Lightning starts fire in Orland Park home’s attic
Local News
Teaching students how to think, not what to think
By Michael J. Bakalis Ph.D As one who earned a Ph.D in American history and has taught and written about this subject for many years, I like to think that perhaps I bring some credibility to a current topic engaging our nation. The discussion of Critical Race Theory and the New York Times “1619” project……
L-W Central tops Sandburg in regional title game
By Randy Whalen Correspondent Sandburg won 20 games for the first time in in six years, and entered the postseason seeking to add to its list of accomplishments by winning a regional championship on its home court. But Lincoln-Way Central made more plays in key situations and fought to a 55-47 double-overtime victory in the……
New Red Stars coach wants to bring ‘joy and positivity’
By Jeff Vorva Staff writer The Chicago Red Stars have found their new coach. The team announced February 18 that Chris Petrucelli will replace Rory Dames, who resigned a day after the 2021 NWSL championship game. Dames has since been the subject of national stories regarding his alleged abuse of players both on the Red……
Upset Specials: De La Salle girls crowned regional champs; Meteors boys shock Marian Catholic
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer It was quite a 24-hours for De La Salle’s basketball teams. And it started out wrong. So wrong. On a snowy night when some area games were canceled because of a winter storm, the Meteors’ girls squad made the trek to Burbank to take on host St. Laurence in a……
Area Sports Roundup: Lyons and Sandburg lead contingent of area swimmers headed to state
By Jeff Vorva Staff writer Lyons, which won state titles in boys swimming in 2016 and 2017 and took second in 2018, is bringing a huge contingent of athletes to the IHSA state meet this weekend. Lyons is sending three relay teams and individual qualifiers in four events to the event, which will be held……
Lyons too much for Argo in regional championship game
By Steve Metsch Correspondent Going into the Class 4A Proviso East Regional title game, Lyons knew it had to keep close tabs on Argo sharpshooter Apple Guerrero. The 5-foot-10 junior is Argo’s top threat and for the second consecutive season finished runner-up in the voting for South Suburban Conference Player of the Year. Despite the……
Girls Bowling: Shepard and Stagg finish strong at first state finals
By Randy Whalen Correspondent The new teams on the block proved they belonged. The Shepard and Stagg girls bowling teams both made it to the IHSA state finals for the first time in their programs’ histories this season, and put the icing on the proverbial cake by advancing to the tournament’s second day. The finals……
Four Mount Carmel wrestlers win titles; Sandburg’s Zimmer, Shepard’s Reed settle for 2nd
By Steve Millar Correspondent CHAMPAIGN — Heavyweight wrestling matches are often slow, defensive battles, but Mount Carmel senior Ryan Boersma decided early this season he did not want to compete that way anymore. “When I was young, a freshman and sophomore, I survived off defense,” Boersma said. “That doesn’t work in college so I had……
We’re being distracted from the real scandal
By Ray Hanania The warnings that Russia will attack Ukraine have been much like forecasts of the TV meteorologists. They can predict snow, but how intense or light they often get wrong. Schools close. Some parents stay home from work, but the snowfall is light. We live in Chicagoland, folks. It snows! It always has.……
Pandemic exposed glaring inequality
By Dr. Robert Grant Deaths related to COVID-19 were more than twice as high among black, Latino and Native American people as among whites in 2020, according to new research out from the National Cancer Institute. It’s only the latest reminder of the glaring inequity that plagues the U.S. healthcare system. Addressing that inequity will……
Neighbors
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……
Capitol Briefs: House OKs program for student teacher stipends – but not the funding for it
By PETER HANCOCK & ANDREW CAMPBELL Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House approved a bill Tuesday to allow student teachers to receive stipends while earning their education degree, even though the money needed to fund those stipends is unlikely to be included in next year’s budget. House Bill 4652, by Rep. Barbara……