Local News
By Carol McGowan The Roberts Park Fire Protection District, which handles fire and ambulance calls for the Village of Justice, City of Hickory Hills, nearby unincorporated Cook County, the Interstate 294 Tollway and Cook County Forest Preserve, is celebrating its 75th year. The district has two fire stations, one at the Justice Village Hall, and…
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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.
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By Steve MetschÊ Personnel moves were on the agenda at the latest meeting of the Bridgeview Village Board.Ê The board unanimously approved promoting a firefighter to the rank of lieutenant, and making a part-time police officer a full-time officer.Ê Firefighter Jason Yerkovich, with the department for 11 years, is now a lieutenant. After the April…
Read MoreFrom staff reports A fast-acting neighbor who saw smoke coming from an Orland Hills home Thursday, arrived at the scene with a fire extinguisher to find a stovetop burning and helped suppress the fire that could have gotten out of control and caused more damage, Orland firefighters said. The Orland Fire Protection District arrived at…
Read MoreBy Bob Bong It’s not unusual for a son to follow in his father’s footprints. That is definitely the case for the Mathias family whose tradition of fighting fires for the Palos Fire Protection District stretches back to the earliest days of the fire district when Glenn Mathias Sr. was a volunteer. Today, his son,…
Read MoreFrom staff reports Firefighters at the Orland Fire Protection District’s Station 5 at 8851 W. 143rd St. did not have far to go when responding to a house fire on Saturday. The firefighters were conducting their afternoon exercises inside the firehouse about 2:50 p.m. Saturday when they smelled something burning outside. The firefighters rushed outside…
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By Dermot Connolly Changes were recently made at the top ranks of the Oak Lawn Fire Department, and they are also coming to the Police Department, with the retirement this week of Police Chief William “Randy” Palmer. Palmer, an Oak Lawn resident who will be stepping down tomorrow, Friday, only announced his plans last week…
Read MoreBy Bob Bong A fire early Wednesday morning heavily damaged Don’s Hot Dogs in Orland Park. Orland firefighters responded to a call about 1 a.m. of a fire at the restaurant at 7245 W. 151st St. Upon arrival, firefighters found heavy fire that broke through the roof. Crews began an aggressive attack and the fire…
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Roberts Park Fire Protection District celebrates 75 Years
By Carol McGowan The Roberts Park Fire Protection District, which handles fire and ambulance calls for the Village of Justice, City of Hickory Hills, nearby unincorporated Cook County, the Interstate 294 Tollway and Cook County Forest Preserve, is celebrating its 75th year. The district has two fire stations, one at the Justice Village Hall, and…
Boys Cross Country State Final: Sandburg computes with 3A title; Marist’s Jake Phillips takes fourth in 2A
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Some exhaustive research combined with a little computer wizardry came up with the prediction that Sandburg would win the IHSA Class 3A title by 106 points. A simulation created by Illinois XC Speed Ratings used each state qualifier’s “previous four rated performances and season rating 1,000 times,” then took the average…
High School Football Class 8A Playoffs: Marist stops Storm, advances to quarterfinals
By Steve Millar Correspondent Marist Senior defensive end Jayson Harris-Woodard and the rest of the RedHawks defense were excited for a new kind of challenge against South Elgin. Coming into Saturday’s Class 8A second-round game, the undefeated Storm was averaging 45 points a game with its triple-option attack. “We don’t usually get to see…
High School Football Class 7A Playoffs: Mount Carmel moves on with batty win over Batavia
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Dennis Furlong had three choices. The Mount Carmel wide receiver took a handoff from quarterback Blainey Dowling on an untimed down with a Class 7A second-round playoff game on the line and the Caravan down by four points to No. 1-seeded Batavia. His first two choices were to catch the Bulldogs’…
Pro Soccer Report: Red Stars blank Gotham, advance to NWSL semifinals
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Mallory Pugh and the Chicago Red Stars gave their fans a going-away gift. Playing in Chicago’s final home game of 2021, Pugh scored in the 61st minute and the defense made it stick as the Red Stars beat Gotham, 1-0, in the opening round of the NWSL playoffs Nov. 7 in…
Oak Lawn wins push tax fight
Village could see $1 million from video gaming levy By Dermot Connolly The Illinois Legislature handed Oak Lawn a preliminary victory in its battle against the video gaming industry with its Oct. 28 passage of a video gaming bill that allows the village to impose a “push tax” that could be worth an estimated $1…
Hills Chamber delivers a trunk load of treats
The Hills Chamber of Commerce sponsored its annual Trunk or Treats and Scarecrow Contest on October 30 in the parking lot of the Hickory Hills City Hall. The event was not held last fall due to COVID-19. A variety of decorated scarecrows were put together by 15 local businesses and local school children located at the adjacent…
