Local News
Comings & Goings: McCord Gallery Holiday Shoppe opens tonight
By Bob Bong As the Christmas shopping season gets closer, McCord Gallery readies its annual Holiday Shoppe. The holiday spirit will be flowing when McCord holds the grand opening of its annual Holiday Shoppe tonight, Friday, November 17, from 6-8 p.m. The gallery is filled with hand-crafted artisan gifts for family, friends or yourself. On…
Tavern on La Grange to pay Countryside $14,350 in fines
By Steve Metsch The company that owns Tavern on La Grange have agreed to a settlement with the City of Countryside that will cost them thousands of dollars. The $14,350 covers unpaid fines and building code violations. A deal hammered out during a Nov. 1 hearing resulted in the fines being cut in half. One…
Willow Spring’s Mike Smigielski wins Lipinski All American Award
By Carol McGowan Willow Springs resident Mike Smigielski last month received the Congressman Bill Lipinski All American Award. Smigielski, who is active in local Lions Clubs, was presented the award by Roberts Park Fire Protection District President Brian Bernardoni at the October 12 Willow Springs Village Board meeting. Bernardoni was asked to present the award…
Summit Masons and village to hold winter coat drive
Argo-Summit Lodge 1133 Ancient Free & Accepted Masons, in cooperation with the Village of Summit, is holding a Winter Coat Drive. Now through December 15, Masons are collecting new or gently used coats, hats, and gloves, for those in need. They welcome and would deeply appreciate your donations as their goal is for it to…
Back-to-Back Macs! | Mother McAuley tops Benet for second straight 4A title
By Randy Whalen Correspondent When the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the start of the 2020 girls volleyball season from August to spring of the following year, it also delayed the debut of Ellie White. When that season got underway in March 2021 with a home victory over Joliet Catholic, White became the first freshman to start…
Smookies win Pass Health Foods gluten-free baking competition
By Kelly White A local health food store provided a twist on a friendly baking competition this past weekend. Pass Health Foods, 7228 W. College Dr., Palos Heights, hosted a gluten-free baking contest on November 11. “We chose to have the contest gluten free because we have a large amount of gluten-free customers, both people…
Summit names Ortiz as new police chief
By Carol McGowan Summit trustees last week removed the word acting from Police Chief Mel Ortiz’s title. Ortiz had been acting as chief since John Kosmowski was placed on unpaid administrative leave in May 2022 after he and former Public Works Director Bill Mundy were indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly sharing a…
Football Class 8A Playoffs | York edges Lyons on walk-off FG
By Mike Walsh Correspondent Score one – three, actually – for the concept of positive mental visualization. With one second remaining in the IHSA Class 8A second-round matchup between York and Lyons, Dukes kicker Damian Glodz was asked by his coaches to do one thing: Make a 30-yard field goal to win the game. The…
Postseason Report | Mother McAuley tops Normal West to punch ticket to state
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Mother McAuley has 16 state championships in girls volleyball, but it’s been a while since the Mighty Macs have gone back-to-back. The last time it happened was 1994 and 1995, when they won Class AA titles. The Macs could make it happen again this weekend as they participate in the…
Boys Soccer | Lyons takes 2nd in Class 3A
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Lyons boys soccer coach Paul Labbato knows the difficulty of reaching the state finals. So, even though his troops were angry and disappointed after finishing second in the state in Class 3A on Nov. 4, he knows taking home a runner-up trophy is a huge accomplishment. “As a coach, you…
Football Class 4A Playoffs | Les, Ball lead St. Laurence over Dixon
By Mike Walsh Correspondent Sharing a backfield with running backs Aaron Ball and Harley Rizzs, it’s easy for St. Laurence quarterback Evan Les to be overlooked. However, the senior signal-caller is quite proficient when carrying the ball. In the Vikings’ 31-21 victory over Dixon in the second round of the IHSA Class 4A playoffs —…
Football Wrap | Nazareth lays waste to Glenbard South, advances to 5A quarterfinals
By Mike Walsh Correspondent There’s just something about playing postseason football that suits Nazareth very well. Saturday afternoon in LaGrange Park, the Roadrunners (6-5) rolled into the Class 5A quarterfinals with a 42-0 victory over Glenbard South. Quarterback Logan Malachuk threw two TD passes, including a 17-yarder to Jake Cestone. Malachuk also scored on a…
College Notebook | JJ McCarthy keeps balling for Wolverines
By Mike Walsh Correspondent The plaudits are piling up for Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy. The former Nazareth star was named the Big Ten’s Co-Offensive Player of the Week for Oct. 23, sharing the award with Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. The LaGrange Park resident was also selected to the Davey O’Brien Great Eight…
Oak Lawn’s Walsh earns all sectional honors again
After finishing his third season on the Oak Lawn Community High School’s varsity boys soccer team this year, Dylan Walsh can admire some impressive numbers for himself. He scored 13 goals and five assists this season. He’s amassed 35 career goals. He’s contributed nine career assists. And now, he can reflect on earning his second…
Vic Portillo donates Fire Prevention Week materials
Bridgeview State Farm Agent Vic Portillo donated National Fire Prevention Week educational materials to the Bridgeview Fire Department on October 23. The donation includes 100 children’s activity booklets, adult brochures, 10 Tips for Fire Safety Brochures, magnets, stickers, and plastic bags to teach Bridgeview residents about fire safety and cooking safety specifically in accordance with…
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Illinois News
State health plan declares racism a public health crisis
By DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois draju@capitolnewsillinois.com A new state health report pinpoints racism as a public health crisis while also noting Illinois needs to improve in the areas of maternal and infant health, mental health and substance use disorders. The broad goals are laid out in a draft of the State Health Improvement Plan,…
For at least 6 months, state failed to act on Carlinville funeral director that mishandled remains
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com State regulators allowed a Carlinville funeral director to operate for months despite a complaint filed by a local coroner who found a decomposing body in his funeral home and alleged the care of the remains was “unacceptable and criminal in nature.” While trying to assist a local family…
Dolly Parton Imagination Library officially launches statewide in Illinois
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinois families with infants and toddlers now have access to free children’s books that can be sent directly to their home, regardless of their income. Gov. JB Pritzker on Tuesday announced the official launch of the state’s partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a program founded…
What to know about Illinois’ assault weapons ban
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Gun owners face a Jan. 1 deadline to register their assault weapons with the state under Illinois’ assault weapons law. But between lawsuits and ongoing policymaking, the exact guns, accessories and ammunition covered under the Protect Illinois Communities Act remain unclear to many gun rights advocates, who point…
Capitol Cast: Filing Day for 2024 primary brings frigid temps and election themes to Springfield
Capitol News Illinois Broadcast Director Jennifer Fuller talks with Editor-in-Chief Jerry Nowicki about the 2023 petition filing deadline for Illinois’ 2024 primary election. Capitol News Illinois · Capitol Cast: Filing Day for 2024 primary brings frigid temps and election themes to Springfield
Supreme Court rules teen bicyclist is covered by father’s auto insurance policy
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court ruled Thursday that automobile insurance policies must cover people against uninsured motorists and hit-and-run accidents, even if the person covered by the policy is not in a vehicle at the time of the accident. The case involved a 14-year-old Chicago boy, Cristopher…
State high court finds medical personnel exemption to biometric information privacy law
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday ruled the state’s strongest-in-the-nation biometric information privacy law does have an exemption: health care workers who use fingerprints or similar scans to access things like medication, materials or patient health information. In a unanimous opinion, the justices ruled against a pair of…