Local News
Residents warm up to Hills Chamber Business Expo
By Joe Boyle Spring has arrived but winter continues to leave its calling card. However, that did not prevent the Hills Chamber of Commerce from holding its 10th annual Business and Community Expo Saturday at Conrady Junior High School in Hickory Hills. While the temperatures were frigid and windy outside, the spirit inside the school…
Palos Park to tweak outdated village zoning codes
By Jeff Vorva The village of Palos Park has no grand plan to change the village landscape. But officials want to modernize some of its zoning codes. “The village has not comprehensively updated its development regulations since 1960,” Mayor Nicole Milovich-Walters said at the March 25 village council meeting. “Due to this, there are many…
SD122 psychologist resigns over Islamophobic posts
By Nuha Abdessalam A psychologist for Ridgeland School District 122 has resigned after hundreds of parents demanded she be fired for social media posts that were pro-Israeli and anti-Palestinian. District Supt. Joseph Matise announced at a schoolboard meeting last week that Dr. Laurie Hoke had resigned. “Dr. Hoke will no longer be working with students…
City wants to buy armory at MDW
. Has been vacant since 2017 . By Tim Hadac For decades, it served military purposes, as well as Chicago’s gateway for Presidents stopping off in the city. But the Army National Guard Midway Armory, 5400 W. 63rd St., has been mostly vacant since 2017, when the Illinois Army National Guard ceased operations there and…
2 charged in Summit junkyard burglary
By Bob Bong Two men have been charged in connection with a break-in last month at the Pick-n-Pull used auto parts store and junkyard in Summit. George Ainalakis, 39, of Carol Stream, was arrested February 26 at the business, while Chad Wickert, 40, of Brookfield, was arrested March 13 by Hodgkins police. Police said they…
A successful career serving thousands
. By Tim Hadac Editor Clear-Ridge Reporter & NewsHound (708)-496-0265 . Most folks work for years at their jobs, expecting and receiving little fanfare, then retire quietly. Garfield Ridge resident Mary Ellen Fox planned to retire from her 30-year job in the City Clerk’s Office quietly; and she did, earlier this year. But co-worker Jim…
Casten secures $11M for district; invites Bridge Teen founder to State of Union
By Jeff Vorva Congressman Sean Casten is bringing some big bucks home. Casten (D-6th) announced that he helped secure more than $11 million in federal funding for local community projects. Included in that bounty is: $1.28 million to Evergreen Park for water main replacement. $500,000 to La Grange for storm and sanitary sewer rehabilitation. $947,775…
Forest View swears in new police officers
By Carol McGowan The Village of Forest View has a new full-time police officer and a newly promoted corporal on the force. In front of a full-house at their February 27 Board of Trustees meeting, Clerk Laura McGuffey did the honors swearing-in Maria Guzman as a full-time officer, and promoting Officer Jorge Sanchez to the…
Burbank businessman sentenced for income tax evasion
By Bob Bong A Burbank businessman has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for willfully evading more than $3.7 million in federal and state income taxes. Abraham Kiswani, 54, pleaded guilty last year to a federal tax evasion charge. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah last Thursday…
Oak Lawn ups fines for blowing off illegal fireworks
By Joe Boyle Oak Lawn residents who blow off illegal fireworks this summer will find that doing so will be more expensive. An ordinance was passed by a 5-0 vote by the Oak Lawn Village Board on March 12 that will increase the fine from $50 to $100 for residents who are lighting illegal fireworks.…
Trinity, MVCC nursing schools schools receive state grants
By Bob Bong The Illinois Board of Higher Education has awarded nursing school grants to 12 institutions of higher education across the state, including two in the south suburbs, totaling $1.4 million. Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills received a grant of $38,316 to focus on improved math proficiency and preparedness of students to…
Runnings holds grand opening in Homer Glen
By Bob Bong The big-box store at 15830 S. Bell Road in Homer Glen has certainly had a storied past. Once upon a time, it was part of the Kmart chain. That ended years ago. Since then, it has been a Big R, a Stock + Field, and an R.P. Home and Harvest. Last June,…
Rashid rolls in 21st House, but Vasquez plans rematch
By Steve Metsch State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid may have rolled to victory over challenger Vidal Vasquez in the 21st House District Democratic primary, but he took nothing for granted. “I am humbled and honored that the voters chose to send me back and I look forward to continuing the work ahead of us,” he said…
Hickory Hills to install 6 license-plate cameras
By Nuha Abdessalam Hickory Hills aldermen approved the installation of six Flock license plate cameras at their March 14 city council meeting. City officials said the Flock cameras will help police pick up the license plate and description of a wanted vehicle. Nearby communities including Oak Lawn and Palos Hills have also utilized Flock’s technology,…
Brookfield Zoo Anniversary Ferris Wheel now open
By Bob Bong Brookfield Zoo has been attracting visitors for 90 years. To celebrate the anniversary, the zoo has opened a new attraction that has nothing to do with animals. Last Friday, the zoo opened its Anniversary Ferris Wheel. The towering 110-foot Ferris wheel offers guests unique bird’s-eye views of the park’s gardens, animal habitats, and…
Cinderella’s Closet makes prom shopping easier, cheaper
By Kelly White Prom dress shopping can be expensive, but it doesn’t have to be. Thanks to Oak Lawn Community High School’s annual dress re-sale, cleverly called, Cinderella’s Closet, on February 10, students were able to browse beautiful ball gowns all in one place at right the high school, 9400 Southwest Hwy. “Prom is expensive…
