Local News
Pro Sports Report | Fire appear done in Bridgeview in 2023; Messi and Miami coming to Soldier Field in October
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Things will not get Messi in Bridgeview. And it’s likely that June 6 will be the last time SeatGeek Stadium in the village hosts the Chicago Fire soccer game in 2023. With the news that soccer legend Lionel Messi was going to sign with MLS team Inter Miami, there was…
Baseball Class 4A State Championship | Brother Rice falls to Edwardsville, takes 2nd for best finish since 1981
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Cole Van Assen helped take Brother Rice to a place it hasn’t been to since 1981. A state championship game. The Crusaders lost, 6-4, to Edwardsville in the IHSA Class 4A state final on June 10 at Duly Health and Care Field in Joliet, but it was Van Assen’s masterpiece…
Sandburg alum TJ Vorva named men’s volleyball head coach at Fontbonne
By Mike Walsh Correspondent The Fontbonne men’s volleyball program has played an integral role in the life of TJ Vorva for the last eight years. Vorva played four seasons for the Griffins and later served as an assistant coach. Now, it’s his program. The 2015 Sandburg graduate was in May named head coach, replacing Jimmy…
College Notebook | Lacrosse players Rubino and Hallman earn honors
By Mike Walsh Correspondent Nick Rubino was one of seven North Central College men’s lacrosse athletes who were lauded as members of the 2023 All-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Team. Rubino, a senior, became the program’s second three-time All-CCIW selection and earned a first-team nod for the first time in his career. Rubino ranked…
Softball | Marist rolls over Yorkville for second championship in three seasons
By Randy Whalen Correspondent Marist left no doubt about which is the best Class 4A team in Illinois. The RedHawks concluded their torrid run through the IHSA playoffs with a 9-1 win over Yorkville in the state championship game, played June 10 at Louisville Slugger Stadium in Peoria. It’s the second state title for Marist…
Back-to-Back Champs! Nazareth makes history with second straight title
By Jeff Vorva Despite being a beloved Hall of Fame baseball player, Jim Thome had never won a championship ring in high school or the pros. That ended on June 10. Thome is an assistant coach for Nazareth, which made history by becoming just the fifth team in IHSA history to win back-to-back baseball championships.…
Softball | Hillegonds hurls one-hitter, Cunnea homers to send Marist to third straight state title game
By Randy Whalen Correspondent There was happiness all around for Marist. The RedHawks cruised into their third straight Class 4A state championship game by bashing Barrington 10-0 in five innings on June 9 at Louisville Slugger Stadium in Peoria. Marist (36-2) will face Yorkville (36-2) at 3:30 on today for the state title. The Foxes…
Comings & Goings: Jason’s Deli closes in Oak Lawn
By Bob Bong Jason’s Deli, which had been open in Oak Lawn for more than 10 years, closed its doors for the last time on May 31. According to employees, the Beaumont, Texas-based restaurant at 6260 W. 95th St. closed because the lease was up and the company decided not to renew. Messages to the…
Baseball and Softball Wrap | Benet tops Richards in extras to punch ticket to state
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Richards came close to setting up an all-South Suburban Conference matchup in the IHSA Class 3A state semifinals. But the Bulldogs could not take advantage of an early two-run lead and dropped a 5-2 decision in eight innings to Benet at the Benedictine Supersectional, played June 5 in Lisle. Had…
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Illinois News
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 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
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
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
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
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?
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
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
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. …
Komatsu mining truck named 2024 ‘coolest thing made in Illinois’
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois Clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A mining truck manufactured by Komatsu was crowned the winner of the 2024 “Makers Madness” contest, earning the title of “the coolest thing made in Illinois” at the Governor’s Mansion Wednesday. The truck was one of more than 200 entries in the 5th annual contest hosted…