SRP-IMAGE-Logo

Capitol Cast: Lawmakers Return

The Capitol News Illinois reporting team takes a look at the state of state government in the final one month of the legislative session and recaps the week’s developments in the ComEd Four trial.

Leave a Comment





Local News

Chicago FOP President John Catanzara addresses the United Business Association of Midway on Oct. 9. Behind him are Illinois FOP General Counsel Tamara Cummings (at left) and UBAM President Anita Cummings. (Photo by Dermot Connolly)

FOP officials share Chicago policing concerns with UBAM

Two Fraternal Order of Police officials from Clearing shared insights about law enforcement at the state and local level at the Oct. 9 United Business Association of Midway meeting. Tamara Cummings, general counsel for the Illinois FOP, and John Catanzara, president of the Chicago FOP (Lodge 7)—former classmates at St. Rene School—were the guest speakers…

Bedford Park and the Chicago Sky welcome guests to the groundbreaking last week of the team’s new practice facility. (Photos by Carol McGowan)

Chicago Sky, Bedford Park break ground on $38 million practice facility

It was a groundbreaking event on Oct. 9, as more than 200 people gathered at the future site of Phase 2 of the Wintrust Sports Complex at 65th Street and Central Avenue in Bedford Park. The Chicago Sky, in partnership with the Village of Bedford Park, broke ground on a new $38 million state-of-the-art practice…

Sophie Imielski (left) and Jordyn Hoffenberger were busy hemming garments at an earlier Repair Cafe. (File photo)

Final repair cafe of the year Oct. 19 for Lyons Township

The Township of Lyons will host its final repair café of the year from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, at the township hall, 6404 Joliet Road. You can bring a wide range of household items in for repairs free of charge, Township Clerk Elyse Hoffenberg said during the township board meeting Oct.…

Forest View Village Clerk Laura McGuffey (from left), Stickney Township Trustees Laura Kreil, Diane Viverito, Donna Galeher, Forest View Mayor Nancy Miller and Administrator Mike Dropka at the beginning of the October 8 board meeting. (Photo by Carol McGowan)

Forest View loses 2 officials in sudden resignations, mayor ‘saddened’

On Oct. 8, the Forest View village board meeting took a surprising turn when two key officials resigned during a portion of the meeting that was closed to the public. Forest View Administrator Michael Dropka submitted his resignation to trustees who met behind closed doors to discuss an “employee personnel matter,” according to the meeting…

Ald. Silvana Tabares (23rd) addresses the community rally on Saturday urging the city to split the 8th Police District in half. Behind her are fellow council members Ray Lopez (15th) and Marty Quinn (13th). (Supplied photo)

Community, officials rally for new Southwest Side police district

Neighborhood residents and local officials supporting the division of the Chicago Lawn (8th) District came out in force for a rally Saturday outside the former National Guard Armory at Midway Airport, which they hope will house a new police station. Police directed traffic as large crowds crossed 63rd Street to attend the 11 a.m. gathering…

Marko Franco ran for two touchdowns in Back of the Yards' win against Gage Park on Oct. 10.

Football notebook: Marko Franco gives Back of the Yards a boost

Mark Morgan had a plan when he took over as Back of the Yards football coach in the fall of 2021. The Bobcats hadn’t fielded a team in two years, skipping the spring 2021 pandemic season. Getting the program back on its feet took some heavy lifting. Back of the Yards went 1-7 and 2-7…

Nazareth's boys golf team won the third sectional title in program history and heads to state Oct. 18-19. Nazareth photo

Postseason roundup: Nazareth boys, girls both advance to state golf

Nazareth boys golf coach Dave Reed didn’t see this coming. A sectional championship? That happened only twice in school history, in 2009 and 2013. Plus, the Roadrunners had not qualified for state as a team since 2019. Heading into this season, there were no sectional expectations. During regional play, the Roadrunners grabbed the last sectional…

Red Star Ludmila, left, and Gotham's Nealy Martin tangle on Oct. 12 at SeatGeek Stadium. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Pro soccer report: Red Stars clinch playoff spot; Fire names new coach

If the Red Stars had their choice, they would rather have beaten Gotham on Sept. 12 to secure a spot in the National Women’s Soccer League playoffs. Instead, the Red Stars suffered a 2-0 loss to the defending NWSL champions at SeatGeek Stadium, and 24 hours later clinched a spot in the playoffs when Washington…

Saquan Commings returned an interception 90 yards for a touchdown in Curie’s 30-0 win against Mather in Week 7. Photo by Mike Clark

Saquan Commings’ pick-six highlights Curie shutout of Mather

Slowly but surely, Curie is learning how to win again. The Condors were one of the Public League’s top football programs earlier this century, advancing to the IHSA playoffs 11 times from 2005-19 and winning 41 games between 2014-17. But before first-year coach Jarve Lewis-Bey arrived this fall, Curie had only four victories in the…

Mustafa Sulaiman, a familiar figure on the Chicago-area prep basketball scene, is taking over as boys coach at Universal. Provided photo

