Local News

reporter 5 5 24 HH Officer Daniel Balzhiser his dad John Balzhiser

Hickory Hills police bid adieu and say welcome

By Bob Bong / May 10, 2024 /

By Nuha Abdessalam The Hickory Hills Police Department bid a fond farewell to Lieutenant Glenn Tienstra and welcomed new Officer Daniel Balzhiser. On a memorable Thursday evening, April 25, city hall was filled with the warmth of community family, friends, officers, and council members, all gathered to joyfully celebrate Officer Balzhiser and respectfully commemorate Lieutenant……

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Lions Club District 1A Helen Keller race draws big field

By Kelly White / May 3, 2024 / Comments Off on Lions Club District 1A Helen Keller race draws big field

By Kelly White The damp weather from overnight rain did not deter more than 100 people on Sunday morning from getting some exercise. The 14th annual District 1A Helen Keller 5k Fun Run/Walk proudly took place along at Harold L. Richard’s High School, 10601 Central Ave., Oak Lawn. “This is a really great event,” Oak……

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reporter 4 16 24 Hickory Hills Andre Showers with fiance Destiny pinning him

Hickory Hills adds new police officer

By Bob Bong / April 18, 2024 /

By Nuha Abdessalam Hickory Hills Police Chief Jason Bray welcomed Andre Showers as the city’s newest police officer during last week’s city council meeting. Aldermen and the community at the April 11 meeting helped celebrate the induction of the Showers, 21. He’s an Army veteran and a 2023 Cook County Correctional Camp graduate at Moraine……

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Moraine Valley Speech and Debate Team headed to nationals to defend title

By Bob Bong / April 10, 2024 / Comments Off on Moraine Valley Speech and Debate Team headed to nationals to defend title

When the Moraine Valley Community College Speech and Debate Team heads to the Phi Rho Pi National Tournament in Reno, Nevada, for nine days this month, they’ll have a target on their back as incoming consecutive champions. But they’re ready. “Last year’s team was amazing. Everyone was on their A game. This year is a……

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Green Hills Public Library hosts Eid Clothing Drive

By Kelly White / March 28, 2024 / Comments Off on Green Hills Public Library hosts Eid Clothing Drive

By Kelly White The Islamic calendar has two major holidays each year: Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan and celebrates an entire month of fasting, and Eid al-Adha, the festival of the sacrifice that occurs during the culmination of the Hajj pilgrimage season. It takes place two lunar months after Ramadan. Each Eid……

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Residents warm up to Hills Chamber Business Expo

By Bob Bong / March 27, 2024 / Comments Off on Residents warm up to Hills Chamber Business Expo

By Joe Boyle Spring has arrived but winter continues to leave its calling card. However, that did not prevent the Hills Chamber of Commerce from holding its 10th annual Business and Community Expo Saturday at Conrady Junior High School in Hickory Hills. While the temperatures were frigid and windy outside, the spirit inside the school……

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Stagg runs away with ISBE awards

By Jeff Vorva / March 6, 2024 / Comments Off on Stagg runs away with ISBE awards

By Jeff Vorva Stagg High School cleaned house in winning several Those Who Excel awards from the Illinois State Board of Education. The Charger Team Space at Stagg won an ISBE team award for meritorious service. Team members are Nicole Leibfried, Tricia Biel, Pat Wright, Jacob Randulich, Eric Elget, Ayaa Al Kurdi, Matt Seibt, Mary……

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Flock Safety camera on pole

Hickory Hills considers buying license-plate readers

By Bob Bong / March 1, 2024 /

By Nuha Abdesallam Hickory Hills city officials are considering acquiring license plate reading cameras after a presentation by police at last week’s city council meeting. Flock Safety cameras are already in use by over 150 agencies in Illinois, helping to restrict crime by providing data about where and when vehicles have been tagged on its……

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SD117 names Droba as new superintendent

By Bob Bong / January 25, 2024 / Comments Off on SD117 names Droba as new superintendent

North Palos School District 117 has announced that Christine Droba will become the next North Palos School District 117 Superintendent of Schools beginning July 1, 2024. The Board of Education selected Droba to fill this position following Dr. Jeannie Stachowiak’s retirement at the end of the 2023-2024 school year. Stachowiak will be retiring after 21……

