
Bar Assoc. offers guidance on judge races
From staff reports
For voters seeking guidance relating to the handful of judicial races on the ballot this month, the Chicago Bar Association now offers its “Judge Smart Pocket Guide” in English, Spanish and Polish.
All versions are available at chicagobar.org/chicagobar/votejudges.
The CBA provides judicial evaluations for candidates seeking to become a judge in Cook County, including those seeking a seat on the Illinois Appellate Court and the Circuit Court.
The non-partisan evaluations are a comprehensive, peer-to-peer review process conducted as a long-standing public service by the CBA’s Judicial Evaluation Committee.
Candidates who submit a questionnaire and participate in the screening process are evaluated on the basis of seven criteria: integrity, legal knowledge, legal ability, professional experience, judicial temperament, diligence and punctuality.
Local News

Star student earns college scholarship
Spread the love St. Laurence High School senior Priscilla Bonilla stands with her family, minutes after learning she has earned a four-year academic scholarship to the University of St. Francis. In college, she plans to study theology and secondary education, with a hope to return to St. Laurence one day as a teacher. A West…

It was cold, but there was warmth
Spread the love. By Mary Stanek Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon 3808 W. 57th Place • (773) 284-7394 My family took a walk around West Elsdon with 23rd Ward Ald. Silvana Tabares, her son and some residents of the community on March 12. We were hanging ribbons in memory of CPD Officer…

Something smells at 62nd and Washtenaw
Spread the love. . By Kathy Headley Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor 6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778 From time to time I’ll mention something I’ve caught on the downtown TV news that I know won’t make the front page here, but I think you’ll be interested in, since it has a…

Campaigns over, time to lead
Spread the love. By Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 Now that the aldermanic part of the city elections is over, it’s time for aldermen to let go of campaigning and get down to the business of being aldermen. We have all seen enough photo ops of politicians posing…

College Notebook | Marist grad Alex Knight slaying buckets for Lake Forest
Spread the loveBy Mike Walsh Correspondent Lake Forest College’s Alex Knight has been named to the All-Midwest Conference First Team in men’s basketball for the 2022-23 season. Knight, a 6-foot-1 sophomore guard who prepped at Marist, was the league’s leading scorer this season, averaging 18.1 points per conference game. He finished third in the MWC…

Pro Sports Report | SeatGeek to host Major League Rugby championship; Hounds sniff out first win
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer SeatGeek Stadium, host of the expansion Chicago Hounds, will host this season’s Major League Rugby championship game. The game is scheduled to be played July 8 in Bridgeview. It will air nationally on FOX. “Moving the championship match to a predetermined venue has long been a goal of…

Area Sports Roundup | Nazareth grads Martinucci, Evans have unfinished business at NJCAA National Tourney
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff writer The Martinucci family carries a lot of weight in the Berwyn-Cicero area. Tony Martinucci has coached boys basketball at Morton High School for 24 years, racking up five regional titles and a trio of conference crowns during his tenure. His daughter, Jovanna, is hoping to do something even…

Happy St. Pat’s, St. Joe’s
Spread the love. By Mary Stanek Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon 3808 W. 57th Place • (773) 284-7394 Happy St. Patrick’s Day on the 17th to all the Irish folks, and folks that want to be Irish for the day. I absolutely love the food, music and drink from these festivities. Not…

Here’s to you, Bridget, on St. Patrick’s Day
Spread the love. . By Kathy Headley Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor 6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778 Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I began celebrating earlier this week with my good friend, and St. Rita Grammar School/Maria High School grad Mary Lou Barrett. You just can’t celebrate too often. Throughout our years…

St. Patrick’s here, Easter coming up
Spread the love. By Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all. Wear something green. Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. Today is National Corned Beef and Cabbage Day, too! Another reason to celebrate. St. Patrick’s Day commemorates the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. We celebrate and…
Neighbors

Indoor vaping, cat declawing could be banned under recently passed bills
By JERRY NOWICKI & PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate passed 68 bills this week while the House had advanced 284 as of Friday morning with hundreds more to go before their adjournment for the week. It was the first in a two-week stretch of legislative deadlines for bills to…

Lawmakers approve kindergarten reform, plan to address childhood literacy
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois [email protected] CHICAGO – Lawmakers are looking at several ways to improve learning outcomes and access for young students in Illinois. On Thursday, members of the House of Representatives approved a proposal that would require school boards in Illinois to provide full-day kindergarten starting with the 2027-2028 school year. The…

Former Madigan political director details push by speaker’s office for key ComEd bill
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois [email protected] CHICAGO – As was the case with many big legislative efforts in Springfield, former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan’s staff was deeply involved in negotiations over what would become the Future Energy Jobs Act in 2015 and 2016. FEJA had many backers in environmental circles and organized labor…

House narrowly passes bill allowing all-gender bathrooms
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House narrowly passed a bill Thursday that would allow businesses, universities and other building owners to designate multi-occupancy all-gender bathrooms if they choose to do so. The bill passed on a vote of 60-40, the bare minimum number of “yes” votes needed for passage…

House narrowly passes bill allowing all-gender bathrooms
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House narrowly passed a bill Thursday that would allow businesses, universities and other building owners to designate multi-occupancy all-gender bathrooms if they choose to do so. The bill passed on a vote of 60-40, the bare minimum number of “yes” votes needed for passage…

House narrowly passes bill allowing all-gender bathrooms
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House narrowly passed a bill Thursday that would allow businesses, universities and other building owners to designate multi-occupancy all-gender bathrooms if they choose to do so. The bill passed on a vote of 60-40, the bare minimum number of “yes” votes needed for passage…

Advocates push for tax credit aimed at increasing affordable housing
By NIKA SCHOONOVER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Lawmakers are considering bills that would create a new tax credit for affordable housing, referred to as the “Build Illinois Homes Tax Credit.” The legislation, contained in the identical House Bill 2044 and Senate Bill 1737, would mirror a federal program administered by the Illinois Housing…

Utility’s indicted CEO considered Madigan when hiring, witness says
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois [email protected] CHICAGO – In April 2017, a top staffer in then-Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan’s office was looking to leave his job after a combined nearly 18 years working for the speaker’s office and as his political director. Will Cousineau applied for a high-level job with electric utility Commonwealth…

House passes bill prohibiting book bans
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House passed a bill Wednesday that would prohibit libraries from banning books or other material because of partisan or doctrinal pressure, prompting strong opposition from Republicans who called it an assault on local control. House Bill 2789 is an initiative of Democratic Secretary of…

ComEd’s former top lawyer paints Madigan confidant as ‘double agent’ in testimony
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois [email protected] CHICAGO – Being the longtime friend of longtime Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan granted Mike McClain certain privileges not afforded to other lobbyists in Springfield, jurors heard Tuesday in a federal corruption trial that, in part, centers around the relationship between the two. McClain “had pretty free access”…