New I-PASS sticker tag. (Photo from Illinois Tollway website)

Tollway to hand out free transponder stickers in Justice

By Carol McGowan Earlier this year, the Illinois Tollway began phasing out the plastic I-Pass transponder and introduced a sticker tag that goes on your vehicle’s windshield. If you’re still using a transponder, or want to get a new sticker, the Village of Justice is the place to be on Saturday, June 8. Rather than…

Marist won the Marist Sectional and will play Payton on Friday, May 31 in the state quarterfinals. Photo by Xavier Sanchez

Boys Volleyball | Marist tops Jones, advances to state quarterfinals

By Xavier Sanchez Correspondent For the first time since 2019, Marist will play in the IHSA state finals. The RedHawks (36-2) beat Jones, 25-13, 25-13, for their 17th straight victory and a Marist Sectional championship on May 28 in Mount Greenwood. They will face Payton in the state quarterfinals at 11:30 a.m. Friday, May 31…

Peggy Zabicki

Little things make a big difference in West Lawn

. By Peggy Zabicki Your correspondent in West Lawn 3633 W. 60th Place •  (773) 504-9327 . Thank you to all who make a positive difference in West Lawn. There are some who are putting enormous efforts into making our neighborhood better and safer. We often hear about these good people and all they do.…

Kathy Headley

Daina Cyvas again pedals with a purpose

. Kathy Headley Your correspondent in Chicago Lawn and Marquette Manor 6610 S. Francisco • (773) 776-7778 . As I’m sure you remember, in past years, Daina Cyvas, the Communications and Project Coordinator for the Sisters of St. Casimir, has participated in Bike MS. in honor of one of her heroes, SSC Sister Margaret Zalot,…

Sandburg pitcher Ethan Highfill gets Marist's Aiden Cech to swing and miss on a pitch during a 7-3 Eagles' victory on May 23. Photo by Xavier Sanchez

Baseball | Sandburg tops Marist to open playoffs, but falls to LW West in regional final

By Xavier Sanchez Correspondent For the second consecutive year, Sandburg’s season came to an end at the hands of Lincoln-Way West. The Eagles (21-12) fell to the Warriors, 6-1, in the Class 4A Sandburg Regional championship game on May 25. They had advanced to a second playoff game with a 7-3 comeback victory over Marist…

The Chicago Red Stars' Penelope Hocking had her streak of three games with a goal stopped in a 1-0 loss to Louisville on May 25 in Bridgeview. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Emma Sears scores match’s lone goal as Louisville blanks Red Stars

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent The Chicago Red Stars are miles ahead of where they were last year. The team secured its 16th point on May 12. In 2023, it had to wait until July 7 to hit its 16th point during a season in which it finished in last place in the NWSL. Despite that,…

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Sports Bits | St. Michael seventh-grader sets Illinois state record in 110-meter hurdles

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent • St. Michael School seventh-grader Tommy Walter set a grade-school state record en route to winning the Illinois Elementary School Association Class 2A 110-meter hurdles at the grade-school state meet held May 10-11 in East Peoria. Tommy set the Class 2A record in the event with a time of 16.31. •…

Water Polo Stock

Water Polo | Lions, Eagles, Macs, Crusaders and Mustangs earn All-State honors

All-State water polo Lyons girls water polo standout Maya Mladjan was named to the Illinois Water Polo organization’s All-State first team. The Lions’ Delaney Judkins and Isabella Recker, and Mother McAuley’s Becca Engquist earned second-team honors. Sandburg’s Claire Donnell made the third team and the Mighty Macs’ Andi Moriarity made the fourth team. In the…

Chicago Christian's Grace Mullin is committed to Air Force. Chicago Christian photo

Chicago Christian’s Grace Mullin caps successful spring by committing to Air Force

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Grace Mullin has proven talents on the ground. In the future, the Chicago Christian graduate may show more talents in the air. After an incredible spring and track season, Mullin — who graduated May 23 — capped things off by committing to the Air Force Academy. This came less than a…

tennis stock

Boys Tennis State Finals | Lyons’ Jack McLane and Mason Mazzone take 2nd

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Two doubles teams from Lyons made deep runs at the IHSA Class 2A boys tennis state finals, with one of them bringing home some hardware. The boys state tennis finals were held at various sites in the north and northwest suburbs May 23-25. The Lions’ Jack McLane and Mason Mazzone won…

