Local News
Chicago Sky to build $38 million practice facility on 65th Street
Chicago’s WNBA team, the Chicago Sky, announced they would be breaking ground this fall on a $38 million practice facility in Bedford Park. The facility has a price tag of $38 million. It will be built next to the Wintrust Sports Complex, 5499 W. 65th St. It is scheduled to be completed by December 2025.…
Bridgeview crowd celebrates its own UFC champion
Bridgeview celebrated UFC Champion Belal Muhammad’s victory with a vibrant parade, complete with Middle Eastern dancing, a motorcade, and cheering crowds on Sunday afternoon. A crowd of about 600, united in their support for the local hero and the first Palestinian welterweight world champion, gathered at 2 p.m. near Menards to honor Muhammad’s accomplishment with…
Evergreen Park comes together for school supply drive
Beginning a new school year is exciting for students and parents; however, families who are shopping for back-to-school supplies may feel overwhelmed by the expense. So, the Evergreen Park Public Library, Evergreen Park Youth Department, and the Village of Evergreen Park are teaming up to host a School Supply Drive to benefit families in Evergreen…
Comings & Goings: Tinley Park Amazon Fresh to finally open Aug. 22
Online retail giant Amazon has announced that it will host a grand opening for its brand-new Amazon Fresh grocery store in Tinley Park at 8 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 22. The 38,436-square-foot building at 16017 S. Harlem Avenue will be Amazon’s 11th brick-and-mortar storefront in the Chicago area and second in the south suburbs. Amazon opened…
Richards High School begins new year with new principal
Dr. MaLinda Majoch began her career with Community High School District 218 over a decade ago. Her venture began in August of 2003 when she took on a role as a Social Worker at Richards High School, 10601 Central Ave., Oak Lawn. She then moved on to be the Small Learning Community Facilitator at Richards…
Stagg gets community up and running at Summer Classic Track Meet
The Stagg High School community ran for a good cause. The fifth annual Summer Classic Track Meet was held on July 25 at the high school, 8015 W. 111th St., Palos Hills. “The initial goal of the track meet was to be a family friendly and fun way for our community to bond,” Zach Spoor,…
Invest in Cook transportation projects coming to south suburbs
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle joined the County’s Department of Transportation and Highways last week to announce the list of 35 projects that will receive funding under the 2024 ‘Invest in Cook’ grant program, including projects in Summit, Forest View, Evergreen Park and Worth Township. A total of $7,995,113 will be distributed across 26 municipalities, four…
Oak Lawn families enjoy a ‘night out’
Oak Lawn Police Chief Daniel Vittorio recalled the first National Night Out event planned for the village. He was working with the canine unit at the time and said there is one main difference now compared to back then. “The biggest difference is with the new board and having more committees,” Vittorio said. “The Special…
Oak Lawn police make arrest in 2022 robbery at Reichman Jewelers
Oak Lawn police have arrested a suspect in the July 2022 robbery of Reichman Jewelers in which one of the co-owners was shot and critically wounded. The robbery occurred at 2 p.m. on July 1, 2022. Three male black men entered the store, drew their firearms and disarmed the security guard. As the robbery continued,…
Crowds savor this year’s Taste of Orland
The days of summer are dwindling but that did not stop Orland Park from savoring the last of the season with a three-day food festival. The Tate of Orland Park was held the weekend of August 4 at Orland Park’s Metra Station at 15609 Park Station Blvd., Orland Park. This was the first time for…
Palos Park gets a jump on National Night Out
By Kelly White The Village of Palos Park has taken the traditional National Night Out and turned it into a week of fun-filled events. Mayor Nicole Milovich-Walters and Palos Park Police Commissioner Dan Polk joined forces to create “National Night Out Week” — a week of events geared to heighten crime prevention, safety awareness, neighbors…
Orland Township helps kids get ready for new school year
The summer clock is winding down and Orland Township was there to get ready to prepare students to enter back into the classroom with its annual Back-To-School Health Fair. Presented by Orland Township Supervisor Paul O’Grady and the Orland Township Board of Trustees, the free health fair was held on July 28 at the township,…
Taste of Orland Park returns this weekend
From staff reports Orland Park’s annual Taste of Orland Park presented by Northwestern Medicine arrives at the new Centennial Park West August 2 through 4. Now in its 21st year, the Taste of Orland Park showcases Orland Park eateries, community organizations and several bands throughout the weekend. Special events within the fest include three days…
Palos Park seeks grants to help pay for police body cameras
By Jeff Vorva Per a mandatory law by the state, smaller communities’ police forces are required to equip their officers with body cameras starting Jan. 1. Larger and mid-size towns have been using bodycams in recent years and now towns such as Palos Park are preparing for it. The problem is that while it is…
Palos Heights police officers cited for saving resident
By Nuha Abdessalam Palos Heights Mayor Robert Straz, city council members, and Police Chief William Czajkowski recognized Officers Grady Connell and Jake Wiegrand for their exceptional performance and duty. Their swift and decisive actions, a testament to their professionalism, resulted in a life-saving award. At the July 16 Palos Heights City Council meeting, Czajkowski recounted…
Palos Heights Senior Living resident turns 100
By Kelly White Jack Quinn is a modest man who enjoys spending time with his family and friends. A resident at Palos Heights Senior Living, 7100 W. College Drive, Quinn proudly celebrated his 100th birthday with those he loves most on Thursday, July 18. “I can’t believe it,” Quinn said. “I’m working on the second…
