Local News
Following the Aug. 7 sale of the first phase of the Stony Creek Promenade property at 111th and Cicero Avenue, Special Counsel Matt Welch presented an optimistic overview of the financial windfall that the TIF zone will eventually bring into the village. Welch noted that $6,643,517, the final sale price for the completed 14.5 acre…
Read More Tinley Park, IL — The Crisis Center for South Suburbia’s (CCSS) Auxiliary will host their 7th Annual Walk Against Domestic Violence on Saturday, August 8, 2015 — rain or shine. The Auxiliary is taking action by walking at Lake Katherine Nature Preserve in Palos Heights, IL. Check-in for the day will begin at 8:30am and…
Read More Daniel M. Vorberg, 32, was on parole for a previous public indecency conviction when Oak Lawn police arrested him for the same offense on June 18, and Oak Lawn Mayor Sandra Bury joined concerned residents and Chicago Ald. Matt O’Shea (19th) at Vorberg’s Tuesday appearance in Bridgeview Courthouse to see that he stays in jail.…
Read More The Oak Lawn Board of Trustees at its Tuesday meeting approved two ordinances that will raise the municipal utility tax on electricity and natural gas bills in the village Ñ a move most trustees agreed was the best option available to generate funds needed for infrastructure improvements. Together, the taxes are expected to generate $2.5…
Read More Health problems are causing a popular Oak Lawn restaurateur to sell her business, but Oak Lawn trustees showed no love for a prospective buyer’s request for a liquor license that would allow him to move ahead with his purchase. Sandra DiGangi is known for her food and her volunteerism. Since 2010, she has been preparing…
Read More In an effort to Òshop Oak Lawn,” village trustees at the Tuesday board meeting agreed to waive competitive bidding requirements and split a contract for streetlight bulbs and electrical supplies between the winning bidder and a local company, but not without their usual spirited discussion. When the issue came up on the agenda, Gerald Chickerillo,…
Read More Four years ago, Oak Lawn Trustee Robert Streit and his supporters gathered at Deja Brew Bar and Grille and anxiously awaited returns in an unexpectedly tight race in which a write-in candidate nearly defeated the veteran trustee. Things were much sweeter this time. There were no such worries on Tuesday night, as Streit was easily…
Read More Three of the six seats on the Oak Lawn Board of Trustees are up for election on April 7, and there will be at least one new face when voting is done. While Trustees Tim Desmond (1st) and Robert Streit (3rd) are running for re-election, Trustee Carol Quinlan (5th) is stepping down after two terms.…
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Oak Lawn Mayor Sandra Bury stressed the need to increase sales tax revenue, promoting the ÒShop Oak Lawn” theme during a wide-ranging State of the Village address given at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Tuesday at the Hilton Oak Lawn. With property tax bills recently issued, Bury pointed out that the village receives just 10.6…
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The Original Papa Joe’s restaurant will soon be moving from its longtime home at 10745 S. Cicero Ave. in Oak Lawn to new digs in Chicago Ridge. Joe Agate, owner of Papa Joe’s, said the restaurant would be moving into the former O’Connor Pub at 5900 W. 111th St., which closed earlier this month. ÒProbably…
Read MoreLifestyle
Comings & Goings
A heavenly sound
In what is arguably the most ornate and beautiful house of worship on the Southwest Side—St. Joseph Church in Back of the Yards–the Polonijna Orkiestra Chicago played liturgical music selections last Sunday. Founded in 2011, the orchestra is designed to teach young musicians Polish music and culture. St. Joseph parishioner Konrad Pawelek served as conductor…
Crime images spark outrage in Gage Park
Robbed at gunpoint in his own garage By Tim Hadac Home-security camera images of a 48-year-old Gage Park man being robbed at gunpoint in his own garage outraged a number of Southwest Siders this week. Images showed the man driving his car down the alley in the 5500 block of South Richmond at about 3:50…
College Report: McAuley grad Swiatek plays hero for St. Francis
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Hannah Swiatek comes off the bench for the University of St. Francis and is averaging 3.1 points per game. But when called on for the biggest shot of her college career, the 5-foot-8 junior guard from Oak Lawn delivered. Swiatek scored the winning basket in a wild 99-97 overtime road…
Stagg’s Laila Barakat and McAuley’s Bella Finnegan hit 1K career points; Richards’ Kortz gets 300th win
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Look what Laila Barakat started. The Stagg senior basketball star hit a milestone when she scored her 1,000th career point against Richards on Jan. 8. That was the first of three notable career accomplishments achieved the following week. It was followed by Mother McAuley senior Bella Finnegan scoring her 1,000th…
Tax exemptions will be automatic, Kaegi says
From staff reports In response to the ongoing pandemic, the Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi’s office will continue the automatic renewal of the Senior Freeze, Veterans with Disabilities and Persons with Disabilities Exemptions. The Homeowner and Senior Exemptions will continue to auto-renew every year. If a homeowner received any of these five exemptions last year…
Marist wrestlers take Illini Classic crown; Shepard’s Damari Reed stays unbeaten
By Steve Millar Correspondent When Peter Marinopoulos was a freshman, he served as the Marist wrestling team’s manager when the RedHawks would travel to tournaments. Two years later, he is finishing tournaments on top of the podium. Marinopolous, ranked No. 2 in the state in Class 3A at 195 pounds by the Illinois Wrestling Coaches…
