Local News

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Forest View swears in new police officers

By Carol Mcgowan / March 22, 2024 / Comments Off on Forest View swears in new police officers

By Carol McGowan The Village of Forest View has a new full-time police officer and a newly promoted corporal on the force. In front of a full-house at their February 27 Board of Trustees meeting, Clerk Laura McGuffey did the honors swearing-in Maria Guzman as a full-time officer, and promoting Officer Jorge Sanchez to the…

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Retired Chicago cop Vasquez takes on incumbent Rep. Rashid in 21st District

By Steve Metsch / March 15, 2024 / Comments Off on Retired Chicago cop Vasquez takes on incumbent Rep. Rashid in 21st District

By Steve Metsch A one-term state representative and a retired Chicago police officer will square off in the March 19 Democratic primary for the 21st House District. Incumbent Abdelnasser Rashid, 34, of Bridgeview, is challenged by Vidal Vasquez, 62, of Chicago’s Garfield Ridge community. This isn’t Vasquez’ first foray into politics. He ran an unsuccessful…

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Campaign 2024: Rashid to seek re-election in 21st District 

By Bob Bong / December 15, 2023 / Comments Off on Campaign 2024: Rashid to seek re-election in 21st District 

By Bob Bong  The holiday season also marks the beginning of the 2024 election cycle in Illinois as candidates in the March 19 primary have already filed their petitions to run. The 2022 primary was moved to June, but next year’s primary is moving back to its traditional third Tuesday in March date. The biggest…

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Forest View celebrates annual Oktoberfest

By Carol Mcgowan / October 21, 2023 /

The Village of Forest View held its third annual Oktoberfest celebration at Forest View Park on Saturday, October 7. This is now an annual free event for all Forest View residents and it keeps growing every year. This year featured music by The Polka Pals, and American English. The village provided free food, including bratwurst,…

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Mayor Miller with Chief Zarate

Forest View names Zarate as police chief

By Carol Mcgowan / September 8, 2023 /

By Carol McGowan  There’s a new chief in town in Forest View. It was a full house at their August 22 village board meeting, when longtime village police officer, Bianel Zarate, had a ceremonial swearing in as police chief by Village Clerk Laura McGuffey. He had taken over as police chief on August 3. Those…

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News from Springfield: 12 school districts to receive an additional $6.2 million 

By Bob Bong / September 2, 2023 /

State Senator Mike Porfirio (D-11th) announced that 12 school districts across the area will receive over $6.2 million in additional funding to help address the financial challenges of recent years.  “Evidence-based funding supports educational opportunities that contribute to the long-term success of our students,” said Porfirio. “Through this funding formula, we can ensure that a…

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Comings & Goings: County approves $37 million Central Avenue bridge project

By Bob Bong / July 30, 2023 / Comments Off on Comings & Goings: County approves $37 million Central Avenue bridge project

By Bob Bong The Cook County Board of Commissioners has approved $37 million for the reconstruction of the Central Avenue bridge over the Chicago Ship and Sanitary Canal in Stickney and Forest View.  An additional $1.7 million was approved to replace sidewalk curb ramps along roadways throughout the county.   The projects are designed to boost…

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Police to hit the roof at Dunkin’ Donuts for Special Olympics 

By Bob Bong / May 18, 2023 / Comments Off on Police to hit the roof at Dunkin’ Donuts for Special Olympics 

By Bob Bong  Police departments across the south suburbs are gearing up for another high-flying fundraiser for Special Olympics Illinois. Police will be hanging out at more than 325 Dunkin’ Donut coffee shops across Illinois starting at 5 a.m. Friday, May 19, for another edition of Cop on a Rooftop. They will be collecting donations…

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Stickney-Forest View Lions Club to hold pancake and french toast breakfast

By Bob Bong / April 13, 2023 /

The Stickney Forest-View Lions Club will be holding their 71st annual Pancake and French Toast Breakfast from 7:30 a.m. to noon on Sunday, May 7, at Edison Elementary School, 4100 Scoville Ave., Stickney. The Pancake and French Toast Breakfast was the club’s original fundraising event and it continues to be one of their major sources…

