Local News

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Teens enjoy Green Hills karaoke party

By Bob Bong / March 28, 2024 /

By Nuha Abdessalam Palos Hills tweens and teens sang their hearts out for karaoke night at a neighborhood coffee house. Green Hills Library invited all tweens and teens for a karaoke night at Strange Brew Cafe on West 103rd Street and 87th Street on Feb. 22. Organized by Green Hill Library Youth Program Coordinator Krisa…

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Green Hills Public Library hosts Eid Clothing Drive

By Kelly White / March 28, 2024 /

By Kelly White The Islamic calendar has two major holidays each year: Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan and celebrates an entire month of fasting, and Eid al-Adha, the festival of the sacrifice that occurs during the culmination of the Hajj pilgrimage season. It takes place two lunar months after Ramadan. Each Eid…

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Police Blotter

By Bob Bong / March 28, 2024 /

CHICAGO RIDGE DUI Orlando De La Rosa, 32, of Berwyn, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol following a traffic stop at 2:29 a.m. March 8 in the 9200 block of South Harlem Avenue. Police said he failed field sobriety tests and refused to submit a breath sample. He was also cited for…

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Residents warm up to Hills Chamber Business Expo

By Bob Bong / March 27, 2024 /

By Joe Boyle Spring has arrived but winter continues to leave its calling card. However, that did not prevent the Hills Chamber of Commerce from holding its 10th annual Business and Community Expo Saturday at Conrady Junior High School in Hickory Hills. While the temperatures were frigid and windy outside, the spirit inside the school…

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Trinity, MVCC nursing schools schools receive state grants

By Bob Bong / March 22, 2024 /

By Bob Bong The Illinois Board of Higher Education has awarded nursing school grants to 12 institutions of higher education across the state, including two in the south suburbs, totaling $1.4 million. Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills received a grant of $38,316 to focus on improved math proficiency and preparedness of students to…

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Sonia Anne Khalil remains upbeat despite loss in 36th House

By Steve Metsch / March 20, 2024 /

By Steve Metsch Sonia Anne Khalil, who lost to Rick Ryan in the Democratic primary for the 36th House, was far from dejected Tuesday night. “It’s okay,” she said during a gathering at the Qamaria Yemeni coffee shop in Chicago Ridge. Khalil, 34, said she and her supporters “organized in four months and I thought…

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Ryan moving on to face McGovern in 36th District

By Jeff Vorva / March 20, 2024 /

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…

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Stagg runs away with ISBE awards

By Jeff Vorva / March 6, 2024 / Comments Off on Stagg runs away with ISBE awards

By Jeff Vorva Stagg High School cleaned house in winning several Those Who Excel awards from the Illinois State Board of Education. The Charger Team Space at Stagg won an ISBE team award for meritorious service. Team members are Nicole Leibfried, Tricia Biel, Pat Wright, Jacob Randulich, Eric Elget, Ayaa Al Kurdi, Matt Seibt, Mary…

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Palos Hills to start posting job openings

By Bob Bong / February 23, 2024 / Comments Off on Palos Hills to start posting job openings

By Nuha Abdessalam The Palos Hills Economic Development Department will start making job postings accessible for locals to scope out the job scene. Mayor Gerald Bennett and aldermen highlighted the city’s flourishing local business climate during the city council meeting on Feb. 15. Ald. Donna O’Connell said the city’s Economic Development Department will be able…

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SD117 names Droba as new superintendent

By Bob Bong / January 25, 2024 / Comments Off on SD117 names Droba as new superintendent

North Palos School District 117 has announced that Christine Droba will become the next North Palos School District 117 Superintendent of Schools beginning July 1, 2024. The Board of Education selected Droba to fill this position following Dr. Jeannie Stachowiak’s retirement at the end of the 2023-2024 school year. Stachowiak will be retiring after 21…

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Pool improvements advance in Palos Heights

By Nuha Abdessalam Palos Heights aldermen last week approved contracts advancing improvements at the municipal pool. Alderman Jefry Key motioned for approval of a letter of agreement with the American Institute of Architects between Williams Architect and the City of Palos Heights for the pool improvement project. Since first proposing pool improvements in 2019, aldermen…

Palos Hills young people sang their hearts out for karaoke night at a neighborhood coffee house. (Photo by Nuha Abdessalam)

