Baseball | Sandburg rides hot arms to encouraging first half of season
Local News
Jon’s Way Family Fun Fair
Jon’s Way Youth Group in Chicago Ridge hosted a Family Fun Fair on March 27 at Freedom Activity Center, 6252 W. Birmingham Ave., Chicago Ridge. Organized by Karrie and Roger Grabinski, Jon’s Way Youth Group, the non-profit organization consisting of more than 30 teens, serves as an outlet where teens can volunteer in the community, meet other teens……
Orland Park annual curbside spring cleanup set for week of April 11
Spring is here and with it comes the Village of Orland Park’s yearly Curbside Spring Cleanup. This year’s collection will again be offered on residents’ regular garbage pickup days during the week of April 11-15. Orland Park’s Curbside Spring Cleanup is held in cooperation with the village’s refuse hauler, Waste Management. Residents are to place……
Red Stars Report: Red Stars upset but Mahomes was happy with KC win over Chicago
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Leading up to the Challenge Cup home opener against the Kansas City Current, the Chicago Red Stars were feeling pretty good. New coach Chris Petrucelli said every day was enjoyable. “They come out and have fun,” he said on March 24. “Everyone is smiling. I can’t think of anything that……
Area Sports Roundup: Brother Rice riding in style; Evergreen Park’s Lily Strand fans 27
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer For some games, Brother Rice arrives in style. On March 22, the Crusaders opened a few eyes when they arrived in Orland Park on a charter bus for a non-conference game against Sandburg. “We’ve had problems with the timing of getting a bus and sometimes 3:45 is the earliest we……
Boys Volleyball: Marist beats Lincoln-Way East in battle of national powers
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer High rankings do not mean a whole lot to Kellen O’Keefe. The Marist senior hitter was well aware the RedHawks were recently ranked 14th in the nation in a USA Today/American Volleyball Coaches Association poll in mid-March. But minutes after the RedHawks won their own 24-team tournament with a 21-25,……
Southwest Highway drainage work to begin April 4
From staff reports The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that a project to improve drainage on Southwest Highway, from 131st Street, in Palos Park, to 135th Street, in Orland Park, will begin, weather permitting, Monday, April 4. The project is expected to be completed in June. The project involves constructing new drainage crossings and a storm water……
Harlem Avenue resurfacing from 62nd to 111th to resume April 4
From staff reports The Illinois Department of Transportation announced that a resurfacing of Harlem Avenue, from 62nd Street, in Chicago and Summit, to 111th Street, in Worth, passing through Bedford Park, Bridgeview, Burbank, Chicago Ridge and Palos Hills, will resume, weather permitting, Monday, April 4. The $5 million project, which consists of resurfacing the six-mile stretch……
400 motorists get free gas at Hickory Hill station as police chief pitches in
By Steve Metsch Shirley Jenkins wasn’t about to miss her chance to get $50 worth of gasoline for free, even it meant getting in line around 6 a.m. The Justice woman, 63, waited three hours to pump free gas into her SUV Thursday morning at Falcon Fuel in Hickory Hills. “I need the gas,” Jenkins……
‘Squatters’ are removed from Oak Lawn neighborhood
Adult music fest to replace Fall on the Green By Joe Boyle While the effects of the pandemic are in decline, reports of “squatters” taking up residence in foreclosed homes in Oak Lawn has become an issue. However, the village has begun to fight back and are eliminating the presence of individuals residing illegally in……
St. Bernadette pastor thanks Evergreen Park for Ukrainian support
By Joe Boyle The pastor of St. Bernadette Parish in Evergreen Park is thankful for the support the community provided to give aid to the suffering refugees of Ukraine. Evergreen Park Mayor Kelly Burke said during the village board meeting Monday night that collections for the refugees who have fled or are still living in……
Neighbors
Potawatomi land transfer advances in Illinois House
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A bill that would help the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation expand their newly established reservation in DeKalb County advanced out of a state House committee Tuesday, despite concerns about the tribe’s long-term plans for the property. House Bill 4718 would authorize the state to hand over……
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……
Once again working through the night, lawmakers finalize $53.1 billion budget
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com After a near-derailment and an all-nighter to wrap up the General Assembly’s spring session, supermajority Democrats in the Illinois House gave final legislative approval to the state budget as the sun rose Wednesday morning. Despite holding 78 seats in the chamber, it took Democrats three tries to reach……
Members of House speaker’s staff sue over ongoing unionization conflict
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Members of a would-be union representing staffers in House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch’s office filed suit against their boss on Friday, asking a Cook County judge to force recognition of the union. The Illinois Legislative Staff Association, which formed in the fall of 2022, claims Welch’s……
Regulators slash Chicago gas utility’s rate request, setting up likely legal battle
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Regulators at the Illinois Commerce Commission on Thursday once again reduced a request to increase customer rates from Chicago natural gas utility Peoples Gas. In November, the ICC paused all spending related to Peoples Gas’ controversial “safety modernization program” for replacing aging infrastructure and reduced its $404 million……
Ban on ‘captive audience’ meetings, AI regulations among 466 bills to pass this session
By ALEX ABBEDUTO, COLE LONGCOR, & DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com A bill banning what unions refer to as employer-sponsored “captive audience” meetings about religion and politics has cleared both chambers of the General Assembly. It was one of 466 measures to do so during the Illinois legislature’s recently concluded spring session, including measures……
Would-be union of legislative staffers accuse Welch of undermining organizing effort
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Seven months after Democratic Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch advanced a measure that would allow legislative staff to unionize, members of his own staff on Tuesday blasted the speaker for allowing the bill to languish. The legislation has not seen any action since its passage……
Lawmakers OK bill to require ‘faithful’ electors in 2024, loosen campaign finance rules
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — As the 2024 presidential election approaches, Illinois appears likely to join most of the rest of the country in requiring that the state’s Electoral College votes go to the winner of the state’s popular election. The measure is part of a broad package of election-related legislation……
Once again working through the night, lawmakers finalize $53.1 billion budget
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com After a near-derailment and an all-nighter to wrap up the General Assembly’s spring session, supermajority Democrats in the Illinois House gave final legislative approval to the state budget as the sun rose Wednesday morning. Despite holding 78 seats in the chamber, it took Democrats three tries to reach……
A security camera caught an employee beating a patient. It took 11 days for anyone to take action.
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with Capitol News Illinois. Cameras in the common areas of Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center were supposed to make the troubled southern Illinois facility safer for the approximately 200 people with developmental disabilities who live there. But……