Local News
Oak Lawn police arrest Chicago man in road rage shooting
By Bob Bong A Chicago man has been charged in the road rage shooting on May 10 near 107th Street and Cicero Avenue in Oak Lawn that left a man fighting for his life. Oak Lawn police detectives and U.S. Customs agents arrested Mario Mallard, 36, on Sunday at O’Hare International Airport after he returned…
Toy Con Toy Show celebrates 30 years
By Kelly White Celebrating 30 years of toy shows this weekend was the Toy Con Toy Show. The event, also known as Kaiju Days Special, was hosted by Terry Mannix and ChicagoLand Joes (’82 – ’94) at the Bridgeview Community Center, 7902 S. Oketo Ave., Bridgeview, on Sunday, May 15. “I have been collecting for…
Pro Soccer Report: Fire II get first win; Red Stars fall to San Diego
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer When the soccer world woke up on May 15, the Chicago Fire II had not won an MLS NEXT Pro game and the Chicago Red Stars had not lost a regular-season game this season. That all changed late that afternoon. The Fire II won the first game in their short…
Area Sports Roundup: Marist knocks off Glenbard West in battle of nationally ranked volleyball teams
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Power on power didn’t work the first time around. Power here and there, mixed in with some savvy soft shots, did the trick the second time. In a battle of two of the top 11 teams in the nation, according to the USA Today/American Volleyball Coaches Association May 11 rankings,…
Postseason Roundup: Lyons water polo teams vault to state via sensational sectionals
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Anyone looking for thrills and close matches at the two Lyons water polo sectionals were out of luck. Anyone rooting for the hosts, however, had a ball during that 24-hour stretch May 13 and 14. The Lions boys crushed Riverside-Brookfield, 17-5, in the semifinals and St. Rita, 12-3, in the…
OLCHS to honor ‘Sully’ with baseball field dedication May 17
By Brian Frangella Any Oak Lawn Community High School student who participated in athletics anywhere from 1973-2014, odds are Skip Sullivan coached or taught them in one way or another. He spent an entire lifetime going to school, excelling in sports, and coaching as a Spartan. He was truly one of a kind. So, when…
Evergreen Park kicks off farmer’s market
The Evergreen Park Farmers Market kicked off on Thursday, May 5, at Yukich Field, 89th Street and Kedzie Avenue. The market is back again for the 18th season, happening every Thursday from 7 a.m. until 1 p.m. until Oct. 24.
Director tells city council in-person programs are back at Palos Heights Library
By Jeff Vorva In-person programs started back at the Palos Heights Public Library this month. Library director Jesse Blazek spoke at the May 3 city council meeting to give an update after Alderman Don Bylut questioned the lack of in-person programs at a council meeting in April. “Our plan was to have in-person programming in…
Pekau says Orland Park is trying to fix Triangle ‘disaster’
By Jeff Vorva It’s almost like Oliver Hardy turning to Stan Laurel and saying, “Well, here’s another fine mess you’ve gotten me into,” in the old movie comedies. Whenever progress on the Orland Park Main Street Triangle is made, Mayor Keith Pekau can’t resist taking shots at previous village boards for what he says is…
Orland Township celebrates seniors for Older Americans Month
By Kelly White Orland Township cares about its residents and looks for ways to recognize them and their commitments. For the month of May, the township is honoring its senior citizen residents by inviting them take part in the celebration of Older Americans Month. Older Americans Month is a month-long observance in the U.S. devoted…
Son charged in murder of Chicago Ridge man
By Bob Bong The son of a man found stabbed to death in his Chicago Ridge home early Monday morning has been charged with second-degree murder. Francisco Duran, 21, was charged Tuesday in the death of his father, Salvador Duran, 47, Chicago Ridge Police Chief Jim Jarolimek said in a release Wednesday. Jarolimek said police…
Palos Park police to hold Coffee with a Cop on Thursday
From staff reports Palos Park Police Commissioner Dan Polk is inviting the community to visit with the police as part of a Coffee with a Cop event today at noon at the Plush Horse, 123rd Street and 86th Avenue. Polk said residents can sit down with police officers over a cup of coffee and have…
Road rage shooting upsets Oak Lawn officials
Village proclaims Skip Sullivan Day By Joe Boyle Rising crime has Oak Lawn officials concerned, especially after reports of a road rage shooting that took place in the village Tuesday night just before the village board meeting. According to Oak Lawn Police Chief Dan Vittorio, two men began shouting at each other from their vehicles while driving…
Man shot in apparent road rage incident in Oak Lawn