Teens enjoy Green Hills karaoke party

By Nuha Abdessalam Palos Hills tweens and teens sang their hearts out for karaoke night at a neighborhood coffee house. Green Hills Library invited all tweens and teens for a karaoke night at Strange Brew Cafe on West 103rd Street and 87th Street on Feb. 22. Organized by Green Hill Library Youth Program Coordinator Krisa…

Luis Garcia, of Oak Forest and the owner and chef of Cervantinos Authentic Mexican Restaurant #2, 12778 S. Harlem Ave., Palos Heights. (Photos by Kelly White)

Cervantinos Authentic Mexican Restaurant opens in Palos Heights

By Kelly White When choosing a location for his second business location, Luis Garcia knew he wanted it to be Palos Heights. “I absolutely love it here,” Luis Garcia, of Oak Forest and the owner and chef of Cervantinos Authentic Mexican Restaurant #2, said. “It’s a great area, nice clientele and I’m happy to be…

The corner of Crandall and Depot in Worth will be the future site of the Garden Center Services apartment complex. (Photo by Joe Boyle)

Worth Polar Plunge raises record amount

By Joe Boyle The FOP Worth Polar Plunge has been deemed a major success and local officials said the amount raised has set a new record. The annual event, sponsored by the Worth Police Department, took place in a large swimming pool that was put up in the parking lot of the Marrs-Meyer American Legion…

Kris Sumner, Youth Programming Librarian at Green Hills Public Library, is responsible for organizing the Eid Clothing Bazaar at the library, 10331 Interlochen Dr., Palos Hills. (Supplied photos)

Green Hills Public Library hosts Eid Clothing Drive

By Kelly White The Islamic calendar has two major holidays each year: Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan and celebrates an entire month of fasting, and Eid al-Adha, the festival of the sacrifice that occurs during the culmination of the Hajj pilgrimage season. It takes place two lunar months after Ramadan. Each Eid…

big PoliceLights1

Police Blotter

CHICAGO RIDGE DUI Orlando De La Rosa, 32, of Berwyn, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol following a traffic stop at 2:29 a.m. March 8 in the 9200 block of South Harlem Avenue. Police said he failed field sobriety tests and refused to submit a breath sample. He was also cited for…

Veronica Shaw

Sandburg welcomes new associate principal of instruction

Consolidated High School District 230 Board of Education is welcoming Dr. Veronica Shaw to Carl Sandburg High School as its new Associate Principal of Instruction. She begins July 1 and replaces Anita Huffman who was recently appointed as District 230’s Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services. With ample education leadership experience, Shaw is currently the Associate…

Sheri Cannataro, of Cannataro Farms, demonstrates the gear she wears to extract honey from a bee hive for visitors who stopped by to see her products at the Hills Chamber of Commerce Business and Community Expo Saturday at Conrady Junior High School in Hickory Hills. (Photos by Joe Boyle)

Residents warm up to Hills Chamber Business Expo

By Joe Boyle Spring has arrived but winter continues to leave its calling card. However, that did not prevent the Hills Chamber of Commerce from holding its 10th annual Business and Community Expo Saturday at Conrady Junior High School in Hickory Hills. While the temperatures were frigid and windy outside, the spirit inside the school…

Palos Park Mayor Nicole Milovich-Walters speaks about zoning codes at the March 25 council meeting. (Photo by Jeff Vorva)

Palos Park to tweak outdated village zoning codes

By Jeff Vorva The village of Palos Park has no grand plan to change the village landscape. But officials want to modernize some of its zoning codes. “The village has not comprehensively updated its development regulations since 1960,” Mayor Nicole Milovich-Walters said at the March 25 village council meeting. “Due to this, there are many…

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SD122 psychologist resigns over Islamophobic posts

By Nuha Abdessalam A psychologist for Ridgeland School District 122 has resigned after hundreds of parents demanded she be fired for social media posts that were pro-Israeli and anti-Palestinian. District Supt. Joseph Matise announced at a schoolboard meeting last week that Dr. Laurie Hoke had resigned. “Dr. Hoke will no longer be working with students…

Illinois News

ANALYSIS: Pritzker urges ‘careful’ approach as current-year surplus could be followed by deficit

