What’s old is new again at the GRCL
Almost exactly seven years after he was sworn in as president of the Garfield Ridge Civic League, Hank Pukala (right) formally stepped down last week. He announced he is retiring and moving to California. His replacement is also his predecessor. Rick Techman (next to Pukala) served as GRCL president for a number of years. Also serving as officers for the year ahead are Linda and Ronald Honcharevich. – Photo by Tim Hadac
Local News
Red Stars Report: Alex Morgan and Wave sink Red Stars in OT
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer From the Chicago Red Stars point of view, things started out Yuki and ended up yucky. The Red Stars dropped a 2-1 overtime decision to San Diego late Sunday night in the first round of the NWSL playoffs at Snapdragon Stadium. Alex Morgan, who earned the league’s Golden…
Pigskin Wrap: Brother Rice and Marist ready for Battle of Pulaski
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer The stage is set. The annual grudge match between neighborhood and conference rivals Marist and Brother Rice takes place at 7 p.m. Friday at Rice. Both teams are 5-3 overall and 0-2 in the East Suburban Catholic/Chicago Catholic League Blue, with both teams falling to Loyola and Mount…
Keeping the fire burning: Miami Heat’s Max Strus seeks to build on breakout season
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer After pouring in 24 points in a preseason game, Miami Heat guard Max Strus did a TV interview. The 26-year-old Hickory Hills native and Stagg graduate was asked about helping young teammates. “I’ve been in their shoes,” he said. “I know what it’s like to get waived, I…
Area Sports Roundup: Moraine Valley women’s tennis punches ticket to nationals
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Moraine Valley’s women’s tennis team has some time to prepare for the NJCAA Division I national tournament. They have about a half of a year to get ready for it. The Cyclones qualified for the national tournament for the first time in seven years by winning the Region…
Girls Volleyball: Marist tops Benet and Lyons, seeks outright conference title
Spread the loveBy Randy Whalen Correspondent With the postseason approaching, Marist is heating up. The RedHawks won a pair of matches last week, taking a huge step toward winning the East Suburban Catholic Conference title by beating Benet, 25-10, 25-16 on Oct. 11 in Chicago. Marist (5-0 ESCC) can capture its first outright league title since…
St. Rita leans on ‘D’ and special teams in win over Providence
Spread the loveBy Steve Millar Correspondent After a first half that was mostly a disaster for St. Rita on a cold and rainy Friday night, a couple big plays on special teams and defense gave the Mustangs’ offense the belief they could rally. Junior quarterback Jett Hilding scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns, both on…
Ticket window closing for ‘Elvis’ show
Spread the loveResponse ‘smashing all expectations’ By Tim Hadac More than 200 people have already reserved seats at an upcoming Elvis/Motown show in Garfield Ridge, and only a few dozen tickets remain. “The response is smashing all expectations,” said Geno Randazzo of All Exterior Contractors, the driving force behind the show. “If you want to…
Alyssa shows Girl Scouting spirit
Spread the loveBy Joan Hadac Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge (708) 496-0265 • joan.hadac@gmail.com You may not know her name, but I’ll bet you’ve seen the face of Alyssa Delaurentis around the neighborhood. For a good 10 years, Alyssa has been a good Girl Scout: selling cookies, singing in a church choir and volunteering…
In the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi
Spread the love Dogs of all shapes and sizes–as well a few cats and even a rooster–were blessed earlier this month at Two Holy Martyrs Parish’s annual pet blessing, by the Rev. Bob Regan, pastor. The event, held at the St. Rene Goupil campus, coincided with the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, patron…
Cheers, jeers for new City policy
Spread the loveCity workers to get 12 weeks of paid time off By Tim Hadac Conventional wisdom might say that in a part of Chicago heavy with City workers, praise would be unanimous for last week’s announcement of an expansion of the City’s paid parental leave policy. But judging by reactions seen recently, conventional wisdom…
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…