Local News

Choosing sides in mayoral race
. SW Side endorsements start to emerge By Tim Hadac While neither Paul Vallas nor Brandon Johnson has campaigned on the Southwest Side to any significant degree, their supporters in this area are starting to go public. The latest endorsement to be snagged occurred last Friday, when U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García (D-4th), who failed…

Crime spree in Back of the Yards
Armed bandits commit 10 robberies in less than two hours By Tim Hadac A burst of armed robberies in the Back of the Yards area has prompted police to issue a community warning. The 10 stickups occurred in less than two hours on Wednesday, March 15. Crime scenes include: 4600 block of South Albany at…

Star student earns college scholarship
St. Laurence High School senior Priscilla Bonilla stands with her family, minutes after learning she has earned a four-year academic scholarship to the University of St. Francis. In college, she plans to study theology and secondary education, with a hope to return to St. Laurence one day as a teacher. A West Elsdon resident, she…

It was cold, but there was warmth
. By Mary Stanek Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon 3808 W. 57th Place • (773) 284-7394 My family took a walk around West Elsdon with 23rd Ward Ald. Silvana Tabares, her son and some residents of the community on March 12. We were hanging ribbons in memory of CPD Officer Andrés Mauricio…

Something smells at 62nd and Washtenaw
. . By Kathy Headley Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor 6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778 From time to time I’ll mention something I’ve caught on the downtown TV news that I know won’t make the front page here, but I think you’ll be interested in, since it has a connection to…

Campaigns over, time to lead
. By Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 Now that the aldermanic part of the city elections is over, it’s time for aldermen to let go of campaigning and get down to the business of being aldermen. We have all seen enough photo ops of politicians posing with policemen,…

College Notebook | Marist grad Alex Knight slaying buckets for Lake Forest
By Mike Walsh Correspondent Lake Forest College’s Alex Knight has been named to the All-Midwest Conference First Team in men’s basketball for the 2022-23 season. Knight, a 6-foot-1 sophomore guard who prepped at Marist, was the league’s leading scorer this season, averaging 18.1 points per conference game. He finished third in the MWC in field…

Pro Sports Report | SeatGeek to host Major League Rugby championship; Hounds sniff out first win
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer SeatGeek Stadium, host of the expansion Chicago Hounds, will host this season’s Major League Rugby championship game. The game is scheduled to be played July 8 in Bridgeview. It will air nationally on FOX. “Moving the championship match to a predetermined venue has long been a goal of Major League…

Area Sports Roundup | Nazareth grads Martinucci, Evans have unfinished business at NJCAA National Tourney
By Jeff Vorva Staff writer The Martinucci family carries a lot of weight in the Berwyn-Cicero area. Tony Martinucci has coached boys basketball at Morton High School for 24 years, racking up five regional titles and a trio of conference crowns during his tenure. His daughter, Jovanna, is hoping to do something even more spectacular:…

Happy St. Pat’s, St. Joe’s
. By Mary Stanek Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon 3808 W. 57th Place • (773) 284-7394 Happy St. Patrick’s Day on the 17th to all the Irish folks, and folks that want to be Irish for the day. I absolutely love the food, music and drink from these festivities. Not to be…

Here’s to you, Bridget, on St. Patrick’s Day
. . By Kathy Headley Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor 6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778 Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I began celebrating earlier this week with my good friend, and St. Rita Grammar School/Maria High School grad Mary Lou Barrett. You just can’t celebrate too often. Throughout our years living here…

St. Patrick’s here, Easter coming up
. By Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 Happy St. Patrick’s Day to all. Wear something green. Everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. Today is National Corned Beef and Cabbage Day, too! Another reason to celebrate. St. Patrick’s Day commemorates the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. We celebrate and remember that…

Area grade school teams win SWIC championships
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Century Junior High School’s eighth grade boys basketball team had a target on its back all season. After enjoying an unbeaten campaign as seventh-graders, the Wildcats were the team everyone wanted to beat this season. Not one of them one did. Zedan Said made sure of it. The 5-foot, 90-pound…

College Notebook | Area grads Hynes, McCormick earn honors
By Mike Walsh Correspondent University of Chicago women’s basketball player Grace Hynes has been named to the 2022-23 University Athletic Association’s First Team. The Maroons senior guard, a Mother McAuley graduate, led Chicago to a 23-4 overall record through their first 27 games, and went 10-4 in the UAA, good enough for second place in…

Area Sports Roundup | EP football gets new coach; Morton women head back to nationals
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer For the second time in two weeks, an area high school football team is getting a new head coach. Evergreen Park announced Jim Ramazinski has been named to the position. He will replace Jerry Verde. Ramazinski comes to the Mustangs with a wealth of coaching and teaching experience. He is…
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Illinois News

Indoor vaping, cat declawing could be banned under recently passed bills
By JERRY NOWICKI & PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate passed 68 bills this week while the House had advanced 284 as of Friday morning with hundreds more to go before their adjournment for the week. It was the first in a two-week stretch of legislative deadlines for bills to…

Lawmakers approve kindergarten reform, plan to address childhood literacy
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois [email protected] CHICAGO – Lawmakers are looking at several ways to improve learning outcomes and access for young students in Illinois. On Thursday, members of the House of Representatives approved a proposal that would require school boards in Illinois to provide full-day kindergarten starting with the 2027-2028 school year. The…

Former Madigan political director details push by speaker’s office for key ComEd bill
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois [email protected] CHICAGO – As was the case with many big legislative efforts in Springfield, former Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan’s staff was deeply involved in negotiations over what would become the Future Energy Jobs Act in 2015 and 2016. FEJA had many backers in environmental circles and organized labor…

House narrowly passes bill allowing all-gender bathrooms
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House narrowly passed a bill Thursday that would allow businesses, universities and other building owners to designate multi-occupancy all-gender bathrooms if they choose to do so. The bill passed on a vote of 60-40, the bare minimum number of “yes” votes needed for passage…

House narrowly passes bill allowing all-gender bathrooms
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House narrowly passed a bill Thursday that would allow businesses, universities and other building owners to designate multi-occupancy all-gender bathrooms if they choose to do so. The bill passed on a vote of 60-40, the bare minimum number of “yes” votes needed for passage…

House narrowly passes bill allowing all-gender bathrooms
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House narrowly passed a bill Thursday that would allow businesses, universities and other building owners to designate multi-occupancy all-gender bathrooms if they choose to do so. The bill passed on a vote of 60-40, the bare minimum number of “yes” votes needed for passage…

Advocates push for tax credit aimed at increasing affordable housing
By NIKA SCHOONOVER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Lawmakers are considering bills that would create a new tax credit for affordable housing, referred to as the “Build Illinois Homes Tax Credit.” The legislation, contained in the identical House Bill 2044 and Senate Bill 1737, would mirror a federal program administered by the Illinois Housing…