Local News
Palos 118’s West Elementary named National Blue Ribbon School
Palos West Elementary School in Palos Consolidated School District 118 has been named a National Blue Ribbon School award winner by the U.S. Department of Education. U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona made the announcement on September 16. “This is a moment of extreme pride for us here in District 118,” said Supt. Dr. Anthony…
Palos Park Woman’s Club turns 120
The Palos Park Woman’s Club officially turned 120 years old on August 21, 2022. A celebration was held on that day at the Palos Park Rec Center with approximately 100 people in attendance including members, local dignitaries, family and friends. The Village of Palos Park recently proclaimed August 21 through September 17 as Palos Park…
Northwestern College holds summer pinning ceremony
Northwestern College’s Violet L. Schumacher School of Nursing held a Pinning Ceremony for its Summer Quarter Nursing graduates on September 8. The ceremony was conducted at the Oak Lawn Public Library’s lower-level conference room, a new location following the college’s recent move from Bridgeview to Oak Lawn. The traditional ceremony marks the formal induction of…
Join the Polish American Cultural Club Meetings of the Polish American Cultural Club are held on the first Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at American Legion Post 1941, 900 S. La Grange Road, La Grange. Dues are $20 per year for individual membership and $35 for a family membership. The mission of our…
9th annual Halloween run at Moraine Valley
Grab a costume, dress up the kids and head to the ninth annual Halloween 5K run/walk and Kid’s Dash on Saturday, Oct. 29, 9 a.m., at Moraine Valley Community College, 9000 W. College Parkway, Palos Hills. Participants can walk or run the officially timed 5K (3.1 mile) path throughout campus. The Kid’s Dash will start…
Sparks fly during Palos Heights parking lot debate
By Jeff Vorva The City of Palos Heights is one step away from voting on a controversial new parking lot and the issue drew some fireworks Tuesday night. Nine people spoke on the topic during a 45-minute public comment session, but it was resident Dan Nicholson who pushed the buttons of Aldermen Jack Clifford and…
McCook hosts celebration of heroes to honor sacrifices of September 11
By Carol McGowan Despite the drenching rain on Sunday, more than 200 people gathered for the annual Celebration of Heroes event at the McCook Fire Department to honor the people who died in the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Five villages took part in Sunday’s event: McCook, Riverside, Forest View, Lyons, and Willow Springs.…
McCarthy named permanent police chief in Willow Springs
By Carol McGowan Former Chicago Police Supt. Garry McCarthy was sworn in last week as the new permanent police chief in Willow Springs. McCarthy, who has been serving as acting police chief since April, was sworn in by Bob Sprinkle, longtime resident and chairman of the Willow Springs Police Commission. He served as Chicago’s top…
Justice raises $5,000 for holiday baskets
By Carol McGowan Justice Trustee Jeff Allen said the village raised almost $5 ,000 at the annual car show in August, which will go towards the annual holiday baskets and gift cards program for less fortunate residents. Allen said the car show brought in just over $4,919. Otherwise, it was business as usual at the…
Countryside to renovate baseball field at City Park
By Steve Metsch Youth baseball players in Countryside will have an improved ball field to play on in City Park next year. The city council at its Sept. 14 meeting unanimously approved paying Sportfields Inc., of Alsip, $29,800 to do the renovation work. Ald. Mark Benson (3rd) told the council the work “is long overdue…
Countryside hosts 50 asylum seekers from Venezuela
By Steve Metsch The city of Countryside has warmly welcomed 50 refugees from Venezuela who are seeking asylum in the United States, officials said at the latest city council meeting. “These are individuals going through the process,” Mayor Sean McDermott said. “They are legally in the United States and they are seeking asylum, which a…
Condors prevail on gridiron
Members of the Curie High School girls’ flag football team share a moment of triumph, moments after they won neighborhood bragging rights over Solorio Academy with a 22-8 victory last week. The Condors were paced by game MVP Destiny Miranda and QB Lexi Urzula. – Supplied photo
Lyons buys property near old quarry
By Steve Metsch The village of Lyons has agreed to pay $2,770,416 for approximately 8.56 acres just south of the former quarry on Ogden Avenue. “This is something we talked about at previous board meetings. It’s finally coming to fruition,” Mayor Christopher Getty said at the Aug. 16 village board meeting. Dubbed the Lyons South…
Lyons Township Democrats hold annual Fall Fest
By Carol McGowan The Democratic Park of Lyons Township held its annual Fall Fest last Saturday. The party took place outside of the Township Democratic Headquarters at 63rd Street and Archer Road in Summit. Lyons Township Supervisor Christopher Getty was happy with the turnout. “The event was an overwhelming success. We had approximately 300 people…
City expands security-camera program
Free cams available for the poor From staff reports The City’s Community Safety Coordination Center (CSCC) has announced the launch of a new Income-Based Application that allows Chicagoans to obtain outdoor security devices, based on income. The expansion builds on what officials call the success of the Home and Business Protection Rebate Application, which helps…
Is the pandemic over?
