Local News
Members of the Evergreen Park police and fire departments were recognized Monday night for acts of valor that went beyond the call of duty during the past month. Several members of the police department were honored for Outstanding Performance of Duty on Oct. 2. Evergreen Park police units responded to a report of someone driving…
Read More
Oak Lawn Police Chief Daniel Vittorio recalled the first National Night Out event planned for the village. He was working with the canine unit at the time and said there is one main difference now compared to back then. “The biggest difference is with the new board and having more committees,” Vittorio said. “The Special…
Read More
From staff reports A Burbank man was charged Monday with six counts of felony disorderly conduct for his role in allegedly setting off false fire alarms dating back to March. Palos Park police said they initiated an investigation on March 18 after they were contacted by the Palos Fire Protection District regarding numerous reports of…
Read More
Started his 50-year career as Orland Park cadet By Dermot Connolly Chicago Ridge Fire Chief William Bonnar officially announced his retirement from a nearly 50-year career at the June 18 Village Board meeting. Mayor Jack Lind made the announcement “with great regret,” joking that “he doesn’t have the age to retire but he decided to…
Read More
By Joe Boyle The Oak Lawn Chamber of Commerce presented awards to the winners of the 2023 Fire and Public Safety Coloring Book Contest at the Oak Lawn Village Board meeting on April 9. Fire Bureau Chief David Wheeler and Police Chief Daniel Vittoro were on hand to present the plaques, along with Oak Lawn Mayor…
Read More
By Bob Bong and Nuha Abdessalam The new year had only just begun when tragedy struck families living in a three-story apartment building in Hickory Hills. One man died, a second man was badly injured and several families were displaced by an early morning apartment fire Tuesday. Roberts Park Fire Department Chief Jeff Ketchen said…
Read More
By Joe Boyle The Village of Worth has officially withdrawn from the Southwest Central Dispatch system. An ordinance was approved to drop Southwest Central Dispatch during the Worth Village Board meeting Tuesday night. Another ordinance was approved to withdraw from the Southwest Central 911 system. The village had previously entered into an agreement with Southwest…
Read More
By Joe Boyle After some difficult years due to the pandemic, the economic health of the Village of Oak Lawn is on the rise. Additional funding has gone into the coffers for the Oak Lawn police and fire pensions. Village Manager Tom Phelan admitted during the Oak Lawn Village Board meeting on Aug. 8 that they had…
Read More
By Kelly White Strengthening the relationship between neighbors and local law enforcement, the city of Palos Hills was proud to take part in National Night Out. Palos Hills held its seventh annual National Night Out event on Tuesday at Town Square Park, 8455 W. 103rd Street. “The City of Palos Hills is proud to again…
Read More
By Joe Boyle Presentations by the police and fire departments — along with food and music — were the major highlights of the Oak Lawn National Night Out on Tuesday. National Night Out is held the first Tuesday in August. The lone exception is Texas, which marks the occasion in October. National Night Out was…
Read More
Southwest Regional Publishing basketball roundup, Dec. 4-5
Dec. 5 Boys TF North 67, Argo 52: Kassam Saleh scored 15 for the Argonauts (2-3, 0-1 South Suburban Red). Girls Reavis 49, Tinley Park 25: Emily Grochola scored 13 points to lead the Rams (4-2, 1-0 South Suburban Red) past the Titans. Shepard 52, TF South 49: Jessica Manley’s 21 points helped the Astros…
Richards’ Myles Mitchell signs with North Dakota State
Myles Mitchell is one of the state’s premier running backs, with a bright future with one of the nation’s best FCS programs. But the path hasn’t always been easy for the Richards senior, who made his college commitment to North Dakota State official during a signing ceremony on Dec. 4. “Eighth grade was kind of…
Brad Johnson Jr. finds range, leads Curie past Lane
Facing what was literally a tall task against Lane on Dec. 5, Curie was in serious need of a spark. Brad Johnson Jr. provided it. Led by 6-foot-10 Penn recruit Dalton Scantlebury, Lane is one of the area’s biggest teams. Curie was undersized by comparison in the Public League Red Shield opener and trailed by…
Southwest Regional Publishing basketball roundup, Dec. 2-3
Dec. 3 Boys Andrew 72, Argo 50: Darron Greer Jr. led the Argonauts (2-2) with 14 points. Evergreen Park 70, U-High 58: Keshaun Vaval had 25 points to lead the Mustangs (3-1). Lonnie Mosley added 17 points and Camryn Dandridge grabbed 14 rebounds. Lemont 65, Stagg 35: Omar Barakat scored 17 for the Chargers (0-4).…
Football signing day: Local recruits
Here is a list of football players in the Southwest Regional Publishing coverage area committed to Division I schools. Please email additions or corrections to mikeclarkpreps@gmail.com. Brother Rice Tyler Lofton, RB, Illinois State Jimmie Maxson, WR, North Dakota Charlie Stec, Edge, Western Illinois Lyons Tyler Chambers, OL, Northern Illinois Travis Stamm, WR, Illinois State Marist…
Michael Oliver Jr. offers veteran presence for new-look Curie
There are a lot of new faces at Curie this winter. Gone are the five senior starters from a 31-3 team that won the Public League title and lost by two points to eventual Class 4A champion Homewood-Flossmoor in the Elite Eight. But veteran coach Mike Oliver is back and so is his son, junior…
Boys basketball notebook: Kassam Saleh, Argo aiming high this season