Illinois News

Woman freed on plea deal after serving 19 years for McHenry murder

Woman freed on plea deal after serving 19 years for McHenry murder

By SARAH MANSUR Capitol News Illinois smansur@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — A woman found guilty of a McHenry County murder had her conviction vacated last week after serving 19 years of her 27-year sentence and maintaining her innocence throughout her imprisonment. With the help of the lawyers from the Illinois Innocence Project, Jennifer McMullan was released from…

Faith-based child welfare controversy may be reignited in Illinois

Faith-based child welfare controversy may be reignited in Illinois

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision could reignite a 10-year-old controversy in Illinois over whether faith-based charities can be prohibited from contracting with the state for foster care and adoption services on the grounds that they refuse to work with unmarried or same-sex couples. In a…

Rauner agrees to settle robocall lawsuit for $1 million

Rauner agrees to settle robocall lawsuit for $1 million

By SARAH MANSUR Capitol News Illinois smansur@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — People targeted by a campaign robocall from former Gov. Bruce Rauner since his first campaign in 2014 will be eligible to earn a portion of a $1 million settlement agreement that was reached last month in a class-action case. The agreement would end the federal lawsuit…

More than 660 bills will head to Pritzker after legislative session

More than 660 bills will head to Pritzker after legislative session

By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – With the first year of the 102nd General Assembly mostly wrapped up, lawmakers as of Friday had officially passed 664 bills through both houses for eventual consideration by the governor.  Gov. JB Pritzker had signed 17 of them as of Friday, including the Thursday signing of…

CAPITOL RECAP: No energy deal yet, but lawmakers say one could come 'this summer'

CAPITOL RECAP: No energy deal yet, but lawmakers say one could come ‘this summer’

By Capitol News Illinois SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate adjourned Tuesday without calling a comprehensive energy regulatory reform package for a vote. After adjournment, Senate President Don Harmon, D-Oak Park, made a statement similar to one he made June 1 after the Senate failed to call an energy bill for a vote ahead of the…

Two-day session ends with major legislation, but no energy bill

Two-day session ends with major legislation, but no energy bill

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Illinois lawmakers finished a two-day special session Thursday by passing some important legislation but without reaching agreement on the one issue they had hoped to resolve – an energy bill that would phase out all carbon emissions from power plants over the next 30 years. “I…

Vaccinated Illinoisans automatically entered into $10 million lottery

Vaccinated Illinoisans automatically entered into $10 million lottery

By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Any vaccinated Illinoisan will be automatically entered into a lottery for $10 million in prizes without having to take any extra steps to enter. Gov. JB Pritzker announced the “all in for the win” vaccine lottery at an event in Chicago, noting it would award $7…

Six Flags agrees to $36 million settlement over alleged BIPA violations

Six Flags agrees to $36 million settlement over alleged BIPA violations

By SARAH MANSUR Capitol News Illinois smansur@capitolnewsillinois SPRINGFIELD — Six Flags Great America has agreed to a $36 million settlement to end a class-action lawsuit over the amusement park’s use of finger-scan entry gates. Six Flags doesn’t admit to any fault or liability as part of the agreement, which is subject to final approval at…

Energy bill still not filed less than 24 hours before planned vote

Energy bill still not filed less than 24 hours before planned vote

By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate is scheduled to return to the Capitol Tuesday to consider an energy regulatory overhaul bill that is years in the making but was not yet filed in its final form as of Monday night. The House is scheduled to return Wednesday. But several…

Pritzker issues amendatory veto on budget due to drafting errors, Senate accepts

Pritzker issues amendatory veto on budget due to drafting errors, Senate accepts

By SARAH MANSUR Capitol News Illinois smansur@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — The state Senate on Tuesday approved a change to next year’s budget at the request of Gov. JB Pritzker to correct drafting errors in the measure that passed in the early hours of Tuesday, June 1, with little time for it to be read by lawmakers.…