Let there be (Christmas) light
Hundreds of Clearing and Garfield Ridge boys and girls, moms and dads and others swarmed Wentworth Park earlier this month to enjoy the community’s annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony, sponsored primarily by the Garfield Ridge Neighborhood Watch.
–Photos by Cosmo Hadac
Local News
A mom’s heart broke, and now her children are broken-hearted
By Joan Hadac Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge (708) 496-0265 • [email protected] A mother’s heart, filled with love for her children, is unique. I understand that in a way only other moms can. I thought about that the other day as I read the profoundly sad story of Garfield Ridge mom Gisela “Chella” Ruiz.…
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…
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…
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…
Garfield Ridge native is new Vikes’ volleyball coach
From staff reports A Garfield Ridge native has been named head boys’ volleyball coach at St. Laurence High School. Laura Bugarin “brings a wealth of volleyball knowledge to the Vikings, with 11 years of coaching experience for 1st Alliance Volleyball Club, Illinois’ top USA Volleyball (USAV) club and a nationally ranked program,” school officials said. Coaching some of the…
Biz leaders help school’s garden grow
By Dermot Connolly The United Business Association of Midway has partnered with Hale School to expand the community garden outside the school at 6140 S. Melvina. “I have always believed that a strong partnership is what gets anything accomplished,” said Anita Cummings, UBAM executive director. “This is a cornerstone of our organization. We work with…
Top cop to drive in charity race
By Joan Hadac There are all kinds of fundraisers that benefit Special Olympics Illinois, but none is faster than the Five-O at the Dirty-O, the annual stock car race at the famed Dirt Oval 66 racetrack (known to fans as the Dirty-O) in Joliet. Five-O at the Dirty-O is a charity race featuring law enforcement officers…
Patriot’s Day Parade is here
Garfield Ridge is expected to be awash in red, white and blue on Thursday, June 30, as the Garfield Ridge Chamber of Commerce’s annual Patriot’s Day Parade is scheduled to step off at 7 p.m. from Archer and Central, heading west and ending at Kennedy High School. All Clearing and Garfield Ridge residents are welcome…
Days off are days off, Tabares says
Cops cheer call for City Hall to stop ‘abusing’ police By Tim Hadac Until the Lightfoot Administration comes up with a plan to stop canceling regular days off of police officers, 23rd Ward Ald, Silvana Tabares is asking that city government withhold permits of all public parades and festivals that rely on the protection of…
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…
