Local News
Orland Township will be holding a COVID-19 Pfizer Booster Clinic on Wednesday, Oct. 11. Anyone planning on attending any of the clinics should wear a short-sleeved shirt and arrive in good health. At the clinic, a team of healthcare professionals from Jewel-Osco Pharmacy will administer the COVID-19 booster vaccine to help protect against the virus.……
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Orland Park will host the Great Pumpkin Party from 10 a.m. to noon and again from 1-3 p.m. on Saturday, October 7, at Centennial Park, 15600 West Ave. in Orland Park. Activities are geared toward kids 1-9 years old. There will be outdoor fun, goodie bags and pie pumpkins, pony rides, marshmallow toasting, hayrides, petting……
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By Jeff Vorva Round two. For the second time in three meetings, Orland Park’s Diana Howard, a veteran, stopped by Village Hall to get some things off her chest during her allotted three-minute public comment session. Howard visited the Aug. 21 meeting and accused Mayor Keith Pekau, also a vet, of yelling and swearing at……
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By Kelly White Orland Township knows how to celebrate its pets. The township hosted its 11th annual Pet-Palooza on Saturday, September 16, on the Orland Township grounds, 14807 S. Ravinia Ave., Orland Park. The free event was sponsored by Supervisor Paul O’Grady and the township’s board of trustees. “As a pet owner myself, I understand……
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By Joe Boyle A new business has opened in Palos Hills that should attract coffee lovers everywhere. The official grand opening for the Turkish House, 10703 S. Roberts Road, took place August 5 as the owners and employees welcomed local dignitaries and customers. Balloons were up throughout the store and signs were posted outside indicating that the……
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By Bob Bong Mitchell’s Orland Park Flowers will celebrate its 50th anniversary later this month, but the flower shop’s roots date back much farther. The shop at 14309 S. Beacon Ave. will celebrate its anniversary on Saturday, September 30. Mitchell said the Orland Park location is one of the longest-tenured retail businesses in the village……
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Orland Township’s Pet-Palooza is scheduled for Saturday, September 16, from noon to 3 p.m. on the Orland Township grounds, 14807 S. Ravinia Ave., Orland Park. This is a rain-or-shine event. Residents are invited to a family-friendly, fun-filled afternoon of activities, says Township Supervisor Paul O’Grady. Pet-Palooza will feature more than 60 local vendors, ranging from……
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By Jeff Vorva Ross Chibe has done a variety of work in his police career in Palos Park starting at the bottom as an intern when he was still in school. No job was too small back then and no job has been too big in recent years, which included stints with a FBI task……
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By Jeff Vorva Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau is resisting any talk about accepting migrants that Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson wants shipped to the suburbs. In mid-August, Johnson said that he was looking for help from suburban towns to house the thousands of migrants, who are currently housed in police stations, Daley College, YMCAs, and……
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By Jeff Vorva Less than 24 hours before a major heat wave hit the area, there was some heat coming out of the air-conditioned confines of the Village Hall board room. Mayor Keith Pekau gave a heated response to a citizen after she accused him of swearing at veterans during a recent meeting held at……
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Boys Volleyball | Sandburg seeks 26th regional title
By Randy Whalen Correspondent Coming off the worst season in program history in 2023, Sandburg was not going to settle for anything less than better results this year. Past the midway point of this season, however, the Eagles had a record of 11-8. But they closed the regular season strong, winning 11 of their last……
Baseball | Red-hot Reavis looks to make noise in postseason
By Xavier Sanchez Correspondent Reavis is determined to send their head coach Don Erickson into retirement on a high note and will head into the postseason red hot and as South Suburban Red champions. The Rams defeated Oak Lawn 3-0 for the second straight day on May 15 to clinch the conference title. They followed……
Sports Bits | Rice boats at Carlyle Lake, Hawkeye DB and Do It Stevie’s Way
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Noteworthy sports briefs from May 12-19 • Brother Rice’s No. 1 boat of Joe Hall and Joe Judeh took 31st in the state bass fishing tournament, which wrapped up on May 18 at Carlyle Lake. The Crusaders had a two-day haul of 7 pounds, 12 ounces. The Crusaders’ No. 2 boat……
Nothing NU at SeatGeek
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent There was speculation that because of the renovations being done at Ryan Field, Northwestern would schedule a few football games at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview this fall. The Wildcats announced their schedule and no home games are listed at SeatGeek, but the situation is still fluid. They are opting to use……
College Softball | Close losses at nationals end Saint Xavier’s season
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent The Saint Xavier softball team played three nailbiters in the opening round of the NAIA Tournament. But the end result was a 1-2 record to eliminate the Cougars from advancing. SXU (28-14) opened the tournament by nipping Bellevue (Nebraska), 5-4, in Sioux City, Iowa on May 13. Alexus Reese hit a……
Red Stars’ Naeher misses loss to Gotham
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent The world’s best kept secret is still a mystery. The Chicago Red Stars are not releasing information to the public about the severity of a thigh injury or the status of world-class goalie Alyssa Naeher. What is known is that she did not play in a 2-1 loss to NWSL defending……
