High school students competed at Moraine Valley Community College’s annual High School Pastry Decorating Competition in October. The winning team was Eisenhower High School (from left), instructors Amy Van Syckle and Donna Hart, students Mike Donaldson, Isabel Reyes and Adrianna Torres, and instructor Lauren Paska. (Supplied photo)
Moraine Valley hosts high school Pastry Decorating Competition
Local News
La Grange twins are Chick Evans scholars
By Steve Metsch Long hours spent in the La Grange Country Club’s caddie shack – killing time by reading books or playing cards as they wait to be called to duty – have paid off for a brother and sister. Through the past four years, Caroline and Casey Hart honed their skills, learned how to……
Fun from above
While some folks see heavy snowfall and curse the skies, children in Clearing and Garfield Ridge seemed thrilled with last week’s winter windfall. Schools cancelled classes, and kids like Garfield Ridge sisters Makayla, 10, and 6-year-old Mia Hernandez grabbed their plastic sleds and rode ripples of white all afternoon on a large snow pile near……
Brother Rice’s 11-game win streak ends with loss to Leo
By Jeff Vorva Staff writer In seemingly a blink of an eye, Brother Rice picked up as many losses as it had all season. The Crusaders headed into last weekend’s action with a 21-2 record and was 10-0 in the Chicago Catholic League Blue. But Friday night, they suffered a 56-50 setback to Leo in……
Evergreen Park High School student excels at multiplying
By Kelly White An Evergreen Park Community High School student has been adding up his future. Sophomore Xarles “Chaz” Barnes recently discovered a unique talent of being able to multiply any two numbers ranging from 1-100 simply in his head. Barnes said he does not memorize the answers, they just come to him and quickly.……
Area Sports Roundup: Six area girls bowling teams headed to sectionals
By Jeff Vorva Staff writer Six area girls bowling teams are headed to sectionals. Reavis and Stagg won IHSA regional titles last Saturday, and four other teams have advanced to this weekend’s action. Reavis won its own regional at Palos Lanes in Palos Hills with a 5,378 in six games, well ahead of runner-up Morton……
Marist cheerleaders takes 2nd in state
By Jeff Vorva Staff writer After Marist’s cheerleaders watched a video of their state finals performance on Feb. 5, there were some long faces and tears as the girls filed out of the video room and into the cooling-off room. After a long meeting, there were more long faces. “I’ve had better days,” RedHawks coach……
Balanced Nazareth wins East Suburban Catholic
By Steve Metsch Correspondent Moments before the opening tip in the East Suburban Catholic Conference tournament title game, Carmel coach Ben Berg said his team was playing with house money.” Berg was referring to how Corsairs — 4-3 in conference play entering the tourney — were not expected to be playing in the championship game.……
Playing the race card remains popular
By Ray Hanania Former Chicago Police Officer Jason Van Dyke is freed from a system that protects real criminals. Van Dyke went through the criminal justice system for shooting Laquan McDonald, a drugged-up, weapon-carrying thug with a history of violence who refused to listen to police after curfew in Chicago. Van Dyke was released for……
Need more free speech, not enforced silence
By Thomas Knapp “They can have Neil Young or [Joe] Rogan. Not Both.” Thus the ultimatum from legendary musician Young, over his concerns with what he deems “misinformation” on the subject of COVID-19 vaccines, to streaming service Spotify. Spotify, unsurprisingly, chose Rogan. It invested an estimated $100 million in bringing the Joe Rogan Experience podcast exclusively to……
Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School packs meals for needy during holidays
By Kelly White Wishing everyone to have the best holiday season, Oak Lawn-Hometown Middle School students packed meals for those in need before they went on Christmas break. The school, 5345 W. 99th St., Oak Lawn, hosted its annual Feed6 Meal Packaging event on December 4, where students gathered together, while socially distanced, with their families,……
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……