Gill takes Democratic nod in 35th District
From staff reports Mary Gill easily won the Democratic nomination in the 35th House District over fellow Mount Greenwood resident David Dewar. Gill, a lifelong district resident, was appointed last March to succeed Fran Hurley, who resigned to take a position with the Illinois Labor Relations Board. Gill, a former special-education teacher, was executive director…
Newcomer Crawford ousts veteran lawmaker Mary Flowers
By Bob Bong Mary Flowers, the longest serving black lawmaker in the General Assembly, was sent packing Tuesday night after running afoul of House Speaker Chris Welch. Flowers, 72, was defeated by Michael Crawford in the 31st House District Democratic Primary. Flowers, who was first elected in 1984, received 753 votes in suburban precincts while…
Casten romps over primary foes in 6th Congressional race
By Bob Bong Three-term Congressman Sean Casten easily defeated two challengers in Tuesday’s Democratic primary in the 6th Congressional District. “First and foremost, thank you,” he said. “Thank you to the voters who have entrusted me once again with their vote. Thank you to the volunteers who knocked on doors, made phone calls, and helped…
Evergreen Park commends officer for pursuing hit-and-run suspect
By Joe Boyle An Evergreen Park police officer is being commended for “outstanding performance of duty” for the arrest of a man who left the scene of a traffic incident. Officer Robert Bavone was recognized during the Evergreen Park Village Board meeting on Monday night. While on duty, he witnessed a traffic crash with injuries…
Illinois News
Capitol Briefs: Insurance reforms advance as Pritzker announces California trip
By PETER HANCOCK, JENNIFER FULLER & ALEX ABBEDUTO Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposal for sweeping reforms in the state’s health insurance industry passed out of a committee Thursday and will soon make its way to the full House for consideration. Pritzker first outlined the proposal in his State of the…
Capitol Briefs: Insurance reforms advance as Pritzker announces California trip
By PETER HANCOCK, JENNIFER FULLER & ALEX ABBEDUTO Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposal for sweeping reforms in the state’s health insurance industry passed out of a committee Thursday and will soon make its way to the full House for consideration. Pritzker first outlined the proposal in his State of the…
Capitol Briefs: Insurance reforms advance as Pritzker announces California trip
By PETER HANCOCK, JENNIFER FULLER & ALEX ABBEDUTO Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposal for sweeping reforms in the state’s health insurance industry passed out of a committee Thursday and will soon make its way to the full House for consideration. Pritzker first outlined the proposal in his State of the…
Judge rips Blagojevich’s ‘publicity stunt’ bid to get court’s approval to run for office again
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com A federal judge this week channeled one of the most famous children’s authors of the last century in telling off ex-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich for his efforts to regain the right to run for office after his 2009 impeachment. “The time has come. The time is now. Just…
Former governors see 2024 primaries as mostly uneventful
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The 2024 primaries in Illinois were largely uneventful, due mainly to a lack of competition in races at the top of the ballot and historically low turnout among voters. That’s the analysis of two former Illinois governors, Republican Jim Edgar and Democrat Pat Quinn, who spoke…
Officials say state veterans homes have reformed after deadly 2020 COVID-19 outbreak, but staffing challenges remain
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinois’ veterans affairs director told a legislative panel this week that while state-run veterans homes have better policies in place following a COVID-19 outbreak that killed 36 residents at the LaSalle Veterans Home in 2020, understaffing remains a challenge. “The need for long-term care will explode…
Capitol Briefs: Insurance reforms advance as Pritzker announces California trip
By PETER HANCOCK, JENNIFER FULLER & ALEX ABBEDUTO Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker’s proposal for sweeping reforms in the state’s health insurance industry passed out of a committee Thursday and will soon make its way to the full House for consideration. Pritzker first outlined the proposal in his State of the…
State awards local food infrastructure grants as advocates seek program’s extension
By ALEX ABBEDUTO Capitol News Illinois abbeduto@capitolnewsillinois.com Nineteen local farms will receive a combined $1.8 million in grants to fund infrastructure projects aimed at developing their ability to produce and distribute food around the state as part of the Local Food and Infrastructure Grant Program. The grants come from the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s budget…
For the most part, incumbents beat back challengers amid low primary turnout
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – With only a few exceptions, incumbent officeholders in Illinois cruised to easy victories in primary elections Tuesday that were marked by historically low voter turnout. Although final numbers won’t be known for several more days, preliminary returns from many of the state’s larger counties showed turnout…
With recession fears subsiding, new state economic forecast expects ‘firm but steady growth’
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The state’s two main fiscal forecasting agencies agree: Illinois’ finances will see a strong close in the final 3 ½ months of the fiscal year before things tighten a bit next year. It’s a picture laid out in Gov. JB Pritzker’s budget proposal last month, and…