Local News
Evergreen Park gears up for autumn activities
Summer will soon retreat with autumn beginning this week as activities marking fall will be offered in Evergreen Park. “I want to thank the senior council and everyone who volunteered and participated in this year’s Memories to Go,” said Mayor Kelly Burke during the Evergreen Park Village Board meeting Monday night. “I want to thank…
Clancy’s Sallyfest benefits local families
When Lauren Brazel was pregnant with twin boys, Charlie and Frank, she and her husband Ryan learned that the boys had experienced twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. According to the National Institute of Health, twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome is a rare pregnancy condition affecting identical twins or other multiples. TTTS occurs in pregnancies where twins share one placenta…
Oak Lawn Park District’s Conservation Jamboree to feature Monarch Festival
The Oak Lawn Park District is hosting a Conservation Jamboree featuring Monarch Festival on Saturday, September 21, at the Oak Lawn Park District Prairie.The Oak Lawn Park District is taking its Monarch Festival to new heights this weekend. Residents are invited out to recognize and take pride in Oak Lawn’s natural beauty with this new family…
Worth bean bag tourney aids Special Olympics
Worth Mayor Mary Werner was pleased that participants enjoyed competing in a bean bag tournament while assisting the Illinois Special Olympics. The Worth Police Department sponsored the annual Fall Bean Bag Tournament on Sept. 7 at the Marrs-Meyer American Legion Post 991. Cash prizes were awarded to the top three teams. But what was most…
Man suspected in multiple carjackings arrested
Orland Park, Countryside police track him down A Lynwood man was arrested last week in connection with a carjacking in June at the Mercedes-Benz of Orland car dealership. Marcus Turner, 23, was picked up in Markham on September 12 and subsequently charged with aggravated vehicular hijacking, two counts of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon,…
Lyons Township Dems hold annual Fall Fest in Summit
The Lyons Township Democratic Organization held their annual Fall Fest this past Saturday. It took place from 11:00AM-1:00PM outside of their headquarters at 63rd Street and Archer Road in Summit. They welcomed approximately 300 people to the event and this year was no disappointment. Food was a plenty with grilled burgers, italian sausage, and hot…
Historic Worth Restaurant marks 75th anniversary
Longtime customers Ed Palenik (left) and his dad Ed Palenik enjoying breakfast on September 15. Tucked away modestly yet directly in the Village Plaza, along West 111th Street, lies the historic Worth Restaurant. Formerly known as Worth Snack Shop and Loretta’s Snack Bar, the eatery at 6948 W. 111th St., has been an integral part…
Pekau addresses second phase of Schussler Park
The fancy upgrade to Schussler Park is the pride and joy of Mayor Keith Pekau and the Orland Park village board. But not everyone is enamored with it. At the Sept. 16 village board meeting, resident Mary Beth Griffin said she was representing several other residents who could not attend the meeting to complain about…
Community Fun and Fundraising at Garfield Ridge ‘Sell-a-Bration’ Yard Sale
Everything from action figures and baseball cards to zippered coats was on sale at the Garfield Ridge Neighborhood Watch’s “Sell-a-Bration” Community Yard Sale on Saturday at the Kennedy High School parking lot. Garfield Ridge Neighborhood Watch (GRNW) Secretary Michele Doherty and Treasurer Debi Kurbac said they were pleased with the turnout as they watched shoppers…
Autumn fun right around the corner
There’s a bite in the air and Halloween decorations are on sale everywhere! Time for football and bonfires and curling up with a good book. The days may be getting shorter but there’s still plenty to do. It’s going to be a busy month around the neighborhood this fall so keep a look out…
Ridge Funeral Home Hosts Appreciation Cookout to Honor First Responders
In honor of local heroes, Ridge Funeral Home took time to honor those who dedicate their time and lives to helping others. The funeral home, 6620 W. Archer Avenue, Chicago, hosted a First Responders Appreciation Cookout on September 7 as a thank you to local police officers and firefighters, and all first responders, for their…
Comings & Goings: Great Lakes Beer and Bourbon closes
Great Lakes Beer and Bourbon abruptly closed its doors earlier this month in Palos Park after being open since last summer. The pub at 12900 S. LaGrange Road in Palos Park closed September 3 with little warning. The business posted a farewell message on its Facebook page: “To all our loyal customers over the last…
Property values soar 31% in Lake Township
Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi has announced the initial reassessments for residential and commercial properties in Lake Township, marking an important update for property owners. On August 29, Kaegi revealed a 31% increase in the total assessed value, driven by the changing real estate market over the past three years. With reassessments happening every three…
Sisters of St. Casimir join forces with Immaculate Heart of Mary
As they have every year, the Sisters of St. Casimir prepared to celebrate the anniversary of their founding at the end of August. But this would be much different than in past years when Summerfests adorned the sprawling grounds of the Motherhouse on Marquette Road. Just as those fests were important to the neighborhood so,…
New mural brightens 67th Street viaduct
The viaduct at 67th Street and Central Park Avenue now has beautiful new murals. The murals cover all four corners of the intersection with dazzling displays of nature themes. There are colorful birds, flowers, butterflies, a very large caterpillar and a white rabbit reminiscent of “Alice in Wonderland.” The works of art, which were made with special outdoor paint,…
Remembering 9/11: Shepard High’s JROTC Cadets Walk in Honor of Fallen
