Local News
Pekau joins crowded Republican field in 6th Congressional District
By Jeff Vorva In what could be one of the most interesting and heated congressional races in the state in 2022, Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau announced Monday he is planning on running in the new 6th Congressional District. He will be running as a Republican and, so far, will battle energy consultant Niki Conforti in the…
Palos Park delays gaming vote again
By Jeff Vorva Someone should send the mayor of Palos Park some Alka-Seltzer. For the third meeting in a row, the Palos Park Village Council did not take any action on bringing gaming machines to town. Mayor John Mahoney and Commissioner Dan Polk are leaning in favor of it to help out the local businesses…
Record number of runners come out for 33rd Turkey Trot
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent In 2019, Patrick Foster won the Orland Park Turkey Trot for his first top finish in a competitive race. This year, he was back in the winner’s circle. Foster, an Orland Park native who now lives and works in Madison, Wisconsin, finished the 2 1/2-mile race in 14 minutes, 19.9 seconds…
Teen helps others despite brittle bone disease
Family toy drive benefits Comer Children’s Hospital By Kelly White Early on in her life, Madelyn Rodrigues was diagnosed with Osteogeneis Imperfects, a brittle bone disease that has already resulted in more than 70 bone fractures in her 14 years of life. As a freshman at Illinois Lutheran High School in Crete, Madelyn’s inner strength…
Girls Basketball: Shepard, Knights among four area teams to open season at Bobby Bolton Classic
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Four area teams competed in the eight-team Bobby Bolton Classic at Richards, and each showed some bright spots and had some sloppy moments. That was to be expected. Richards, Oak Lawn, Chicago Christian and Shepard were all opening the season with young teams. According to their rosters, 15 of 54 players…
Pro soccer report: Red Stars lose Dames after losing in NWSL title game
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent After a bizarre season that saw many of their best players injured for much of the time, a 5-0 loss to open the season and the thrill of making it to the NWSL championship game, Chicago Red Stars coach Rory Dames announced late Sunday night he was resigning. “For 11 years,…
St. Rita tops Prospect, advances to second straight state title game
By Steve Millar Correspondent After entering the season with huge expectations, St. Rita lost two of its first three games and star senior running back/receiver Kaleb Brown to injury. While some may have written the Mustangs off, they still believed they had a team that could win a state championship. “We’ve been able to stick…
Crusaders playoff run ends with semifinal loss to Wheaton North
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent At age 47, Brian Badke has a lot of good coaching years left in him. But for now, he is stepping away and putting the whistle in storage. He has a lot of good spectating years ahead of him that he wants to take care of, first. The Brother Rice football…
PETA donates duck to Oak Lawn Children’s Museum
By Kelly White A staple in community, the Oak Lawn Children’s Museum recently received a donation to make them stand out even more. Thanks to PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the museum, 5100 Museum Dr., Oak Lawn, now has a 3-foot-tall fiberglass duck that displays plenty of duck facts. “Whenever we have…
Richards student latest one charged in school threats
From staff reports A fourth student has been charged by Oak Lawn police for his role in a series of threats of violence made against local schools on social media and in text messages. Division Chief of Investigations Gerald Vetter said in a release that a 16-year-old student at Richards High School in Oak Lawn…
Misericordia’s Christmas pop-up shop returns to Beverly Arts Center
From staff reports During the weekend before Thanksgiving, South Siders can shop early for Christmas treats or add something special to the Thanksgiving feast thanks to 19th Ward Alderman Matt O’Shea, who is hosting Misericordia’s Christmas pop-up shop at the Beverly Arts Center, 2407 W. 111th St. in Chicago. This year, women in St. Cajetan…
3 youths charged with recent school threats
From staff reports Over the past several weeks, schools in Oak Lawn, Palos Hills and surrounding communities have received several threats of violence via text messages and social media. The Oak Lawn Police Department, with the assistance of the FBI, has identified and charged three minors for making the threats. One of the students attended…
EPCHS hosts local veterans for free breakfast
From staff reports Dozens of Evergreen Park veterans and relatives of current Evergreen Park Community High School students were treated to a free breakfast in the school cafeteria last Friday morning. Members of the EPCHS’ National Honor Society and Ben Nesler, the NHS faculty sponsor, organized the yearly event that returned to an in-person format…