Troop 1441 Scout earns Eagle rank
From staff reports A journey that began years ago for Adrian Ayala recently culminated in Boy Scouting’s highest honor. Ayala, a member of Boy Scout Troop 1441 (sponsored by the St. Mary Star of the Sea Holy Name Society) was honored at an Eagle ceremony at Duggan Hall on Jan. 13. The Eagle rank is a…
Scavenger Sale different this year, Pappas says
From staff reports Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas’ 2022 Scavenger Sale will look different, as the Treasurer’s Office takes steps to help small developers, homeowners and investors rebuild neighborhoods and create generational wealth. Under Illinois law, the Treasurer’s Office is required to conduct a Scavenger Sale every two years, offering at auction the taxes on…
Give poor countries a break, Chuy says
From staff reports U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-4th) is one of 18 Members of Congress who recently sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, urging her to use the voice and vote of the United States at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to abolish the IMF’s surcharge policy, which requires countries with substantial…
Stop sale of dangerous drugs online, Rush says
From staff reports Legislation designed to ensure that social media platforms and websites are held accountable for failing to prevent the sale of dangerous, illegal drugs on their platforms has been introduced by U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush (D-1st). The Domain Reform for Unlawful Drug Sellers (DRUGS) Act also was introduced by U.S. David B. McKinley…
Illinois News
New law ends parental notification in Illinois
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] Gov. JB Pritzker signed a law on Friday that ends parental notification, a requirement that doctors notify the parents of a minor seeking an abortion. “With reproductive rights under attack across the nation, Illinois is once again establishing itself as a leader in ensuring access to health care…
Illinois jobless rate falls to 5.7%
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The unemployment rate in Illinois fell three-tenths of a point in November to 5.7 percent as employers added 19,500 payroll jobs to the economy. Preliminary data released by the Department of Employment Security and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed the biggest job gains during…
Illinois jobless rate falls to 5.7%
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The unemployment rate in Illinois fell three-tenths of a point in November to 5.7 percent as employers added 19,500 payroll jobs to the economy. Preliminary data released by the Department of Employment Security and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed the biggest job gains during…
Potential buyer identified for James R. Thompson Center
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Plans are moving ahead for the sale of the James R. Thompson Center at 100 West Randolph Street in Chicago. Gov. JB Pritzker announced on Wednesday plans to enter into exclusive negotiations with JRTC Holdings, LLC, for the purposes of acquiring and redeveloping the Thompson Center…
CAPITOL RECAP: JRTC Holdings will enter negotiations with state for $70 million purchase of Thompson Center
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS CHICAGO – Plans are moving ahead for the sale of the James R. Thompson Center at 100 West Randolph Street in Chicago. Gov. JB Pritzker announced on Wednesday, Dec. 15, plans to enter into exclusive negotiations with JRTC Holdings, LLC, for the purposes of acquiring and redeveloping the Thompson Center that…
Lawmakers push for nursing home reforms this spring
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Several Illinois lawmakers said this week they are determined to pass a bill in the spring that would overhaul the way nursing homes are paid through the state’s Medicaid program to address critical staffing shortages, but the state’s largest nursing home industry group is still pushing…
New law provides for licensure path of certified professional midwives in Illinois
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] Colleen Marotta has delivered hundreds of babies. Marotta, 43, of Arlington Heights, became a nurse in 2001. Ten years later, she became a certified professional midwife, or CPM. When Marotta was a CPM the law barred her from delivering babies in Illinois, forcing her to drive to Wisconsin…
Edwardsville chief on Amazon warehouse: ‘It was definitely one of our worst days’
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] In the wake of Friday night storms that left six dead at an Amazon warehouse in Edwardsville, a disaster proclamation was issued Monday for 28 counties in southern and central Illinois. The proclamation will bring personnel or equipment from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency to assist with storm…
Reimagine Public Safety Act to drive violence intervention funds to state’s most dangerous areas
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – A state program aiming to take a “comprehensive approach to ending Illinois’ firearm violence epidemic” will be expanded under a law signed Friday by Gov. JB Pritzker. The Reimagine Public Safety Act became law in June, but the expansion signed Friday clarifies guidelines in the original…
CAPITOL RECAP: Oral arguments begin in state redistricting challenges
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS CHICAGO – Oral arguments began Tuesday, Dec. 7, in three lawsuits challenging the new legislative district maps that lawmakers passed earlier this year with three federal judges asking detailed questions of all the parties in the cases. Each case centers on the question of whether Democrats in the General Assembly violated…
