Local News

dvn eva manzke farm award3 2022

SD104 teacher Eva Manzke named agriculture classroom teacher of the year

By Bob Bong / November 6, 2022 /

Eva Manzke, a third- and fourth-grade teacher at Walker Elementary School in Bedford Park, is the recipient of the 2023 Illinois Agriculture in the Classroom Teacher of the Year Award from the Cook County Farm Bureau. Manzke, who has been a teacher for 30 years, utilizes agriculture across her curriculum with her students. From urban…

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Westbound Tri-State Tollway ramp to 95th Street closes Friday night

By Bob Bong / October 21, 2022 / Comments Off on Westbound Tri-State Tollway ramp to 95th Street closes Friday night

Weekend-long lane closures, including a detour of the ramp carrying the southbound Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) to westbound 95th Street, are scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. Friday, October 21, for work to shift traffic on southbound I-294 between 87th Street/Roberts Road and 95th Street. Once the new traffic pattern is in place, southbound I-294 traffic will be in a counterflow…

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Summit School District 104 may drop 5th-grade center

By Carol Mcgowan / October 14, 2022 /

By Carol McGowan Summit School District 104 is considering dropping Wharton School as a fifth-grade learning center only and returning the elementary schools in the district to kindergarten to fifth grade. Heritage Middle School would remain the campus for sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students. Using Wharton as a fifth-grade only learning center was adopted in…

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ACE starting up Yes I Can after-school program for Summit students

By Bob Bong / September 29, 2022 / Comments Off on ACE starting up Yes I Can after-school program for Summit students

The Argo Coalition for Education’s Yes I Can after-school program is about to get underway for the 2022-2023 school year. The program begins October 4 and will meet every Tuesday from 3-5 p.m. at the Shiloh Baptist Church Education Building, 7661 W. 63rd Place, Summit. This program, for first-grade through eighth-grade, is designed to help…

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Argo holds Walk The Halls Night

By Carol Mcgowan / August 20, 2022 / Comments Off on Argo holds Walk The Halls Night

By Carol McGowan Nearly 1,000 people were on hand last Friday evening for Argo Community High School’s second annual Walk The Halls Night. After a successful inaugural event in 2021, the Summit high school once again opened its doors for incoming students, their families, and the community to walk the halls and tour the campus.…

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2 incumbents seek Dem nomination in newly drawn 6th District

By Steve Metsch / June 20, 2022 / Comments Off on 2 incumbents seek Dem nomination in newly drawn 6th District

By Steve Metsch It doesn’t happen often, but voters in the newly drawn 6th Congressional District have an unusual choice in the Democratic primary. Because of redistricting, two sitting members of Congress are going toe-to-toe for the nomination in the June 28 primary. The district covers the Midway Airport area, Chicago’s Beverly neighborhood and the…

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CAMPAIGN 2022: Carr, Justak square off to be GOP leader in Lyons Township

By Steve Metsch / May 26, 2022 / Comments Off on CAMPAIGN 2022: Carr, Justak square off to be GOP leader in Lyons Township

By Steve Metsch The race for Republican Committeeperson in Lyons Township is between the current office holder and a mayor eager to replace her. Incumbent Katie Justak, who is in her first election, was appointed to the position in December by Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison(17th), chairman of the Cook County Republican party. Her challenger…

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Grand reopening Friday for Bedford Park Walmart

By Bob Bong / May 19, 2022 /

Bedford Park residents can get a first look at the newly remodeled Walmart Supercenter at 7050 S. Cicero Ave., on Friday, May 20. The store will celebrate its ReGrand Opening with activities for the community beginning at 9 a.m. Along with a disc jockey who will play hit tunes, community residents are invited to enjoy complimentary beverages and snacks…

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Argo track at Morton

Argo girls track team wins Morton Invite

By Carol Mcgowan / May 2, 2022 / Comments Off on Argo girls track team wins Morton Invite

By Carol McGowan Argo High School’s girls varsity track team recently came in first place at the Girls Morton High School Varsity Indoor Track and Field Invite 2022. Argo head coach Eva Manzke said, “It was our last indoor meet and we won at the varsity level.  We competed against some higher-level teams such as…