Preschoolers honor veterans at Koraes School
From staff reports Preschoolers in the 4-year-old classroom at Koraes Elementary School in Palos Hills did an art project last week in honor of Veterans Day. The teacher, Mrs. Sonia, started the lesson with, “Today is Veterans Day and we are going to do an art project to honor the veterans.” Before she could get…
Stagg welcomes 19 veterans for luncheon
By Kelly White In honor of Veterans Day, local area teens took time to reflect on our nation’s heroes. Thanks to Stagg’s Student Council Veterans Luncheon on Friday afternoon at the school, 8015 W. 111th St., Palos Hills, students and veterans alike were able to enjoy an afternoon filled with good food, heartfelt stories, and…
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Capitol Cast: Climate, Supreme Court and Redistricting
Listen to the latest episode of Capitol Cast. Peter Hancock and Jerry Nowicki discuss Gov. JB Pritzker’s trip to the U.N. climate conference, an Illinois Supreme Court case concerning ride hailing services, and the latest developments in the legislative redistricting court cases. Capitol News Illinois · Climate, Supreme Court and Redistricting
GOP, advocacy groups submit changes to legislative district maps in court
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – Plaintiffs in three lawsuits challenging the new legislative district maps that Democrats pushed through the General Assembly earlier this year have submitted their proposed changes, which would create more Latino- and Black-majority districts in Cook County and the Metro East region. The latest filings, submitted to…
State Supreme Court asked to rule in case of woman allegedly raped by Lyft driver
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The rideshare company Lyft argued before the Illinois Supreme Court Wednesday that a 2014 state law protects it from being held liable for the criminal actions of one of its drivers who allegedly raped a passenger in 2017. The case centers on the constitutionality of the…
Pritzker signs Health Care Right of Conscience change
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – A new law in Illinois will soon clear the way for employers to enforce vaccination, testing and other mitigation measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The measure, Senate Bill 1169, amends the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act, a 1977 law originally intended to…
CAPITOL RECAP: Pritzker pushes Illinois as EV leader at UN Climate Change Conference
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – As global leaders met in Glasgow, Scotland, over the past two weeks to discuss the effects of and potential policy solutions to climate change, Gov. JB Pritzker made the case in a pair of speaking events that Illinois is doing its part to counteract troubling climate trends. It was…
Pritzker makes Illinois pitch at world climate conference
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – As global leaders met in Glasgow, Scotland, over the past two weeks to discuss the effects of and potential policy solutions to climate change, Gov. JB Pritzker made the case in a pair of speaking events that Illinois is doing its part to counteract troubling climate…
Application period for new round of rental assistance delayed one month
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The application period for a new round of financial assistance to renters through the Illinois Housing Development Authority will be delayed one month as the application portal undergoes additional testing, although funding remains available through other state programs. The latest round of funding, provided by the…
Redistricting lawsuit to be heard in early December
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – A three-judge federal court panel on Friday set the week of Dec. 6 as the time it will hear three consolidated cases challenging the new legislative district maps that were drawn by Democrats and signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker earlier this year. During a…
Latest school report card shows impact of COVID-19 on learning
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois [email protected] SPRINGFIELD – The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in significant drops in enrollment, academic performance and the likelihood of graduating high school on time, according to the latest school report card released recently by the Illinois State Board of Education. The report card is an annual report that tracks how…
CAPITOL RECAP: Gun violence a ‘public health crisis,’ governor says
By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker signed an executive order Monday, Nov. 1, classifying ongoing gun violence in Illinois as a public health crisis and announced his intent to include greater funding for violence-prevention initiatives in upcoming budgets. At a news conference in Chicago, Pritzker touted the Reimagine Public Safety Act which…
