
LTHS school board selects new member
The Lyons Township High School Board of Education this week selected Molly Murphy Bruton, of Western Springs, to serve out Todd Shapiro’s term of office until April 2017.
Shapiro announced last month that he was retiring his position. His last official day was Aug. 15.
Bruton is a 26-year resident of the district. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Williams College and a juris doctorate from University of Notre Dame. She worked as a corporate transactions and securities attorney at Sidley Austin LLP in Chicago and then as a general practice attorney in Oak Brook.
Bruton and her husband, Michael, have three children, all graduates of LTHS. She is a longtime parishioner and volunteer of St. John of the Cross Parish, a local English language tutor and a volunteer for the BEDS Plus organization. She also has extensive community service experience, having served on the Grand Avenue Community Center Board, the Lyons Swim Club Board and the Western Springs Service Club Board. She is also a long-time official within the Illinois Swimming, Inc. organization.
ÒWe are looking forward to Molly joining the board. We believe she will be a great fit and that her vast experience and her passion for education will greatly aid the district and our students,” Board of Education President Tom Cushing said in a release.
ÒI am thrilled to serve the LT community and to work in collaboration with other Board of Education members,” Bruton said in the release. ÒI enjoy the process of gathering information and data, analyzing it, discussing alternative approaches and then making a reasoned judgment on the matter. I am eager to be a custodian of excellence, and open-minded listener, as well as a miner of information for ways to improve LTHS in the years ahead. I want the students of LTHS to feel they are in an environment that is caring, safe, and academically top-notch at all levels.”
According to Supt. Timothy Kilrea, the board received nine applications to fill the vacancy. School board members interviewed all applicants and selected Bruton.
Local News

Kantas wins bid for 4th Subcircuit vacancy
By Carol McGowan Nick Kantas came out on top in the Democratic primary for Cook County judge in the 4th Subcircuit. He won over Amanda Moira Pillsbury in the race to fill the Gavin vacancy. Kantas had 12,652 votes to 10,393 for Pillsbury with 99 percent the vote in (218 of 221 precincts), according to…

Terry Carr elected as Lyons Township Republican Committeeperson
By Carol McGowan It was quite a celebration at JC’s Pub in McCook Tuesday night as the results came in for the race for Lyons Township Republican Committeeperson. McCook Mayor Terrance “Terry” Carr claimed victory in the race against GOP incumbent Catherine (Katie) Justak, by a 56-44% ratio (3,008-2,352) with all 69 precincts reporting. At…

Cardenas ousts Wendt in Dem primary for Board of Review
By Bob Bong Palos Heights attorney and Realtor Tammy Wendt was denied a second term Tuesday night when she was defeated by Chicago Ald. George Cardenas in the Democratic primary for the Board of Review 1st District. Wendt said the party had been out to get her since she surprisingly prevailed in 2020 over endorsed…

Aguilar wins nomination in 16th Cook County District
By Bob Bong Incumbent Frank Aguilar held off a tough challenge from Letty Garcia in the Democratic primary for the 16th Cook County Board District Tuesday night. With all but one precinct reporting, Aguilar held a 1,326 vote lead over Garcia. His 8,615-7,289 win was tantamount to re-election as no Republicans filed to run in…

Morrison knocks off former ally for 17th District GOP nomination
By Jeff Vorva In the first head-to-head election battle between the two people who have owned the Cook County 17th District seat for the past 20 years, Sean Morrison beat out former ally Liz Gorman for the Republican nomination Tuesday. Orland Park’s Gorman had the job as 17th District commissioner from 2002-2015 but gave it…

Calandriello wins Democratic nod in Cook County’s 17th District
By Steve Metsch In a race between two men with village board experience, Dan Calandriello defeated Lou Gale in the Democratic primary Tuesday for 17th District Commissioner on the Cook County Board. According to unofficial results from the Cook County Clerk’s Office with 211 of 217 precincts reporting, Calandriello received 10,467 votes (54 percent) to…

Pekau vs. Casten ready to rumble in 6th Distict
By Jeff Vorva The preliminaries are over in the newly aligned 6th Congressional District. Now it’s time for the main event. Pekau vs. Casten. After Tuesday’s primary election, Keith Pekau, the mayor of Orland Park, had a huge lead over five opponents on the Republican side and is ready to take on Democratic survivor Sean…

