, judicial appointments at issue in 1st District Supreme Court race

Diversity, judicial appointments at issue in 1st District Supreme Court race

By HANNAH MEISEL DILPREET RAJU & JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com The race for one of the seven Illinois Supreme Court seats pits an appointed incumbent against a second-time candidate as the two Democrats vie for their party’s nomination next week. Because no Republican has filed to run for the Cook County-based seat, it’s…

Bailey vs. Bost congressional race among GOP primaries to watch

Bailey vs. Bost congressional race among GOP primaries to watch

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The March 19 primaries in Illinois may seem anticlimactic to those who are only interested in presidential politics. Democratic President Joe Biden and Republican former President Donald Trump sewed up their nominations a full week before polls even opened in the Prairie State. But further down…

Candidate Q&A: Cunningham, Reyes make pitch for Supreme Court seat

Candidate Q&A: Cunningham, Reyes make pitch for Supreme Court seat

Compiled by Capitol News Illinois There’s one contested primary for an Illinois Supreme Court seat on the March 19 ballot, with appointed incumbent Justice Joy Cunningham facing challenger and 1st District Appellate Court Justice Jesse Reyes.  The 1st District race is for one of three Cook County seats and one of seven spots on the…

Pritzker agency heads questioned on $1.1 billion revenue proposals

Pritzker agency heads questioned on $1.1 billion revenue proposals

By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker’s revenue and budget directors took questions from a legislative panel Thursday on his proposals to generate another $1.1 billion in the upcoming fiscal year through various tax changes.  Pritzker’s proposed spending plan anticipates $52.9 billion in revenue, with new funds raised by increasing…

House panel opens hearings on Pritzker’s health insurance reforms

House panel opens hearings on Pritzker’s health insurance reforms

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A panel of Illinois lawmakers began hearing testimony Wednesday on Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposals for sweeping changes in the state’s health insurance industry.  The changes, which Pritzker first unveiled in his State of the State address in February, would limit the ability of companies to deny…