Local News
Bridge Teen Center students try their hand at racquetball
From staff reports Middle school and high school students from The Bridge Teen Center traveled to Silver Lake Country Club in Orland Park last month for the unique opportunity to learn and play racquetball. Although many of the students had heard of the sport before, few actually had the opportunity to play it. “I signed…
Dash through the Nighttime Reindeer Run at Brookfield Zoo
From staff reports Grab your glow sticks and lace up your running shoes for the return of Brookfield Zoo’s Reindeer Run, presented by ALDI. On Saturday, November 20, participants of all ages will be some of the first to see the zoo all lit up for its Holiday Magic, while enjoying a fun run along a two-mile course entirely…
Orland Park Turkey Trot returns for 33rd year
From staff reports Orland Park’s annual Turkey Trot is a holiday mainstay, growing in popularity each year. This year marks the event’s 33rd year. The chip timed race is held on Thanksgiving morning and has become a highly anticipated tradition for many Orland Park residents and their guests looking to kick off the holiday with…
Local mayors line up behind Newman
By Bob Bong U.S. Rep. Marie Newman is wasting no time lining up supporters for her bid to win the Democratic nomination in the new 6th Congressional District. Newman, who hopes to continue serving the southwest suburbs from the newly drawn district, announced Monday that 10 area mayors have endorsed her in next June’s primary election…
Orland Park goes Foxx hunting with new resolution
By Jeff Vorva Orland Park trustees and Mayor Keith Pekau continued to pile on complaints against Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx. Board members say she is letting too many criminals run free and it is affecting their village. “I’ve been an attorney for 25 years and in law school before that and I’ve never…
If video gaming comes to Palos Park, there will be restrictions
By Jeff Vorva The Village of Palos Park council could be making a huge decision at Monday night’s meeting to allow video gaming machines in some businesses. It was brought up Oct. 25 and continued Nov. 8 and commissioners on the council have been seeking the public’s input. The tone of the council is that…
Orland Park honors veterans and their families
By Jeff Vorva James D. Hannigan felt a little bit funny addressing the veterans in Orland Park. Hannigan, a 1998 Sandburg graduate who is a lieutenant colonel in the Army in the St. Louis area, scanned the crowd of more than 200 at the Orland Park Civic Center on Veterans Day and said he wasn’t…
Veterans warm up to Palos Heights breakfast celebration
By Jeff Vorva James Duax will stay warm this winter. Duax, a Navy veteran who served from 1951-1955, was the first winner of a raffle giving away several quilts at the Veterans Breakfast on Nov. 10 at the Palos Height Recreation Center. He had his choice of colors and picked a quilt that had Green…
Clifford seeks help with Palos Lions Christmas tree delivery
By Jeff Vorva The trees are coming. At Tuesday’s Palos Heights City Council meeting, Ald. Jack Clifford announced that there will be at least 600 Christmas trees delivered and he is seeking a little help. The Palos Lions Club will have its annual tree sale at 127th Street and Harlem Avenue shortly after they are…
Girls Volleyball Class 2A State Finals: Chicago Christian takes 3rd place with win over Mater Dei
By Jason Maholy Sports Editor Philosophers and believers in analytics can debate the reality of momentum in the context of having a tangible effect on player performance and the outcomes of athletics competitions. To many if not most sports fans, players and coaches, there is no question momentum is real. And it flows both ways.…
Pro Soccer Report: Red Stars stun Thorns, will face Spirit for NWSL title
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Talk about coming full circle. The Chicago Red Stars opened the season in May with a full squad and dropped a 5-0 decision at Portland in one of the most lopsided defeats in franchise history. Then, on Nov. 14, with a team depleted by injuries and illness, they shocked the Thorns,…
Girls Volleyball Class 4A State Finals: Metea Valley tops Mother McAuley in three sets for state title
By Jason Maholy Sports Editor You can’t win them all. Coming into the state finals last weekend, Mother McAuley had won championships in 65 percent of its trips to state, including its last two in 2013 and 2016. After rallying past Edwardsville, 27-29, 25-21, 25-16, in the semifinals on Nov. 12, the Mighty Macs were…
College Football: Saint Xavier edges St. Francis in OT to clinch spot in playoffs
Jeff Vorva Correspondent With an automatic bid for the NAIA national playoffs on the line, Saint Xavier and St. Francis couldn’t decide anything after 60 minutes of play. So, the Cougars had to make it back into the playoffs in overtime thanks to a 25-yard-run from Amari Venerable on their first play from scrimmage after…
