Local News
Mother McAuley gives new life to prom, graduation dresses
By Kelly White Finding the perfect prom dress can be costly and stressful. The task was made a little easier for students this year thanks to the Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School Mother’s Club’s Graduation and Prom Dress Resale. The event took place February 18-19 at the high school located at 3737 W. 99th…
Brazilian woman from Indian Head Park charged in Capitol invasion
By Bob Bong A woman from Indian Head Park was charged last week in the January 6, 2021, invasion of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Leticia Vilhena Ferreira, 32, told FBI investigators last April that she was a Brazilian citizen in this country on a work visa and, despite not voting for him, had…
SD229 names former board to replace Cruz
By Bob Bong Oak Lawn High School District 229 board members opted for a familiar face to replace ousted school board member Rob Cruz. Former board member Safaa Zarzour, 58, was named last week to fill Cruz’s term. Cruz was removed from the board by a 6-1 vote at a special board meeting on January…
Oak Park man charged in Forest View woman’s murder
By Carol McGowan and Bob Bong A 24-year-old Oak Park man has been arrested and charged in the strangulation death last month of 20-year-old Charisma Ehresman, of Forest View. Richard Chavez, of the 600 block of South Maple Street in Oak Park, was arrested on February 18 at Cook County Jail where he was already…
Warm homecoming on cold, snowy night for Olympian Abbey Murphy
By Kelly White Streets lined with residents welcomed back USA Olympic Silver Medalist Abbey Murphy Thursday night to Evergreen Park. The Evergreen Park community has been cheering on 19-year-old Murphy as she and Team USA battled in the women’s hockey tournament at the Winter Olympics in Beijing. Countless residents have decorated their houses and proudly…
St. Patrick’s Day parade dedicated to Officer Ella French
Heroism, sacrifice to be honored By Tim Hadac A 29-year-old woman remembered as a hero and martyr among many—in Chicago and elsewhere—will be saluted at the Archer Avenue St. Patrick’s Day parade, set for Saturday, March 12. The late Chicago Police Officer Ella French, shot to death during a traffic stop near 63rd and Bell…
Eight years later, an Eagle takes flight
By Joan Hadac Your correspondent in Clearing and Garfield Ridge (708) 496-0265 • joan.hadac@gmail.com Hi everyone. I want to tell you about the eight-year journey of one young man, which started in fourth grade at Kinzie School and ended just recently. His journey took him from Cub Scout Pack 3625 at Kinzie School through Boy Scout…
A crazy fun day
Dahlia Walkosz and Olivia Lopez, fifth graders at St. Daniel the Prophet School, were among many having fun during Crazy Hat Day–part of St. Dan’s efforts to promote good spirit during this year’s Catholic Schools Week. Parents looking for a school for their children for the 2022-23 school year are invited to call St. Dan’s…
Naz teacher earns Golden Apple nomination
From staff reports A teacher at Nazareth Academy in La Grange Park has been named a Golden Apple Award Finalist for Excellence in Teaching. Amelia García is one of just 30 finalists for the prestigious award. Hundreds of high school teachers across the state were nominated. Winners will be announced this spring—surprised individually at the…
Analysis: Palos Park still looking for perfect commish candidate
By Jeff Vorva There are a couple of ways people can perceive Palos Park’s Village Council going without a fifth commissioner for months. On the surface, it would appear to outsiders that the council is sitting on its hands. Or, it can look like the council has not found the right person yet. How hard…
Pandemic relief funds available for business, Gonzalez says
From staff reports State Rep. Edgar Gonzalez Jr. (D-21st) is calling attention to a new round of Back to Business grants available to local businesses dealing with financial hardship related to the pandemic. “For years now, the COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for small business owners throughout Illinois, but they have largely persevered despite…
Acting no more, Jennings named Bridgeview Fire Chief
By Steve Metsch After a year on the job, John Jennings can remove “acting” from his title. Jennings, 53, was officially named fire chief by the Bridgeview Village Board at its Feb. 16 meeting. The vote was unanimous. “I’m very proud to be the chief,” Jennings, 53, said. “I work with a bunch of great…
Cardz for Kidz at Shepard High School
By Kelly White Yoga enhances connections among the mind, body and spirit. Shepard High School’s yoga students infused these spiritual teachings with their daily lives and passed along messages of peace, love and care to others. These students, ranging from sophomores to seniors, at the high school, 13049 S. Ridgeland Ave., Palos Heights, participated in…
10th La Grange Restaurant Week kicks off Friday
By Steve Metsch For the 10th straight year, folks are invited to visit old favorites and try unfamiliar places during the La Grange Restaurant Week. “It’s a healthy way of building the community, getting people to try new things,” said Zach Molokie, culinary director for Cloud 9 Hospitality, which owns Barrel House Social. “I think…
Orland Park park projects meet with some public resistance
By Jeff Vorva With the exception of a few engineering decisions that have to be finalized, some of Orland Parks parks are ready for some major face-lifts. But not everyone is happy with the proposed plans. The two parks receiving the most attention in the coming years will be Schussler Park and Centennial Park West.…
Oak Lawn girls take on Kenwood tonight for Regional title
By Brian Frangella Trying to win a conference championship in any sport requires the ability to overcome obstacles that may get in the way. Last year, it was the uncertainty and oddity of dealing with a global pandemic that presented challenges for the Oak Lawn Community High School girls basketball team. However, the Spartans captured…
