Local News
By Bob Bong Police departments across the south suburbs are gearing up for another high-flying fundraiser for Special Olympics Illinois. Police will be hanging out at more than 325 Dunkin’ Donut coffee shops across Illinois starting at 5 a.m. Friday, May 19, for another edition of Cop on a Rooftop. They will be collecting donations…
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Overnight road closures, including full intersection closures with detours, will be scheduled on Roberts Road and 87th Street over the next two weeks as the Illinois Tollway continues work on local roadway reconstruction and improvements as part of the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project. Beginning Wednesday, May 10, overnight full closures of both 87th Street and Roberts Road are scheduled to…
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The Illinois Tollway is scheduled to begin work to reconstruct the Roberts Road and 87th Street intersection as part of the Central Tri-State Tollway project. Local road and infrastructure improvements will include replacement of the existing pavement on the east side of Roberts Road and the north side of 87th Street as well as installation of new…
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By Joe Boyle Phyllis Majka, president of the Hills Chamber of Commerce, said the organization’s annual Business and Community Expo is an opportunity for everyone to gather after a long winter. The irony was not lost on Majka and chamber members that while the calendar indicates spring, snow flurries were falling outside. “But we are doing quite well this…
Read More Overnight local road closures with detours will be scheduled on Roberts Road and 87th Street this week to accommodate mainline bridge beam removal on the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project. The temporary closures are necessary to safely to complete removal of bridge beams on I-294 over Roberts Road and 87th Street. Electronic message signs…
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Argo Community High School District 217 announced that mathematics teacher Kyle Stern has received the Award of Meritorious Service in the Teacher category from the Illinois State Board of Education. Awards are presented in seven categories: classroom teachers, early career educators (teachers 1-4 years), school administrators, student support personnel, educational service personnel, community volunteers, and…
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Amos Alonzo Stagg High School automotive students took first place at the recent High School Automotive Technology Skills Competition, hosted by Moraine Valley Community College. Richards High School’s team finished second. The event included nine local high schools with nine students on each team. Participating schools included Sandburg, Andrew, Shepard, Oak Lawn, Reavis, Argo and…
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By Steve Metsch After a fire just before Thanksgiving shut down Together We Cope – a longtime southwest suburban charitable organization – state Sen. Mike Hastings (D-19th) knew he had to help. Hastings said he was moved to help because of the important role the organization plays by helping needy families in the region. Hastings…
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The Bridge Teen Center is starting 2023 off right with a new semester of free holistically-designed programs for teens. All afterschool programs are free to teens in seventh- to 12th-grade and can be found in their Winter/Spring Program Magazine at www.thebridgeteencenter.org. Some exciting programs include Woodworking: Plant Stands, Yoga & Smoothies, Behind the scenes at…
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This winter will be a bit warmer across the south suburbs for those in need thanks to the combined efforts of students and staff at Sandburg, Stagg and Andrew High Schools. A grand total of 8,652 pairs of socks were donated in the month of October to the Educational Support Professionals’ Association Socktober Sock Drive. Because…
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Area Sports Roundup | State volleyball and lacrosse tournaments will have local flavor
By Jeff Vorva Staff writer When it comes to the postseason, there are rarely guarantees. There are, however, two guarantees this season when it comes to having teams in the IHSA state finals this weekend. Boys volleyball and girls lacrosse will each have an area representative at their respective state tournaments. In volleyball, Marist and…
Baseball and Softball Wrap | Brother Rice and Lyons win thrillers; Marist softball sets state HR record
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Exciting to the last pitch. Two area baseball regional championships were determined in nail biting fashion on May 27. At the Class 4A Whitney Young Regional, Brother Rice, which finished third the state in Class 4A in 2022, got a bases-loaded to squeak by Mount Carmel, 6-5, and continue its…
Pro Sports Report | Orlando outshoots Chicago 19-2, loses 1-0
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Orlando outshot the Chicago Red Stars 19-2, including a 6-2 disadvantage with shots on goal, during a May 27 visit to SeatGeek Stadium. That would normally be a recipe for disaster for the home team. But the Stars defense and goalie Alyssa Naeher withstood the barrage, and the team took…
Worth police hit the roof for Special Olympics Illinois
By Kelly White Worth’s Police Department takes pride in having close ties with the local community. For the 11th year, the department was happy to once again take part in Cop on a Rooftop to benefit Special Olympics Illinois. Police officers mingled with residents on Friday morning at Dunkin Donuts, 6707 W. 111th St.,…
Oak Lawn is using technology to fight crime
By Joe Boyle While there has been a recent increase in crime, Oak Lawn officials want to assure residents that these incidents are being addressed. Village Manager Tom Phelan made it clear during an Oak Lawn Village Board meeting Tuesday morning that they are working in tandem with the police to solve the recent wave…
