Local News
Football | Argo blanks Bloom for second straight shutout
Two games. Two wins. Zero points allowed. Life is good for Argo and head coach Phillip Rossberg. “A 2-0 start is nice,” Rossberg said. “We’ll take that.” On Sept. 6 in Summit, the Argonauts welcomed Bloom in a non-conference matchup. Anchored by the efforts of running back Steven Holmes and a strong defensive showing, Argo…
Step Back in Time: 31st annual River Rendezvous returns to Willow Springs
The 31st annual A River Thru History – The Des Plaines Valley Rendezvous will be returning once again this year to Columbia Woods Forest Preserve in Willow Springs for a weekend filled with historic facts, recreation and fun. Taking place at the intersection of Archer Avenue and Willow Springs Road, the event focuses on the…
Football | Richards scores late to edge Crete-Monee
Richards senior Austin Synoga was short on words to describe the final 30-ish seconds of the Bulldogs’ season-opener against Crete-Monee. “It was unreal,” said Synoga, who played the hero in a 27-26 victory over the Warriors on Aug. 30 in Crete. “When I got the pick I didn’t even celebrate. I didn’t know what to…
Football | St. Rita rides big second half to win over Sandburg
Roughly 11 months ago, St. Rita running back Nick Herman got his first varsity start when he filled in for injured starter DJ Stewart in a pivotal Chicago Catholic League crossover against St. Laurence. Herman ran for 155 yards and a touchdown, helping the Mustangs to their only win — and clinching a spot in…
Girls Volleyball | Marist’s Berg, Berry earn all-tourney honors at Mizuno Crimson Classic
Marist, which was ranked 22nd in the nation by maxpreps.com, lost to Lincoln-Way East, 25-20, 25-17, in the semifinals of the Mizuno Crimson Classic at Plainfield North. The RedHawks recovered to beat Oak Park-River Forest in the third-place match. Sandburg finished 12th in the 32-team tournament, while Riverside-Brookfield was 14th and Nazareth 20th. Marist’s Taylor…
Gilrs Volleyball | McAuley tops St. Laurence again for Metea Valley-Oswego East title
Mother McAuley and St. Laurence had to travel to Aurora to face each other for the first time this season. For the second consecutive season, the two area powers met in the Metea Valley/Oswego East Tournament championship, and for the second consecutive season, the Mighty Macs won, this time 25-21, 25-19, to repeat as tourney…
Girls Volleyball | Shepard and Chicago Christian split Heights battles
Who won the Battle of Palos Heights in girls volleyball this season? No one. Shepard traveled to Chicago Christian on Aug. 27 and the Astros pulled off a 25-22, 25-23 thriller. The two neighboring rivals squared off again on Aug. 31 in the quarterfinals of the Gold Bracket at the 13th Chicago Christian Knight Invite,…
Red Stars face Orlando in first home game since Olympic break
Pro soccer is returning to SeatGeek Stadium with two games over the weekend after a hiatus due to the Olympics. The Chicago Fire will make their second of three appearances in Bridgeview this season when they host DC United at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 7 in an MLS battle. The following day, the Chicago Red…
Reavis’ Chavez, Richards’ O’Shea are Mega stars at Conkey Woods
Santiago Chavez of Reavis won the boys division of the South Suburban Conference Mega Meet in boys cross country on Aug. 29 at Conkey Woods in Palos Heights. Chavez won with a time of 15:55.6 in the 3-mile race. James O’Shea of Richards was runner-up with a time of 15:583. Also in the top 10…
Windy City Ram Classic | Marist blanks T.F. North, will face Lemont in semifinals
And then there was one. The 32-team 2024 Boys Windy City Ram Classic soccer tournament was chock-full of area teams, but only Marist survived the first three rounds to make it to the semifinals. The RedHawks had an easy win in the first round with a forfeit over Mansueto on Aug. 28. In the round…
Football | Chicago Christian beats Herscher, wins opener for eight straight season
The Chicago Christian defense forced eight turnovers and the offense exploded as the Knights began their season with a victory for the eighth consecutive campaign. Niko Griggs posted 8 ½ tackles, Brock Sperling had three tackles-for-loss, Christian Flutman snagged two interceptions and Caden Boersma also had a pick for Chicago Christian. Flutman also threw for…
Football | Olaf Kozub romps for 224 yards and 2 TDs as Stagg tops Joliet Central
So far, so good for Stagg, which began new coach Jacob O’Connor’s tenure with a win over Joliet Central on opening night of the 2024 season. Displaying a versatile offense that saw six players score rushing touchdowns, the Chargers beat the Steelmen 49-20 in a non-conference matchup Aug. 30 in Palos Hills. Stagg junior running…
Sandburg grad Tommy Windt looks back at baseball career
After more than 20 years of playing baseball, Tommy Windt has hung up the spikes. Windt, an Orland Park resident and Sandburg graduate, started playing T-ball at age 2 and went on to play youth league and travel baseball before taking the field in high school for the Eagles, then in college at South Suburban…