Not so fast, city Health Dept. seems to say From staff reports While both public health and political commentators assessed the accuracy of President Joe Biden’s recent proclamation that the pandemic is over, the Chicago Department of Public Health appears to be saying, not so fast. “The pandemic is over. We still have a problem…
A labor of love
Stained glass entry glows with inspiration at St. Richard Church By Tim Hadac For many years, the north wall of St. Richard Church offered parishioners inside a distracting view of 50th Street. These days, it offers a glimpse into eternal salvation. The clear glass in the windows and doors of the church’s main entrance…
St. Francis of Assisi in Orland Park to Host Blue Mass on Sunday
Hundreds of police officers, firefighters, emergency services personnel and their families are expected to attend the annual Blue Mass at noon on Sunday, Sept. 25, at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Orland Park. Hosted by St. Francis of Assisi Parish and the Knights of Columbus Council 16369, the Blue Mass is a Catholic tradition…
‘That’s more like it’
Neighbors praise police for confronting rowdy crowds By Tim Hadac A year ago, crowds of Mexican Independence Day revelers trashed Pulaski Road—mostly between the Stevenson Expressway and Archer Avenue. In 2022, the partiers were back, but this time they appeared to be met by a more robust and coordinated police response—much to the satisfaction of…
Spirited soccer struggle in Scottsdale
After several tries over several years, a soccer squad put together by the Scottsdale Neighborhood Watch defeated a Chicago Police Department team in a match at Durkin Park. SNW President Jason Huff said while the victory was sweet, both sides actually won, because the purpose of the match was to draw police and the community…
Illinois News
Capitol Briefs: State Fair sets record; jury awards $363 million in Sterigenics lawsuit
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The 2022 Illinois State Fair set an all-time attendance record with more than 636,700 visitors. Weekend attendance increased by 95,000 from one year ago. Attendance topped 2021 overall by more than 160,000 and 2019 by more than 127,000. There was no fair in 2020 for the…
CAPITOL RECAP: Vice Presidet Harris visits Chicago; tax rebates coming
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – Vice President Kamala Harris came to Chicago Friday, Sept. 16, to rally voters who support abortion rights and urge them to turn out in the upcoming midterm elections. Speaking at a roundtable discussion on reproductive rights at the University of Illinois Chicago, Harris said the recent U.S. Supreme Court…
CAPITOL RECAP: Vice Presidet Harris visits Chicago; tax rebates coming
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – Vice President Kamala Harris came to Chicago Friday, Sept. 16, to rally voters who support abortion rights and urge them to turn out in the upcoming midterm elections. Speaking at a roundtable discussion on reproductive rights at the University of Illinois Chicago, Harris said the recent U.S. Supreme Court…
CAPITOL RECAP: VP Harris visits Chicago
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – Vice President Kamala Harris came to Chicago Friday, Sept. 16, to rally voters who support abortion rights and urge them to turn out in the upcoming midterm elections. Speaking at a roundtable discussion on reproductive rights at the University of Illinois Chicago, Harris said the recent U.S. Supreme Court…
In visit to Illinois, VP Harris rallies voters around abortion rights
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Vice President Kamala Harris came to Chicago Friday to rally voters who support abortion rights and urge them to turn out in the upcoming midterm elections. Speaking at a roundtable discussion on reproductive rights at the University of Illinois Chicago, Harris said the recent U.S. Supreme…
What happens when cash bail ends?
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Beginning Jan. 1, 2023, cash bail will be abolished in Illinois. The measure that will eliminate it has been on the books since early 2021, giving the justice system two years to plan for the major overhaul of the state’s pretrial detention system. It’s also given…
National Guard to assist migrant welcoming effort as Pritzker declares disaster
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker said Wednesday that Illinois will continue to welcome migrants bused here from Texas as he blasted that state’s governor for relocating them to other cities without sharing information or providing resources. Pritzker said Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and his agencies have been providing…
At a remote mental health facility, a culture of cruelty persists despite decades of warnings
By MOLLY PARKER Lee Enterprises Midwest BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with Capitol News Illinois and Lee Enterprises. Over a year ago, the security chief at Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center in southern Illinois sent an email to the head of the state…
Chief Justice Anne Burke to retire from Illinois Supreme Court in November
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Anne M. Burke announced Monday she will retire from the bench effective Nov. 30. She has served on the state’s high court since 2006 and has been chief justice since 2019. “The decision to retire was not an easy one,” Burke,…
Tax rebate checks begin going out this week
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker announced Monday that Illinois taxpayers will soon start receiving rebates of their income and property taxes, either in the mail or by direct bank deposits. Speaking at a news conference in Chicago where he was flanked by other state officials and Democratic leaders…
