Local News
The Evergreen Park Police Department is warning the public of an ongoing scam where a caller claims to be an Evergreen Park Police Officer, and instructs the individual to send money in order to avoid criminal charges. In some versions of this scam, the offenders tell individuals they missed a court date related to a…
Read More
When the Moraine Valley Community College Speech and Debate Team heads to the Phi Rho Pi National Tournament in Reno, Nevada, for nine days this month, they’ll have a target on their back as incoming consecutive champions. But they’re ready. “Last year’s team was amazing. Everyone was on their A game. This year is a…
Read More
By Joe Boyle Evergreen Park residents and community leaders will get an opportunity to weigh in on a request to open a cannabis dispensary in their village. A public hearing on the request will be held at 6:30 p.m. Monday, April 15, in the board room of the Village Hall, 9418 S. Kedzie Ave. A petition has…
Read More
By Kelly White Evergreen Park Community High School takes pride in its incredible educators. The high school, 9901 S. Kedzie Ave., announced that science teacher, Bryn Zingrebe, has been named to the Illinois State Board of Education Teacher of the Year Cohort as its 2024 Outstanding Early Career Educator. “When I think about it, I…
Read More
By Nuha Abdessalam Hickory Hills aldermen approved the installation of six Flock license plate cameras at their March 14 city council meeting. City officials said the Flock cameras will help police pick up the license plate and description of a wanted vehicle. Nearby communities including Oak Lawn and Palos Hills have also utilized Flock’s technology,…
Read More
By Joe Boyle An Evergreen Park police officer is being commended for “outstanding performance of duty” for the arrest of a man who left the scene of a traffic incident. Officer Robert Bavone was recognized during the Evergreen Park Village Board meeting on Monday night. While on duty, he witnessed a traffic crash with injuries…
Read More
By Jeff Vorva Rick Ryan was asked to serve. He agreed to serve. All he has to do is convince enough people to allow him to serve. He is halfway there. He earned the Democratic nomination for state representative in the 36th District on March 19 by beating Sonia Anne Khalil in the primary. The…
Read More
By Jeff Vorva Kelly Burke would love to hand the ball off to fellow Evergreen Park resident Rick Ryan for her 36th District state representative seat. Palos Hills’ Sonia Khalil would love to intercept those plans. Ryan and Khalil are battling it out for the spot that Burke held since 2011. They are on the…
Read More
By Joe Boyle What appeared to be a routine traffic stop resulted in the arrest of an armed man in Evergreen Park. At Monday’s Evergreen Park Village Board meeting, Police Chief Michael Saunders requested that Officer Adrian Ortiz receive a commendation for making an arrest of a suspect who may have been a danger to…
Read More
By Kelly White Dozens of cats and dogs were rescued after a fire broke out at PAWS last month. On the evening of Wednesday, January 17, firefighters responded immediately to a large dryer fire at the animal shelter at 8301 W. 191st St. Fire crews and volunteers evacuated 55 cats and 42 dogs from the…
Read More
Oak Lawn honor Fire and Public Safety Contest winners
By Joe Boyle The Oak Lawn Chamber of Commerce presented awards to the winners of the 2023 Fire and Public Safety Coloring Book Contest at the Oak Lawn Village Board meeting on April 9. Fire Bureau Chief David Wheeler and Police Chief Daniel Vittoro were on hand to present the plaques, along with Oak Lawn Mayor…
Comings & Goings: Ross to replace Walt’s at Tinley Park Plaza
By Bob Bong When Walt’s Foods closed its Tinley Park location almost three years ago, it left a giant hole in the Tinley Park Plaza near 159th Street and Harlem Avenue. That hole will soon be filled with a new 22,000-square-foot Ross Dress for Less store and a 9,800-square-foot Five Below store. A construction fence…
SD122 celebrates end of Ramadan at Simmons Middle School
By Nuha Abdessalam As Ramadan was drawing to a close for Muslims worldwide, District 122’s Superintendent Joseph Matise, Oak Lawn Community High School’s Muslim Students Association club, and the district’s Parents Committee came together to create history. They hosted the first-ever Iftar dinner at Simmons Middle School on April 8, a significant event that hopes…
Hickory Hills adds new police officer
By Nuha Abdessalam Hickory Hills Police Chief Jason Bray welcomed Andre Showers as the city’s newest police officer during last week’s city council meeting. Aldermen and the community at the April 11 meeting helped celebrate the induction of the Showers, 21. He’s an Army veteran and a 2023 Cook County Correctional Camp graduate at Moraine…
Marist celebrates cultural diversity
By Kelly White Marist High School appreciates the wide array of culture that walks its campus hallways on a daily basis. In order to celebrate, the high school, 4200 W. 115th St., Chicago, hosted its second annual Celebration of Culture on March 14. During the free event, students, faculty and staff represented their different cultures…