Palos Heights Library hosts dog adoption event
By Kelly White Having a piece of her heart devoted to rescue breeds, Karen Skocik always hoped to hold a dog adoption event at the Palos Heights Public Library. “Through the years, my husband and I have adopted four rescues,” Skocik, Head of Circulation at the Palos Heights Public Library, said. “Right now, we have two. It’s very…
Evergreen Park Library welcomes new director with Frank Fest
By Kelly White Welcoming in new library director, Frank Murray, the Evergreen Park Public Library hosted a fest in his honor. Cleverly named, Frank Fest, staff members organized a day of fun, snacks and crafts on Saturday at the library, 9400 S. Troy Ave., Evergreen Park. “Overall, this is a community welcome fest,” Mary Black,…
Worth Park District’s welcomes fall with a festival
By Kelly White Happy to welcome and celebrate the beginning of the fall season was the Village of Worth. The Worth Park District hosted its annual Fall Fest on October 3 at Gale Moore Park, 109th and Nordica, Worth. “The Fall Fest is exactly what the name says, a celebration of the fall season,” Robert O’Shaughnessy, Director of Parks and Recreation at the Worth Park District, said. “It gives families and individuals…
Illinois News
State Supreme Court asked to rule in case of woman allegedly raped by Lyft driver
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The rideshare company Lyft argued before the Illinois Supreme Court Wednesday that a 2014 state law protects it from being held liable for the criminal actions of one of its drivers who allegedly raped a passenger in 2017. The case centers on the constitutionality of the…
Pritzker signs Health Care Right of Conscience change
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – A new law in Illinois will soon clear the way for employers to enforce vaccination, testing and other mitigation measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The measure, Senate Bill 1169, amends the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act, a 1977 law originally intended to…
CAPITOL RECAP: Pritzker pushes Illinois as EV leader at UN Climate Change Conference
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – As global leaders met in Glasgow, Scotland, over the past two weeks to discuss the effects of and potential policy solutions to climate change, Gov. JB Pritzker made the case in a pair of speaking events that Illinois is doing its part to counteract troubling climate trends. It was…
Pritzker makes Illinois pitch at world climate conference
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – As global leaders met in Glasgow, Scotland, over the past two weeks to discuss the effects of and potential policy solutions to climate change, Gov. JB Pritzker made the case in a pair of speaking events that Illinois is doing its part to counteract troubling climate…
Application period for new round of rental assistance delayed one month
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The application period for a new round of financial assistance to renters through the Illinois Housing Development Authority will be delayed one month as the application portal undergoes additional testing, although funding remains available through other state programs. The latest round of funding, provided by the…
Redistricting lawsuit to be heard in early December
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – A three-judge federal court panel on Friday set the week of Dec. 6 as the time it will hear three consolidated cases challenging the new legislative district maps that were drawn by Democrats and signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker earlier this year. During a…
Latest school report card shows impact of COVID-19 on learning
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in significant drops in enrollment, academic performance and the likelihood of graduating high school on time, according to the latest school report card released recently by the Illinois State Board of Education. The report card is an annual report that tracks how…
CAPITOL RECAP: Gun violence a ‘public health crisis,’ governor says
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker signed an executive order Monday, Nov. 1, classifying ongoing gun violence in Illinois as a public health crisis and announced his intent to include greater funding for violence-prevention initiatives in upcoming budgets. At a news conference in Chicago, Pritzker touted the Reimagine Public Safety Act which…
Saying her district is at stake, Democratic lawmaker seeks to intervene in redistricting suit
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – A Democratic member of the Illinois House has filed a motion in federal court to intervene as a separate defendant in a pair of lawsuits challenging the legislative redistricting plan that was signed into law in September. Rep. Angelica Guerrero-Cuellar, who represents the largely Latino 22nd…
CAPITOL RECAP: Gun violence a ‘public health crisis,’ governor says
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker signed an executive order Monday, Nov. 1, classifying ongoing gun violence in Illinois as a public health crisis and announced his intent to include greater funding for violence-prevention initiatives in upcoming budgets. At a news conference in Chicago, Pritzker touted the Reimagine Public Safety Act which…
