Capitol News
East St. Louis forum to tackle persistent childhood poverty
By MOLLY PARKER Capitol News Illinois mparker@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois has the potential to eradicate childhood poverty, but it will require a concentrated, sustained effort in partnership with families and disadvantaged communities, says Tasha Green Cruzat, president of Children’s Advocates for Change, a Chicago-based nonprofit focused on childhood wellbeing. This hope drives the focus of the policy…
Federal judge rejects Illinois’ bid to end court oversight of disability programs
By MOLLY PARKER & BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois mparker@capitolnewsillinois.com bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com A federal judge on Friday denied Illinois’ request to end court oversight of its disability services. Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman, with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, agreed with legal advocates who argued that the state still hasn’t met its…
Coroner’s affidavit shows as many as 800 human remains could have been misidentified
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com As many as 800 families across the country who patronized a Carlinville funeral home may never know if the remains on their mantles belong to their loved ones, according to an affidavit signed by Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon. The affidavit was filed in a lawsuit pending against…
State law banning concealed carry on public transit ruled unconstitutional
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com A federal judge in Rockford has declared a state law banning concealed firearms on public transit systems unconstitutional – at least as it applies to four individuals who challenged it in court. But the law remains in effect for everyone else as the parties in the case consider…
Capitol Briefs: Secretary of state enlists high schoolers to encourage organ donation
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – The secretary of state’s office is launching a new program to enlist Illinois high schoolers to promote organ donation. The organ and tissue donation registry, a voluntary database administered by the secretary of state, catalogs peoples’ wishes regarding organ donation after death. On Tuesday, Secretary of…
Longtime Harris supporters do victory lap for their candidate at DNC
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – On a cold morning in late 2019, Illinois state Sen. Mattie Hunter, D-Chicago, boarded a bus bound for Iowa to knock doors for then-U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris in her bid for the presidency. At one particular door – one of many she visited in “mostly white…
Illinois Democrats see abortion rights as ‘fundamental’ issue in 2024
By PETER HANCOCK & JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – Illinois delegates to the Democratic National Convention focused their attention Tuesday on reproductive rights, which some leaders say could eclipse the economy as a defining issue of the 2024 election campaign. “We want to be able to take care of our families. We…
DNC brings thousands of pro-Palestine protestors to Chicago’s streets
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – Protestors in Chicago this week have shut down streets, broken through security fencing, clashed with police and interrupted events associated with the Democratic National Convention. Rallies and marches have focused mainly on the war in Gaza and reproductive health care. Most protestors remained peaceful, but a…
Report shows Illinois union participation declining despite growth in new petitions
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Overall participation in labor unions has declined in recent years in Illinois, although the state has seen an increase in successful unionization efforts for the second year in a row. That’s according to the State of the Unions 2024 report, the latest installment in an annual…
Capitol Briefs: Stateville workers picket as relocation begins; flag redesign contest to open next week
By PETER HANCOCK & ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com Union workers planned to picket outside Stateville Correctional Center Thursday to amplify their concerns about how the planned closure and reconstruction of the maximum-security prison could affect their jobs and the state’s prison system as a whole. Calling for “No Chaos, No Layoffs,” members of…
Massey’s death underscores state delay in launching mental health response program
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com An Illinois law intended to help people with mental illness avoid confrontations with police had been on the books for three years when Sonya Massey was shot by a Sangamon County Sheriff’s deputy. The Community Emergency Services and Supports Act, or CESSA, requires mental and behavioral health calls…