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Forest View write-in’s hoping for victory on April 4

By Carol Mcgowan / April 2, 2023 /

By Carol McGowan The Village of Forest View has a trustee race that can add new faces to the boardroom after the April 4 election. Up for grabs are three, four-year terms for trustee. All three incumbents have filed petitions to be on the ballot.  They are Maria A. Ramirez, Mike Grossi, and Jim Sudkamp.…

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South Side community partners invested in female athletics at the high school, 3737 W. 99th St., Chicago, through the design, implementation and unveiling of lights and a scoreboard on the school's state of the art turf field with an event called, “Light Up the Field” on April 30. (Supplied photo)

Mother Mac unveils new lights and scoreboard

By Kelly White Across the nation, women’s sports are on the rise in terms of viewership, enthusiasm, sponsorship and excitement. Mother McAuley is no stranger to the impact that women’s athletics has on the development of an individual, strengthening of a team and key skills and attributes developed along the way. South Side community partners…

Orange's Pancake House, 11845 Southwest Highway in Palos Heights, held a ribbon-cutting event on April 18. (Photos by Kelly White)

Comings & Goings: Orange’s Pancake House now open in Palos Heights

By Kelly White Palos Heights is the home of a popular new breakfast café. Orange’s Pancake House, 11845 Southwest Highway, held a ribbon-cutting event on April 18. Owners, Elvia Briones, of Virgina, and Fernando Cruz, of Evergreen Park, said they were very excited to be in the heart of the Palos Heights community. “I dreamed…

Nazareth’s David Brunke goes for a kill as Marist players try to block his attempt. Photo by Xavier Sanchez

Boys Volleyball | Marist tops Nazareth for ninth straight win

By Xavier Sanchez Correspondent Marist ran its winning streak to nine game with a 25-16, 25-17 victory over East Suburban Catholic Conference rival Nazareth on May 2. The win streak is the RedHawks’ second longest streak of the season after their season-opening 12-match run. Eight of the nine matches during the current streak went two…

SXU's men's volleyball team made it to the semifinals of the NAIA National Tournament before falling to Georgetown, Kentucky . Photo courtesy of Saint Xavier University Department of Athletics

Saint Xavier men’s volleyball finishes historic season in nation’s top 4

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent The Saint Xavier men’s volleyball team made history by advancing to the semifinals of the NAIA Men’s Volleyball National Championship. But the Cougars fell to eventual national champion Georgetown (Kentucky), 25-21, 25-23, 22-25, 21-25, 15-10, on May 3 at Alliant Energy PowerHouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Although there was no third-place…

University of St. Francis sophomore first baseman Nate Maliska went 9-for-15 (.600) with eight RBI and seven runs scored during the week that ended April 7. Photo courtesy of University of St. Francis Athletics

St. Francis first baseman Nate Maliska earns conference POW honors

By Mike Walsh Correspondent The University of St. Francis sophomore first baseman Nate Maliska was chosen the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference’s Player of the Week in baseball for April 7. In helping the Saints to four wins that week, Maliska went 9-for-15 (.600) with eight RBI and seven runs scored. The St. Laurence graduate’s week…

Joey Gumuls fist pumps his starting pitcher Frank Bilecki after avoiding some damage in the first inning. Photo by Xavier Sanchez

Baseball | Marist claws way back to .500

By Xavier Sanchez Correspondent This season has thus far not been what Marist had expected, but the RedHawks came into this week at .500. Marist was 2-8 after 10 games this season, with three of those first eight losses coming via shutout. But the RedHawks turned things around with a stretch of eight wins in…

The Red Stars' Ally Cook chases down a ball during a 4-2 loss to Washington on May 1 at SeatGeek Stadium. photo by Jeff Vorva

Red Stars fall to Spirit for third loss in past four matches

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent After enjoying one of their best starts in franchise history, the Chicago Red Stars have slid to the middle of the NWSL standings, with the latest setback being a 4-2 loss to Washington at SeatGeek Stadium. The Stars (3-3-1) entered this week having dropped three of their past four matches. Against…

