Pickleball courts coming to Palos Park

TENNIS COURTS

By Jeff Vorva There will finally be outdoor pickleball in Palos Park. In a process that went longer than anticipated, the Palos Park Village Council was able give the green light to get a pickleball project started on the Village Green. The council voted April 8 to award the contract to U.S. Tennis Court Construction…

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Gaming licenses to be tougher to get in Orland Park

PEKAU ON GAMING

By Jeff Vorva It’s going to take longer to receive gaming licenses in Orland Park. The village board passed an ordinance April 15 that would allow table service businesses open at least 36 consecutive months to apply rather than the previous 18 months, and extended the probationary period to 18 months instead of six. “By…

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Palos Park passes $16 million budget

REED BUDGET

By Jeff Vorva The Palos Park Village Council approved the 2024-25 budget, which totals a little more than $16.3 million at the April 22 village council meeting. According to village documents, it represented an increase of a shade over $603,000 from last year. The village is expecting $13.4 million in revenue and $1.86 million in…

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Orland Park bans ‘gas station heroin’

By Jeff Vorva Products with what some people call “gas station heroin” will not be allowed to be sold in Orland Park. At the April 15 meeting, the village board voted 6-0 (with trustee Michael Milani absent) to prohibit kratom novel synthetic and psychoactive drug businesses to be sold in the village. “If this has…

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Red Stars’ Tatumn Milazzo has top Save of the Week

MILAZZO

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Tatumn Milazzo called her achievement “funny.” The Chicago Red Stars defender and Orland Park native was awarded the NWSL’s Save of the Week after chasing down a ball in a loss to Angel City on April 13. The Save of the Week usually goes to a goalie. Milazzo laughed about the…

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St. Laurence hoops teams top honor roll

AALIYAH FLORES

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Area basketball teams proved to be strong on the court and in the classroom this season, and St. Laurence was the leader of the pack. The Illinois Basketball Coaches Association compiled a list of the top academic teams, and the area did well. In Division 3 girls, St. Laurence was ranked…

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Chicago Bears recognize St. Rita senior with All-Star award

DAVID LYLE

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Chances are good that few outside of St. Rita football circles know who David Lyle is. With good reason. Lyle missed his senior season for the Mustangs last fall after sustaining a serious knee injury. He even postponed having knee surgery so that he could take care of his ailing father.…

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Chicago Red Stars and Bay FC to play at Wrigley Field

Schlegel 240323 Match Day GES 131

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Chicago Red Stars forward Ally Schlegel loves Wrigley Field. “I adored Wrigley the second I went to my first Cubs game,” Schlegel said. “I fell in love with it thinking it was the perfect sporting experience with how they built it up down there.” She will go from a fan in…

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Trinity Christian College names new hoops coaches

MASt

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Trinity Christian officials were busy on April 11 ushering in new eras for its basketball programs. Trolls Athletic Director Wendy Reid announced that Jordan Mast is taking over the men’s basketball program, while Jasmine Porter has been named women’s hoops coach. Mast comes to the school in Palos Heights after five…

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