As Illinois receives praise for its cannabis equity efforts, stakeholders still working on system’s flaws
By DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois draju@capitolnewsillinois.com Medical marijuana patients can now purchase cannabis grown by small businesses as part of their allotment, Illinois’ top cannabis regulator said, but smaller, newly licensed cannabis growers are still seeking greater access to the state’s medical marijuana customers. Illinois legalized medicinal marijuana beginning in 2014, then legalized it…
Longtime Harris supporters do victory lap for their candidate at DNC
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – On a cold morning in late 2019, Illinois state Sen. Mattie Hunter, D-Chicago, boarded a bus bound for Iowa to knock doors for then-U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris in her bid for the presidency. At one particular door – one of many she visited in “mostly white…
Illinois Republicans see Harris’ polling surge as ‘honeymoon period’ that’s destined to end
By PETER HANCOCK & HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Republicans say they are still as united about the upcoming election as they were at their national convention in Milwaukee last month, despite surge of enthusiasm for the Democrats’ new presidential candidate, Vice President Kamala Harris. “Republicans are ready,” state party chair…
Illinois Democrats look to invest resources in swing states
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – On the final day of the Democratic National Convention, Illinois party leaders were preparing Thursday to hear Vice President Kamala Harris’ acceptance speech and to send workers and volunteers into the field to elect Democrats up and down the ballot. “She’s going to fire us up,”…
Du Quoin State Fair begins with twilight parade
PHOTOS BY DOMINIQUE MARTINEZ-POWELL & LYLEE GIBBS For Capitol News Illinois The Du Quoin State Fair kicked off with a twilight parade on Friday, Aug. 23, and will run through Monday, Sept. 2. Admission for the fair is free with parking ranging from $10-$15. For more information, visit https://dsf.illinois.gov/info.html. MARTINEZ-POWELL PHOTOS Zuzanna Gaik (left),…
Du Quoin State Fair begins with twilight parade
PHOTOS BY DOMINIQUE MARTINEZ-POWELL & LYLEE GIBBS For Capitol News Illinois The Du Quoin State Fair kicked off with a twilight parade on Friday, Aug. 23, and will run through Monday, Sept. 2. Admission for the fair is free with parking ranging from $10-$15. For more information, visit https://dsf.illinois.gov/info.html. MARTINEZ-POWELL PHOTOS Zuzanna Gaik (left),…
Du Quoin State Fair begins with twilight parade
PHOTOS BY DOMINIQUE MARTINEZ-POWELL & LYLEE GIBBS For Capitol News Illinois The Du Quoin State Fair kicked off with a twilight parade on Friday, Aug. 23, and will run through Monday, Sept. 2. Admission for the fair is free with parking ranging from $10-$15. For more information, visit https://dsf.illinois.gov/info.html. MARTINEZ-POWELL PHOTOS Zuzanna Gaik (left),…
Du Quoin State Fair begins with twilight parade
PHOTOS BY DOMINIQUE MARTINEZ-POWELL & LYLEE GIBBS For Capitol News Illinois The Du Quoin State Fair kicked off with a twilight parade on Friday, Aug. 23, and will run through Monday, Sept. 2. Admission for the fair is free with parking ranging from $10-$15. For more information, visit https://dsf.illinois.gov/info.html. MARTINEZ-POWELL PHOTOS Zuzanna Gaik (left),…
Du Quoin State Fair begins with twilight parade
PHOTOS BY DOMINIQUE MARTINEZ-POWELL & LYLEE GIBBS For Capitol News Illinois The Du Quoin State Fair kicked off with a twilight parade on Friday, Aug. 23, and will run through Monday, Sept. 2. Admission for the fair is free with parking ranging from $10-$15. For more information, visit https://dsf.illinois.gov/info.html. MARTINEZ-POWELL PHOTOS Zuzanna Gaik (left),…
Du Quoin State Fair begins with twilight parade
PHOTOS BY DOMINIQUE MARTINEZ-POWELL & LYLEE GIBBS For Capitol News Illinois The Du Quoin State Fair kicked off with a twilight parade on Friday, Aug. 23, and will run through Monday, Sept. 2. Admission for the fair is free with parking ranging from $10-$15. For more information, visit https://dsf.illinois.gov/info.html. MARTINEZ-POWELL PHOTOS Zuzanna Gaik (left),…
A look inside the DNC: Photos from Chicago
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – The Democratic National Convention wrapped up Thursday night, launching the country into the final weeks of the 2024 presidential election. Vice President Kamala Harris formally accepted the Democratic nomination and will face off against former president Donald Trump in November. Throughout the week, Capitol News Illinois’…
