Hodgkins Police Sgt. Natassia Miller (from left), Officer Frank White, Officer Alan Garcia, Officer Ryan Johnson, Officer Desmond Handson, Chief Joseph Klotz. (Photo by Rodney Cummings)

Hodgkins Police Sgt. Natassia Miller (from left), Officer Frank White, Officer Alan Garcia, Officer Ryan Johnson, Officer Desmond Handson, Chief Joseph Klotz. (Photo by Rodney Cummings)

Hodgkins cites police officers for exceptional service

From staff reports

Hodgkins Police Chief Joseph Klotz presented awards to five police officers for exceptional commendations throughout the year at the December village board meeting.

The five officers were Sgt. Natassia Miller, Officer Frank White, Officer Alan Garcia, Officer Desmond Handson, and Officer Ryan Johnson.

In June, Miller and White were dispatched to a suspected drug overdose.  The victim was unconscious.

Miller administered two doses of Narcan over a period of time, and White monitored the victim’s condition until Pleasantview Fire Protection District paramedics arrived and took over treatment.

Miller and White were commended for their “calm, compassionate, and decisive response.”

Klotz said their actions demonstrate their commitment to the mission of the Hodgkins Police Department: To honorably protect life and property, and to serve all members of our community with professionalism and dedication.

In September, Garcia, Handson and Johnson were dispatched to the area of Sam’s Club to search for a missing and endangered person. The victim, who suffered from dementia and was a suicide risk, left his residence in a neighboring town earlier in the morning.

Later that morning, Garcia located the victim’s car in the AMC Quarry Theater parking lot.  Garcia made contact with the victim, who had attempted to harm himself by cutting his wrist and forearm inside the vehicle.

Johnson applied a tourniquet to the victim’s arm while Handson applied bandages.

Pleasantview Fire Protection District paramedics arrived at the scene a short time later and transported the victim to La Grange Hospital for treatment.

The three of them were commended for their actions that day.

In other action at the last board meeting of the year, the preliminary 2024 budget was approved, payment was approved to KR Tech Group LLC in the amount of $99,612.29 for tuck-pointing work that was done at the police station, to K-Five Construction Corporation in the amount of $102,972.64 for 6400 Kane Avenue Drainage Improvement, and the purchase of an administrative car in the amount of $65,000.

Also, an agreement was approved to sell 6101 and 6103 East Avenue in the amount of $400,000, and payment was approved for KLF Enterprises for $29,250.00 for the demolition of the public works building.

Village Comptroller Melody Salerno said a new Chase Bank is open where the former Lonestar Steakhouse used to be.

She said the village will look to open some accounts there, and encouraged all to go and see it.

Public Works Superintendent Jody Kovel said the village now has a new salt truck with a spreader, and a new street sweeper should be delivered in the next few weeks.

Trustee Dominic Misasi reported that Officer Nicholas Dwyer will graduate from the police academy this month.  Once he’s fully trained, the department will be fully staffed.

1 Comment

  1. Robert on January 7, 2024 at 9:49 pm

    I remember a time when an officer’s appearance commands respect. What’s with the facial hair?



Local News

Senior Christian Flutman accounted for three touchdowns in Chicago Christian’s 53-16 playoff win against Illini West on Nov. 2. Photo by Mike Clark

Football roundup: Christian Flutman helps Chicago Christian advance

Christian Flutman rarely comes off the field for Chicago Christian and he wouldn’t have it any other way. The senior starts at quarterback and defensive back and also is the holder for kicks — duties that kept him plenty busy on Nov. 2 when the Knights rolled by visiting Illini West 53-16 in a Class…

Students and staff at Argo Community High School are mourning the death of Jaydin Bahena, a 16-year-old junior who was killed in an act of violence over the weekend. (Photo posted on GoFundMe.)