Illinois News

Republicans tie Democratic mapmaking effort to latest indictment

Republicans tie Democratic mapmaking effort to latest indictment

By RAYMON TRONCOSO Capitol News Illinoisrtroncoso@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Republicans on Wednesday tried to tie an indictment of a longtime lieutenant of former House Speaker Michael Madigan to the Democrats’ effort to redraw legislative district lines ahead of the General Assembly’s May 31 adjournment. The latest indictment came Wednesday with just six days remaining in the…

House passes right-to-unionize amendment

House passes right-to-unionize amendment

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House passed a proposed constitutional amendment Wednesday that would guarantee workers in the state the right to unionize. The proposed amendment, which passed the Senate last week, would provide that employees have a “fundamental right” to organize and engage in collective bargaining over wages, hours…

Supreme Court won’t hear restaurant’s challenge to indoor dining ban

Supreme Court won’t hear restaurant’s challenge to indoor dining ban

By SARAH MANSUR Capitol News Illinois smansur@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Supreme Court will not take up a case from a suburban restaurant challenging Gov. JB Pritzker’s indoor dining ban. FoxFire Tavern in Kane County asked the state’s highest court to hear their case in December after suing Pritzker over his ban in October. The…

Senate passes bill providing release path for terminally ill prisoners

Senate passes bill providing release path for terminally ill prisoners

By GRACE BARBIC Capitol News Illinoisgbarbic@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate advanced a bill Wednesday that would give the Prisoner Review Board additional authority to consider early release for prisoners who have petitioned for such action due to medical incapacity or terminal illness. House Bill 3665, sponsored in the Senate by Sen. John Connor, D-Lockport,…

Proposed Supreme Court remap evokes previous failed GOP attempt

Proposed Supreme Court remap evokes previous failed GOP attempt

By SARAH MANSUR Capitol News Illinoissmansur@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — If Democrats have their way, the state’s five Illinois Supreme Court districts could be redrawn this year for the first time in more than five decades. Democrats in the General Assembly released a new Illinois Supreme Court map Tuesday afternoon, to the surprise of legislative Republicans, who…

Bill creating mental illness, substance abuse housing recovery program passes

Bill creating mental illness, substance abuse housing recovery program passes

By TIM KIRSININKAS Capitol News Illinoistkirsininkas@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate passed a bill Wednesday which would create a new housing program for individuals living with mental illness or substance use disorders. House Bill 449 creates the “Housing is Recovery Pilot Program Act,” a new program which would offer bridge rental subsidies to individuals at…

CAPITOL RECAP: Dems still mum on redistricting data during first map hearing

CAPITOL RECAP: Dems still mum on redistricting data during first map hearing

By Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD – Illinois lawmakers opened their first public hearing Tuesday on a proposed set of new House and Senate district maps with Democrats and Republicans still at sharp odds over how the maps were drawn and whether or not they are fair. House and Senate Democrats unveiled the proposed maps late…

UPDATED: Redistricting hearings open as data sources remain murky

UPDATED: Redistricting hearings open as data sources remain murky

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinois lawmakers opened their first public hearing Tuesday on a proposed set of new House and Senate district maps with Democrats and Republicans still at sharp odds over how the maps were drawn and whether or not they are fair. House and Senate Democrats unveiled the proposed…

Redistricting hearings open amid partisan divides

Redistricting hearings open amid partisan divides

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinois lawmakers opened their first public hearing Tuesday on a proposed set of new House and Senate district maps with Democrats and Republicans still at sharp odds over how the maps were drawn and whether or not they are fair. House and Senate Democrats unveiled the proposed…

Bill creating new marijuana dispensary licenses clears House

Bill creating new marijuana dispensary licenses clears House

By RAYMON TRONCOSO Capitol News Illinois rtroncoso@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Legislation revamping the state’s system for awarding marijuana dispensary licenses passed the House on Tuesday. The measure is meant to address shortcomings in the 2019 Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act, specifically in regard to a license lottery that was delayed by the pandemic, controversy and legal…