secretary of state logo

DMV to offer longer hours

As of now, Illinois DMV locations will be open 30 minutes earlier from Monday to Saturday.

The new 7:30 a.m. starting times were announced by Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias to better align with higher customer demand in the mornings. Offices will now be open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and from 7:30 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.

Senior facilities located in Bridgeview and Calumet Park will remain 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Orland Township DMV hours will remain 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday.

“Since Day One, our priority has been to provide the best possible DMV experience and service to our customers,” Giannoulias said. “We listened to feedback and analyzed the data to determine when our customers need us most. As a result, we’re adjusting our hours to align our operations with their busy schedules so they can conveniently access services without disrupting their routine.”

A data-driven analysis revealed customer demand is generally higher in the morning than in the early evening. By opening facilities earlier, the office aims to enhance service accessibility while reducing wait times.

The new facility hours will be implemented at most, but not all, Illinois DMV facilities. To check facility hours, make an appointment or apply for online services, customers are encouraged to visit www.ilsos.gov

Local News

Rich Miller

Crime will be big issue this year

By Rich Miller Illinois House Speaker Chris Welch marked his first anniversary as his chamber’s top leader with a series of news media interviews last week. One of the questions I asked was what his legislative district’s constituents were talking to him about the most. “The number one issue in my district, and this is…

Circle K in Bridgeview sold a $1 million Lucky Day Lotto winning ticket. (Supplied photo)

$1 million Lucky Day Lotto jackpot won in Bridgeview

From staff reports If you bought a Lucky Day Lotto ticket in Bridgeview for Thursday night’s drawing, you may want to check it right away – that’s because you might be a newly-minted millionaire! Circle K gas station, located at 7050 S. Harlem Ave. in Bridgeview, sold a $1 million winning Lucky Day Lotto ticket…

Staffers at the Glen Ellyn-based Willowbrook Wildlife shelter work with a bald eagle that had been poisoned and was rescued near Ottawa Trail Woods in Lyons. (Supplied photo)

Poisoned bald eagle found in Lyons woods 

By Kelly White  Bald eagles are becoming increasingly more common in the Chicagoland area, and avid bird enthusiasts said this is no surprise. “I have been watching the same pair of bald eagles and their offspring for 12 years now,” Sue Delfiacco said. To Delfiacco, the pair of birds are like family. Every morning, she…

Kathy Headley

Ada Hook was a Chicago Lawn original

By Kathy Headley Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor 6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778 Last week we learned about the passing of two ladies with ties to the community: Mary Ellen St. Aubin and Harriet Jendrach. On the heels of that news, I just learned of the recent passing of another special…

Peggy Zabicki

Meeting those new year’s challenges

By Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place •  (773) 504-9327 Hi neighbors!  I hope everyone is enjoying January. This is a good time to stay inside and organize your home. Start with a room or a closet or even a drawer. I decided to start with the cabinet that I keep plastic storage…

Mary Stanek

Dove Candy shop quest a success

By Mary Stanek Your correspondent in Archer Heights and West Elsdon 3808 W. 57th Place •  (773) 284-7394 We made it through ‘til mid-January. We celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, Jan. 17. His actual birthday was Jan. 15, but we observe it on the third Monday of January each year. We celebrated…

Karen Sala

Primrose here, spring on its way

By Karen Sala Your correspondent in Gage Park (773) 471-1429 • karen.sala@hotmail.com January, on average, is the coldest month of the year. I sure hope it doesn’t get any colder than it has been, although I would rather have cold than snow. I bought a yellow Primrose the other day. You know what I always say:…

Funeral-Flowers.4 logo

Obituaries for Jan. 13, 2022

RICHARD LEE ANDORF Richard Lee Andorf, 75, of Brookfield. Beloved husband of Diane Andorf (nee Markus); fond father of Brigetta (Ronald) Harper; dear grandfather of Kailee and Tyler; brother of Diane (Thomas) Parsons, and Wendy (Byron) Blum; uncle of many nieces and nephews. Services and interment private. Arrangements entrusted to Hitzeman Funeral Home & Cremation Services,…

SRP-IMAGE-Logo

Clear-Ridge Reporter and NewsHound PDF January 12, 2022

Marist’s Elisa Ward (right), and Mother McAuley’s Bella Finnegan and their teams will be a part of the Coach Kipp Hoopsfeast Saturday and Monday. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Local Sports Notebook: Four area girls teams headed to Hoopsfest

By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Four area girls basketball teams will participate in the 32nd running of the Coach Kipp Hoopsfest. This year’s tournament, sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, takes place Saturday at Montini High School and Monday at Benet Academy. Sandburg is scheduled to play Downers Grove North in the 12:30 p.m. game on…

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…