Local News
From staff reports Coming from some of the smallest islands in the world, performers from “Small Island, Big Song” talked about climate change, indigenous cultures and island history from their homelands to students in select sociology and geography classes at Moraine Valley Community College last month. The group performed their musical and spoken word endeavor…
Read MoreFrom staff reports Road closures with detours are scheduled for this week on Roberts Road and 87th Street to accommodate bridge beam removal for the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project. In addition to overnight closures, this work will require a weekend-long closure of both local roads at their intersection under I-294. Delays are expected. On Roberts Road under I-294, up to two…
Read MoreFrom staff reports Palos Hills police are investigating a shooting that occurred at 7:40 p.m. on Wednesday, May 4, in the 10700 block of Roberts Road. Police said they and paramedics of the North Palos Fire Protection District answered a call of a man shot. They found a man wh0 had suffered a gunshot wound…
Read MoreBy Jeff Vorva Oak Lawn and Stagg took seconds in the first. The inaugural Illinois High School Association eSports State Tournament took place Saturday at Bloomington High School and area gamers had a chance to play in the historic event. Oak Lawn and Stagg both had second-place finishers in the tournament and Stagg added a…
Read MoreBy Jeff Vorva Staff writer Moraine Valley Community College celebrated its 45th year of offering athletics on April 30. Bill Finn has seen nearly all of them. Finn, the Cyclones’ athletic director, has spent 41 years at the college as a coach and administrator. The school opened up the Health, Fitness and Recreation Center for…
Read MoreThe Southwest Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of David L. Crane, will present “An Afternoon of Lerner and Loewe” on Sunday, April 10, at 4 p.m. at Trinity Christian College’s Ozinga Auditorium, 6601 W. College Drive, Palos Heights. Favorite selections will be played from “Camelot,” “Gigi,” “Brigadoon,” “Paint Your Wagon,” and “My Fair Lady.” The…
Read MoreFrom staff reports The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that a resurfacing of Harlem Avenue, from 62nd Street, in Chicago and Summit, to 111th Street, in Worth, passing through Bedford Park, Bridgeview, Burbank, Chicago Ridge and Palos Hills, will resume, weather permitting, Monday, April 4. The $5 million project, which consists of resurfacing the six-mile stretch…
Read MoreFrom staff reports A former Cook County judge from Palos Hills was among more than 100 people arrested during a weeklong undercover human trafficking sting in Polk County, Florida. Officials said Daniel Peters, 66, was picked up as part of Operation March Sadness 2, which began March 8. Detectives said Peters told them he was…
Read MoreFrom staff reports The Hills Chamber of Commerce will once again host the Business and Community Expo from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 19, at Conrady Junior High School, 7950 W. 97th St., Hickory Hills. The expo returns after a two-year absence due to the pandemic. Over 50 exhibitors are scheduled to take part in the expo. Local businesses, direct sales…
Read MoreFrom staff reports A second man, who police say was the brother of the first man arrested, has been charged for his role in an armed robbery that took place at a gas station on December 28. Marlon Triplett, 32, was picked up after police in Indiana were able to obtain a nationwide arrest warrant…
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Orland Park to add 7 names during Memorial Day ceremony
The Orland Park community is invited to join the village this Memorial Day in remembrance of those who have given their lives for our country. The ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. on Monday, May 30, at the village’s memorial, Ara Pace – Place of Peace, located outside of Village Hall at 14700 S.…

Girls Soccer: De La Salle tops Bremen for program’s first regional title
By Steve Millar Correspondent De La Salle coach Carlos Nunez has seen his teams come up a bit short in the postseason repeatedly over the years. The Meteors had never won a regional championship in girls soccer. Until this year, that is. “I’ve been in every single one that we’ve lost in,” Nunez said. “We’ve…

Pro soccer report: Pugh tallies twice return in Red Stars’ win over Orlando
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Mallory Pugh gave a sample of what could be a big 2022 season when she scored four goals in the exhibition Challenge Cup series. But the Red Stars scoring threat missed the first two games of the NWSL season with an injury, and the team split decisions against Louisville and…

Area Sports Roundup: Sandburg takes 2nd at Bajenski tourney
By Jeff Vorva Staff writer The Sandburg baseball team has had more downs than ups this season. But the Eagles finished the regular season on a strong note with a run to second place at the Steven M. Bajenski Memorial Tournament, which wrapped up May 21 at Ozinga Field in Crestwood. To get to the…

