Local News
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,…
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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…
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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…
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Annexations of three areas of Orland Park will likely become a reality, but there will be some time for residents to soak things in and to ask questions. The village board voted on Aug. 19 to postpone annexing the 1455-14567 S. 82nd Avenue area, the Silver Lake Drive property and the Silver Lake Dells area.…
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Popular Italian eatery Buca di Beppo closed its doors at 15350 S. 94th Avenue in Orland Park earlier this month just before the chain announced it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last week. The closing was one of at least a dozen locations closed by the restaurant chain in recent weeks. There is…
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The days of summer are dwindling but that did not stop Orland Park from savoring the last of the season with a three-day food festival. The Tate of Orland Park was held the weekend of August 4 at Orland Park’s Metra Station at 15609 Park Station Blvd., Orland Park. This was the first time for…
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The summer clock is winding down and Orland Township was there to get ready to prepare students to enter back into the classroom with its annual Back-To-School Health Fair. Presented by Orland Township Supervisor Paul O’Grady and the Orland Township Board of Trustees, the free health fair was held on July 28 at the township,…
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From staff reports Orland Park’s annual Taste of Orland Park presented by Northwestern Medicine arrives at the new Centennial Park West August 2 through 4. Now in its 21st year, the Taste of Orland Park showcases Orland Park eateries, community organizations and several bands throughout the weekend. Special events within the fest include three days…
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By Jeff Vorva Orland Park will be on the lookout for a village manager next spring. Current manager George Koczwara, whose contract expires Oct. 14 and was not renewed by the village board, resigned in June but plans on fulfilling his obligations until that date. Mayor Keith Pekau said that an interim director will be…
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By Jeff Vorva Evita Griskenas, of Orland Park, will compete in her second Olympics, representing the United States in rhythmic gymnastics in the 2024 Summer Games in Paris. Griskenas, a Sandburg graduate, qualified for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and finished 12th in the qualifying round in the individual all-around. She will be the only…
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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,…
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…
Football | Evergreen Park gallops past Oak Lawn in conference opener
Within the first five-plus minutes of the Week 3 battle between Oak Lawn and Evergreen Park, 27 points had been scored. The host Mustangs sustained their offensive momentum throughout the contest en route to a 49-31 victory over the Spartans in the South Suburban Red opener for both teams. Leading the way for the Mustangs…
Football | Mount Carmel’s Jack Elliott and Cooper Lehman set records in defeat of Nazareth
A rare matchup between back-to-back state champions saw two of the state’s top quarterbacks combine for 11 touchdown passes and ended as an historic night for a program familiar with making history. The quarterback duel and the game both went to Mount Carmel, which rode the arm of senior signal-caller Jack Elliot to a 56-33…
Sandburg girls volleyball players bond via Smurfs and zombie brides
Sandburg junior middle hitter Ayah Kashkeesh and her volleyball teammates did not have a normal Thursday night on Sept. 12. Rather than playing a match in the school’s main gym, the Eagles had the night away from volleyball and held a fashion show and raffle. The players were not, however, modeling the hottest designs by…
Red Stars’ Schlegel scores in return, but Swanson hurt in win over Portland
Ally Schlegel welcomed herself back to the Chicago Red Stars starting lineup in the best way possible. The forward scored the only goal in the game in the 16th minute to give the RedStars a 1-0 road win over Portland in an NWSL game at Providence Park on Sept. 13. Red Stars star player Mallory…
College Football | Saint Xavier falls to St. Thomas in battle of NAIA Top 10 teams
Many Saint Xavier football players remember when St. Thomas University came to Chicago in 2022 and beat the Cougars by three touchdowns. Those players were seeking revenge in a rematch at Deaton Field on Sept. 14, but that didn’t happen. SXU, ranked 8th in the nation by NAIA coaches, dropped a 33-14 decision to STU…
Football | St. Laurence ‘D’ dominates in shutout of Notre Dame
St. Laurence coach Adam Nissen was a happy man following the Vikings’ 24-0 shutout victory of Niles Notre Dame, Whether running the ball or dominating the Dons defensively, St. Laurence turned in an impressive performance in the CCL/ESCC crossover on Sept. 13 in Burbank. The Vikings defense allowed just 55 yards of total offense (39…
Football | Sandburg’s Shelton throws for 3 TDs, defense scores twice in win over Homewood-Flossmoor
Sandburg quarterback Anthony Shelton threw three touchdown passes, Quinn Durkin scored three times and the Eagles got two TDs from their defense as they rolled to a 63-34 win over Homewood-Flossmoor in a Week 3 Southwest Valley crossover. Shelton, a senior third-year starter, finished 14-of-19 for 283 yards and the three TDs to help Sandburg…
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…