Shepard’s Kyla Motley cruises to two medals at girls state track finals
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Shepard junior Kyla Motley medaled in two events in the Class 3A girls state track and field meet, the finals for which were held May 18 at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. Motley finished fourth in the long jump with a leap of 18 feet, 4 inches. She finished sixth in……
Boys Tennis | Lyons’ Jack McLane and Mason Mazzone win sectional doubles title
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent The area produced a handful of boys tennis state qualifiers, but only one entry is headed to state as a sectional champion. At the Class 2A Lyons Sectional, the Lions’ Jack McLane and Mason Mazzone were doubles champs. The state meet opens May 23 at various sites in the north and……
Water Polo | Lyons boys win third state title; girls finish 3rd
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent The best matchup of the IHSA boys water polo state tournament was arguably in the quarterfinals. That battle between Lyons and New Trier could have been considered the real state championship match. But no matter what, the Lions are state champions. Heading into the postseason, Lyons had just three losses, and……
Lyons water polo teams splash to state
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Both of Lyons water polo team qualified for the state quarterfinals. Lyons’ girls water polo team won its own sectional by beating Mother McAuley, 13-9, in the title game on May 11. The Lions will face York in the state quarterfinals on May 17 at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire. This……
Illinois News
Ban on wildlife killing contests ‘unlikely’ to clear state Senate this session
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com A measure that would prohibit contests that award cash or prizes for killing certain wildlife is unlikely to clear the Senate after narrowly passing the House last week, according to its Senate sponsor. House Bill 2900 would ban the practice of holding wildlife contests that reward participants with……
A security camera caught an employee beating a patient. It took 11 days for anyone to take action.
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with Capitol News Illinois. Cameras in the common areas of Choate Mental Health and Developmental Center were supposed to make the troubled southern Illinois facility safer for the approximately 200 people with developmental disabilities who live there. But……
Potawatomi land transfer advances in Illinois House
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A bill that would help the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation expand their newly established reservation in DeKalb County advanced out of a state House committee Tuesday, despite concerns about the tribe’s long-term plans for the property. House Bill 4718 would authorize the state to hand over……
Would-be union of legislative staffers accuse Welch of undermining organizing effort
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Seven months after Democratic Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch advanced a measure that would allow legislative staff to unionize, members of his own staff on Tuesday blasted the speaker for allowing the bill to languish. The legislation has not seen any action since its passage……
As legislative session adjournment looms, a rush to regulate carbon capture industry
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A technology that some say is a key tool to address climate change and others say is a cash grab for heavy industry could face new regulations – if lawmakers can find the time before their scheduled adjournment this week. Carbon capture and sequestration technology is……
Nursing home industry unlikely to see much help from Springfield in tough budget year
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com It’s been four years since some of the worst scenes of COVID-19 played out in locked-down nursing homes during the early months of the pandemic. But while most of the world has moved on, the nursing home industry is still reeling from COVID, which exacerbated pre-existing challenges in……
Lawmakers consider tax break for news publishers, state-sponsored journalism scholarships
By ALEX ABBEDUTO & ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A new measure being debated in the Illinois General Assembly would create a tax credit for certain news publishers based on the number of reporters they employ. The proposal from Sen. Steve Stadelman, D-Rockford, is part of a package of policies that he……
House GOP advances 2 human trafficking victim protection bills as others remain in limbo
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com After Illinois received another failing grade from a national advocacy group, state House Republicans have introduced legislation aimed at further protecting victims and prosecuting perpetrators of human trafficking. Shared Hope International, an advocacy organization that works to prevent sex trafficking, said in its 2023 Illinois report card that……
Hundreds of bills pass, including changes to state’s biometric data privacy law
By HANNAH MEISEL COLE LONGCOR & ALEX ABEDDUTO Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Lawmakers passed more than 200 bills this week ahead of their scheduled May 24 adjournment. Many of the measures will soon head to Gov. JB Pritzker, including a bill that changes how damages accrue under Illinois’ first-in-the-nation biometric data privacy law.……
Pritzker pledges to expand access to mental health care in Illinois
By DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois draju@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – In the middle of Mental Health Awareness Month, Gov. JB Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton hosted a panel in Springfield this week at which he pledged to expand the state’s behavioral health services. With several dozen services providers from around the state in attendance, Pritzker……