Archer Avenue goes green for a day
The Southwest Side Irish (as well as many more “Irish for a day” friends and neighbors) flooded Archer Avenue with good cheer earlier this month, at the Midway area’s only St. Patrick’s Day parade.
Hosted by the Clear-Ridge Men’s Social Athletic Club and the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, the Chicago Working Families’ Archer Avenue St. Patrick’s Day Parade was dedicated to the memory of the late CPD Officer Ella French, who died a hero’s death last August during a traffic stop near 63rd and Bell.
Organizers said that some $100,000 in parade sponsorship revenue will be donated to the Chicago Police Memorial Foundation’s “Get Behind the Vest” initiative, which purchases protective vests for CPD officers.
Organizers said about 75 businesses and community groups marched in this year’s parade. The Archer Avenue St. Patrick’s Day Parade was started in 2017 by the IUOE Local 150, and participation from labor organizations, corporations and community groups has grown steadily each year.
“We are overwhelmed by the support that the parade received from our partners this year, and I am so proud to be a member of this community,” said Parade Chairman James M. Sweeney, who also serves as president-business manager of Local 150. “From the unions and companies who bought sponsorships to the neighbors who donated $10 or $20, everyone united to support the men and women who put themselves in harm’s way to protect our safety. Officer Ella French’s death was heartbreaking, and we hope that our effort can play a small role in stopping future tragedies. This parade started as a way to bring the neighborhood together for an afternoon, and seeing it step up to serve such an important role is something we should all be proud of.”
Top sponsors of the 2022 Archer Avenue St. Patrick’s Day Parade included the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 134, the Chicago Building Trades Council, Chicago Federation of Labor, Chicago Laborers District Council, Teamsters Joint Council 25, Pipefitting Council of Greater Chicago, McGill Asphalt, McHugh Concrete, Gatwood Crane, Megent Financial, Taylor Excavating, Ullico, Friends of Silvana Tabares and the 13th Ward Democratic Organization.
–Photos by Kelly White
Local News
Batter Up: Richards and Stagg show resilience in baseball’s opening week
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer If the infancy of the high school baseball season has proved anything, it’s that Stagg and Richards are two resilient teams. Just when they look down and out … Let’s look at Richards first. The Bulldogs opened the season on March 14 with a 4-0, five-inning road loss…
Area Sports Roundup: South Suburban College wins national title
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff writer Now for some March Madness that was not as heavily publicized over the weekend … Area athletes participated in three national championship basketball games on Saturday, and a couple of them can lay claim to being national champs. St. Rita grad Cameron Bartmann and Catalyst Maria alum Jonathan…
Pro Soccer Report: Red Stars seek title after back-to-back runner-up finishes
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff writer It’s an obvious goal. Win it all. The Chicago Red Stars, who make their 2022 home debut in the Challenge Cup at 7:30 p.m. Friday against Kansas City at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, finished runner-up in each of the past two NWSL seasons in 2019 and 2021. There…
Serbian Orthodox Church in Brookfield buys St. Hugh in Lyons
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch St. Hugh Roman Catholic Church in Lyons, closed by the Archdiocese of Chicago in June 2021, will again be a house of worship. St. Nikola Serbian Orthodox Church, based in Brookfield, purchased the property on March 10. Father Nemanja Tesic, 38, who leads the estimated 500-member congregation, hopes to have…
Archer Avenue goes green for a day
Spread the loveThe Southwest Side Irish (as well as many more “Irish for a day” friends and neighbors) flooded Archer Avenue with good cheer earlier this month, at the Midway area’s only St. Patrick’s Day parade. Hosted by the Clear-Ridge Men’s Social Athletic Club and the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, the Chicago Working…
Former Palos Hills judge arrested in Florida prostitution sting
Spread the loveFrom staff reports A former Cook County judge from Palos Hills was among more than 100 people arrested during a weeklong undercover human trafficking sting in Polk County, Florida. Officials said Daniel Peters, 66, was picked up as part of Operation March Sadness 2, which began March 8. Detectives said Peters told them…
Hills Chamber to bring back Business and Community Expo on Saturday
Spread the loveFrom staff reports The Hills Chamber of Commerce will once again host the Business and Community Expo from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, March 19, at Conrady Junior High School, 7950 W. 97th St., Hickory Hills. The expo returns after a two-year absence due to the pandemic. Over 50 exhibitors are scheduled to take part in the expo. Local businesses,…
Lake Katherine goes green for St. Patrick’s Day