Track Postseason Report: Sandburg boys 3200 relay records nation’s third-best time in 2022
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer How good was the competition in the boys track Class 3A Lockport Sectional in the 3200 meter relay? Sandburg’s relay team of Brock Rice, Declan Tunney, Trent Anderson and Sean Marquardt ran a time of 7:42.42, which tied for the third-best time in the nation in 2022. And that was…

Pop’s to celebrate National Italian Beef Day with week of specials
Palos Heights-based Pop’s Italian Beef & Sausage is beefing up May this year with a week-long celebration of National Italian Beef Day at each of their locations. As part of the celebrations, Pop’s is hosting an interactive contest on their Facebook page during the week of National Italian Beef Day from Monday, May 23, through…

‘Small Island, Big Song’ workshops enrich classroom learning at MVCC
From staff reports Coming from some of the smallest islands in the world, performers from “Small Island, Big Song” talked about climate change, indigenous cultures and island history from their homelands to students in select sociology and geography classes at Moraine Valley Community College last month. The group performed their musical and spoken word endeavor…

Pathlights names new executive director
From staff reports Elaine Grande has been appointed Executive Director by Pathlights’ Board of Directors effective May 30. Grande brings more than 30 years of successful leadership experience and becomes only the third Executive Director in the Palos Heights nonprofit’s 46-year history. She currently leads all Pathlights program and services as Director of Program Development…

Orland Park police arrest 2 men for commercial burglaries
By Bob Bong Orland Park police have arrested two men suspected of committing multiple commercial burglaries throughout the Chicago area and northwest Indiana. Police have been hunting the men since they were believed to be responsible for a March 13 break-in at Binny’s Beverage Depot at 103 Orland Park Place. Police said they responded…
Illinois News

GOP debate: Candidates address rising crime, Texas school shooting
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The six Republican candidates for Illinois governor faced off Tuesday night in Chicago, albeit on two separate debate stages, hours after a shooting at a Texas elementary school that dominated a large portion of the debates. A scheduling conflict between two TV networks – WGN and…

GOP Floor Leader Batinick ready to ‘pass the baton’
By GRACE KINNICUTT Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Illinois House Republican Floor Leader Mark Batinick, a self-described “policy guy,” came to Springfield with the goal of pushing good policy. A father of five who resides in Plainfield with his wife, Batinick said after eight years in the General Assembly, it was either time to…

Longtime lawmaker reflects on time in General Assembly, calls it ‘honor of lifetime’
By GRACE KINNICUTT Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – House Majority Leader Greg Harris, the number two Democrat in the Illinois House of Representatives, never imagined landing the role of state representative – or that he would leave office feeling that he has been successful at it. The first openly LGTBQ leader in Illinois History,…

11th contempt citation filed against DCFS director
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – On Thursday afternoon, a Cook County judge found Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Director Marc Smith in contempt of court for the 11th time for violating court orders to move children to proper placements. The 11-year-old girl at the center of the case has…

Criminal case against senior staff at state-run hospital dismissed
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The official misconduct case against a Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center senior staff member was dismissed on Thursday. Union County State’s Attorney Tyler Tripp dropped the charges, related to a cover-up of abuse at the state-run facility, against Choate’s quality assurance manager Gary Goins. The…

ANALYSIS: Fuel retailers sue over ‘compelled speech’ at the gas pump
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] “As of July 1, 2022, the State of Illinois has suspended the inflation adjustment to the motor fuel tax through December 31, 2022. The price on this pump should reflect the suspension of the tax increase.” Those two sentences may be coming to a gas pump near you…

CAPITOL RECAP: Survey: Illinois undercounted in 2020 census
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – The Census Bureau released new survey data Thursday, May 19, suggesting the population of Illinois may have been undercounted by nearly 2 percent in the 2020 headcount. That was one of the findings of the Census Bureau’s Post-Enumeration Survey, or PES, something the bureau does after each decennial census…

Census Bureau: Illinois may have been undercounted in 2020 census
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Census Bureau released new survey data Thursday suggesting the population of Illinois may have been undercounted by nearly 2 percent in the 2020 headcount. That was one of the findings of the Census Bureau’s Post-Enumeration Survey, or PES, something the bureau does after each decennial…

Illinois rejoins federal Title X family planning program
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Illinois has resumed participation in the federal Title X family planning program after refusing to take part for the past three years in protest over a Trump administration policy regarding abortion services. Gov. JB Pritzker announced this week that the state has been awarded $5.4 million…

Pritzker signs bill requiring serialization of unfinished ‘ghost guns’
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFILED – Owners of firearms that do not have serial numbers – referred to as ghost guns – will have 180 days to take them to a federal firearm dealer to have them serialized or they will risk being charged with a misdemeanor. Gov. JB Pritzker signed the…