Shepard High School students took time last week to remember fallen heroes during a 9/11 remembrance ceremony. On the morning of Wednesday, Sept. 11, Shepard High School JROTC students and staff members met on the school’s football field at 13049 S. Ridgeland Ave., Palos Heights, to honor the fallen heroes of the 9/11 tragedy. “9/11…
Stagg High Welcomes 3,500 for Marching Band Competition
Marching bands came together last weekend to share their love of music. Stagg High School, 8015 W. 111th St., Palos Hills, welcomed more than 20 marching bands from around the area at its annual March Band Jamboree on September 7. The Jamboree began with the national anthem performed by area middle schoolers from Palos South…
McCook Fire Hydrants Get Date With Sandblaster, New Paint Job
McCook residents will soon see crews sandblasting and repainting fire hydrants around the village Mayor Terrance Carr, after the village board meeting on Tuesday night Sept. 3, confirmed that testing has been completed on the fire hydrants village-wide. “We’re in the final steps. The flow testing was done. Everything turned out good. The leak testing…
Protesters rip Oak Lawn over lack of accountability in man’s death a year ago
The Oak Lawn Fall Music Festival received great reviews but the village board also listened to heated comments regarding a local man who was struck and killed by a motorist a year ago. Fadia Muhamad, the mother of Murod Kurdi, who was struck and killed by a passing motorist in 2023 in the 9100 block…
Joan Crawford and Bette Davis visit the Worth Public Library
The enmity between Joan Crawford and Bette Davis created one of the most famous celebrity feuds of all time. Why did they hate each other so much? Well, it’s a long story, but to share it was actress, Jillann Gabrielle, who portrayed both roles at the Worth Public Library, 6917 W. 111th St., Worth, on…
Illinois News
Jury deadlocks, mistrial declared in case of ex-AT&T boss accused of bribing Madigan
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – A federal judge on Thursday declared a mistrial after a jury deadlocked in their deliberations over whether former AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza bribed longtime Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan via a no-work contract for the speaker’s political ally. After nearly 15 hours of deliberation…
High court: Smell of burnt cannabis is not cause for warrantless vehicle search
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com Law enforcement officers in Illinois cannot rely on the smell of burnt cannabis alone to justify searching a vehicle without a warrant, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled on Thursday. The decision was unanimous, though Justice Lisa Holder White did not take part in it. Writing for the court,…
State wraps up case in challenge to assault weapons ban
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com EAST ST. LOUIS – A federal judge invoked images from the 1917 race riots in East St. Louis, Illinois, on Thursday at the end of a trial in a case challenging the constitutionality of the state’s ban on assault-style weapons and large-capacity magazines. Judge Steven McGlynn, who has…
Gun expert says assault weapons ban ‘describes the most popular firearms I’m involved with’
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com EAST ST. LOUIS – A firearms expert testified Wednesday that the weapons restricted under Illinois’ assault weapons ban include many of the most common firearms that American consumers use for self-defense. Steven Randall Watt, a combat veteran and retired law enforcement officer who now owns a private firearms…
Case of former AT&T boss accused of bribing Madigan heads to jury
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – On Valentine’s Day in 2017, then-AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza got some good news: After years of trying to push for legislation in Springfield that would save the company hundreds of millions of dollars annually, powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan had agreed to a…
State Supreme Court hears arguments in Jussie Smollett’s effort to overturn conviction
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in actor Jussie Smollett’s appeal to overturn his conviction on disorderly conduct charges for falsifying a hate crime. Smollett, who was an actor on the TV show “Empire,” was improperly charged with the same crime twice, his legal team…
Testimony continues in 2nd Amendment challenge to Illinois’ assault weapons ban
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com EAST ST. LOUIS – An engineer who spent decades designing weapons for one of the world’s leading gun manufacturers testified Tuesday that the assault-style weapons now banned in Illinois are intended only for civilian use and cannot be easily converted into military-grade firearms. James Ronkainen, a former engineer…
Contractor’s unsecured databases exposed sensitive voter data in over a dozen Illinois counties
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Around 4.6 million records associated with Illinoisans in over a dozen counties – including voting records, registrations and death certificates – were temporarily available on the open internet, according to a security researcher who identified the vulnerability in July. The documents were available through an unsecured cloud storage…
Prosecutors rest case against former AT&T Illinois boss accused of bribing Madigan
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – After years of pushing in Springfield, AT&T Illinois’ executive team was thrilled when the Illinois General Assembly in 2017 passed legislation that would get the company out from under expensive obligations to maintain its aging copper landline wires in Illinois. “Game over. We win,” AT&T Illinois…
Trial begins in challenge to assault weapons ban
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com EAST ST. LOUIS – The owner of a gun store testified Monday that Illinois’ ban on the sale of assault-style weapons and large capacity magazines has had a significant impact on his business and prevented his customers from buying items they would normally use for self-defense, hunting, target…