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Teen beaten by Oak Lawn police charged in Orland robbery

By Bob Bong / January 24, 2024 /

By Bob Bong A Bridgeview teen who was beaten by Oak Lawn police after he fled from a traffic stop in 2022 has been charged with robbing a man at a fitness center in Orland Park in December. Orland police said Hadi Abuatelah, 19, was one of three teens who assaulted the victim on December……

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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……

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IHSA announces postseason assignments for baseball, softball, girls soccer

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent The IHSA has announced the Class 3A and 4A baseball seeds were revealed and Nazareth, which is seeking its third straight state championship will have to do it in Class 4A after winning two straight in 3A in 2022 and 2023. The Roadrunners drew the top seed at the Reavis Sectional……

Red Stars goalie Alyssa Naeher, shown retrieving a ball against Washington on May 1, left a May 12 game against Utah with an injury. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Red Stars win at home again, Naeher hurt

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent The NWSL released a fun fact that is pretty darn fun for Chicago Red Stars fans. This year’s version of the Red Stars opened the season 3-0-1, scoring 10 points in the first four road games. They were the fourth team in league history to do that. According to the league,……

Anna Marassa is the only girls volleyball coach in De La Salle history. Photo courtesy of De La Salle

Hall of Fame volleyball coach Anna Marassa coach calls it a career

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Hall of Fame volleyball coach Anna Marassa is retiring. Marassa is the only girls volleyball coach in De La Salle’s history as she headed up the program in 2002 and racked up 538 victories, 10 regional championships and four sectional titles. She is also the boys coach and wraps up her……

Shepard's Kyla Motley (left) and Rajae Stevenson at the Lyons Sectional. Photo courtesy of Shepard High School

Girls Track | Shepard’s Kyla Motley wins three titles at Lyons Sectional

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Shepard junior track star Kyla Motley was a sectional champion in three events for the second year in a row. Motley won the 100 high hurdles with a time of 15.31, the long jump with an 18-2.5 effort, and the triple jump with a 36-9 at the Class 3A Lyons Sectional. Motley,……

Stagg tennis players and twins Nick and Seamus Keough finished third at No. 3 singles at the SouthWest Suburban Red meet. Photo by Xavier Sanchez

Boys Tennis | Stagg takes third at final SWSC Red tourney

By Xavier Sanchez Correspondent Saturday blue skies cleared the way for the final SouthWest Suburban Conference boys tennis matches as Stagg hosted Andrew, Lincoln-Way Central, and Lincoln-Way West at Moraine Valley Community College. The Chargers started the season losing five of their first games but finished the regular season 10-10-1. They finished third at the……

Anthony Calderon

UPDATE: Bedford Park man, girlfriend charged with plotting Bridgeview father’s murder

By Bob Bong A Bedford Park man and the victim’s girlfriend have been charged in the shooting death of Arturo Cantu last Wednesday. Bridgeview police arrested Anthony Calderon, 20, of the 7700 block of 65th Place, Friday night. He allegedly confessed to the murder and reportedly led police to the weapon used in the shooting……

new rainbow cone flavors

Rainbow Cone adds 4 new flavors

By Bob Bong Chicago’s iconic Original Rainbow Cone has been evolving over the past few years. First, it joined forces with the folks at Buono Beef and expanded its presence from its original location in Beverly to offer cones at Buono Beef locations and a few stand-alone stores as well as food trucks. Last year,……

Gary's wife, Claire Sievers, his son, Brian Sievers, and daughter-in-law, Jenna Venezia, were in attendance to accept the honor on his behalf. (Supplied photo)

EPCHS adds Emmy-winning actor Gary Sievers to Hall of Fame

Evergreen Park Community High School has added a name to its list of Hall of Famers. Gary Sievers, a 1968 EPCHS graduate who became well-known for his acting, public speaking, work in radio and television, community service, civic leadership and teaching, was posthumously inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame during the Honors Night ceremony……

reporter worth welcome sign

Worth vehicle sticker applications ‘lost’ in the mail

By Joe Boyle Worth Village Clerk Bonnie Price said that even though application forms for village vehicle stickers were sent out to the post office last month residents were still waiting to receive those applications. “We have been doing this for 15 years,” Price said during the Worth Village Board meeting May 7. “This has never……