Worth police join task force to combat auto thefts
By Joe Boyle An agreement has been reached between the villages of Worth and Thornton regarding participation in the Illinois Statewide Auto Theft Task Force. Worth Police Chief Tim Denton said the approval of the memorandum to participate in the task force is necessary. “It’s no secret that there has been an increase in auto…
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…
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…
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…
Illinois News
Pritzker touts climate investments despite renewables lagging state goals
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – Boston-based Nexamp, a major player in the solar energy industry, is joining the growing list of renewable technology companies that have expanded or relocated to Illinois in recent months. On Monday, Nexamp announced its intention to spend $2 billion in Illinois, including building a second headquarters…
Capitol Briefs: State Police report fewer deaths on Illinois highways in 2023
By JENNIFER FULLER Capitol News Illinois jfuller@capitolnewsillinois.com Fatal crashes on interstates and expressways in Illinois fell by 7 percent in 2023 compared to the previous year, and shootings were down more than 30 percent. Illinois State Police report the declines came at the same time troopers were beefing up their enforcement on the state’s transportation…
Back wages totaling more than $5 million owed to thousands of Illinois workers
By ALEX ABBEDUTO Capitol News Illinois abbeduto@capitolnewsillinois.com The U.S. Department of Labor is currently holding more than $5 million in wages owed to more than 7,000 Illinois workers, and the department has launched a new website in an effort to return it. When an employee is underpaid for the work they do, the DOL’s Wage…
Staffing agencies not exempted from antitrust law, state Supreme Court rules
By Hannah Meisel CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com Staffing agencies – a fast-growing industry that employs nearly a million Illinoisans – are not exempt from the state’s antitrust law, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled late last week. The decision comes 3 ½ years after Attorney General Kwame Raoul sued a trio of staffing agencies, alleging they…
Smart Start preschool expansion ahead of schedule in first fiscal year
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com An early childhood education program championed by Gov. JB Pritzker is ahead of schedule when it comes to increasing access to preschool in Illinois. The Smart Start program passed last May as part of the state’s operating budget, which allocated $250 million to expand early childhood education programs,…
Tracy Katz Muhl appointed to fill seat of resigned Rep. Jonathan Carroll
By ALEX ABBEDUTO Capitol News Illinois abbeduto@capitolnewsiillinois.com Tracy Katz Muhl, a Northbrook school board president and Northfield Township Democratic committeeperson, will fill former Democratic Rep. Jonathan Carroll’s 57th district seat. Carroll resigned earlier this month, saying in a written statement it was “in the best interest” of his family’s “physical and mental health.” Illinois law…
Smart Start preschool expansion ahead of schedule in first fiscal year
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com An early childhood education program championed by Gov. JB Pritzker is ahead of schedule when it comes to increasing access to preschool in Illinois. The Smart Start program passed last May as part of the state’s operating budget, which allocated $250 million to expand early childhood education programs,…
State Supreme Court upholds downstate police, firefighter pension consolidation
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court on Friday unanimously upheld a 2019 law that consolidated nearly 650 municipal police and firefighter pension funds, rejecting arguments from pension fund members that their voting power was diluted unconstitutionally. The law, which Gov. JB Pritzker signed soon after it passed with…
Lawmakers introduce bill to create state prescription drug price oversight board
By ALEX ABBEDUTO Capitol News Illinois abbeduto@capitolnewsillinois.com A new bill in the Illinois General Assembly would create a board of health care experts that would have the authority to set price limits on prescription medications. House Bill 4472 was introduced Wednesday by Rep. Nabeela Syed, D-Palatine, and Sen. David Koehler, D-Peoria. Using a variety…
Pritzker announces milestones for preschool program, industry development
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com The state on Wednesday announced it inked another tax incentive deal aimed at boosting manufacturing while Gov. JB Pritzker said his plan to add more preschool seats in early childhood “deserts” is ahead of schedule. The deal was completed between Wieland Rolled Products North America under the…