A look inside the DNC: Photos from Chicago
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – The Democratic National Convention wrapped up Thursday night, launching the country into the final weeks of the 2024 presidential election. Vice President Kamala Harris formally accepted the Democratic nomination and will face off against former president Donald Trump in November. Throughout the week, Capitol News Illinois’…
No ‘slated’ GOP candidates will be kept off ballot after rulings from Supreme Court, elections board
By JERRY NOWICKI & JENNIFER FULLER Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A law banning political parties from waiting until after the primary election to place a state legislative candidate on the general election ballot won’t keep any Republicans from running this November. The Illinois Supreme Court and State Board of Elections each made rulings…
Local News
Summit Officer Earns National Honor, New Police Officer Joins Force
Summit Police Officer Armando Dominguez received a standing ovation at the Summit Village Board meeting after being named National School Resource Officer of the Year, an honor presented at the National School Safety Conference. The award recognizes school resource officers who have made specific and significant contributions to their local communities or school districts. “Getting…
Worth to honor victims of 9/11 tragedy
Worth public officials will mark a couple of events honoring veterans and will remember the tragedy that took place on Sept. 11, 2001. Mayor Mary Werner mentioned that the Marrs-Meyer American Legion Post 991 will take part in the opening ceremony of the Vietnam Veteran Wall on Thursday, Sept. 5, in Monee. “Members of the post will…
Missing woman’s body found, service set for Saturday
A missing 85-year-old woman who had been missing since September 1 was found Wednesday afternoon deceased. Chicago police said Wednesday Francisca Renteria’s body was found after a massive search through the Garfield Ridge area. Sources said her body was found by Cook County Sheriff’s Police near an industrial building at 51st Street and Meade Avenue.…
Annual Rhine VFW Post picnic called a success
The annual post picnic at Rhine VFW Post in Garfield Ridge took place on September 1. Post Commander Charlie Johnson says it’s a big hit every year. “We have 125-150 people come every year. It’s our annual picnic for our members, their families, and our auxiliary. “We are one of the best VFWs in the…
Step Back in Time: 31st annual River Rendezvous returns to Willow Springs
The 31st annual A River Thru History – The Des Plaines Valley Rendezvous will be returning once again this year to Columbia Woods Forest Preserve in Willow Springs for a weekend filled with historic facts, recreation and fun. Taking place at the intersection of Archer Avenue and Willow Springs Road, the event focuses on the…
Football | Steven Holmes runs for 4 TDs as Argo defeats De La Salle
Last season, Argo made the state playoffs in consecutive campaigns for the first time in program history On opening night in Chicago’s Bronzeville community, they Argonauts took their first step toward securing a third straight postseason berth, defeating De La Salle 45-0 in a non-conference matchup at Parente Field. Argo senior running back Steven Holmes…
Football | Late TD pass lifts Nazareth over Kankakee on opening night
A balanced ground game and the play of Logan Malachuk led Nazareth to a comeback victory over a familiar foe on opening night of the 2024 season. Malachuk threw for 359 yards and two touchdowns, including a redemptive game-winning score with 3:46 to play, and the Roadrunners topped Kankakee, 37-30, in a non-conference matchup in…
Orland Park man charged for shooting tow truck, taking victim at gunpoint
A 26-year-old Orland man was arrested last week after he fired shots at a tow truck driver and took another person hostage at the auto repair shop where he worked, Chicago Ridge police said. Mahyoub Dawabsha was taken into custody on Tuesday, August 20, by Chicago Ridge officers who responded to a call of shots…
Popular Bluegrass and Brews will return to Countryside next year
There will be a fourth Bluegrass and Brews in Countryside next year after this year’s third edition drew a big crowd to Countryside Park. “Absolutely,” Mayor Sean McDermott said when asked if there will be another concert in 2025. “I thought it was wonderful,” he said of the August 24 event. “I think it gets…
Larry Rice Way unveiled at Hodgkins Fest
A crowd gathered during the annual Hodgkins Fest for the unveiling of Larry Rice Way on August 24. Longtime Hodgkins Trustee Larry Rice passed away at the end of July, and Lyons Street in the village now bears his name in his honor. “More than 100 people were there just for the street naming,” said…