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Electric violinist Mark Wood coming to Argo

By Carol Mcgowan / April 21, 2022 / Comments Off on Electric violinist Mark Wood coming to Argo

By Carol McGowan Legendary electric violinist Mark Wood is coming to Argo High School. He will perform in concert with the Argo and Wilkins Junior High Orchestras on May 2, at 7:30 p.m.  The concert will take place in the Portillo Performing Arts Center at the Summit school. Wood has quite the background. He was…

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Billions of cicadas get ready to raise a racket

By Kelly White If you haven’t heard the buzz yet, you will soon. With 2024 marking a big year for periodical cicadas in Illinois, billions of the red-eyed buggers will soon be making an appearance. Periodical cicada broods XIII and XIX will be emerging throughout much of the state at the same time. Although exact…

Chicago Christian’s Holland Winthrop eyes a high fastball during an at-bat last week. Photo by Xavier Sanchez

Softball | Jocelyn Hovanec scores two runs, Ks 12 in Chicago Christian win

By Xavier Sanchez Correspondent Chicago Christian  is working to find its footing in the inaugural season of the Chicagoland Christian Conference. The Knights entered this week 6-8 overall and 4-6 in the CCC, putting them in fifth place with just two conference games to play among their final seven regular-season contests. The Knights have had…

Chicago Christian players celebrate after a point during a match agsint St. Edward. Photo by Xavier Sanchez

Boys Volleyball | Chicago Christian finishes April strong, takes second at Ridgewood Invitational

By Xavier Sanchez Correspondent A busy and largely successful final seven days of April saw Chicago Christian briefly climb back to the .500 mark after a tough first month of the season. The Knights (11-12, 4-4 Chicagoland Christian Conference) have won seven of their past 10 matches, all of which were played over a seven-day…

Marist middle hitter Jack Meador attacks against Glenbard West  in the championship match at the Lincoln-Way East Invitational on April 27 in Frankfort. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Boys Volleyball | Marist hands Glenbard West first loss of season

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Marist was scary good in the first set. The RedHawks won it 25-12. Even by Marist standards, that’s pretty impressive. Complete dominance. What’s even more stunning is that it came against the second-ranked team in the nation. The RedHawks, who came into the match ranked sixth in the country in the…

Red Stars forward Mallory Swanson (left) looks for a pass from Penelope Hocking on April 27. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Sophia Smith’s brace sinks Red Stars

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Home has not been that sweet lately for the Chicago Red Stars. The team lost its second straight game at SeatGeek Stadium with a 2-0 setback to Portland in front of an announced crowd of 4,443 on April 27. Portland star Sophia Smith scored in the 10th and 26th minutes, then…

Nazareth Academy Principal Therese Hawkins and football offensive coordinator Casey Moran pay close attention to the drafting of J.J. McCarthy at The Stadium Club. (Photos by Steve Metsch)

Nazareth Academy celebrates ‘special talent’ J.J. McCarthy in NFL Draft

By Steve Metsch Dennis Moran has no doubts that J.J. McCarthy – the former Nazareth Academy quarterback who is now with the Minnesota Vikings – will succeed in the National Football League. Moran was among about 60 or so Nazareth Academy fans, friends and coaches who gathered Thursday night at The Stadium Club in McCook…

Al Perez

Brother Rice names Al Perez next soccer coach

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent A few new coaches are dotting the area high school athletic scene. One of the more notable hires was Brother Rice bringing Al Perez aboard as the soccer coach. Perez led Chicago Public League power Washington to a Class 2A state championship in 2013, a fourth-place finish in 2015 and a…

Illinois News

Democrats muscle through changes to ballot access, advisory questions

Democrats muscle through changes to ballot access, advisory questions

By JERRY NOWICKI HANNAH MEISEL & PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Supermajority Democrats in the Illinois House moved quickly Wednesday to push through a change to state election laws that partially limits ballot access and adds three nonbinding referendums to the 2024 general election ballot.  It’s a move that caused minority party…

