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
Pizza Castle moving from Gage Park to Hickory Hills
Spread the loveBy Bob Bong Pizza Castle has had a long run at its Gage Park neighborhood home on the Southwest Side. But after almost 50 years, the Jensen family is pulling up the roots on the family business and moving to the suburbs. The pizzeria, which was founded in 1973, will be moving to…
Macy’s grand opening Friday in Evergreen Park
Spread the loveBy Bob Bong The new Market by Macy’s and Macy’s Backstage stores will hold their grand openings this weekend at Evergreen Plaza in Evergreen Park. The new stores will open in the former Carson’s at 9700 S. Western Ave. Market by Macy’s will occupy the first floor and Macy’s Backstage outlet store will…
Pro Soccer Report: Red Stars claim playoff spot, will face San Diego in first round
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer In a joking attempt to jinx the Chicago Red Stars into losing to or drawing with Angel City in a game with playoff implications, the North Carolina Courage’s twitter account made two references to supposed Chicago Cubs’ hexes. “Rumor has it a guy named Steve Bartman rode into…
Area Sports Roundup: St. Laurence golfers make history
Spread the loveBy Jeff Vorva Staff Writer That didn’t take long. The St. Laurence girls golf program is in only its second year of existence but last weekend celebrated a major accomplishment. Coach Jim Tracy’s troops won the Providence Catholic Class 1A Regional by four strokes, logging a 372 to edge University High (Chicago),…
Halloween’s dark side
Spread the loveCarnevil on 64th promises grisly, gory, ghoulish frights By Cosmo Hadac Those passing the home at 5716 W. 64th St. this month may see the grave of Pennywise the Clown or Freddy Krueger dancing to the Monster Mash. What started out as a way to celebrate Halloween during the pandemic’s social distancing mandates…
Don’t take senior center for granted
Spread the loveBy Joan Hadac Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge (708) 496-0265 • joan.hadac@gmail.com I’m back. Thank you, Patti Tyznik, for filling in and giving me a week off. I hope this becomes a regular thing! Nominations are now open for officers to serve on the board of directors of the Southwest Side Senior…
Lopez, Tabares threaten ‘no cash bail’ hearing
Spread the loveClaim law may release ‘violent, repeat offenders’ By Tim Hadac Two Southwest Side aldermen are threatening to defy their City Council colleagues and hold hearings on the impact of the state’s controversial SAFE-T Act on criminal justice. Fifteenth Ward Ald. Raymond Lopez and 23rd Ward Ald. Silvana Tabares joined 41st Ward Ald. Anthony…
They’ll never walk alone
Spread the love Southwest Side native Robert Swiderski was mobbed by well-wishers at the entrance to the Chicago Lawn (8th) District police station last week, as he delivered a penny to each officer. The gesture was meant as a kind of conver- sation starter (“A penny for your thoughts?”) with police officers regarding job stress…
Welcome to Rocktober
Spread the loveClassic cars, Elvis tribute artist headline a busy month By Tim Hadac The Southwest Side will start—and end–October with some classic fun designed to jog recollections of good times and create new moments to remember. A classic car show featuring dozens of sweet rides from decades gone by is set for 1 to…
Neighbors
Budget negotiations will extend into next week as House leaves Springfield
By JERRY NOWICKI & HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Democrats in the General Assembly will go at least three more days past their self-imposed adjournment deadline after failing to pass a budget bill Saturday, although the spending and revenue framework were made public for the first time. “The House and Senate are…
Maternal health, abortion protection measures advance as session nears end
By ALEX ABBEDUTO Capitol News Illinois abbeduto@capitolnewsillinois.com In the final days of their spring legislative session, Democrats in the General Assembly advanced measures aimed at expanding and protecting aspects of maternal and women’s health care. If signed into law, the measures would expand insurance coverage of pregnancy and postpartum services, maintain abortion as a viable…
Health insurance changes targeting ‘utilization management,’ more will head to governor
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A package of health insurance reform measures that Gov. JB Pritzker called for at the beginning of the legislative session will soon be headed to his desk for his signature. The Illinois House gave final approval Saturday to a pair of bills that limit the ability…
Capitol Briefs: Republicans sue over law banning legislative candidate slating
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com One week after Gov. JB Pritzker signed an elections-related measure that his fellow Democrats quickly muscled through the General Assembly, Republicans sued over the new law, alleging the majority party is blocking ballot access to would-be legislative candidates. The law , passed early this month as the legislature’s…
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…
Capitol Briefs: Measure targets ‘legacy’ admission at public universities
By DILPREET RAJU, COLE LONGCOR & ALEX ABBEDUTO Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois lawmakers missed a self-imposed Friday deadline for passing a budget, but they had approved more than 250 bills this week as of Friday afternoon. Amid the flurry of legislation was a measure prohibiting state universities from admitting students based on familial and…
Illinois could be 19th state to phase out subminimum wage for disabled workers
By ALEX ABBEDUTO Capitol News Illinois abbeduto@capitolnewsillinois.com After years of negotiations and continued opposition from service providers, Illinois appears poised to prohibit employers from using a federal exemption that allows them to pay individuals with disabilities less than the minimum wage. The federal Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 established minimum wage law, but created…
Capitol Briefs: Measure blocks interstate probes of abortion services
By PETER HANCOCK & COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Authorities in Illinois would not be allowed to aid another state’s investigation of people coming to Illinois to seek abortions or other reproductive health care under a bill that cleared the General Assembly Thursday. House Bill 5239, which needs only a signature from…
Advocates underscore need for statewide reentry programs
By DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois draju@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois legislators this week approved a bill to restructure an oversight board in charge of distributing state money to courts that provide prison alternatives, while other criminal justice measures introduced throughout the session remain stalled. House Bill 4409 would change the makeup of the Adult Redeploy Illinois Oversight…
Ban on wildlife killing contests ‘unlikely’ to clear state Senate this session
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com A measure that would prohibit contests that award cash or prizes for killing certain wildlife is unlikely to clear the Senate after narrowly passing the House last week, according to its Senate sponsor. House Bill 2900 would ban the practice of holding wildlife contests that reward participants with…