Kassam Saleh is ready to set the tone for Argo. “As time goes on you gain the most experience on the team and become that leader for everyone else,” said Saleh, a senior guard. “They follow you.” The Argonauts finished runner-up in the John McBride Classic at Stagg, falling 50-44 to Plainfield South on Nov.…
Will Johnson helps Sandburg finish second at Spartan-Ram Classic
Will Johnson likes where he is, but knows he has to go farther. Johnson earned a spot on the all-tourney team as Sandburg finished runner-up in the Spartan-Ram Classic with a 53-41 loss to Crete-Monee in the title game on Nov. 29 at Oak Lawn. “I shot the ball well,” said Johnson, a 6-2 junior…
Charles Barnes’ leadership a key for young De La Salle
As one of the veterans on a young De La Salle boys team, Charles Barnes knows he must be a leader. That’s a role the 6-foot-5 junior forward embraces wholeheartedly. Barnes’ leadership skills were on full display in Saturday’s third-place game of the De La Salle/St. Ignatius Windy City Turkey Classic at De La Salle.…
Mount Carmel named top football program in IHSA since 1974
Mount Carmel’s football team edged out Joliet Catholic for the No. 1 spot in the Illinois High School Association’s top 50 teams in the first 50 years the organization sponsored state championships in the sport. Before the poll was released, the Caravan and Joliet Catholic had each won 15 state championships. After the poll was…
Illinois News
Illinois American Water will increase water rates
Capitol News Illinois CHICAGO — The state’s largest private water utility, Illinois American Water, will increase customer bills in the new year. The move comes after state regulators at the Illinois Commerce Commission approved the requested increase on Thursday. The five-member board approved a $110 million increase for the company, a 30% reduction from the…
Jurors see list of Madigan’s job recommendations given to newly elected Gov. Pritzker
Capitol News Illinois CHICAGO – In the weeks following now-Gov. JB Pritzker’s November 2018 victory over one-term Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner, powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan busied himself preparing for a brand new administration after years of conflict with governors of both parties. One of his first priorities was finding jobs for his political…
How RFK Jr.’s health proposals could affect Illinois
Capitol News Illinois Every new presidential administration comes with policy changes, but the incoming second administration of President-elect Donald Trump and his proposed secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., could dramatically reshape the public health landscape. Kennedy, a former political rival of Trump, became a close ally of Trump over the…
‘You won’t spend a day in jail’: Madigan attorney hammers Solis’ agreement with feds
Capitol News Illinois CHICAGO – The day after Christmas 2018, then-Chicago Ald. Danny Solis signed an agreement with federal prosecutors, with whom he’d spent the last 2 ½ years working as a secret cooperating witness in a sprawling corruption investigation. Solis’ undercover work helped bring down two of Illinois’ biggest and longest-serving Democratic powerbrokers. Former…
Pritkzer education policy advisor named to head new Department of Early Childhood
Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday appointed Teresa Ramos to be the first permanent secretary of the newly-formed Illinois Department of Early Childhood. “I’m eager to get started working with an incredible team of state employees, parents and families, advocates, and early childhood providers to create something exceptional that will give…
Semi driver involved in fatal crash of deputy had previous unreported DUI conviction, prompting call for federal audit
Capitol News Illinois Four years before police said he caused a crash that killed a DeKalb County sheriff’s deputy, Nathan Sweeney pleaded guilty to driving under the influence and having 44 grams of heroin in his car – an offense that, if properly reported to the secretary of state, should have led to the revocation…
Madigan attorney accuses Solis of not telling feds ‘all the crimes you committed’
Capitol News Illinois CHICAGO – Former Chicago Ald. Danny Solis spent more than 2 ½ years living a double life as an FBI cooperating witness after agents approached him in 2016, asking him to wear a wire on his colleagues or risk being charged for multiple bribes he’d taken while in office. Solis’ extraordinary cooperation…
State Board of Elections certifies election results showing decline in turnout
Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD — Vice President Kamala Harris won Illinois by nearly 11 points as turnout dipped in 2024, according to official election results certified by the State Board of Elections. The board met Monday to certify the results of the 2024 election and released final vote totals for races around the state, including…
Appellate Court finds former Sangamon County deputy Sean Grayson should be released until trial
Capitol News Illinois Prosecutors will ask the Illinois Supreme Court to review an appellate court ruling that found former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson should be released from jail pending trial on charges related to the July 6 shooting death of Sonya Massey. On Wednesday, Nov. 27, the 4th District Court of Appeals ordered…
Illinois rolls out first phase of plan to modernize professional licensing
Capitol News Illinois CHICAGO – The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation launched a new online licensing system this fall, the first phase in a plan to modernize the management and licensing process for service providers across the state. The system improvements are part of efforts to make doing business easier and more efficient…