After 3 years, state poised to enforce law aiming to end lending discrimination

After 3 years, state poised to enforce law aiming to end lending discrimination

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – In 1977, then-President Jimmy Carter signed into law the Community Reinvestment Act, a federal law that sought to wipe away the last vestiges of racial discrimination and redlining in America’s home mortgage industry. The idea was simple. By requiring lenders – primarily banks – to make…

Capitol News Illinois partners with ‘Illinois Lawmakers’ program to bring it back to air

Capitol News Illinois partners with ‘Illinois Lawmakers’ program to bring it back to air

Capitol News Illinois announced today it will produce the long-running “Illinois Lawmakers” program this spring, in partnership with longtime host and producer Jak Tichenor.  “This new partnership is absolutely critical to providing Illinois residents with reliable, independent, in-depth, up to date coverage from the Illinois Capitol after many newspapers and broadcasters shuttered their Statehouse bureaus over…

Election officials to weigh whether Darren Bailey and GOP operative Dan Proft illegally coordinated

Election officials to weigh whether Darren Bailey and GOP operative Dan Proft illegally coordinated

By ANDREW ADAMS & HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – A year and a half after Republican Darren Bailey lost his campaign to challenge Gov. JB Pritzker, state election officials are weighing whether he illegally colluded with conservative radio show host and political operative Dan Proft in the 2022 campaign. The State Board…

Immigrant advocates tout new report showing benefits of state-funded health plans

Immigrant advocates tout new report showing benefits of state-funded health plans

By PETER HANCOCK  and JERRY NOWICKI  Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Immigrant rights advocates on Friday continued to push for one of their top budget priorities: full funding for state-run health care programs that benefit noncitizens, regardless of their immigration status. Those programs offer health coverage for low-income individuals who would otherwise qualify for…

As state continues to inventory lead pipes, full replacement deadlines are decades away

As state continues to inventory lead pipes, full replacement deadlines are decades away

By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois Clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com Lead pipes in public water systems and drinking fixtures have been banned in new construction since 1986, when Congress amended the Safe Drinking Water Act, but they are still in use across the U.S. and in Illinois.  The presence of lead pipes has persisted due in part to…

Capitol Briefs: State unveils report on racial disparities among homeless populations

Capitol Briefs: State unveils report on racial disparities among homeless populations

By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Tackling homelessness requires addressing racial injustice, according to a new report commissioned by the state’s Office to Prevent and End Homelessness.  The report found that Black people are eight times more likely to experience homelessness than white people. Remedying this disparity, according to the report, would require “long-term…

Flooding is Illinois’ Most Threatening Natural Disaster. Are We Prepared?

Flooding is Illinois’ Most Threatening Natural Disaster. Are We Prepared?

by Meredith Newman, Illinois Answers Project April 16, 2024 This story was originally published by the Illinois Answers Project. The electricity in Mary Buchanan’s home in West Garfield Park was not working – again.  The outage lasted four days, starting just after a crew dug up her front lawn to install a check valve in…

Bears pitch $3.2B stadium plan, but Pritzker still ‘skeptical’ despite team’s $2B pledge

Bears pitch $3.2B stadium plan, but Pritzker still ‘skeptical’ despite team’s $2B pledge

By DILPREET RAJU & JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com The Chicago Bears laid out a $3.2 billion plan for a new domed stadium on Chicago’s lakefront on Wednesday afternoon, painting pictures of future Super Bowls and other major public events while pinning their hopes on yet-to-be-had conversations with the governor and lawmakers.  The Bears…

Regulators weigh future of gas industry in Illinois, while clamping down on Chicago utility

Regulators weigh future of gas industry in Illinois, while clamping down on Chicago utility

By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – Natural gas is fueling a fight between consumer advocates, a powerful utility company and the state. Amid competing advertising campaigns, accusations of mismanagement and state decarbonization efforts, the Illinois Commerce Commission is starting a process that will shape how the state regulates the increasingly controversial industry. …