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Unlocked cars in Palos Park make easy work of burglary

by Kevin Olsen staff reporter A string of recent burglaries of vehicles in Palos Park may have been preventable by the car owners. Police and Public Safety Commissioner Dan Polk told the Village Council Monday that four vehicles were broken into on the night of July 18, but that all four vehicles were reportedly unlocked.…

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TCF Bank in Palos Heights robbed by two armed men

by Jack Murray editor TCF Bank in Palos Heights was robbed last week for the second time since March 5 in the third bank robbery to take place in Palos Heights this year. Two armed men entered the bank at about 6:35 p.m. on May 6 and ordered employees to fill with cash a bag…

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Palos Park man dies after crash

by Maura Vizza From The Reporter A 75-year-old Palos Park man died last week from injuries he sustained when he crashed a car into a tree on his birthday, according to Oak Lawn police. Louis Semedalas was pronounced dead at 6:10 a.m. Oct. 13, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. The cause of…

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Palos Heights police to heighten traffic patrol

The Palos Heights Police Department in conjunction with the Illinois Department of Transportation will conduct increased police patrols from this Friday, Aug. 18 through Sept. 4. These patrols will focus on all alcohol-related offenses, seat belt and child-restraint enforcement. The goal is

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Palos Park police offer free bicycle helmets

Palos Park police offer free bicycle safety helmets to children of Palos Park. This is the fifth year that the Police Department will provide the free bicycle helmets. Chief Joe Miller said,

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House passes bill prohibiting book bans

House passes bill prohibiting book bans

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House passed a bill Wednesday that would prohibit libraries from banning books or other material because of partisan or doctrinal pressure, prompting strong opposition from Republicans who called it an assault on local control. House Bill 2789 is an initiative of Democratic Secretary of…

ComEd’s former top lawyer paints Madigan confidant as ‘double agent’ in testimony

ComEd’s former top lawyer paints Madigan confidant as ‘double agent’ in testimony

By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois [email protected] CHICAGO – Being the longtime friend of longtime Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan granted Mike McClain certain privileges not afforded to other lobbyists in Springfield, jurors heard Tuesday in a federal corruption trial that, in part, centers around the relationship between the two. McClain “had pretty free access”…

House sends 41 bills to Senate as Friday legislative deadline looms

House sends 41 bills to Senate as Friday legislative deadline looms

By Capitol News Illinois [email protected] The Illinois House passed 41 bills to the Senate Tuesday ahead of a scheduled Friday deadline. The measures, among others, included a ban on polystyrene food containers, bills focusing on gender inclusivity in state law and a requirement that expectant parents have a “duty” to split pregnancy-related costs, including for…

‘You’re a street fighter,’ Madigan confidant counseled former speaker: wiretapped call

‘You’re a street fighter,’ Madigan confidant counseled former speaker: wiretapped call

By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois [email protected] CHICAGO – Facing a perceived betrayal during a make-or-break election season in 2018, former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan called the person he often sought counsel from: longtime friend and confidant Mike McClain. Several Democratic candidates running for the state Senate were using lines in their campaign ads…

Lawmakers advance measure to regulate ride-shares as ‘common carriers’

Lawmakers advance measure to regulate ride-shares as ‘common carriers’

By NIKA SCHOONOVER Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Lawmakers are considering a bill that would treat ride-share companies such as Uber and Lyft as “common carriers,” opening them up to the same level of liability as other forms of public transportation. House Bill 2231 passed on the House floor this week with a 73-36…

Nuclear option: Illinois grapples with the future of nuclear power

Nuclear option: Illinois grapples with the future of nuclear power

By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois [email protected] CHICAGO – A measure allowing the construction of new commercial nuclear power plants has bipartisan, bicameral support in the state legislature as the body considers its next steps in meeting carbon-free energy goals while maintaining grid reliability. Its advocates say the measure would open the door for the…

Wiretaps show Madigan, through McClain, forced ally out of legislature to protect himself

Wiretaps show Madigan, through McClain, forced ally out of legislature to protect himself

By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois [email protected] CHICAGO – In fall 2018, longtime former State Rep. Lou Lang, D-Skokie, received a phone call from Mike McClain, who had spent decades lobbying for electric utility Commonwealth Edison after 10 years in the General Assembly. McClain was delivering a message from House Speaker Michael Madigan, who was…

House panel debates ranked choice voting

House panel debates ranked choice voting

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Illinois lawmakers are debating whether the state should join a growing list of jurisdictions in the United States that allow voters to pick more than one candidate for an office, ranking them in order of preference rather than choosing just one. Ranked choice voting, or as…

Madigan looms large in trial of ex-ComEd lobbyists, exec

Madigan looms large in trial of ex-ComEd lobbyists, exec

By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois [email protected] CHICAGO – Former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan isn’t set to go on trial for racketeering and corruption charges until next summer, but his decades of power in Illinois government and politics loomed large Wednesday as opening arguments got underway in a related case. Madigan’s name was uttered…

Transit agencies look to the state to help make up projected $730 million budget gap

Transit agencies look to the state to help make up projected $730 million budget gap

By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois [email protected] CHICAGO – Officials with the state’s largest transit agencies met with lawmakers on Tuesday to sound the alarm for what Regional Transportation Authority Executive Director Leanne Redden called a “looming operational crisis.” “By 2026, the region will face an annual budget deficit of nearly $730 million per year,”…