Casten rolls to decisive victory over Newman in 6th Congressional Dem battle
By Joe Boyle U.S. Rep. Sean Casten emerged as the decisive victor in the Democratic primary race for the newly drawn 6th Congressional District Tuesday night. With 97 percent of the vote registered and 221 of 227 precincts reporting, Casten had an unofficial tally of 13,440 votes for 53.90%. Newman had 10,545 votes for 42.29% percent as…

Rashid surprises Zalewski in 21st District Dem primary
By Steve Metsch Abdelnasser Rashid beat incumbent state Rep. Michael Zalewski in the 21st District’s Democratic primary Tuesday, with strong support from suburban Cook County residents. According to unofficial totals, Rashid received 3,893 votes (52 percent) to 3,637 for Zalewski (48 percent). Rashid had just 215 votes (31 percent) to Zalewski’s 480 votes (69 percent)…

Pro Soccer Report: Red Stars will miss three big guns during World Cup qualifying
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Having world-class players on your team is a blessing. But during times like these, it can also be a curse. World-class players help NWSL teams win games. They also miss chunks of time during the season because of their commitments to playing in international competitions. For much of July, the…
Neighbors

UPDATED Bailey wins GOP nomination to challenge Pritzker
By JERRY NOWICKI & PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] State Sen. Darren Bailey, who gained statewide notoriety challenging Gov. JB Pritzker’s pandemic executive order authority in court, will be the incumbent’s challenger in the November general election. As of about 9 p.m. Tuesday, Bailey had carried over 55 percent of the GOP vote from…

CAPITOL RECAP: Pritzker to call special session after Roe v. Wade overturned
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker will call a special session of the General Assembly in the coming weeks to focus on legislation to strengthen women’s access to abortion and other reproductive health services in Illinois. Pritzker made that announcement Friday, just hours after the U.S. Supreme Court released an opinion overturning…

6 Republicans vie to unseat Pritzker
By PETER HANCOCK & JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Republican voters in Illinois will choose from six candidates to challenge incumbent Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker in the upcoming June 28 primary. The field includes a conservative farmer and state lawmakers who is the recent polling frontrunner, the mayor of Illinois’ second largest…

Candidate interview: Alexi Giannoulias looking to reclaim statewide office
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] Illinois voters might know Alexi Giannoulias as the state’s treasurer from 2007 to 2011, or they might know him as the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate who lost to Republican Mark Kirk in 2010. He’s now looking to get back into public life as he runs for secretary…

Pritzker to call special session on reproductive rights
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker will call a special session of the General Assembly in the coming weeks to focus on legislation to strengthen women’s access to abortion and other reproductive health services in Illinois. Pritzker made that announcement Friday, just hours after the U.S. Supreme Court released…

Candidate interview: Anna Valencia running for secretary of state
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] This story is part of Capitol News Illinois’ coverage of the race for secretary of state ahead of the Tuesday, June 28 primary. We’re reaching out to the candidates this week to discuss their policy positions and plans for the office should they be elected. Chicago City Clerk…

Republicans see opening in secretary of state race
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – For the first time in nearly a quarter century, there is an open race for the office of Illinois secretary of state as incumbent Democrat Jesse White prepares to retire, and Republicans hope that will give them an opportunity to pick up a statewide elected office.…

Candidate interview: Secretary of state hopeful David Moore
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] This story is part of Capitol News Illinois’ coverage of the race for secretary of state ahead of the Tuesday, June 28 primary. We’re reaching out to all of the candidates this week to discuss their policy positions and plans for the office should they be elected. Chicago…

Tom Cullerton sentenced to 1 year in prison for embezzlement
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – A federal judge in Chicago handed down a one-year prison sentence Tuesday for a former state senator who once chaired the Senate Labor Committee. Tom Cullerton, a Villa Park Democrat, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of embezzlement for receiving salary and benefits from…

CAPITOL RECAP: State Supreme Court again declines to rule on FOID Act
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – In a 4-3 decision with a blistering dissent from the Republican minority, the Illinois Supreme Court declined to rule on a question of whether Illinois Firearm Owners Identification Act is unconstitutional. It was the second time the case of the People v. Vivian Brown came before the court and…