Universal hires Mustafa Sulaiman as boys basketball coach

Mustafa Sulaiman wasn’t looking for another job, but one came looking for him. Sulaiman is a familiar figure in Chicago-area prep basketball circles as the creator of the Xposure Runs podcast and the Chitown Showcase for uncommitted players trying to raise their recruiting profile. Now he’s also the head coach at Universal. Sulaiman was hired…

Neighbors

Logo-Evergreen Park

AJ Powell does it all for Evergreen Park in win vs. Reavis

Anything you can do, chances are AJ Powell can do better. The 5-foot-9, 150-pound senior demonstrated that in a 21-13 Week 7 win against Reavis in South Suburban Red action. Playing running back and cornerback, Powell rushed 11 times for 83 yards. On defense, he had 9.5 tackles and two interceptions. Powell also blocked an…

Defensive end Joey Quinn (from left), quarterback Jack Elliott and running back Danyil Taylor Jr. all played key roles in Mount Carmel’s 35-21 win against Joliet Catholic in Week 7. Photo by Mike Walsh

Jack’s back: Elliott leads Mount Carmel past Joliet Catholic

Welcome back, Jack. Senior quarterback Jack Elliott missed Mount Carmel’s loss to Brother Rice in Week 6 with an injury. But he was back in the Caravan lineup for Week 7 against Joliet Catholic in Chicago. How much of an impact did Elliott have in Mount Carmel’s 35-21 triumph over the Hilltoppers? A significant one.…

FB Argo Argonauts Helmet

Argo loses to Eisenhower on touchdown in closing seconds

A 19-14 South Suburban Red road loss to Eisenhower in Week 7 gave Argo coach Phillip Rossberg a bad case of déjà vu. Two weeks earlier, the Argonauts traveled to Tinley Park for a South Suburban crossover and lost to the Titans by the same score in a similar fashion. In both games, a big…

Crew members of Roeback's Nightmare in Bridgeview. (Photos by Nuha Abdessalam)

Bridgeview firefighter’s haunted house returns to spook locals

Bridgeview firefighter Tony Roeback’s graveyard-themed haunted house display is back for locals and neighboring townies to enjoy this Halloween season. The go-to haunted house at 7216 W. 72nd St. is back, featuring popular animatronics from Halloween movie classics, unique light fixtures, projection shows, and live performances to get neighbors into the Halloween spirit. Ringleader Tony…

Vulcan Materials Co. is paying a $1.5 million settlement to McCook. In exchange, the village is dropping a lawsuit filed in 2023 over unpaid dumping fees. (Photo by Steve Metsch)

Vulcan pays McCook $1.5 million to settle dumping lawsuit

Charging a company $4 for each truckload of clean debris dumped into a former quarry may not sound like much, but when you do the math, as McCook Mayor Terrance Carr said last Monday night, those truckloads add up. “It’s nothing, but when you’ve got thousands of trucks and years of dumping, it can add…

chicago bears logo

Cheerio! Lyons bars can open at 7 a.m. Sunday for early Bears game

By mayoral decree, Bears fans can start drinking earlier Sunday at bars in Lyons. The Bears play Jacksonville in London and the kickoff will be at 8:30 a.m. Chicago time Sunday. Usually, Lyons bars can’t open until 10 a.m. on Sunday. But they will be allowed to open and start serving at 7 a.m. With…

Student volunteers help unload the pumpkins for the UMC Pumpkin Patch in 2022. (File photo)

Oak Lawn United Methodist Church to open Pumpkin Patch this weekend

Every year about now, the First United Methodist Church of Oak Lawn celebrates the season by trucking in thousands of orange gourds for its Pumpkin Patch. People look forward to the return of the Pumpkin Patch, which this year runs from October 13 to October 31 on the church grounds at 100th Street and Central…

Mike Balasa, of Evergreen Park, along with his children, Ben, 4, and Olivia, 8, and his wife, Jasmine, at the Worth Park District's Fall Fest on Sunday. (Photos by Kelly white)

Worth Fall Fest ushers in the season

Fall is in the air. The Worth Park District welcomed the season with its annual Fall Fest on Sunday, Oct. 6, at Gale Moore Park, 109th Street and Nordica Avenue, Worth. “Getting everyone out in the community to enjoy what we offer makes me really happy,” said Stephanie Analitis, superintendent of recreation for the Worth…

Sean Walsh

Palos Park’s Walsh skates for injured first responders at 911 Cup

Palos Park Officer Sean Walsh spent this past weekend in Las Vegas with his skates laced up and participating in the Las Vegas 911 Cup. The 911 cup is a fundraising event supporting police officers, fire fighters, paramedics, and EMTs injured in the line of duty. Officer Walsh’s hockey team, Level Zero Heros, played teams…

reporter 2-2-24 oak lawn police logo

Chicago man charged in Oak Lawn carjacking

A Chicago man has been charged with carjacking a vehicle from a female teenager in the parking lot of the Jewel-Osco at 8801 S. Ridgeland Ave. on Sept. 28, police said. Police said a female teenager was parked and sitting inside her vehicle in the Jewel-Osco parking lot when a man with dreadlocks, wearing a…