Local News

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Baseball: Nazareth tops St. Ignatius, punches ticket to state

By Jason Maholy / June 7, 2022 / Comments Off on Baseball: Nazareth tops St. Ignatius, punches ticket to state

By Steve Millar  Correspondent Some observers may had thought Nazareth was a year or two away from being a state tournament-caliber team. After all, the Roadrunners started four sophomores and a freshman with a trip to state on the line June 6. Sophomore outfielder/pitcher Nick Drtina, though, knew all along what his team was capable…

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Baseball: Nazareth conquers Vikings for sectional crown

By Jason Maholy / June 5, 2022 / Comments Off on Baseball: Nazareth conquers Vikings for sectional crown

By Steve Millar  Correspondent With many players back from a team that finished third in the state in Class 3A last season, senior outfielder Angelo Luna knew the Vikings were ready to win many games this year. The recipe for success, according to Luna, was simple. “We just practice a lot, trust in that and…

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CAMPAIGN 2022: Carr, Justak square off to be GOP leader in Lyons Township

By Steve Metsch / May 26, 2022 / Comments Off on CAMPAIGN 2022: Carr, Justak square off to be GOP leader in Lyons Township

By Steve Metsch The race for Republican Committeeperson in Lyons Township is between the current office holder and a mayor eager to replace her. Incumbent Katie Justak, who is in her first election, was appointed to the position in December by Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison(17th), chairman of the Cook County Republican party. Her challenger…

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OAK LAWN

Area gamers participate in historic IHSA state tournament

By Jeff Vorva / May 2, 2022 / Comments Off on Area gamers participate in historic IHSA state tournament

By Jeff Vorva Oak Lawn and Stagg took seconds in the first. The inaugural Illinois High School Association eSports State Tournament took place Saturday at Bloomington High School and area gamers had a chance to play in the historic event. Oak Lawn and Stagg both had second-place finishers in the tournament and Stagg added a…

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Boys Volleyball: Reavis hands Nazareth first loss of season

By Jason Maholy / April 1, 2022 / Comments Off on Boys Volleyball: Reavis hands Nazareth first loss of season

By Steve Millar  Correspondent After winning the opening set and taking a big lead in the second one, it seemed like Reavis was set to cruise to a victory over previously unbeaten Nazareth. When the Roadrunners stormed back to force a third set, though, the Rams had to bear down. “We just had to forget…

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Shooting woes doom Lyons in sectional champ game loss to Whitney Young

By Jason Maholy / February 28, 2022 / Comments Off on Shooting woes doom Lyons in sectional champ game loss to Whitney Young

By Steve Millar  Correspondent For Lyons coach Meghan Hutchens, it was like a watching a nightmare end to a dream season. Hutchens thought back to the 2010-11 men’s college basketball season, when Butler stormed to the NCAA national championship game only to struggle mightily on offensive in a 53-41 loss to Connecticut. “Nobody wants to…

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Lyons Township to co-sponsor St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Countryside

By Steve Metsch / February 14, 2022 / Comments Off on Lyons Township to co-sponsor St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Countryside

By Steve Metsch The annual Countryside St. Patrick’s Day Parade is getting a boost from the Township of Lyons. The township board unanimously approved a $1,000 sponsorship for the city’s popular event. “We have traditionally sponsored this event,” Township Supervisor Christopher Getty said at the board’s Feb. 8 meeting. “Although we have not participated in…

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Former GOP allies to battle for county board race

By Bob Bong / January 25, 2022 / Comments Off on Former GOP allies to battle for county board race

Gorman wants to reclaim seat from Morrison By Bob Bong A battle royale is brewing in the race for the Republican nomination for Cook County Board’s 17th District. The 17th District is one of only two county board seats held by Republicans and it has only ever had a Republican commissioner dating back to Herb…

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Oak Lawn coach Shawn Neubauer and Teagan Kryzstof survey the field during the Spartans’ 3-0 loss to Shepard on April 15. Photo by Xavier Sanchez

Softball | Oak Lawn’s Kasey Jackson fans 5 in loss to Shepard

By Xavier Sanchez Correspondent Oak Lawn entered its South Suburban Conference matchup with Shepard having won six of its last seven games. The Astros — even hotter with seven straight victories after beginning the season with three consecutive losses — cooled off the Spartans (8-5, 4-2 SSC) for a day, winning 3-0 behind a complete-game…

Shepard junior Kailey Selvage struck out 15 batters while allowing two hits and walking one in the Astros’ 3-0 win over Oak Lawn on April 15 in Palos Heights. Photo by Xavier Sanchez

Softball | Shepard blanks Oak Lawn behind CG from Kailey Selvage, 2 RBI from Madison Scapardine

By Xavier Sanchez Correspondent Temperatures are not the only thing starting to warm up in the Southwest Suburbs. Shepard, which began the season with three consecutive losses, defeated Oak Lawn, 3-0, on April 15 to run its winning streak to seven games. Astros junior pitcher Kailey Selvage tossed a complete-game shutout, striking out 15 Spartans…

Brett Buzzelli, a St. Laurence graduate who pitches at Carroll University in Wisconsin, was named the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin’s Pitcher of the Week for April 8. Photo courtesy of Carroll University

St. Laurence grad Brett Buzzelli hurling for Carroll

By Mike Walsh Correspondent Carroll University senior right-hander Brett Buzzelli has been named the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin’s Pitcher of the Week for April 8. Buzzelli was the winning pitcher in an 8-3 victory over visiting Elmhurst University in Game 1 of a CCIW doubleheader. The St. Laurence graduate tossed seven scoreless innings…

