Posts by Steve Metsch
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…
Read MoreFallen veterans remembered at Lyons ceremony
By Steve Metsch An event that happened 78 years ago is often on the mind of Richard Vachata, but especially on Memorial Day. In 1945, his cousin, Joe Horky, made the ultimate sacrifice. Horky, 21, died after a Japanese kamikaze pilot crashed his plane into his battleship in the Pacific, Vachata said. Horky, of Brookfield,…
Read MoreCouple, Countryside at odds over land sale
By Steve Metsch Albert and Rosemary Dostal want to sell their empty land in Countryside. But they are finding that a difficult task. The couple, which lives in the 9500 block of 56th Street, owns nine wooded acres south of 57th Street and west of La Grange Road. It’s been in the family for 50…
Read MoreWater study finds 12 leaks in McCook system
By Steve Metsch A water study that McCook’s village board approved in March is paying dividends just two months later. Mayor Terrance Carr said that a dozen leaks have been found in the city’s water system, which had been losing 5 million gallons each month. “We found 12. We fixed all 12 of them. We…
Read MoreA familiar face takes the reins in Indian Head Park
By Steve Metsch A new chapter in the history of Indian Head Park began at last week’s village board meeting. Amy Jo Wittenberg – who served two terms as a village trustee – was sworn in as the new mayor. Wittenberg, 59, who works in marketing for a printing company, lost re-election as a trustee…
Read MoreBaste becomes first Arab American on Bridgeview Village Board
By Steve Metsch In the newly decorated board room at the Bridgeview Village Hall, in front a standing room only crowd of family and friends, Kalid Baste became part of history. He was sworn in as the first Arab American to serve as a village trustee in Bridgeview. Baste was given the oath of office…
Read MoreSlice Factory makes a big debut in Lyons
By Steve Metsch Norberto Cisneros Jr., smiled after tasting the pepperoni pizza at the new Slice Factory in Lyons. “I like it,” he said. “It’s a big bang for your buck.” Cisneros, an administrative aide in the Lyons Village Hall, wasn’t kidding. “Each slice,” restaurant owner Domenico DiDiana said, “is about the length of a grown man’s forearm.”…
Read MoreFired by Countryside for refusing vaccine, woman wants her job back
By Steve Metsch A woman who lost her job with the Countryside Police Department in November 2021 – because she refused to get the COVID-19 vaccine – now wants it back. After the Countryside City Council meeting of April 26, Julia Torres said she should be rehired because of a recent ruling which has Chicago…
Read MoreYouth charged with attempted first-degree murder in fight at Lyons Township High
By Steve Metsch A juvenile has been charged with attempted first-degree murder in connection with a May 1 beating outside the north campus of Lyons Township High School that left one juvenile “injured severely,” La Grange Police said in a news release late Wednesday. The juvenile arrested on Wednesday was also charged with aggravated battery/great…
Read MoreCountryside Police Chief Joe Ford to retire in May
By Steve Metsch After 10 years as Countryside Police Chief and 40 years in law enforcement, Joe Ford has decided it’s time to retire. Ford, 62, said his last day as chief will be May 13. Mayor Sean McDermott announced Ford’s plan to step down during the April 12 meeting of the city council. “Forty…
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