Community grieves after 16-year-old Argo High student fatally shot

Students and staff at Argo Community High School are mourning the death of Jaydin Bahena, a 16-year-old junior who was killed in an act of violence over the weekend. Bahena, remembered for his vibrant personality and kind heart, was fatally shot in Summit on Nov. 1, leaving the school and community grieving his sudden loss.…

Fate Richey (from left), Kendra Scott Foundation, Nuray Kavustuk, Lyle School Principal, Rea Culafi, Lyle School Librarian,
Allan Woodrow, children’s author,
Sierra Nelson, Kendra Scott Foundation, Katie Morlan, Kendra Scott Foundation, Crystal Skoczylas, Indian Springs District 109 Superintendent,
Dr. Christine Baldwin, Director of Curriculum & Instruction, Kelly Hernandez, Lyle Instructional Support Services. (Photos by Carol McGowan)

Lyle School Library Wins Prestigious Kendra Scott Award

Lyle School in Bridgeview received a transformative boost on Oct. 30, with a $2,000 gift certificate from First Book to enhance its collection of multicultural and diverse books, and an additional $1,000 for literacy enrichment from the Kendra Scott Foundation. The initiative, part of the Little Yellow Library program, aims to support Title 1 schools…

football-stock

IHSA football playoff scoreboard

With records and seedings in parentheses Note: Classes 8A and 7A are seeded 1-32. All other classes are seeded as two 1-16 brackets. First round Class 8A Glenbard East 49, Curie 0 Stevenson 31, Sandburg 14 Marist 42, Glenbrook South 14 Lyons 38, Joliet West 0 Class 7A Fenwick 12, Brother Rice 7 Quincy 49,…

Red Star Mallory Swanson (9) moves the ball against Kansas City on Nov 3 at SeatGeek Stadium. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Area sports roundup: Red Stars fall to eighth seed, will face Orlando

The Chicago Red Stars are heading into the NWSL playoffs with a three-game losing streak and will face the regular season’s best team. The eighth-seeded Red Stars visit top-seeded Orlando at 7 p.m. Friday in the quarterfinals. The Red Stars had a 1-1 draw at Orland on March 29 and lost 1-0 in Bridgeview on…

One of the robbers holds an assault rifle during the July 13, 2023,  robbery of the Jawahir Jewelry  store in Bridgeview. (Photos courtesy of FBI)

Bridgeview jewelry heist suspects still at large, FBI offers $15,000 reward

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and the FBI are seeking the public’s help in apprehending masked men involved in four jewelry store robberies across three states, including two incidents in Bridgeview. Last week, the FBI released surveillance footage from the robberies in Bridgeview and Dearborn, Michigan. A reward of up to $15,000 is being offered…

Mother McAuley girls volleyball coach Jen DeJarld has helped keep the Mighty Macs' regional championship alive at 44 straight. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Postseason roundup: McAuley wins 44th straight volleyball regional

The streak is up to 44. Mother McAuley won another regional championship in girls volleyball on Oct. 31 and that brings its total up to 44 straight regional or district championships after a 25-12, 25-14 victory over Stagg to win the Class 4A Stagg Regional in Palos Hills. Excluding the 2020 COVID-19 season, the Mighty…

mount carmel logo

Jack Elliott, Mount Carmel cruise in Class 7A opener

Before a Class 7A opener in Machesney Park on Nov. 1, Mount Carmel and Harlem had never played each other. The Huskies are likely fine with not seeing the Caravan again anytime soon, as the Caravan rolled to a 56-14 victory. Playing only in the first half, Mount Carmel quarterback Jack Elliott completed 11 of…

Logo-Richards

Two-way star Myles Mitchell helps Richards advance

With Richards trailing late against visiting Dunlap in a Class 6A opener on Nov. 1, Bulldogs coach Tony Sheehan knew what time it was. Myles Mitchell time. “I’m not going to lie,” Sheehan said. “I went up to him in the fourth quarter and told him that we were going to put it all on…

Logo-Shepard

Shepard’s bounceback season ends in Class 6A opener

A rough start led to a season-ending loss for Shepard on Nov. 1. In the first three minutes of a Class 6A playoff opener against downstate Washington, the Astros fell behind 14-0 en route to a 52-21 road loss. Shepard went three-and-out on its first possession. Washington blocked the ensuing punt and scored on a…