Fire II wins, draws

By Jef Vorva Correspondent The Chicago Fire FC II earned its first regulation victory of the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro season in a 2-0 clean sheet against Crown Legacy April 10 at SeatGeek Stadium. Defender Diego Konincks and captain David Poreba scored goals for the Fire. On April 14, the team had a 5-5 draw…

Red Stars sans Swanson fall to Angel City

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Playing without scoring star Mallory Swanson, who was nursing a hip injury, the Chicago Red Stars lost for the first time this season, dropping a 1-0 decision April 13 to Angel City in front of an announced crowd of 3,168 at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview. Angel City (1-2-1) started the day…

The Chicago Red Stars' Ally Schlegel said she is looking forward to playing at Wrigley Field when the team hosts Seattle there in June. IMAGN photo

Chicago Red Stars and Bay FC to play at Wrigley Field

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Chicago Red Stars forward Ally Schlegel loves Wrigley Field. “I adored Wrigley the second I went to my first Cubs game,” Schlegel said. “I fell in love with it thinking it was the perfect sporting experience with how they built it up down there.” She will go from a fan in…

New Trinity Christian men's basketball coach Jordan Mast led Antelope Valley to the NAIA Tournament this season. Photo courtesy of Trinity Christian College Department of Athletics

Trinity Christian College names new hoops coaches

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Trinity Christian officials were busy on April 11 ushering in new eras for its basketball programs. Trolls Athletic Director Wendy Reid announced that Jordan Mast is taking over the men’s basketball program, while Jasmine Porter has been named women’s hoops coach. Mast comes to the school in Palos Heights after five…

Illinois News

Pritzker says state ‘obviously’ needs to change 2010 law that shrunk pension benefits

Pritzker says state ‘obviously’ needs to change 2010 law that shrunk pension benefits

By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com With a month-and-a-half left in the General Assembly’s spring session, Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration is readying its proposal to address Illinois’ chronically underfunded pension system. But the governor this week also acknowledged in the strongest terms yet that any plans to finally get the state on track toward…

Pritzker’s health insurance reforms targeting ‘utilization management’ clear House

Pritzker’s health insurance reforms targeting ‘utilization management’ clear House

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker celebrated a partial legislative victory Thursday night when the House passed his initiative to end some practices health insurance companies use to control the amount and cost of health care services individual patients receive. The “Healthcare Protection Act,” House Bill 5395, cleared the…

Lawmakers, cannabis industry calls for ban on ‘delta-8’ and other psychoactive hemp products

Lawmakers, cannabis industry calls for ban on ‘delta-8’ and other psychoactive hemp products

By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinois’ largest cannabis business association is pushing to ban the sale of delta-8 THC, an increasingly popular psychoactive substance that’s popped up in corner stores across the country in recent years. New legislation filed in Springfield this week revives an ongoing debate over delta-8 and other…

As state continues to inventory lead pipes, full replacement deadlines are decades away

As state continues to inventory lead pipes, full replacement deadlines are decades away

By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois Clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com Lead pipes in public water systems and drinking fixtures have been banned in new construction since 1986, when Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act, but they are still in use across the U.S. and in Illinois.  The presence of lead pipes has persisted due in part to…

Capitol Briefs: Bill creating new early childhood agency among 244 to advance

Capitol Briefs: Bill creating new early childhood agency among 244 to advance

By ALEX ABBEDUTO HANNAH MEISEL & COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker’s plan to create a new state agency to oversee Illinois’ various early childhood programs moved forward on Friday after the state Senate’s unanimous approval. It was one of 244 bills that cleared the Senate this week. Early childhood…

INVESTIGATE MIDWEST: Farmers have clamored for the Right to Repair for years. It’s getting little traction in John Deere’s home state

INVESTIGATE MIDWEST: Farmers have clamored for the Right to Repair for years. It’s getting little traction in John Deere’s home state

By Jennifer Bamberg, Investigate Midwest Originally published April 10, 2024 During the 2023 harvest season, one of Jake Lieb’s tractors quit working. A week later, his combine stopped working, too. Both were new — and he was locked out from making any repairs himself because of software restrictions embedded in the machines.  Instead, a technician…

Capitol Briefs: Pritzker appoints first-ever Prisoner Review Board director; Chicago advances migrant funding

Capitol Briefs: Pritzker appoints first-ever Prisoner Review Board director; Chicago advances migrant funding

By JERRY NOWICKI & DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com Weeks after two high-profile resignations at the Illinois Prisoner Review Board, Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday appointed the first-ever executive director to help lead the beleaguered agency. To fill the newly created position, the governor tapped Jim Montgomery, who most recently served as director of…

Advocates renew push to tighten firearm laws aimed at protecting domestic violence victims

Advocates renew push to tighten firearm laws aimed at protecting domestic violence victims

By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois Clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Advocates for stricter gun laws rallied at the state Capitol Tuesday for a measure aimed at protecting domestic violence victims and two other criminal justice reforms. The bills are backed by organizations such as Moms Demand Action and One Aim Illinois among others. “These policies support…

Education leaders seek added state funding to help districts accommodate influx of migrants

Education leaders seek added state funding to help districts accommodate influx of migrants

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The recent surge of international migrants arriving in Illinois has brought with it a host of new challenges for state and local officials. Those range from filling their most basic needs like emergency food, clothing and shelter, to more complex issues like lining them up with…

Solar investments take center stage as questions loom on state’s renewable future

Solar investments take center stage as questions loom on state’s renewable future

By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com BOLINGBROOK – A manufacturer in the southwest suburbs of Chicago received $2.6 million from electric utility Commonwealth Edison this week as part of a state program for generating its own electricity using solar panels and storing it in one of the largest batteries in the country.  But even…