Local News
By Dermot Connolly RidgeFest has been canceled this year—and may never be the same again—mainly due to violent disturbances at recent large gatherings in Tinley Park and elsewhere. At the last regular Chicago Ridge Village Board meeting on May 16, trustees were moving full-speed ahead with preparations for RidgeFest 2023, approving contracts for the entertainment…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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The Chicago Ridge Ridge Central Fifth-Grade Student Council experienced nature up close and personal at the annual Chicago River Day 2023 cleanup at the Lucas Berg Nature Preserve in Worth on Saturday, May 13. The students, along with over 50 volunteers of residents, community groups and government officials participated in the cleanup of this approximate…
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By Joe Boyle The North Palos Fire Protection District would like to see businesses that have numerous violations in Worth suffer the consequences. The fire department does not give out the citations specifically. They require an official from the village to give the offending businesses the citations. “North Palos Fire Protection District has been serving…
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The Oak Lawn Park District has been notified by the Illinois Department of Transportation that they have been selected to receive $1.7 million for the Wolfe Wildlife Bike Trail Project. The project will be to replace the pathways and lighting at Wolfe Wildlife Refuge at 109th Street and Laramie Avenue. “The ITEP funding is a wonderful…
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By Joe Boyle Financing has been approved for a three-story apartment complex for adults with disabilities who will reside in Worth. The Illinois Housing Development Authority approved the financing for the Garden Center Apartments in March. The official finance closing will occur in March of 2024. Construction will begin immediately after the official closing. The…
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By Kelly White Joan Buschbach and her late husband, Jim, dedicated their lives to the Oak Lawn community. For more than 60 years, these Oak Lawn residents managed a successful business, Buschbach Insurance Agency Inc., as well as a travel agency, World Travel Mart. On top of their continuously busy schedule, they also raised a family of four children…
Read More By Joe Boyle The Worth Public Works Department received high praise from a local official on how they responded to a series of storms that raced through the village on March 31. Trustee Brad Urban was appreciative of how the public works department reacted quickly in the aftermath of the storms. “Public works did a…
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LTHS beating victim remains hospitalized as details emerge
By Steve Metsch The Lyons Township High School student who suffered “major head trauma” in a fight outside the north campus three weeks ago remains hospitalized, a source said last week. The youth – whose name, age, town and year in school have not been released – was attacked by at least three other youths…
Klimek promoted to police chief in Countryside
By Steve Metsch That didn’t take long. Just two weeks after he was named acting police chief, Paul Klimek was officially named police chief by a unanimous vote of the Countryside City Council on May 24. Klimek, 42, had been with the department since 2004 and replaces Joe Ford, who retired earlier this month after…
Despite attacks, Pekau says he will run again in 2025
By Jeff Vorva Usually, when mayors get up and give their yearly status reports of their communities, there is a lot of happy-happy-joy-joy talk. Even some of the negatives get glossed over with optimism for change. But when Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau held the 2023 version of the State of the Village address on…
Adopt-A-Pot program brightens up Palos Heights
By Kelly White The Palos Heights Beautification Committee works hard to do just what its name entails, keep the city beautiful. To provide a spark of greenery and a pop of color outside of local businesses, parks and municipal buildings, the committee hosted an Adopt-A-Pot flower planting day on May 20 in the parking lot…
Despite concerns from Orland Hills mayor, Orland Park on board with new Fernway School
By Jeff Vorva Village of Orland Park officials are giving thumbs-up to a plan to build a new school on the property of existing Fernway Park Elementary School. Fernway is located at 16600 S. 88th Avenue and is a part of the Kirby School District 140 group of schools, but is the only one in…
Chicago Ridge cancels RidgeFest over safety concerns
By Dermot Connolly RidgeFest has been canceled this year—and may never be the same again—mainly due to violent disturbances at recent large gatherings in Tinley Park and elsewhere. At the last regular Chicago Ridge Village Board meeting on May 16, trustees were moving full-speed ahead with preparations for RidgeFest 2023, approving contracts for the entertainment…
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.,…
Illinois News
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] UPDATE: The budget was filed as a 3,409-page amendment to Senate Bill 250 late Wednesday evening. This story has been updated to reflect the latest developments as of Wednesday night. SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker and Democratic leaders announced Wednesday they’ve agreed…
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…
State board of education looking for new providers in preschool ‘deserts’
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Even though Gov. JB Pritzker has yet to sign the budget bill lawmakers just passed, the Illinois State Board of Education is seeking applicants for some of the new money contained in that bill. ISBE is looking for new providers to offer preschool programs in areas…
Pritzker touts new budget’s higher education spending
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker began a tour of the state to tout the new state budget that lawmakers passed last week, stopping at two university campuses Wednesday to highlight the spending plan’s increased funding for higher education. “With this new budget, we’re making it possible for nearly…
Cannabis regulatory reform bill fails to advance in spring legislative session
By NIKA SCHOONOVER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – A proposed cannabis reform bill won’t get further consideration until at least the General Assembly’s fall veto session after stakeholders failed to come to an agreement during the spring session’s final stretch. Rep. La Shawn Ford, a Chicago Democrat and the bill’s sponsor, told Capitol News…
Native American history, ride-share regulation measures clear General Assembly
By NIKA SCHOONOVER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Even though it became clear this week that the General Assembly’s spring legislative session would go longer than scheduled as lawmakers finalize a budget, several measures cleared the legislature by its original Friday adjournment date. Those include a requirement that schools teach a unit of Native…
Lawmakers approve measure giving utilities control over new downstate transmission lines
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD — In the final hours of their spring session last week, lawmakers approved a controversial measure that would give existing power companies in downstate Illinois, notably Ameren Illinois, the first crack at installing new transmission lines. The measure applies to companies that already own or operate electric…
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…