Obituary: Daniel Carroll, award-winning wrestling coach
From staff reports Daniel E. Carroll was a teacher and wrestling coach at St. Rita High School. In 2003, he was named Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association Coach of the Year. A resident of Oak Lawn, he died Nov. 3. He was 61 years old. Born in Chicago, he attended Downers Grove North and…
Palos Heights veteran gets a new roof
By Jeff Vorva Poor Sierra. The 20-year-old cat had a pretty rough day on Oct. 20. With all that pounding, banging and noise throughout the morning and afternoon there was a lot of meowing going on and it wasn’t because she was happy. Sierra was the only one in the house unhappy on that day.…
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Hundsdorfer brings investigative experience to Capitol News Illinois reporting team
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – Capitol News Illinois on Monday welcomed Beth Hundsdorfer to its full-time reporting staff. Hundsdorfer is a veteran investigative reporter who spent nearly 20 years at the Belleville News-Democrat, 13 of which were spent on the investigative beat. She also covered cops and courts. Her investigative journalism included work on…
Democrats deny racial gerrymandering in legislative maps
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Lawyers for the General Assembly’s Democratic leaders filed documents in federal court Wednesday denying that newly drawn state legislative district maps amount to racial gerrymandering, instead accusing the plaintiffs in the three lawsuits of trying to use race to redraw districts for their own purposes. Wednesday’s…
House Democratic Leader Greg Harris announces retirement plans
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Illinois House Democratic Leader Greg Harris said Monday he will not seek reelection in 2022 and will step down from the General Assembly after eight terms in office. Harris, 66, of Chicago, is the first openly LGBTQ legislative leader in Illinois history who spent much of…
Niemerg says he wants to ‘speak up’ for downstate Illinois
By ANDREW ADAMS For Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD – Republican state Rep. Adam Niemerg grew up in a family that cared about politics, so it felt like a natural step for him when he ran his first campaign to get a seat in the House of Representatives in 2020. “There’s a lot of things that…
Niemerg says he wants to ‘speak up’ for downstate Illinois
By ANDREW ADAMS For Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD – Republican state Rep. Adam Niemerg grew up in a family that cared about politics, so it felt like a natural step for him when he ran his first campaign to get a seat in the House of Representatives in 2020. “There’s a lot of things that…
Freshman legislator Pacione-Zayas focuses on ‘solutioning’
By MARIA GARDNER For Capitol News Illinois State Sen. Cristina Pacione-Zayas’ friends tease her for changing the meaning of words. “Solution” becomes a verb when she says “I’m about solutioning.” Pacione-Zayas, 43, D-Chicago, has been actively “solutioning” since she took office in December when then-state Sen. Iris Martinez stepped down to become Clerk of the…
Freshman legislator Pacione-Zayas focuses on ‘solutioning’
By MARIA GARDNER For Capitol News Illinois State Sen. Cristina Pacione-Zayas’ friends tease her for changing the meaning of words. “Solution” becomes a verb when she says “I’m about solutioning.” Pacione-Zayas, 43, D-Chicago, has been actively “solutioning” since she took office in December when then-state Sen. Iris Martinez stepped down to become Clerk of the…
State Rep. Dave Vella continues in grandfather’s footsteps
By TAYLOR AVERY For Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD – Behind a window with a “Save the Byron Nuclear Plant” sign taped to the glass, Ricardo Montoya Picazo listened to a father of three wonder aloud if he would still be able to support his children in a few weeks. “If I lose this, the only…
State Rep. Dave Vella continues in grandfather’s footsteps
By TAYLOR AVERY For Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD – Behind a window with a “Save the Byron Nuclear Plant” sign taped to the glass, Ricardo Montoya Picazo listened to a father of three wonder aloud if he would still be able to support his children in a few weeks. “If I lose this, the only…
CAPITOL RECAP: In court documents, Democrats deny racial gerrymandering claims
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – Lawyers for the General Assembly’s Democratic leaders filed documents in federal court Wednesday, Nov. 24, denying that newly drawn state legislative district maps amount to racial gerrymandering, instead accusing the plaintiffs in the three lawsuits of trying to use race to redraw districts for their own purposes. Among other…
