Local News
Starbucks opens on former vacant lot in West Lawn
A new Starbucks opened last week in Chicago’s West Lawn community on a lot that had been vacant for 40 years. Groundbreaking for the newest Starbucks took place in March at 6413 S. Cicero Ave. and was led by Mayor Brandon Johnson and 13th Ward Ald. Marty Quinn. The lot was a former gas station…
Comings & Goings: Fogo de Chao coming to Orland Park
Fogo de Chao, the Brazilian steak house known for servers carrying slabs of meat on long skewers from table to table, announced last week that it had signed a lease to open a new restaurant in Orland Park. The new location at 15407 S. LaGrange Road would be the chain’s fifth Chicagoland restaurant. The 6,791-square-foot…
Women’s social group launches voting initiative in Summit
A group of women from Summit called Nubian 9, better known as N9, are stepping up to ensure their community’s voice is heard at the ballot box. The social group of nine long-time childhood friends from the Summit-Argo community is committed to fostering sisterhood, social impact and sensational living (living life to the fullest). In…
Lyons Township Assessor outreach event in Summit recovers $36,000 for taxpayers
An outreach event sponsored by the Lyons Township Assessor’s office at the Summit Park District recovered more than $36,000 for taxpayers. Nearly 200 Summit residents concerned about the recent jump in Cook County assessments attended the August 29 outreach. Assessor Patrick Hynes gave a brief presentation about the local property tax landscape, the recent reassessment, and tips…
Local physician surpasses 500th robotic surgery at Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital
Northwestern Medicine Palos Heights Hospital is celebrating an exciting milestone for one of its surgeons. Dr. Samer Rajjoub, a surgeon at Palos Hospital, recently celebrated his 500th robotic surgery with state-of-the-art da Vinci robots that allow surgeons to perform complex minimally invasive procedures with more precision, often leading to less pain for the patient post-surgery…
Lyons High School junior shines in pageantry, animal advocacy
Sophia Aviles, a junior at Lyons Township High School, earned a national honor that propels her closer to realizing her dreams in pageantry, fashion modeling and animal welfare advocacy. The 16-year-old from La Grange Park enjoys photography, reading in the park, and volunteering at a local veterinary clinic. Recently, she placed as the second runner-up…
A Symphony of Dreams: Sisters open music school in Palos Hills
Two sisters are aiming to bring the power of music to the southwest suburbs. Kasia Szczech-Dlugosz and her younger sister, Karolina Szczech, opened the Magical Keys Institute of Music at 7840 W. 103rd St., Palos Hills, about three weeks ago. They celebrated with a grand opening on Thursday, Sept. 26, to greet the community and…
Palos East Elementary named National Blue Ribbon School
Palos East Elementary School in Palos Consolidated School District 118 has been named a National Blue Ribbon School award winner by the U.S. Department of Education. U.S. Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona, made the announcement on September 23 that Palos East Elementary has been named a 2024 National Blue Ribbon School. Schools are nominated by…
Pekau formally announces re-election bid and names slate
Even though he announced his intentions of running for another term in 2023, Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau made a formal announcement on Sept. 30. He also announced his slate of trustees and clerk for the April 1 election at a dinner following his golf outing for veterans at Silver Lake Country Club. Current trustees…
Palos Heights approves façade grant for Golden Shoes
Palos Heights aldermen were busy last month approving payments for road projects and demolition as well as a façade improvement. On September 17, council members approved a $206,939 payment to Simpson Construction for demolition needed for the pool improvement project. Additionally, a request was approved to purchase required Illinois Department of Public Health double doors…
Honoring Faith and Tradition: Saints Constantine & Helen Church Celebrates 115 Years
A spiritual and social center to meet, practice, and preserve the Orthodox religion and Greek culture, Saints Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church is proudly celebrating 115 years as a parish and 50 years in the Palos Hills community. “When a community of believers comes together in faith and the love of Christ, then He…
A Legacy of Compassion: How One Family’s Fight for Organ Donation Continues After Tragedy
Vikki Tulcus devoted her life to helping others as an advocate for organ donation, touching countless lives. As fate would have it, Tulcus became someone in desperate need of a donor. Her story is one of compassion, dedication and tragedy. Diagnosed with Wegener’s Syndrome, a rare autoimmune disease, Tulcus faced her own need for an…
Orland Park Library Fall Blanket Drive Aims To Keep Seniors Warm
As the temperatures begin to drop, the Orland Park Public Library is helping to spread warmth to senior citizens in need. The Orland Park Public Library has partnered with Pathlights, a nonprofit organization that serves older adults, for a fall blanket drive. “As the cooler months approach, it’s heartwarming to see our community come together…
From Grass to Verona: Shepard Students Transform Outdoors for Unique Romeo & Juliet Experience
Duffy Donovan is a junior at Shepard High School who loves theater. At just 16, Donovan has landed the role of a lifetime—playing Juliet in the school’s first-ever outdoor performance of Romeo & Juliet. The outdoor setting was a requirement due to the ongoing renovation of the school’s Fine Arts Center. With Shepard High School’s…
Quinn, Guerrero-Cuellar, and Porfirio honor 13th Ward Seniors
Alderman Marty Quinn, state Representative Angie Guerrero-Cuellar and state Senator Mike Porfirio held the annual Senior Celebration at West Lawn Park on September 20. The celebration, which started back in 2004, honors seniors of the 13th Ward that have made a significant impact in their neighborhood. This year’s honorees were Ray Konrath, Bill Swiderski, Rosa…
Before people carved pumpkins, they carved turnips
Did you know that before people started carving pumpkins into Jack-o-Lanterns, people of Irish and Scottish descent would carve faces into potatoes or turnip? This was done to scare away evil spirits on the night of Samhain, which marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter or the “darker half “of…
DMV to offer longer hours
As of now, Illinois DMV locations will be open 30 minutes earlier from Monday to Saturday. The new 7:30 a.m. starting times were announced by Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias to better align with higher customer demand in the mornings. Offices will now be open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and from 7:30…
Road work to begin on Harlem Avenue and 95th Street
The Illinois Department of Transportation announced last week that an improvement project on Harlem Avenue (Illinois 43) over 95th Street (U.S. 12/20), from 92nd Place, in Bridgeview, to south of 99th Place, in Chicago Ridge, passing through Oak Lawn, will begin, weather permitting, Monday, Sept. 30. The project is scheduled to be completed in several…
Comings & Goings: Bedford Park tears down former Southern Belle
After the Southern Belle restaurant in Bedford Park closed after more than two decades at 6737 S. Archer Ave., the village of Bedford Park purchased the site for $2.5 million. Bedford Park Mayor Dave Brady said the eatery closed after a plan to move the restaurant to 65th Street and Central Avenue didn’t work out because…
Man killed when Gage Park argument turns deadly
One man died and another was badly injured after an argument September 20 led to a shooting in Gage Park. Chicago police said just before 8:15 p.m., a 42-year-old man and a 33-year-old man got into an argument when one of them pulled out a gun. A struggle for the gun then ensued, and both…
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…