Football | Joliet West tops Shepard on opening night for second straight season
While Shepard suffered 36-15 loss to Joliet West commence the 2024 season, Astros coach John Rone found at least one encouraging aspect of his team’s performance. “I don’t think the final score shows how well our defense played,” Rone said. “They caused turnovers and got sacks. We also had a goal-line stand. “The defense just…
Football | Steven Holmes runs for 4 TDs as Argo defeats De La Salle
Last season, Argo made the state playoffs in consecutive campaigns for the first time in program history On opening night in Chicago’s Bronzeville community, they Argonauts took their first step toward securing a third straight postseason berth, defeating De La Salle 45-0 in a non-conference matchup at Parente Field. Argo senior running back Steven Holmes…
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In bribery trial, AT&T lobbyists detail contentious meeting with Madigan ally
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – On an afternoon in late April 2017, recently retired state Rep. Eddie Acevedo was called to a meeting in the state Capitol in Springfield. The 20-year veteran lawmaker had joined his sons’ lobbying firm and was looking for work. Meeting with a trio of lobbyists for…
A year after end of cash bail, early research shows impact less than many hoped or feared
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – One year after Illinois became the first state in the nation to eliminate the use of cash bail, the impact on the state’s criminal justice system appears to have been far less dramatic than people on either side of the debate had predicted. That, at least,…
ADM carbon sequestration project violated Safe Drinking Water Act, per EPA
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com DECATUR – Agribusiness giant ADM violated federal regulations, a federal permit and the Safe Drinking Water Act earlier this year when a monitoring well at their carbon sequestration site in Decatur leaked liquified carbon dioxide into “unauthorized zones,” according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In an August…
On witness stand, former AT&T lobbyist describes how Madigan ally got $22,500 contract
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – The day before Thanksgiving in 2016, then-AT&T Illinois president Paul La Schiazza read some news that frustrated him. It seemed that energy giant Exelon, the parent company of Chicago-based electric utility Commonwealth Edison, was going to get a big assist from Springfield that would prevent it…
Coroner’s affidavit shows as many as 800 human remains could have been misidentified
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com As many as 800 families across the country who patronized a Carlinville funeral home may never know if the remains on their mantles belong to their loved ones, according to an affidavit signed by Sangamon County Coroner Jim Allmon. The affidavit was filed in a lawsuit pending against…
Calculated bribe or ‘kiss up’ to Madigan? Corruption trial kicks off for former AT&T boss
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – As the federal corruption trial of former AT&T Illinois president Paul La Schiazza formally kicked off on Wednesday, prosecutors and defense attorneys painted two very different pictures of a political hire the telecom giant made in 2017. La Schiazza is accused of bribing former Illinois House…
Supreme Court hears cases pertaining to detention under the SAFE-T Act
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in a pair of cases that test the authority of local courts to hold criminal suspects behind bars while they await trial. The cases come almost one year to the day after the court allowed a new law abolishing…
Supreme Court hears cases pertaining to detention under the SAFE-T Act
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in a pair of cases that test the authority of local courts to hold criminal suspects behind bars while they await trial. The cases come almost one year to the day after the court allowed a new law abolishing…
Jury selection begins in trial of former AT&T Illinois boss accused of bribing Madigan
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – Jury selection is set to begin Tuesday in the trial of former AT&T Illinois president Paul La Schiazza, who federal prosecutors allege bribed once-powerful Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan in exchange for favorable legislation in Springfield. It’s the last in a series of related trials that…
East St. Louis forum to tackle persistent childhood poverty
By MOLLY PARKER Capitol News Illinois mparker@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois has the potential to eradicate childhood poverty, but it will require a concentrated, sustained effort in partnership with families and disadvantaged communities, says Tasha Green Cruzat, president of Children’s Advocates for Change, a Chicago-based nonprofit focused on childhood wellbeing. This hope drives the focus of the policy…