By Bob Bong A man was badly injured after he was shot Tuesday night in the 10700 block of Cicero Avenue in Oak Lawn in what police say appears to be a road rage incident. Gerald Vetter, Division Chief Investigations, said in a release that a police sergeant heard two gunshots in the area of…
Pro Soccer Report: Cup runneth over — Red Stars v. Washington postponed because of exhibition tourney
By Jeff Vorva Staff writer SeatGeek Stadium was empty the night of May 7. The NWSL game between Washington and the Chicago Red Stars that had been scheduled was postponed, and will be played at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 8. The reason? It wasn’t weather related. It was a cool but dry night. A decent…
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Comings & Goings
Longtime lawmaker reflects on time in General Assembly, calls it ‘honor of lifetime’
By GRACE KINNICUTT Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – House Majority Leader Greg Harris, the number two Democrat in the Illinois House of Representatives, never imagined landing the role of state representative – or that he would leave office feeling that he has been successful at it. The first openly LGTBQ leader in Illinois History,…
11th contempt citation filed against DCFS director
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – On Thursday afternoon, a Cook County judge found Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Director Marc Smith in contempt of court for the 11th time for violating court orders to move children to proper placements. The 11-year-old girl at the center of the case has…
Criminal case against senior staff at state-run hospital dismissed
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The official misconduct case against a Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center senior staff member was dismissed on Thursday. Union County State’s Attorney Tyler Tripp dropped the charges, related to a cover-up of abuse at the state-run facility, against Choate’s quality assurance manager Gary Goins. The…
ANALYSIS: Fuel retailers sue over ‘compelled speech’ at the gas pump
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] “As of July 1, 2022, the State of Illinois has suspended the inflation adjustment to the motor fuel tax through December 31, 2022. The price on this pump should reflect the suspension of the tax increase.” Those two sentences may be coming to a gas pump near you…
CAPITOL RECAP: Survey: Illinois undercounted in 2020 census
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – The Census Bureau released new survey data Thursday, May 19, suggesting the population of Illinois may have been undercounted by nearly 2 percent in the 2020 headcount. That was one of the findings of the Census Bureau’s Post-Enumeration Survey, or PES, something the bureau does after each decennial census…
Census Bureau: Illinois may have been undercounted in 2020 census
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Census Bureau released new survey data Thursday suggesting the population of Illinois may have been undercounted by nearly 2 percent in the 2020 headcount. That was one of the findings of the Census Bureau’s Post-Enumeration Survey, or PES, something the bureau does after each decennial…
Illinois rejoins federal Title X family planning program
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Illinois has resumed participation in the federal Title X family planning program after refusing to take part for the past three years in protest over a Trump administration policy regarding abortion services. Gov. JB Pritzker announced this week that the state has been awarded $5.4 million…
Pritzker signs bill requiring serialization of unfinished ‘ghost guns’
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFILED – Owners of firearms that do not have serial numbers – referred to as ghost guns – will have 180 days to take them to a federal firearm dealer to have them serialized or they will risk being charged with a misdemeanor. Gov. JB Pritzker signed the…
What’s in the SAFE-T Act? A look at the 2021 criminal justice reform and how it has evolved
By GRACE KINNICUTT Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Amid a campaign season in which every constitutional office and seat in the Illinois General Assembly will be up for vote, rising crime and a landmark criminal justice reform passed in 2021 have become dominant topics for Republicans trying to loosen Democrats’ hold on state government.…
Cost of Statehouse renovation higher than estimated but within state’s budget
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The cost of renovating the north wing of the Illinois Statehouse will be more expensive than officials initially estimated. Only one bid came in for the project, which is about to get underway. CORE Construction Services of Illinois Inc. priced the job at $243.5 million, well…
