A family of readers
Members of the Pindozzo family are all smiles after the successful conclusion of the seven-week Summer Learning Challenge at the Garfield Ridge Branch Library. The City of Stories initiative challenged both adults and children to read and participate in storytelling activities. Some 325 children participated from the Garfield Ridge Branch. Citywide, thousands participated. – Supplied photo
Local News
More specialized ed resources, Newman says
Spread the loveFrom staff reports A bill that would create a grant program at the U.S. Department of Education to increase partnerships between school districts and colleges to train and certify various Specialized Instruction Support Personnel programs (SISPs) was introduced recently by U.S. Rep. Marie Newman (D-3rd) and others. The Growing, Recruiting, and Obtaining Workers…
Funds flow again for local projects
Spread the loveWere briefly frozen after Madigan indictment By Tim Hadac Three public works projects affecting the Clearing and Grafield Ridge area appear to be back on track now that Governor JB Pritzker has given the green light to their state funding. Funding had been jeopardized briefly by a request from 10 state representatives (none…
Area college report: Ooms brothers lower the boom, propel Saint Xavier to national tourney
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff writer Good things happen when the Ooms brothers go boom. In this case, it means another trip to the NAIA National Tournament The siblings from Minooka High School combined for 18 kills on Saturday to lead the Saint Xavier men’s volleyball team to a 25-23, 25-18, 27-25 victory over…
Pro Soccer Report: Red Stars lose star defender Davidson for season
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff writer The Chicago Red Stars biggest loss of the exhibition season didn’t come during a game. It came during training. Defender Tierna Davidson will miss the season after tearing an ACL while practicing for the team’s second Challenge Cup game. Davidson is also a U.S. Women’s National Team member…
Area Sports Roundup: Lions grow together while winning Argo Invitational
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff writer A few last-minute changes in the schedule forced Lyons to head into the Argo Invitational with just two matches under its belt this season. While some of the other teams in the tournament had played more matches, the Lions adapted and won the 12-team tournament with a 5-0…
Biz leaders launch effort to serve seniors
Spread the loveFocus is on safety By Tim Hadac Several leading businesses serving the Southwest Side have forged a partnership to serve the community’s elderly residents. All Exterior Contractors, Mike Riordan State Farm Agency and First Rate Realty—all members of the Garfield Ridge Chamber of Commerce—are teaming up to offer safety inspections of seniors’ homes, all at no charge.…
Hale hails police as ‘Hawk heroes’
Spread the loveHonored by school for quick actions last year By Cosmo Hadac A handful of Chicago Police officers were hailed as Hawk Heroes by administrators, teachers and students at Hale School last week. The honor was bestowed at a sometimes loud, joyful assembly at the Clearing school, in recognition of officers’ swift action to…
Byrne Bengals roar to Hale Park crown
Spread the love The Byrne School eighth grade volleyball team has once again won a championship in the league at Hale Park. In the regular season which concluded earlier this month, the Bengals went 9-0. Then in the playoffs, they first defeated St. Symphorosa; and in the championship match, they knocked off St. Richard in…
Neighbors
Flooding is Illinois’ Most Threatening Natural Disaster. Are We Prepared?
by Meredith Newman, Illinois Answers Project April 16, 2024 This story was originally published by the Illinois Answers Project. The electricity in Mary Buchanan’s home in West Garfield Park was not working – again. The outage lasted four days, starting just after a crew dug up her front lawn to install a check valve in…
Lawmakers pitch sweeping changes to energy industry and Chicagoland transit system
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com A group of lawmakers and influential environmental advocates are calling for broad changes to the state’s energy industry and a massive increase in state oversight of Chicagoland’s transit system – which faces a projected $730 million budget shortfall. Advocates for the policy platform, which is broken up into…
Democrats flex muscle to kick off final month of session as revenues remain on track
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – With about three weeks to go before the Illinois General Assembly is scheduled to adjourn its spring legislative session, supermajority Democrats showed their strength this week as fiscal forecasters noted state revenues remain on track. April is typically a make-or-break month for state coffers, as income…
Former state trooper who caused fatal crash halts effort to get driving privileges restored
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com The former Illinois State Trooper who pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter of two sisters in 2007 has abandoned his efforts to have a hearing into the restoration of his driving privileges – for now. Matt Mitchell, 45, requested at least two delays in the hearing after he failed…
Capitol Briefs: Senate advances elections bill, measure targeting ‘predatory’ lending
By PETER HANCOCK & HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A bill that would put more controls on certain kinds of high-cost loans to small businesses cleared the Illinois Senate Thursday. Senate Bill 2234, known as the Small Business Financial Transparency Act, targets a relatively new kind of nontraditional lender in the credit…
Law enforcement community honors fallen officers at Illinois Capitol
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Six fallen police officers were honored at an annual memorial service outside the State Capitol Thursday. The Illinois Police Officers Memorial occurs annually on the first Thursday of May to honor officers who died in the line of duty and to support their families. “No one…
Democrats muscle through changes to ballot access, advisory questions
By JERRY NOWICKI HANNAH MEISEL & PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Supermajority Democrats in the Illinois House moved quickly Wednesday to push through a change to state election laws that partially limits ballot access and adds three nonbinding referendums to the 2024 general election ballot. It’s a move that caused minority party…
After 3 years, state poised to enforce law aiming to end lending discrimination
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – In 1977, then-President Jimmy Carter signed into law the Community Reinvestment Act, a federal law that sought to wipe away the last vestiges of racial discrimination and redlining in America’s home mortgage industry. The idea was simple. By requiring lenders – primarily banks – to make…
Capitol News Illinois partners with ‘Illinois Lawmakers’ program to bring it back to air
Capitol News Illinois announced today it will produce the long-running “Illinois Lawmakers” program this spring, in partnership with longtime host and producer Jak Tichenor. “This new partnership is absolutely critical to providing Illinois residents with reliable, independent, in-depth, up to date coverage from the Illinois Capitol after many newspapers and broadcasters shuttered their Statehouse bureaus over…
Election officials to weigh whether Darren Bailey and GOP operative Dan Proft illegally coordinated
By ANDREW ADAMS & HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – A year and a half after Republican Darren Bailey lost his campaign to challenge Gov. JB Pritzker, state election officials are weighing whether he illegally colluded with conservative radio show host and political operative Dan Proft in the 2022 campaign. The State Board…