Local News
New director joins Worth Public Library
By Kelly White With a love of books and knowledge, Rachel Snyder is happy to take on her new role as director of the Worth Public Library. “It sounds so stereotypical, but I have always loved books and felt most at home when I was around them,” Snyder, of Lemont, said. “So, a chance to…
Espresso Palette in Chicago Ridge hosts D218 art show
By Kelly White As a young artist, Jason Milne, enjoys spending his free time building his talent. “I grew up in a huge family, so getting some time to myself was difficult; but, whenever I did I always loved to draw,” Milne, 19, of Blue Island, said. Milne attends the Adult Transition Program at District…
Students show off their strength at Stagg powerlift meet
By Kelly White Powerlifting shows your strength. The sport that consists of three attempts at maximal weight on three lifts: squat, bench press, and deadlift. Male and female Stagg High School students showcased their lifting talents with a Powerlift Meet at the high school, 8015 W. 111th St., Palos Hills, on February 26. “What I…
Dolly Foster says goodbye after 15 years as park horticulturalist
By Kelly White Oak Lawn Park District said goodbye to a beloved employee last month who helped to beautify the city for more than a decade. Master Gardener Dolly Foster who worked as the park district’s horticulturalist for 15 years, left her role in January to pursue her graduate degree in Crop Sciences at the University of Illinois.…
St. Rita tops Homewood-Flossmoor, vying for first sectional title
By Steve Millar Correspondent St. Rita’s Morez Johnson knows how deflating it is for an opponent when it plays strong defense and forces the Mustangs into a missed shot, only for Johnson to grab the rebound and score. “Those second-chance points hurt the other team a lot,” Johnson said after St. Rita defeated Homewood-Flossmoor in…
Orland Park police chief heading to Wilmington
By Jeff Vorva Orland Park Police Chief Joseph Mitchell is stepping down and has accepted the chief’s post in Wilmington. He spent 27 years on the Orland Park force and was named chief in September 2020. But he cited wanting a change of scenery and his last day in Orland Park will be March 25.…
Kiwanis, Lions, Sertoma join Ukrainian relief effort
By Kelly White People have been coming from all over the southwest suburbs to show their support. Area Palos Kiwanis, Lions, and Sertoma service clubs, and countless community members, are working together to help out Ukrainian refugees through a humanitarian aid collection drive. “This is such a tragedy,” Palos Hills Alderman Mike Lebarre (3rd) and…
Ukrainian churches seeking donations
By Bob Bong Relief efforts for Ukrainians caught in the invasion of their country by Russian military forces have begun at two Ukrainian churches in Palos Park. Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Orthodox Church is collecting humanitarian aid for Ukraine that will be shipped by air to Poland, which has taken in thousands of Ukrainian…
Palos Park police head to Manteno for Polar Plunge
By Steve Metsch and Bob Bong Area police officers cannot wait to go swimming on Saturday. No, not in the warm comfort of a YMCA swimming pool or a local hotel. This will happen outside. On March 5. In Northern Illinois. It’s not exactly swimming weather, which is why it’s called the Polar Plunge. The…
Worth bans overnight parking of large vehicles on streets
Polar Plunge to be held Saturday at Altman Park By Joe Boyle An ordinance has been introduced in Worth to restrict overnight parking of large vehicles along public streets or village-owned property. According to the ordinance, it will be unlawful to park or store any vehicle with an Illinois license plate classification higher than Class F between…
Return to normalcy, war and gas prices draw Palos Heights council’s interest
By Jeff Vorva The Palos Heights City Council had plenty to do Tuesday night when it came to decisions and votes on city matters. But it also took some time out to talk about world concerns. On the day masks became optional indoors in Illinois – signifying a possible return to normal – the Russian/Ukraine…
Orland Park officials see concert series making money in coming years
By Jeff Vorva The Orland Park Concert Series will be a go for 2022 and village officials know there will be some money lost on the deal but think the payoffs will come in future years. The board of trustees unanimously approved a three-concert series package for this year at Centennial Park West similar to…
Dylan Jacobs off and running — fast — to start to ND track season
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Dylan Jacobs is amazed, but not surprised, that Sandburg’s cross country and track programs have produced three runners who have each run a mile in under four minutes. Jacobs became the third on Jan. 22. The Orland Park native, a senior at Notre Dame, broke the magical four-minute barrier during…
Brother Rice falls to Bloom in regional title game
