Local News

Farewell and thanks to Nathan, Connor and David
By Kathy Headley Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor 6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778 As June ends, we at St. Rita of Casica Parish and St. Clare of Montefalco Shrine sadly say goodbye to Nathan Fernandes, Connor Fitzmaurice and David Marshall. The three are pre-novices discerning a vocation to the priesthood in…

Grateful for the freedoms we have
By Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place • (773) 504-9327 Happy Birthday USA! I am so grateful for the freedom we have in our wonderful country. I hope those who choose to celebrate our freedom by lighting illegal fireworks will be arrested by our police, who I hope will have the…

Graduations are so bittersweet
By Laura Ortega Your correspondent in Greater Ashburn 4214 W. 82nd Place • (773) 627-6679 Congratulations to the Class of 2022! It’s bittersweet to see everyone graduate, especially when you can remember those same individuals graduating kindergarten not so long ago. A huge congratulations to my daughter, Liliana, who graduated eighth grade. I look forward…

Peck playlot taking shape
By Mary Stanek Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon 3808 W. 57th Place • (773) 284-7394 “It’s the things we play with and the people who help us play that makes a great difference in our lives” – Fred Rogers. Who remembers the play lots of the 60s and 70s? Can you recall…

Kantas wins bid for 4th Subcircuit vacancy
By Carol McGowan Nick Kantas came out on top in the Democratic primary for Cook County judge in the 4th Subcircuit. He won over Amanda Moira Pillsbury in the race to fill the Gavin vacancy. Kantas had 12,652 votes to 10,393 for Pillsbury with 99 percent the vote in (218 of 221 precincts), according to…

Cardenas ousts Wendt in Dem primary for Board of Review
By Bob Bong Palos Heights attorney and Realtor Tammy Wendt was denied a second term Tuesday night when she was defeated by Chicago Ald. George Cardenas in the Democratic primary for the Board of Review 1st District. Wendt said the party had been out to get her since she surprisingly prevailed in 2020 over endorsed…

Pekau vs. Casten ready to rumble in 6th Distict
By Jeff Vorva The preliminaries are over in the newly aligned 6th Congressional District. Now it’s time for the main event. Pekau vs. Casten. After Tuesday’s primary election, Keith Pekau, the mayor of Orland Park, had a huge lead over five opponents on the Republican side and is ready to take on Democratic survivor Sean…

Casten rolls to decisive victory over Newman in 6th Congressional Dem battle
By Joe Boyle U.S. Rep. Sean Casten emerged as the decisive victor in the Democratic primary race for the newly drawn 6th Congressional District Tuesday night. With 97 percent of the vote registered and 221 of 227 precincts reporting, Casten had an unofficial tally of 13,440 votes for 53.90%. Newman had 10,545 votes for 42.29% percent as…

Rashid surprises Zalewski in 21st District Dem primary
By Steve Metsch Abdelnasser Rashid beat incumbent state Rep. Michael Zalewski in the 21st District’s Democratic primary Tuesday, with strong support from suburban Cook County residents. According to unofficial totals, Rashid received 3,893 votes (52 percent) to 3,637 for Zalewski (48 percent). Rashid had just 215 votes (31 percent) to Zalewski’s 480 votes (69 percent)…

Garfield Ridge native is new Vikes’ volleyball coach
From staff reports A Garfield Ridge native has been named head boys’ volleyball coach at St. Laurence High School. Laura Bugarin “brings a wealth of volleyball knowledge to the Vikings, with 11 years of coaching experience for 1st Alliance Volleyball Club, Illinois’ top USA Volleyball (USAV) club and a nationally ranked program,” school officials said. Coaching some of the…

Biz leaders help school’s garden grow
By Dermot Connolly The United Business Association of Midway has partnered with Hale School to expand the community garden outside the school at 6140 S. Melvina. “I have always believed that a strong partnership is what gets anything accomplished,” said Anita Cummings, UBAM executive director. “This is a cornerstone of our organization. We work with…

Top cop to drive in charity race
By Joan Hadac There are all kinds of fundraisers that benefit Special Olympics Illinois, but none is faster than the Five-O at the Dirty-O, the annual stock car race at the famed Dirt Oval 66 racetrack (known to fans as the Dirty-O) in Joliet. Five-O at the Dirty-O is a charity race featuring law enforcement officers…

Police Reports
Crime reports courtesy of swchicagopost.com. Police report information is provided by law enforcement agencies. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions taken, and people charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Charge man with murder in Chicago Lawn slaying A 33-year-old Woodlawn…

Reputed gang member tried to hire hitman, Dart says
From staff reports A man in custody at Cook County Jail, as well his fiancé, have been charged after an undercover Cook County Sheriff’s Office investigation concluded that they had sought to hire someone to kill a witness in the man’s current murder case, Sheriff Thomas J. Dart announced recently. Sheriff’s investigators said they learned…

Armed robbers hit Back of the Yards
From staff reports A cluster of four armed robberies in the south end of Back of the Yards has prompted to police to issue a community alert. Crime scenes include: 5400 block of South Seeley at 5 p.m. Friday, June 17. 5400 block of South Hoyne at 9:10 p.m. Friday, June 17. 5400 block of…
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Illinois News

Maternal mortality report finds Black, rural, Medicaid mothers more likely to die after childbirth
By RAYMON TRONCOSO Capitol News [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health on Thursday issued its second report on maternal mortality rates in the state, which found there were 103 pregnancy-associated deaths in Illinois in 2017 – the highest number of any year in that decade. The report looked at deaths during or…

Maternal mortality report finds Black, rural, Medicaid mothers likelier to die after childbirth
By RAYMON TRONCOSO Capitol News [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health on Thursday issued its second report on maternal mortality rates in the state, which found there were 103 pregnancy-associated deaths in Illinois in 2017 – the highest number of any year in that decade. The report looked at deaths during or…

Emergency housing assistance bill will head to governor
By TIM KIRSININKAS Capitol News [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate voted Thursday to pass House Bill 2877, which aims to extend emergency protections to renters and homeowners financially impacted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It needs only a signature from Gov. JB Pritzker to become law after passing the House last week.…

Pritzker releases new plan for spending multi-billion dollar Volkswagen settlement
By GRACE BARBIC Capitol News [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration released a revised plan for how to spend the state’s share of a multi-billion dollar Volkswagen settlement, which found the vehicle manufacturer in violation of the federal Clean Air Act. Illinois initially received approximately $108 million from the settlement. The plans that were…

Ethics commission finds ex-Exelon lobbyist sexually harassed colleague
By SARAH MANSUR Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD — A state ethics commission has found a former Exelon lobbyist sexually harassed one of his female colleagues on two separate occasions in Springfield, in violation of the Lobbyist Registration Act. David Fein, formerly Exelon’s senior vice president of state governmental and regulatory affairs, will have to…

CAPITOL RECAP: Governor’s office unveils energy overhaul bill
By Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD – The governor’s office unveiled a 900-page energy overhaul bill Wednesday, accelerating a yearslong process which advocates hope will end in a comprehensive clean energy platform as the session nears its final month. The stated goal of the bill is to drive Illinois to 100 percent “clean” energy by 2050.…

Judge finds firearm ownership card law invalid – as applied to one Illinois woman
By SARAH MANSUR Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD — For the second time, a county judge in southern Illinois has ruled the state’s Firearm Owner Identification Card law unconstitutional, as applied to one state resident, Vivian Brown. The ruling from Judge T. Scott Webb means the Illinois Supreme Court will, also for the second time,…