Local News
The Zoning Board of Appeals of the Village of Palos Park, Cook County, IL has scheduled a public hearing on July 14, 2021 at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the Kaptur Administrative Center, 8999 W. 123rd St., Palos Park, IL to consider the following: ZBA 2021 – 05: An application has been filed…
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Orland Park police arrest 2 men for commercial burglaries
By Bob Bong Orland Park police have arrested two men suspected of committing multiple commercial burglaries throughout the Chicago area and northwest Indiana. Police have been hunting the men since they were believed to be responsible for a March 13 break-in at Binny’s Beverage Depot at 103 Orland Park Place. Police said they responded…

Gaming issue dies, bush and fence issue will get fresh look in Palos Heights
By Jeff Vorva Video gaming is out. The bushes and fence will stay up. The Palos Heights City Council meeting on Tuesday clocked in at roughly 40 minutes but it was eventful as two hot issues were addressed. Alderman Brent Lewandowski, the head of the License, Permits and Franchises Committee, said his committee is not…

Oak Lawn community honors late beloved coach
Varsity baseball park renamed Skip Sullivan Field By Joe Boyle Friends and associates of Skip Sullivan said that he was always a ray of sunshine even on the dreariest of days. The sky was actually overcast over the Oak Lawn Community High School varsity baseball field on Tuesday afternoon. But those who knew Sullivan said…

A sunny outlook after changes to Arrowhead Lake
By Jeff Vorva A funny thing happened at the ribbon-cutting ceremony at Arrowhead Lake on Friday. It didn’t rain. The ceremony was originally set for May 3, but it was raining like crazy in the morning and postponed. A year Reclamation ago, when there was a groundbreaking ceremony to kick off this flood control project…

Orland acts are disappointing to some, but Pekau says concerts are a fun time
By Jeff Vorva The musical group Blood, Sweat & Tears had a monster hit in the 1960s titled “You’ve Made Me So Very Happy.” After the Village of Orland Park announced its 2022 concert series at Centennial Park West, there were some residents who were not very happy. The aforementioned Blood Sweat & Tears headlines…

‘Pope’ proves there is always hope: Donn Pall, who pitched six seasons for the White Sox, has high school number retired
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Donn Pall admits things were low-key when he played baseball at Evergreen Park High School. Expectations were not high. Having fun was more important. “There were no big games and we didn’t have a special team,” Pall said. “It was just fun to play with a bunch of my friends…

Oak Lawn police arrest Chicago man in road rage shooting
By Bob Bong A Chicago man has been charged in the road rage shooting on May 10 near 107th Street and Cicero Avenue in Oak Lawn that left a man fighting for his life. Oak Lawn police detectives and U.S. Customs agents arrested Mario Mallard, 36, on Sunday at O’Hare International Airport after he returned…

Toy Con Toy Show celebrates 30 years
By Kelly White Celebrating 30 years of toy shows this weekend was the Toy Con Toy Show. The event, also known as Kaiju Days Special, was hosted by Terry Mannix and ChicagoLand Joes (’82 – ’94) at the Bridgeview Community Center, 7902 S. Oketo Ave., Bridgeview, on Sunday, May 15. “I have been collecting for…

Pro Soccer Report: Fire II get first win; Red Stars fall to San Diego
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer When the soccer world woke up on May 15, the Chicago Fire II had not won an MLS NEXT Pro game and the Chicago Red Stars had not lost a regular-season game this season. That all changed late that afternoon. The Fire II won the first game in their short…
Illinois News

Census Bureau: Illinois may have been undercounted in 2020 census
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Census Bureau released new survey data Thursday suggesting the population of Illinois may have been undercounted by nearly 2 percent in the 2020 headcount. That was one of the findings of the Census Bureau’s Post-Enumeration Survey, or PES, something the bureau does after each decennial…

Illinois rejoins federal Title X family planning program
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected]ewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinois has resumed participation in the federal Title X family planning program after refusing to take part for the past three years in protest over a Trump administration policy regarding abortion services. Gov. JB Pritzker announced this week that the state has been awarded $5.4 million…

Pritzker signs bill requiring serialization of unfinished ‘ghost guns’
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFILED – Owners of firearms that do not have serial numbers – referred to as ghost guns – will have 180 days to take them to a federal firearm dealer to have them serialized or they will risk being charged with a misdemeanor. Gov. JB Pritzker signed the…

What’s in the SAFE-T Act? A look at the 2021 criminal justice reform and how it has evolved
By GRACE KINNICUTT Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Amid a campaign season in which every constitutional office and seat in the Illinois General Assembly will be up for vote, rising crime and a landmark criminal justice reform passed in 2021 have become dominant topics for Republicans trying to loosen Democrats’ hold on state government.…

Cost of Statehouse renovation higher than estimated but within state’s budget
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The cost of renovating the north wing of the Illinois Statehouse will be more expensive than officials initially estimated. Only one bid came in for the project, which is about to get underway. CORE Construction Services of Illinois Inc. priced the job at $243.5 million, well…

10th contempt citation filed against DCFS director as 13-year-old locked in psych ward
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] Leah is a 13-year-old girl under Department of Children and Family Services care who lives in a psychiatric ward in a Chicago hospital. Capitol News Illinois is using a pseudonym to protect her identity, but has confirmed she’s been held for months behind locked doors despite a doctor…

Pritzker signs bill aimed at addressing organized retail crime
By GRACE KINNICUTT Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation Friday that is aimed at cracking down on high-profile “smash-and-grabs” and other organized retail theft. “This important piece of legislation will help to combat these unlawful activities by addressing the problem from multiple angles,” Chauncey Rice, government relations manager for the…

ANALYSIS: Poll shows ‘undecided’ leads GOP governor field, followed by Irvin, Bailey
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] We’re about a month and a half from the June 28 primary, and “undecided” was the lead vote-getter this week in a new poll of 1,000 likely GOP primary voters, with 36.9 percent of respondents falling into that camp. For those polled who have picked a candidate, Aurora…

Audit finds DCFS failed to implement reforms
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Ta’Naja Barnes was two years old when she was found wrapped in a urine-soaked blanket amid rodent droppings, garbage and rotting food. The temperatures dipped to 45 degrees inside the Decatur home on Feb. 11, 2019, the day Ta’Naja was found. Medical personnel couldn’t get a…

CAPITOL RECAP: Former lawmakers seek back pay for raises they voted against
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – Two former state senators who sponsored and voted for bills to reduce lawmakers’ pay and forgo annual cost-of-living adjustments are now asking the Illinois Supreme Court to declare those measures unconstitutional and award them their back pay. Former Sens. Michael Noland, D-Elgin, and James Clayborne, D-Belleville, have been successful…