Local News

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Worth Mayor Mary Werner looks at old photos of the Worth Public Library during the History of the Worth Library exhibit's opening night. (Photos by Kelly White)

Worth Library celebrates 60th anniversary

By Kelly White The Worth Public Library has been around for decades. Resting in the heart of the village at 6917 W. 111th St., the library held an event focusing on its rich background story on April 23 with a historical photo exhibit. “It’s amazing because this library is still so important to the community,”…

Newly installed 2024-26 board members of the 3rd District General Federation of Women's Clubs lined up for a photo following a ceremony held April 27 at Fox's Restaurant in Orland Park. With outgoing president Heather Linehan (from left) they are Vice President Sandy Christofanelli, President Rose Zubik of the Palos Heights Woman's Club, Secretary Sue Peterson – a palos Park Woman's Club member, Treasurer Judy Wagner, and Parliamentary Advisor Debbie Bach. (Photos by Dermot Connolly)

Rose Zubik, Woman’s Club veteran, installed as 3rd District president

Rose Zubik, of Palos Heights, the new president of the 3rd District General Federation of Women’s Clubs-Illinois, lights a candle during the installation ceremony held April 27 at Fox’s Restaurant in Orland Park. Heather Linehan, the outgoing president, is beside her.By Dermot Connolly A longtime member of the Palos Heights Woman’s Club is now president…

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Shots fired in Chicago Ridge Commons parking lot

From staff reports Shots were fired Wednesday night in the parking lot at Chicago Ridge Commons mall. Police said they received reports of the shooting about 9:45 p.m. No injuries were reported. Multiple witnesses told police four men were walking through the parking lot from the XSport Fitness area. They approached two vehicles and separated…

Melissa Kowalski, owner of Flair With Hair Salon in Chicago Ridge, prepares to cut the ribbon to mark the first anniversary of the business on April 18 with the assistance of her daughter, Anastasia, 5. (Photos by Joe Boyle)

Hair salon with a ‘flair’ marks first year in Chicago Ridge

By Joe Boyle Melissa Kowalski wanted to do something meaningful to mark the first-year anniversary of her Flair With Hair Salon in Chicago Ridge. “We did not have a grand opening last year so I wanted to do something really special,” Kowalski said. “We wanted to say thank you to our clients.” Kowalski, a resident…

Gabriel Chowaniec, a fifth-grader at Palos East Elementary School, has been named a winner of the Scholastic Storyworks Magazine writing contest. (Supplied photo)

Palos East fifth-grader wins Scholastic Storyworks writing contest

Gabriel Chowaniec, a fifth-grader at Palos East Elementary School, has been named a winner of the Scholastic Storyworks Magazine writing contest. Gabriel, who is a student in Cathy Casey’s fifth-grade classroom, was named one of only five winners nationally for the December 2023/January 2024 competition. Garbriel’s submission for the nonfiction story “The Shattered Land,” “showed a strong understanding of the text along with the ability to author a well-organized and engaging response,…

Shepard High School, 13049 S. Ridgeland Ave., Palos Heights, celebrated Autism Acceptance Week April 1 through April 5. (Supplied photos)

Shepard celebrates Autism Week

By Kelly White World Autism Acceptance Week is organized by the National Autistic Society in the first week of April and aims to raise awareness about the challenges autistic people face across all areas of society. Not missing out the opportunity to celebrate all-inclusion was Shepard High School, 13049 S. Ridgeland Ave., Palos Heights. “We…

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Billions of cicadas get ready to raise a racket

By Kelly White If you haven’t heard the buzz yet, you will soon. With 2024 marking a big year for periodical cicadas in Illinois, billions of the red-eyed buggers will soon be making an appearance. Periodical cicada broods XIII and XIX will be emerging throughout much of the state at the same time. Although exact…

Chicago Christian’s Holland Winthrop eyes a high fastball during an at-bat last week. Photo by Xavier Sanchez

Softball | Jocelyn Hovanec scores two runs, Ks 12 in Chicago Christian win

By Xavier Sanchez Correspondent Chicago Christian  is working to find its footing in the inaugural season of the Chicagoland Christian Conference. The Knights entered this week 6-8 overall and 4-6 in the CCC, putting them in fifth place with just two conference games to play among their final seven regular-season contests. The Knights have had…

Chicago Christian players celebrate after a point during a match agsint St. Edward. Photo by Xavier Sanchez

Boys Volleyball | Chicago Christian finishes April strong, takes second at Ridgewood Invitational