Illinois News

Pritzker says state ‘in decent shape’ to further reopening as vaccination pace slows

Pritzker says state ‘in decent shape’ to further reopening as vaccination pace slows

By TIM KIRSININKAS Capitol News Illinoistkirsininkas@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker said Monday the state could enter the “bridge” phase to greater reopening as soon as next week, while the state’s vaccination rate continues to drop. Speaking at a news conference at Providence Hospital in Chicago, Pritzker said Illinois is nearing the necessary metrics to……

Emergency housing assistance bill will head to governor

Emergency housing assistance bill will head to governor

By TIM KIRSININKAS Capitol News Illinoistkirsininkas@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate voted Thursday to pass House Bill 2877, which aims to extend emergency protections to renters and homeowners financially impacted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It needs only a signature from Gov. JB Pritzker to become law after passing the House last week.……

Delivery service rules, limits on governor’s authority over unions advance

Delivery service rules, limits on governor’s authority over unions advance

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate worked through a long list of bills Thursday as lawmakers prepared to enter the final stretch of the 2021 session. Those bills included new restrictions on third-party delivery services such as DoorDash, limits on the governor’s authority to interfere with collective bargaining agreements and……

Watchdog report documents widespread failures at LaSalle Veterans' Home

Watchdog report documents widespread failures at LaSalle Veterans’ Home

By SARAH MANSUR Capitol News Illinoissmansur@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — A state watchdog report into the deadly COVID-19 outbreak at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home found multiple failures that contributed to 36 veterans deaths, stemming primarily from the home’s complete lack of infection prevention plans or policies. The report also found deficiencies in communication and staff training at……

Breach reported by attorney general confirmed to be ransomware attack

Breach reported by attorney general confirmed to be ransomware attack

By TIM KIRSININKAS Capitol News Illinoistkirsininkas@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A data breach reported by Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office nearly three weeks ago was a ransomware attack, according to a Thursday news release. Raoul’s office has launched a new hotline to provide information to residents following the data breach first reported on April 10. A Thursday……

Maternal mortality report finds Black, rural, Medicaid mothers more likely to die after childbirth

Maternal mortality report finds Black, rural, Medicaid mothers more likely to die after childbirth

By RAYMON TRONCOSO Capitol News Illinoisrtroncoso@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health on Thursday issued its second report on maternal mortality rates in the state, which found there were 103 pregnancy-associated deaths in Illinois in 2017 – the highest number of any year in that decade. The report looked at deaths during or……

Maternal mortality report finds Black, rural, Medicaid mothers likelier to die after childbirth

Maternal mortality report finds Black, rural, Medicaid mothers likelier to die after childbirth

By RAYMON TRONCOSO Capitol News Illinoisrtroncoso@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Public Health on Thursday issued its second report on maternal mortality rates in the state, which found there were 103 pregnancy-associated deaths in Illinois in 2017 – the highest number of any year in that decade. The report looked at deaths during or……

Emergency housing assistance bill will head to governor

Emergency housing assistance bill will head to governor

By TIM KIRSININKAS Capitol News Illinoistkirsininkas@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate voted Thursday to pass House Bill 2877, which aims to extend emergency protections to renters and homeowners financially impacted as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. It needs only a signature from Gov. JB Pritzker to become law after passing the House last week.……

Pritzker releases new plan for spending multi-billion dollar Volkswagen settlement

Pritzker releases new plan for spending multi-billion dollar Volkswagen settlement

By GRACE BARBIC Capitol News Illinoisgbarbic@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration released a revised plan for how to spend the state’s share of a multi-billion dollar Volkswagen settlement, which found the vehicle manufacturer in violation of the federal Clean Air Act. Illinois initially received approximately $108 million from the settlement. The plans that were……

Ethics commission finds ex-Exelon lobbyist sexually harassed colleague

Ethics commission finds ex-Exelon lobbyist sexually harassed colleague

By SARAH MANSUR Capitol News Illinois smansur@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — A state ethics commission has found a former Exelon lobbyist sexually harassed one of his female colleagues on two separate occasions in Springfield, in violation of the Lobbyist Registration Act. David Fein, formerly Exelon’s senior vice president of state governmental and regulatory affairs, will have to……