Worth Memorial Day event recalls past conflicts, wars
By Joe Boyle Worth Mayor Mary Werner welcomed sunny skies on Sunday morning. However, Werner said she could not take credit for the 70-degree temperatures before the Memorial Day Observance at Veterans Memorial Park at the corner of 111th Street and Harlem Avenue. “We have had plenty of times where we had coats on,” Werner…
2 wounded in Bridgeview shooting
By Bob Bong Two men were wounded May 21 after two groups started arguing in the parking lot at Menards in Bridgeview. Police said the incident started at 8:05 p.m. with an argument between two groups in the parking lot at 9140 S. Harlem Ave. Police Chief Ricardo Mancha said police are trying to figure…
Water study finds 12 leaks in McCook system
By Steve Metsch A water study that McCook’s village board approved in March is paying dividends just two months later. Mayor Terrance Carr said that a dozen leaks have been found in the city’s water system, which had been losing 5 million gallons each month. “We found 12. We fixed all 12 of them. We…
Orland Park welcomes Rainbow Cone
By Kelly White Rainbow Cone was welcomed in to the Orland Park community on Friday morning when a grand opening ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the franchise’s newest location, 15711 Harlem Ave., Orland Park. The location is run by the duo, John Buonavolanto and Fernando Toscano. “There are a lot of South Siders right here…
UPDATE: RidgeFest cancelled over flash mob safety concerns
Editor’s note: Chicago Ridge Mayor Chuck Tokar said Friday that RidgeFest originally set for July 28-30 was being cancelled for this year out of safety concerns as a result of the teen rampage last weekend at a carnival in Tinley Park. It’s the second area event called off because of the threat of teen flash…
Illinois News
Budget vote brings General Assembly’s 2023 spring session to a close
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The 2023 spring legislative session came to an end in the early hours of Saturday morning after the Illinois House gave its approval to a $50.6 billion spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year that begins July 1. The 73-38 party-line vote came around 2:30 a.m.…
Legislature approves bill to tighten restrictions on red-light camera industry
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD — Lawmakers in Springfield have unanimously approved a measure that would place new restrictions on the red-light and speed camera industry’s involvement in state and local elections and government. House Bill 3903 would ban automatic traffic enforcement companies or their officers from donating to candidates for public…
Senate Democrats send budget to House, teeing it up for early Saturday morning vote
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House is planning to work until the early hours of Saturday morning to finalize a $50.6 billion state spending plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1. That announcement came early Thursday evening, more than 24 hours after Gov. JB Pritzker and the…
Senate Democrats send budget to House, teeing it up for early Saturday morning vote
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House is planning to work until the early hours of Saturday morning to finalize a $50.6 billion state spending plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1. That announcement came early Thursday evening, more than 24 hours after Gov. JB Pritzker and the…
UPDATED: Optional all-gender bathrooms bill will head to governor
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois General Assembly has passed a bill that would allow businesses and public institutions to provide multi-occupant all-gender bathrooms if they choose to do so. House Bill 1286 would change current state law, under which single-occupancy bathrooms are automatically designated for all genders, but multi-occupancy…
Lawmakers OK bill to limit constitutional lawsuits to Cook, Sangamon County
By PETER HANCOCK & HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Democrats who control the General Assembly muscled through a last-minute measure that will require any constitutional challenge to state laws to be filed in either Cook or Sangamon counties. The Illinois House on Thursday gave final passage to a set of amendments to…
Dems move to allow punitive damage awards in wrongful death lawsuits
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Democrats in the General Assembly this week pushed through a measure that would allow state courts to award punitive damages in wrongful death lawsuits – a departure from the status quo for more than a century in Illinois. Illinois is one of 16 states that does…
Top Democrats announce budget ‘deal,’ but details are scant as last-minute negotiations continue
By JERRY NOWICKI, HANNAH MEISEL & PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker and Democratic leaders announced Wednesday they’ve agreed to a framework for next year’s roughly $50 billion state spending plan, even as negotiations continued in the final stretch of lawmakers’ already-extended spring legislative session. Their announced agreement included…
State report: Catholic churches harbored hundreds more abusers than previously disclosed
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Catholic dioceses in Illinois failed to disclose hundreds of abusive clerics before the state opened what would become a yearslong investigation into sex abuse within the church, Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced Tuesday. Included in a scathing 700-page report published by Raoul’s office at the end…
UPDATED: Environmental bills seek to improve soil health, ban state use of polystyrene foam containers
By ANDREW ADAMS & NIKA SCHOONOVER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] [email protected] Editor’s note: This story will be updated as the measures make their way through the legislature this week. SPRINGFIELD – Several pieces of environmental legislation are making their way through the Illinois General Assembly on what was scheduled to be the final week of…