ANALYSIS: Pritzker urges ‘careful’ approach as current-year surplus could be followed by deficit

By JERRY NOWICKI CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com With Illinois lawmakers scheduled to return to legislative session in less than a month, a recent government fiscal forecast provides an overview of the budgeting landscape that awaits them.  The bottom line from the five-year forecast from the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget: The current fiscal year…

State regulators once again flex muscle in rejecting utilities’ grid plans, lessening rate hikes

State regulators once again flex muscle in rejecting utilities’ grid plans, lessening rate hikes

By ANDREW ADAMS  Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – The Illinois Commerce Commission on Thursday curtailed proposed rate hikes and rejected grid plans from two major electric utilities, mirroring a series of bombshell decisions rendered last month that cut increases for Illinois’ four largest gas utilities.    The ICC rejected the pair of plans from…

U.S. Supreme Court refuses to block assault weapons ban as full legal challenges progress

U.S. Supreme Court refuses to block assault weapons ban as full legal challenges progress

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The U.S. Supreme Court issued two orders this week turning down requests to block enforcement of Illinois’ assault weapons ban while challenges to the law are still being heard in lower courts. On Wednesday, Justice Amy Coney Barrett turned down a request from Republican state Rep.…

After pushing for law targeting ‘crisis pregnancy centers,’ attorney general backs off legal fight

After pushing for law targeting ‘crisis pregnancy centers,’ attorney general backs off legal fight

By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com A little over six months after pushing Democrats in the General Assembly to pass a law targeted at limited services pregnancy centers, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has agreed in a legal filing to stop the state’s enforcement of it. Raoul’s decision to permanently halt enforcement of the…

As deadline looms, assault weapons registration rules still unresolved

As deadline looms, assault weapons registration rules still unresolved

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Firearm owners in Illinois will have to wait at least another month before knowing exactly what items they must register with the Illinois State Police under the state’s assault weapons ban, even as the deadline for submitting those registrations is less than three weeks away. The…

Secretary of State helps launch first-of-its-kind state ID program for inmates exiting Cook County Jail

Secretary of State helps launch first-of-its-kind state ID program for inmates exiting Cook County Jail

By HANNAH MEISEL & BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – Certain detainees leaving Cook County jail will now be given a state ID card upon release in a new pilot program announced Monday by Sheriff Tom Dart and Illinois Secretary of State Alexi  Giannoulias. Inmates released from Illinois prisons have been receiving state IDs…

Capitol Cast: Filing Day for 2024 primary brings frigid temps and election themes to Springfield

Capitol Cast: Filing Day for 2024 primary brings frigid temps and election themes to Springfield

Capitol News Illinois Broadcast Director Jennifer Fuller talks with Editor-in-Chief Jerry Nowicki about the 2023 petition filing deadline for Illinois’ 2024 primary election.   Capitol News Illinois · Capitol Cast: Filing Day for 2024 primary brings frigid temps and election themes to Springfield

Supreme Court rules teen bicyclist is covered by father’s auto insurance policy

Supreme Court rules teen bicyclist is covered by father’s auto insurance policy

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court ruled Thursday that automobile insurance policies must cover people against uninsured motorists and hit-and-run accidents, even if the person covered by the policy is not in a vehicle at the time of the accident. The case involved a 14-year-old Chicago boy, Cristopher…

Pritzker signs measure allowing new small-scale nuclear technology in Illinois

Pritzker signs measure allowing new small-scale nuclear technology in Illinois

By JERRY NOWICKI & ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com Gov. JB Pritzker on Friday signed into law a measure that will allow for the limited development of new nuclear power generation technology in the state. The measure, House Bill 2473, does not allow new large-scale power generation facilities like the six plants that are…

Capitol Cast: Halfway through FY '24, CNI's Jerry Nowicki breaks down estimates and predictions

Capitol Cast: Halfway through FY ’24, CNI’s Jerry Nowicki breaks down estimates and predictions

With new estimates from the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget, as well as Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability, Capitol News Illinois’ Jennifer Fuller talks with Editor-in-Chief Jerry Nowicki about how the numbers shake out.   Capitol News Illinois · Capitol Cast: Halfway through FY ’24, CNI’s Jerry Nowicki breaks down estimates and predictions…