Neighbors

Jury deadlocks, mistrial declared in case of ex-AT&T boss accused of bribing Madigan

Jury deadlocks, mistrial declared in case of ex-AT&T boss accused of bribing Madigan

By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – A federal judge on Thursday declared a mistrial after a jury deadlocked in their deliberations over whether former AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza bribed longtime Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan via a no-work contract for the speaker’s political ally. After nearly 15 hours of deliberation…

High court: Smell of burnt cannabis is not cause for warrantless vehicle search

High court: Smell of burnt cannabis is not cause for warrantless vehicle search

By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com Law enforcement officers in Illinois cannot rely on the smell of burnt cannabis alone to justify searching a vehicle without a warrant, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled on Thursday. The decision was unanimous, though Justice Lisa Holder White did not take part in it. Writing for the court,…

State wraps up case in challenge to assault weapons ban

State wraps up case in challenge to assault weapons ban

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com EAST ST. LOUIS – A federal judge invoked images from the 1917 race riots in East St. Louis, Illinois, on Thursday at the end of a trial in a case challenging the constitutionality of the state’s ban on assault-style weapons and large-capacity magazines. Judge Steven McGlynn, who has…

Gun expert says assault weapons ban ‘describes the most popular firearms I’m involved with’

Gun expert says assault weapons ban ‘describes the most popular firearms I’m involved with’

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com EAST ST. LOUIS – A firearms expert testified Wednesday that the weapons restricted under Illinois’ assault weapons ban include many of the most common firearms that American consumers use for self-defense. Steven Randall Watt, a combat veteran and retired law enforcement officer who now owns a private firearms…

Case of former AT&T boss accused of bribing Madigan heads to jury

Case of former AT&T boss accused of bribing Madigan heads to jury

By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – On Valentine’s Day in 2017, then-AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza got some good news: After years of trying to push for legislation in Springfield that would save the company hundreds of millions of dollars annually, powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan had agreed to a…

State Supreme Court hears arguments in Jussie Smollett’s effort to overturn conviction

State Supreme Court hears arguments in Jussie Smollett’s effort to overturn conviction

By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in actor Jussie Smollett’s appeal to overturn his conviction on disorderly conduct charges for falsifying a hate crime. Smollett, who was an actor on the TV show “Empire,” was improperly charged with the same crime twice, his legal team…

Testimony continues in 2nd Amendment challenge to Illinois’ assault weapons ban

Testimony continues in 2nd Amendment challenge to Illinois’ assault weapons ban

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com EAST ST. LOUIS – An engineer who spent decades designing weapons for one of the world’s leading gun manufacturers testified Tuesday that the assault-style weapons now banned in Illinois are intended only for civilian use and cannot be easily converted into military-grade firearms. James Ronkainen, a former engineer…

Contractor’s unsecured databases exposed sensitive voter data in over a dozen Illinois counties

Contractor’s unsecured databases exposed sensitive voter data in over a dozen Illinois counties

By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Around 4.6 million records associated with Illinoisans in over a dozen counties – including voting records, registrations and death certificates – were temporarily available on the open internet, according to a security researcher who identified the vulnerability in July. The documents were available through an unsecured cloud storage…

Prosecutors rest case against former AT&T Illinois boss accused of bribing Madigan

Prosecutors rest case against former AT&T Illinois boss accused of bribing Madigan

By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – After years of pushing in Springfield, AT&T Illinois’ executive team was thrilled when the Illinois General Assembly in 2017 passed legislation that would get the company out from under expensive obligations to maintain its aging copper landline wires in Illinois. “Game over. We win,” AT&T Illinois…

Trial begins in challenge to assault weapons ban

Trial begins in challenge to assault weapons ban

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com EAST ST. LOUIS – The owner of a gun store testified Monday that Illinois’ ban on the sale of assault-style weapons and large capacity magazines has had a significant impact on his business and prevented his customers from buying items they would normally use for self-defense, hunting, target…