Local News
By Steve Metsch As expected, the man charged with the February murder of a Blue Island man in McCook pleaded not guilty in court Monday morning. Meanwhile, the victim’s family is coping as they try to come to grips with their loss, a brother-in-law said. Damon Cheronis, the defense attorney representing Sisto A. Brito, said…
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By Steve Metsch Sisto Brito, the man charged with murdering a Blue Island man in McCook in February, will plead not guilty at his upcoming arraignment, his attorney said. A brief status hearing was held Friday morning before Associate Cook County Circuit Court Judge Mohammed M. Ghouse in Room 103 of the Bridgeview Courthouse. Ghouse…
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By Steve Metsch Two local charitable organizations will benefit from the 12th annual Brew Moon Beer & Band Festival held in October at the MAX in McCook. The Kelli Joy O’Laughlin Memorial Foundation, based in Indian Head Park, and Community Support Services, based in Brookfield, each received $16,500. Checks were presented to representatives of each…
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By Bob Bong Mario DePasquale, the former police chief of McCook, was sentenced last week to more than two years in federal prison after pleading guilty last year to conspiring with the village’s former mayor to extort two businessmen out of tens of thousands of dollars. DePasquale, 50, was sentenced February 21 to 27 months…
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By Bob Bong A Chicago man has been charged with first-degree murder in Saturday’s early morning shooting outside All Star Bar, 7949 W. 47th St. in McCook, which left one man dead and a second man wounded. Sisto A. Brito, 32, was charged Monday with one count of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted…
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By Bob Bong One man was killed and another wounded early Saturday morning in a shooting outside a bar in McCook. McCook police said they were responding to a call about a shooting in the parking lot of a bar and discovered the men about half-a-block south of the parking lot of All Star Bar,…
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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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By Steve Metsch McCook’s newest police officer is doing something he’s wanted to do since he was a kid. “Something I always wanted to do,” Jamie Calderon said after the village board unanimously approved his hiring at its Dec. 4 meeting. “Helping others” is why Calderon wanted to be a police officer. “Now that I…
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By Steve Metsch There appears to be an end to one long-running construction project in Countryside, McCook and Hodgkins. But another project has once again been extended in Countryside. The good news for motorists who drive on East Avenue between 55th Street may be bidding farewell to orange construction barrels and closed lanes. Roadwork on…
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By Bob Bong Mario DePasquale, former police chief of McCook pleaded guilty last week to conspiring with the village’s former mayor to extort two businessmen out of tens of thousands of dollars. DePasquale, 49, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit extortion during a brief hearing before U.S. District Judge Elaine Bucklo. Bucklo…
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Man charged with child abduction in Stickney Township
From staff reports A Chicago man was charged last week with child abduction and luring of a minor after Cook County Sheriff’s Police detectives found he attempted to lure a minor into his vehicle, said Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart. According to police, about 4:43 p.m. on Monday, April 22, officers responded to an…
Rose Zubik, Woman’s Club veteran, installed as 3rd District president
Rose Zubik, of Palos Heights, the new president of the 3rd District General Federation of Women’s Clubs-Illinois, lights a candle during the installation ceremony held April 27 at Fox’s Restaurant in Orland Park. Heather Linehan, the outgoing president, is beside her.By Dermot Connolly A longtime member of the Palos Heights Woman’s Club is now president…
Shots fired in Chicago Ridge Commons parking lot
From staff reports Shots were fired Wednesday night in the parking lot at Chicago Ridge Commons mall. Police said they received reports of the shooting about 9:45 p.m. No injuries were reported. Multiple witnesses told police four men were walking through the parking lot from the XSport Fitness area. They approached two vehicles and separated…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Illinois News
In day 2 of trial, prosecutor’s detail former lawmaker’s alleged RV rental scheme
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com This story will be updated with further details from the trial. Former Republican State Sen. Sam McCann was back in federal court on Wednesday for day two of his trial for alleged misuse of campaign funds. Prosecutors delved into McCann’s alleged scheme to rent out a motor home…
Feds accuse ex-lawmaker of ‘greed, fraud and arrogance’ in misusing campaign funds
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Assistant U.S. Attorney Tim Bass pulled no punches in describing former Republican state Sen. Sam McCann on the first day of his federal corruption trial on Tuesday. “This case is about greed, fraud and arrogance,” Bass said. “Greed for a lifestyle far beyond his means…fraud in…
Ex-Madigan aide sentenced to 30 months in prison for obstruction of justice attempt, perjury
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – For most of his adult working life, Tim Mapes only had one boss: former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan. And for the more than 25 years he served as Madigan’s chief of staff, Mapes was known for his extreme loyalty to the powerful speaker. His office…
Gun rights groups ask SCOTUS to review Illinois’ assault weapons ban
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – In a long-expected move, national gun rights organizations are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Illinois’ ban on assault weapons and large capacity magazines. In separate petitions filed Monday, the Colorado-based National Association for Gun Rights and the Nevada-based Firearms Policy Coalition asked the nation’s…
McCann trial delayed another day as he cancels plan to represent himself
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The federal corruption trial of former Republican state Sen. Sam McCann was delayed again on Monday, but this time for only one day to allow a court-appointed standby attorney time to take over his defense. McCann’s trial has been delayed numerous times since his February 2021…
Former lawmaker taken into custody amid delays to his corruption trial after sudden hospitalization
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Former Republican State Sen. Sam McCann, a onetime third-party candidate for governor, was taken into custody Friday morning ahead of his federal corruption trial on charges he misused campaign funds. The arrest caps a bizarre week that was supposed to have seen his corruption trial begin…
Misdeeds by Carlinville funeral home director spur legislative proposals
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com The wrong cremains were buried in a national cemetery. Bodies cremated under the wrong name. The wrong ashes returned to families from coast to coast. An investigation into the mishandling of human remains has affected at least 80 families so far and continues to ripple out from…
Capitol Briefs: IDOT workers authorize strike; attorney general warns of AI election scams
By ANDREW ADAMS & JENNIFER FULLER Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com Several Teamsters unions representing thousands of state highway workers have authorized strikes as contract negotiations between them and the state’s Department of Transportation continue. The eight local unions that authorized strikes are spread throughout Illinois and represent around 3,800 employees, including drivers, highway maintainers and…
In crisis, she went to an Illinois facility. Two years later, she still isn’t able to leave
By MOLLY PARKER & BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois mparker@capitolnewsillinois.com bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with Capitol News Illinois. Kaleigh Rogers was in crisis when she checked into a state-run institution on Illinois’ northern border two years ago. Rogers, who has cerebral palsy, had a mental health breakdown during…
Capitol Briefs: Tax credits for children, manufacturers among new legislative proposals
By ANDREW ADAMS COLE LONGCOR & ALEX ABBEDUTO Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com After failing to pass a child tax credit last year, advocates returned to Springfield Wednesday to propose a scaled back version of the policy which they say would still reduce child poverty and spur economic growth. The proposal, contained in House Bill 4917…