Mary Stanek

A simple idea for Earth Day

. By Mary Stanek Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon 3808 W. 57th Place •  (773) 517-7796 . Moving right along through April, as the days get longer and nicer, time will start to go by faster. We have Earth Day on April 22 and the start of Passover at sunset. If it…

Kathy Headley

Bingo at St. Clare was something to yell about

. Kathy Headley Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor 6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778 . Recently I mentioned a bingo fundraiser the Augustinian Young Adults of St. Rita of Cascia Parish were holding. This was their first attempt at a bingo and they put on a really nice event. Held in the…

Peggy Zabicki

One thing is certain: life goes on

. Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place •  (773) 504-9327 . I get a lot of calls from residents who are discouraged about our neighborhood. There are so many car accidents, shootings and violent crimes being committed in West Lawn and surrounding areas. It certainly is challenging to stay hopeful and positive. Here is a paragraph from an…

The logosof the United Business Association of Midway. --Supplied image

Biz groups battle over names, logos

. UBAM, MCC trade barbs . By Dermot Connolly and Tim Hadac The leader of one Midway-area business association is accusing the other of bad faith, and the leader of the other is scratching her head over the dustup. United Business Association of Midway Executive Director Anita Cummings recently claimed that a rival group has…

BesonenBookCover2024

Chicago Lawn native’s book is ‘off the hook’

. Longtime journalist shares humor columns . By Tim Hadac Nancy (Emerson) Besonen has made a career as a news reporter and humor columnist for a weekly paper in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. But her roots are in Chicago Lawn, and it showed during a recent conversation. Like most true Southwest Siders, she didn’t call Marquette…

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…

Flanked by other top local CPD officials, Area 1 Deputy Chief Don Jerome stands in the middle of Damen Avenue Saturday night as he leads a press briefing. --Supplied photo

‘Horrific and unacceptable’

. Police, neighbors decry shooting at family party . By Tim Hadac Drive-by shootings have become not at all unusual in recent years in Back of the Yards. Some might even call them common. What is still uncommon is for drive-by crimes to injure or even kill young children. But that is exactly what happened…

GSWNH_HonoringTheFallenInScottsdale_041924

A blue salute in Scottsdale

. Family, friends, co-workers and neighbors of the late CPD Officer James R. Svec Jr. –as well as elected and appointed officials– gathered at 77th and Kolmar last Saturday to unveil an honorary street sign saluting him for his sacrifice. Officer Svec died at age 59 in December 2021 from causes related to COVID-19 infection.…

Eighteenth Ward Ald. Derrick G. Curtis hosts a popular pet vaccination event each year, and in years past led by example by bringing his dog, Sasha, who enjoyed the attention. --File photo

County vets offer reduced-price vax clinics

. From staff reports The Cook County Department of Animal and Rabies Control is running its annual Partners in Prevention clinics now through mid-October. ARC is partnering with local animal organizations to offer reduced-cost or free one-year rabies vaccinations, as well as microchips. The partnerships are designed to link pet owners to organizations in their…

Illinois News

Madigan, McClain plead not guilty to racketeering charges

Madigan, McClain plead not guilty to racketeering charges

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and former lobbyist Michael McClain on Wednesday pleaded not guilty in federal court to charges of racketeering, bribery, fraud and extortion. Both were arraigned on those charges during a teleconference hearing before U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Cole, a hearing that…

Administrator of state-run developmentally disabled center accused of obstructing investigation

Administrator of state-run developmentally disabled center accused of obstructing investigation

By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Documents filed in a southern Illinois court this week allege a Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center senior staff member obstructed an Illinois State Police investigation into the abuse of a developmentally disabled patient by accessing confidential investigative files and directing staff to speak to the…

Bill aims to rein in Apple, Google app stores

Bill aims to rein in Apple, Google app stores

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Two bills pending in the Illinois General Assembly would rein in the ability of tech giants like Apple and Google to dictate how transactions are conducted, and how much of a cut they receive from those transactions, when consumers make certain kinds of purchases using smartphone…

Capitol News Illinois to expand investigations, analysis in year 4

Capitol News Illinois to expand investigations, analysis in year 4

By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com When Capitol News Illinois launched in January 2019, Gov. JB Pritzker had just been sworn in, Michael Madigan was elected to his 18th term as House speaker and the Senate’s president was Chicago’s John Cullerton. Now, as our fourth year is well underway, Pritzker is battling a wide…

UPDATED: Appointments pulled for 2 members of Prisoner Review Board

UPDATED: Appointments pulled for 2 members of Prisoner Review Board

By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker yanked the appointment of two appointees to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board Tuesday, the same morning a Senate committee was scheduled to consider them. It was the second time Pritzker pulled the appointments of Aurthur Mae Perkins, 83, of Peoria, and Joseph Ruggiero,…

Appointments pulled for 2 members of Prisoner Review Board

Appointments pulled for 2 members of Prisoner Review Board

By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker yanked the appointment of two appointees to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board Tuesday, the same morning a Senate committee was scheduled to consider them. It was the second time Pritzker pulled the appointments of Aurthur Mae Perkins, 83, of Peoria, and Joseph Ruggiero,…

Illinois House votes to make face masks optional

Illinois House votes to make face masks optional

By GRACE KINNICUTT Capitol News Illinois gkinnicutt@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House amended COVID-19 protocols Tuesday, lifting face covering requirements following weeks of pushback from Republican members who sometimes refused to wear masks and delayed the start of session on several occasions.  In a 104-1 vote, the House passed House Resolution 717 that lifted the…

Appointments pulled, reissued for 2 members of Prisoner Review Board

Appointments pulled, reissued for 2 members of Prisoner Review Board

By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker yanked the appointment of two appointees to the Illinois Prisoner Review Board Tuesday, the same morning a Senate committee was scheduled to consider them. It was the second time Pritzker pulled the appointments of Aurthur Mae Perkins, 83, of Peoria, and Joseph Ruggiero,…

Illinois State Police director details response to expressway shootings

Illinois State Police director details response to expressway shootings

By GRACE KINNICUTT Capitol News Illinois gkinnicutt@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly on Monday outlined the department’s efforts and a proposed response to expressway shootings during a Public Safety and Violence Prevention Task Force hearing. Kelly said expressway shootings are one of the biggest challenges officers face, and he noted that a…

Former Sen. Tom Cullerton pleads guilty to embezzlement

Former Sen. Tom Cullerton pleads guilty to embezzlement

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Former state Sen. Tom Cullerton pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of embezzlement and could face more than a year in federal prison. During a plea hearing in federal court in Chicago, Cullerton admitted that he received pay and benefits from the Teamsters Joint Council 25…