Spread the loveBy Kelly White The Chicago River wasn’t the only body of water to take on a shade of green this St. Patrick’s Day. To celebrate the annual day of the Irish, Lake Katherine Nature Center & Botanical Gardens, 7402 W. Lake Katherine Dr., Palos Height, created a little holiday magic as volunteers and…
Palos Park police warn drivers to stay safe on St. Patrick’s Day
Spread the loveFrom staff reports Help us to keep Palos Park’s roads the safest in the nation by planning ahead to stay safe on March 17. Palos Park police are encouraging folks to plan ahead for a safe ride home and urge everyone to have a plan this St. Patrick’s Day. If you plan on…
Bridgeview buys new digital radio system for police
Spread the loveBy Steve Metsch Bridgeview is spending $250,000 for a state-of-the-art radio system that Police Chief Ricardo Mancha said will be a vast improvement for the department. The village board at its March 2 meeting unanimously approved the purchase of 45 portable digital radios and accessories from Motorola Solutions. “Doing this is going to…
Neighbors
Lawmakers consider tax break for news publishers, state-sponsored journalism scholarships
By ALEX ABBEDUTO & ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A new measure being debated in the Illinois General Assembly would create a tax credit for certain news publishers based on the number of reporters they employ. The proposal from Sen. Steve Stadelman, D-Rockford, is part of a package of policies that he…
House GOP advances 2 human trafficking victim protection bills as others remain in limbo
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com After Illinois received another failing grade from a national advocacy group, state House Republicans have introduced legislation aimed at further protecting victims and prosecuting perpetrators of human trafficking. Shared Hope International, an advocacy organization that works to prevent sex trafficking, said in its 2023 Illinois report card that…
Hundreds of bills pass, including changes to state’s biometric data privacy law
By HANNAH MEISEL COLE LONGCOR & ALEX ABEDDUTO Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Lawmakers passed more than 200 bills this week ahead of their scheduled May 24 adjournment. Many of the measures will soon head to Gov. JB Pritzker, including a bill that changes how damages accrue under Illinois’ first-in-the-nation biometric data privacy law.…
Pritzker pledges to expand access to mental health care in Illinois
By DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois draju@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – In the middle of Mental Health Awareness Month, Gov. JB Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton hosted a panel in Springfield this week at which he pledged to expand the state’s behavioral health services. With several dozen services providers from around the state in attendance, Pritzker…
With 1 week left in session, Pritzker admin says all revenue options remain on the table
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com While the governor’s office instructed its agency directors to prepare for $800 million in potential budget cuts last week, all facets of his plan to raise $1.1 billion in revenue to avoid those cuts remain under consideration. Read more: ANALYSIS: ‘Significant enough’ opposition to Pritzker’s revenue plan leads to…
Illinois launches summer food assistance program
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The state is launching a new program to provide food assistance during the summer for families with children who qualify for free or reduced-price meals at school. Gov. JB Pritzker joined other state officials and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Thursday to announce that Illinois will…
Lawmakers consider tax break for news publishers, state-sponsored journalism scholarships
By ALEX ABBEDUTO & ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A new measure being debated in the Illinois General Assembly would create a tax credit for certain news publishers based on the number of reporters they employ. The proposal from Sen. Steve Stadelman, D-Rockford, is part of a package of policies that he…
House gives OK to new state agency focused on early childhood programs
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House gave final passage Thursday to a bill establishing a new cabinet-level state agency whose mission will be to provide a kind of one-stop shop for services focusing on early childhood development and education. By the time it’s fully operational in 2026, the new…
As vacated Centralia funeral home prepares for new tenant, owner makes a startling find
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com In the basement of a Centralia funeral home in a dark hallway off the embalming room, tucked inside a nook behind two steel plates and a door, a visitor found three disembodied, neatly wrapped human legs, two of them marked with names and dated to the 1960s. The…
Illinois Supreme Court considers expectation of privacy in hospitals
By DILPREET RAJU & ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – While Cortez Turner was in a hospital room being treated for a gunshot wound to his leg in 2016, police took his clothes. Now, the Illinois Supreme Court is weighing whether that action violated Turner’s expectation of privacy under the Fourth Amendment. The…