Posts by Bob Bong
Newcomers square off in Illinois 21st House race
By Bob Bong For the first time in more than a decade, voters in the 21st Illinois House District (formerly the 23rd District) will be sending a new state representative to the General Assembly in Springfield. Longtime lawmaker Michael Zalewski was defeated in the Democratic primary by Abdelnasser Rashid who is taking on Republican challenger…
Read MoreComings & Goings: Chef opens own restaurant in Country Club Hills
By Bob Bong Charmaine Candler began her journey to restaurateur while she was tending bar at Aces Bar and Grill in Country Club Hills and would regularly bring in home-cooked food for her customers. Four years ago, she officially opened her Charmz Kitchen inside Aces and started serving her Southern cuisine and signature egg rolls…
Read MoreNazareth’s Milano named IHSA baseball coach of the year
Nazareth Academy Head Baseball Coach Lee Milano has been selected by the administrative staff at the Illinois High School Association to receive the 2021-2022 Baseball Coach of the Year Award. IHSA said his selection to receive this prestigious honor was based upon the positive work he has done with the student-athletes in the program. The…
Read MoreLyons, Brookfield men among 7 charged with COVID fraud
Feds say ring stole $16 million in COVID relief money A Lyons man and another from Brookfield were among seven people indicted on federal charges for allegedly fraudulently obtaining at least $16 million in small business loans and grants under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. The defendants engaged in fraud related to…
Read MoreFlagg Creek Golf Course scores with record profit-sharing
By Steve Metsch Moments before teeing off with three friends, Maria Garino, of Willowbrook, said she wasn’t surprised Flagg Creek Golf Course posted its best year ever in terms of revenue. “They have the best employees around. They have no ego. They come here, they do the job they’re asked to do and are perfectly…
Read MoreMVCC hosts 9th annual Halloween 5K run/walk
Break out the running shoes, grab a costume and head to the ninth annual Halloween 5K Run/Walk and Kid’s Dash on Saturday, Oct. 29, 9 a.m., at Moraine Valley Community College, 9000 W. College Parkway, Palos Hills. Participants can walk or run the officially timed 5K (3.1 mile) path throughout campus. The Kid’s Dash will…
Read MoreBrookfield Zoo sends thousands of endangered Crested Toad Tadpoles to Puerto Rico
In an effort to help increase the wild population of the Puerto Rican crested toad, last week, the Chicago Zoological Society sent just over 8,200 tadpoles that hatched at Brookfield Zoo to be released to the wild in Puerto Rico. The species, which is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, is…
Read MoreChills and thrills abound at Bridgeview’s Roeback’s Nightmare
By Bob Bong Bridgeview’s Tony Roeback begins looking forward to Halloween when most people are grilling burgers and cooling off in backyard pools. Roeback begins working on Roeback’s Nightmare in mid-July to be ready to serve up chills and thrills when October rolls around. For the past two years, he has turned his home at…
Read MoreBulldog Company, NHS unload 3,000 pumpkins for church pumpkin patch
When First United Methodist Church needs help, they know who to call. The Oak Lawn church traditionally sponsors a pumpkin patch and, with 3,000 pumpkins to unload, needs some helping hands. Both the U.S. Navy Junior ROTC program and National Honor Society from Richards High School volunteered to help church members with the work. Community…
Read MoreOak Lawn officials discuss alleviating traffic jams due to water main project
By Joe Boyle An increase in traffic congestion has brought on a series of complaints that Oak Lawn officials plan to address. The Oak Lawn Village Board on Tuesday morning approved an ordinance directing the installation of a temporary barricade just south of 108th and Cook Avenue. The board also authorized a traffic engineering study…
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