Crusaders players eye big things in 2022-23 By Steve Millar Correspondent Early in the third quarter of the Class 4A Brother Rice Regional championship game, the host Crusaders — who had trailed Bloom by as many as 12 — took a four-point lead. Playing in front of a raucous home crowd led by the enthusiastic…
International soccer tournament coming to Bridgeview
By Steve Metsch Thirty-two soccer teams from North, Central and South America will be at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview this summer, vying for their share of a $100,000 prize. Copa Mariachi Chicago will be played at the stadium June 4 and 5. The winning team will get $80,000, and the second-place team pockets $20,000, Copa…
Neighbors
Comings & Goings
Stateville may close as early as September under Pritzker’s prison plan
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Stateville Correctional Center could close as early as September under a plan laid out by Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration on Friday. Top officials with the Illinois Department of Corrections testified in front of a key panel of state lawmakers. The 12 members on the General Assembly’s…
Labor-backed bill banning ‘captive audience’ meetings awaits House action
By ALEX ABBEDUTO Capitol News Illinois abbeduto@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – With two weeks left before the General Assembly’s spring session is set to adjourn, negotiations continue on a labor union-backed initiative that would allow Illinoisans to skip religious and political work meetings without reprimand. Dubbed the “Worker Freedom of Speech Act,” Senate Bill 3649 advanced out…
House gives OK to new state agency focused on early childhood programs
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House gave final passage Thursday to a bill establishing a new cabinet-level state agency whose mission will be to provide a kind of one-stop shop for services focusing on early childhood development and education. By the time it’s fully operational in 2026, the new…
ANALYSIS: ‘Significant enough’ opposition to Pritzker’s revenue plan leads to call for cuts
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com When Gov. JB Pritzker proposed his budget for the upcoming fiscal year in February, he sought authority from lawmakers to raise more than $1 billion in revenue through various changes to the state tax code. Among other things, he sought to raise $526 million through extending an expiring…
State officials offer last goodbye to former Thompson Center as renovations begin
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO — State officials kicked off the private renovation of the building which once served as the state government’s Chicago headquarters. The James R. Thompson Center, as it was known under state ownership, was sold in 2022 to a development firm that is renovating the building for its…
Public officials seek greater oversight of prescription drug middlemen
By DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois draju@capitolnewsillinois.com As state lawmakers hold hearings targeting the role of pharmacy benefit managers – an influential arm in how the health insurance industry prices prescription drugs – multiple state agencies are considering how to better regulate the industry. Often referred to as pharmaceutical “middlemen,” PBMs act as third-party intermediaries…
Thousands of youths at risk of losing access to after-school programs
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Advocates for community-based after-school programs say as many as 40,000 youths statewide could lose access to tutoring services, recreation and other extracurricular activities this summer unless Illinois lawmakers approve an infusion of funds to keep them going. “The time is now for legislators to act to…
Lawsuit alleges sexual abuse was rampant in state-run juvenile detention centers
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com Rampant sexual abuse occurred unchecked for decades at Illinois’ juvenile detention centers, a new lawsuit filed on behalf of 95 former detainees alleges, citing hundreds of incidents over more than two decades. The plaintiffs were boys between 12 and 17 years old when the alleged abuse occurred and…
House GOP advances 2 human trafficking victim protection bills as others remain in limbo
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com After Illinois received another failing grade from a national advocacy group, state House Republicans have introduced legislation aimed at further protecting victims and prosecuting perpetrators of human trafficking. Shared Hope International, an advocacy organization that works to prevent sex trafficking, said in its 2023 Illinois report card that…
Remembering Lee Milner
NEWS TEAM Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com On Wednesday, April 17, the Springfield, Illinois Capitol and journalism communities lost a devoted friend and advocate when Lee Milner passed away. As Dean Olsen wrote in his piece in the Illinois Times earlier this month, “Readers of Illinois Times often have seen Milner’s work as a freelance photojournalist. But…