Boys swim avenges early losses for second in SSC Red
By Brian Frangella After losing to both Shepard and Evergreen Park during the regular season, the Oak Lawn Community High School boys swim team knew it had its work cut out for it at the South Suburban Conference Red meet last weekend. And the Spartans were well prepared for the challenge as they battled to…
Orland Park arrests man as an armed habitual criminal
From staff reports A Chicago man was arrested in Orland Park last week after he was stopped and a handgun was found in his waistband. Police stopped a vehicle traveling northbound in the 16900 block of LaGrange Road about 10 p.m. on Monday, February 7. The vehicle was stopped for a traffic violation and the…
Orland Park police arrest federal parolee with weapon
From staff reports A Calumet City man was charged last week after he refused to leave a vehicle and a loaded handgun was found on the floorboard. Orland Park tactical officers were investigating a suspicious, unoccupied vehicle in the parking lot of 304 Orland Square Drive at 3:15 p.m. on Friday, February 11. During their…
More renovations planned for Worth golf course
By Joe Boyle Upgrades continue at Water’s Edge Golf Course in Worth with plans for an electronic message board to be erected on the property this year. An ordinance was approved for a license agreement with BRT Outdoor LLC concerning Water’s Edge Golf Course signage during the Worth Village Board meeting on Tuesday night. The…
Illinois News
Jury deadlocks, mistrial declared in case of ex-AT&T boss accused of bribing Madigan
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – A federal judge on Thursday declared a mistrial after a jury deadlocked in their deliberations over whether former AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza bribed longtime Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan via a no-work contract for the speaker’s political ally. After nearly 15 hours of deliberation…
High court: Smell of burnt cannabis is not cause for warrantless vehicle search
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com Law enforcement officers in Illinois cannot rely on the smell of burnt cannabis alone to justify searching a vehicle without a warrant, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled on Thursday. The decision was unanimous, though Justice Lisa Holder White did not take part in it. Writing for the court,…
State wraps up case in challenge to assault weapons ban
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com EAST ST. LOUIS – A federal judge invoked images from the 1917 race riots in East St. Louis, Illinois, on Thursday at the end of a trial in a case challenging the constitutionality of the state’s ban on assault-style weapons and large-capacity magazines. Judge Steven McGlynn, who has…
Gun expert says assault weapons ban ‘describes the most popular firearms I’m involved with’
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com EAST ST. LOUIS – A firearms expert testified Wednesday that the weapons restricted under Illinois’ assault weapons ban include many of the most common firearms that American consumers use for self-defense. Steven Randall Watt, a combat veteran and retired law enforcement officer who now owns a private firearms…
Case of former AT&T boss accused of bribing Madigan heads to jury
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – On Valentine’s Day in 2017, then-AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza got some good news: After years of trying to push for legislation in Springfield that would save the company hundreds of millions of dollars annually, powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan had agreed to a…
State Supreme Court hears arguments in Jussie Smollett’s effort to overturn conviction
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in actor Jussie Smollett’s appeal to overturn his conviction on disorderly conduct charges for falsifying a hate crime. Smollett, who was an actor on the TV show “Empire,” was improperly charged with the same crime twice, his legal team…
Testimony continues in 2nd Amendment challenge to Illinois’ assault weapons ban
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com EAST ST. LOUIS – An engineer who spent decades designing weapons for one of the world’s leading gun manufacturers testified Tuesday that the assault-style weapons now banned in Illinois are intended only for civilian use and cannot be easily converted into military-grade firearms. James Ronkainen, a former engineer…
Contractor’s unsecured databases exposed sensitive voter data in over a dozen Illinois counties
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Around 4.6 million records associated with Illinoisans in over a dozen counties – including voting records, registrations and death certificates – were temporarily available on the open internet, according to a security researcher who identified the vulnerability in July. The documents were available through an unsecured cloud storage…
Prosecutors rest case against former AT&T Illinois boss accused of bribing Madigan
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – After years of pushing in Springfield, AT&T Illinois’ executive team was thrilled when the Illinois General Assembly in 2017 passed legislation that would get the company out from under expensive obligations to maintain its aging copper landline wires in Illinois. “Game over. We win,” AT&T Illinois…
Trial begins in challenge to assault weapons ban
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com EAST ST. LOUIS – The owner of a gun store testified Monday that Illinois’ ban on the sale of assault-style weapons and large capacity magazines has had a significant impact on his business and prevented his customers from buying items they would normally use for self-defense, hunting, target…