By Xavier Sanchez Correspondent A busy and largely successful final seven days of April saw Chicago Christian briefly climb back to the .500 mark after a tough first month of the season. The Knights (11-12, 4-4 Chicagoland Christian Conference) have won seven of their past 10 matches, all of which were played over a seven-day…

Marist middle hitter Jack Meador attacks against Glenbard West  in the championship match at the Lincoln-Way East Invitational on April 27 in Frankfort. Photo by Jeff Vorva

Boys Volleyball | Marist hands Glenbard West first loss of season

By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Marist was scary good in the first set. The RedHawks won it 25-12. Even by Marist standards, that’s pretty impressive. Complete dominance. What’s even more stunning is that it came against the second-ranked team in the nation. The RedHawks, who came into the match ranked sixth in the country in the…

Illinois News

CAPITOL RECAP: Governor asks Supreme Court to rule on masks

CAPITOL RECAP: Governor asks Supreme Court to rule on masks

By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration said Friday, Feb. 18, it will ask the Illinois Supreme Court for an “expedited review” of an appellate court’s decision not to rule on a lower court order that invalidated COVID-19 mitigation measures for roughly 170 school districts that were parties in a set of…

DCFS director once again faces Cook County contempt citation

DCFS director once again faces Cook County contempt citation

By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com For the fourth time in six weeks, a Cook County juvenile court judge has held Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Director Marc Smith in contempt for failing to move a minor into an appropriate placement. “This really underscores the level of crisis here,” said Cook County…

UPDATED: Appellate court declines to rule on mask mandates; Pritzker to appeal to high court

UPDATED: Appellate court declines to rule on mask mandates; Pritzker to appeal to high court

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect the latest developments. By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration said Friday it will ask the Illinois Supreme Court for an “expedited review” of an appellate court’s decision not to rule on a lower court order that invalidated COVID-19 mitigation…

UPDATED: Appellate court declines to rule on COVID-19 mandate restraining order

UPDATED: Appellate court declines to rule on COVID-19 mandate restraining order

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with a comment from Gov. JB Pritzker’s office. By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Schools in Illinois are free to enforce mask mandates and other COVID-19 mitigations on their own, but the emergency rules that the Illinois Department of Public Health issued requiring schools to…

Appellate court declines to rule on COVID-19 mandate restraining order

Appellate court declines to rule on COVID-19 mandate restraining order

By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Schools in Illinois are free to enforce mask mandates and other COVID-19 mitigations on their own, but the emergency rules that the Illinois Department of Public Health issued requiring schools to enforce those mandates are no longer in force. That was the decision issued late Thursday…

CAPITOL RECAP: Panel suspends state's school mask mandate

CAPITOL RECAP: Panel suspends state’s school mask mandate

By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – A legislative panel on Tuesday, Feb. 15, voted to suspend the latest version of COVID-19 mitigations for public schools, saying in part that those rules are still being litigated in a state appellate court. The Joint Committee on Administrative rules voted 9-0, with two members voting “present,” to object…

GOP lawmakers back effort to give DCFS workers pepper spray

GOP lawmakers back effort to give DCFS workers pepper spray

By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Republican lawmakers are calling for the passage of legislation that would allow Department of Children and Family Services workers to carry pepper spray for self-defense when investigating allegations of child abuse. This comes weeks after the death of DCFS investigator Deidre Silas, who died while checking…

‘A bit opaque’ and confidential: Behind Illinois’ gubernatorial pardon process

‘A bit opaque’ and confidential: Behind Illinois’ gubernatorial pardon process

By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Jerame Simmons got his long-held wish in December when he became the chief of the fire department that dismissed him 24 years ago after he was charged with setting fire to a vacant house and attempting to burn down his high school. It took a prosecutor’s…

CAPITOL RECAP: Panel suspends state's school mask mandate

CAPITOL RECAP: Panel suspends state’s school mask mandate

By CAPITOL NEWS ILLINOIS SPRINGFIELD – A legislative panel on Tuesday, Feb. 15, voted to suspend the latest version of COVID-19 mitigations for public schools, saying in part that those rules are still being litigated in a state appellate court. The Joint Committee on Administrative rules voted 9-0, with two members voting “present,” to object…

Pritzker touts initiatives aimed at expanding health care workforce

Pritzker touts initiatives aimed at expanding health care workforce

By GRACE KINNICUTT Capitol News Illinois gkinnicutt@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker continued to promote his budget proposal for the upcoming fiscal year Tuesday, outlining his plan for rebuilding the state’s health care workforce during a stop at a Peoria community college. He joined local leaders at Illinois Central College to talk about the Pipeline…