Shepard High School welcomes new principal
By Kelly White Shepard High School is kicking of the new school year with a new principal. The high school, 13049 S. Ridgeland Ave., Palos Heights, welcomed Dr. Timothy Baker into the role of principal as of July 1. “As principal of Shepard High School, it is my responsibility as the instructional leader to ensure…
Palos Park plans week of National Night Out events
Police Commissioner Dan Polk says Palos Park is not content with a single National Night Out, so the village has planned a week’s worth of events to celebrate the annual get-together of first responders and residents. Events will begin with Coffee with the Chief at 7 p.m. Friday, August 2, at police headquarters at 8999…
Orland Park to get new village manager next spring
By Jeff Vorva Orland Park will be on the lookout for a village manager next spring. Current manager George Koczwara, whose contract expires Oct. 14 and was not renewed by the village board, resigned in June but plans on fulfilling his obligations until that date. Mayor Keith Pekau said that an interim director will be…
Evita heading to the Olympics … again
By Jeff Vorva Evita Griskenas, of Orland Park, will compete in her second Olympics, representing the United States in rhythmic gymnastics in the 2024 Summer Games in Paris. Griskenas, a Sandburg graduate, qualified for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo and finished 12th in the qualifying round in the individual all-around. She will be the only…
Illinois News
Judge orders prison officials to relocate Stateville population by Sept. 30
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com A federal judge is ordering Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration to move the vast majority of those incarcerated at Stateville Correctional Center near Joliet out of the aging prison by the end of September, citing health and safety concerns posed by the facility. The Illinois Department of Corrections had…
Pritzker signs law allowing digital driver’s licenses among hundreds of other bills
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday signed a measure designating the “giant puffball” as the state’s mushroom after signing hundreds of bills on Friday, completing action on legislation sent to him by lawmakers this spring. Pritzker has now signed more than 460 bills without issuing any vetoes. Below is…
Proposed Aqua rate increase reignites tensions between the company and its customers
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com BOURBONNAIS – As state regulators consider whether to approve a proposed rate increase for the state’s second largest private water utility, its customers are criticizing it for poor service and high prices. Aqua Illinois, which serves parts of 14 counties mostly in northern Illinois, requested an increase to…
South suburban airport could bring over $1B in economic activity, per report
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com A new airport in Chicago’s far south suburbs could bring thousands of jobs and a $1 billion economic impact, according to a new report, but state and local officials expressed concerns about the future of the long-delayed project. A study from the Illinois Economic Policy Institute, a think…
Sangamon County sheriff says he’ll retire by end of month in wake of Massey shooting
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com A little over a month after the shooting death of Sonya Massey by a sheriff’s deputy, Sangamon County Sheriff Jack Campbell on Friday announced his retirement, effective no later than Aug. 31. His announcement comes amid intense pressure to resign, including from Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday. The…
State now has blueprint for K-12 schools to teach dangers of overdose
By DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois draju@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois public schools wishing to teach their students about the dangers of overdoses and substance use disorder now have a blueprint to do so from the state. The Illinois State Board of Education published the resource guides in accordance with a law passed in 2023. While a school’s…
The government spends millions to open grocery stores in food deserts. The real test is their survival.
This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with Capitol News Illinois. Sign up for Dispatches to get stories like this one as soon as they are published. By MOLLY PARKER Capitol News Illinois mparker@capitolnewsillinois.com Photography by Julia Rendleman CAIRO — More than 100 people congregated in the parking lot of Rise Community Market on…
Most Illinois jails restrain people in chairs. This county ‘violently shocked’ them, too.
by GRACE HAUCK ILLINOIS ANSWERS PROJECT Warning: The following article includes mentions of self-harm. This is the second in a series of stories. Read the first story here. CHARLESTON, Ill. – Brice Fritz was naked, strapped down to a chair in a jail cell when a staff member monitoring her via video delivered 80,000 volts…
Pritzker signs birth equity initiative into law, celebrates Medicaid expansion
By DILPREET RAJU & JENNIFER FULLER Capitol News Illinois draju@capitolnewsillinois.com Gov. JB Pritzker signed a law Monday that expands insurance coverage during and after pregnancy with the goal of lowering infant and maternal mortality rates, especially for Black Illinoisans. The law requires insurers that provide state-regulated health care plans to cover pregnancy and postpartum services…
In month since SCOTUS bribery decision, Madigan-related corruption cases forge ahead
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com Attorneys on both sides of the federal corruption case against former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan didn’t agree on much this past month, but they are aligned on one thing: they’re prepared to go to trial on Oct. 8 in Chicago. The agreement to keep the already-delayed trial…
