Local News
District 230 names Director of Safety and Security
From staff reports The Consolidated High School District 230 Board of Education approved Dr. Mary Pat Carr as the district’s first Director of Security. She will move from her current position as Assistant Principal of Activities at Stagg High School to the Administrative Center on July 1. Her duties as Director of Safety and Security…
Worth Public Library kicks off summer reading program
By Kelly White Patrons at the Worth Public Library welcomed in the summer season earlier this month. The library, 6917 W. 111th St., hosted its annual celebration on June 1 to bring patrons of all ages out to sign up for its summer reading program. “We love any excuse to celebrate reading with our community,”…
Fire knocks out Orland’s UFC Gym
From staff reports A fire last Thursday afternoon practically destroyed an Orland Park gym and knocked out neighboring businesses, as well. Orland Park firefighters received a call at 2:31 p.m. June 20 for a reported fire in the UFC Gym located at 66 Orland Square Drive Unit C. Multiple 911 calls were received for a fire in…
Chicago Ridge Fire Chief Bonnar retires
Started his 50-year career as Orland Park cadet By Dermot Connolly Chicago Ridge Fire Chief William Bonnar officially announced his retirement from a nearly 50-year career at the June 18 Village Board meeting. Mayor Jack Lind made the announcement “with great regret,” joking that “he doesn’t have the age to retire but he decided to…
Stagg tabs Allee Hernandez to guide girls hoops
By Randy Whalen Correspondent Allee Hernandez has accrued many years of basketball experience as a player and as an assistant coach. She will soon embark on a new experience as a head coach at Stagg, where she will be the Chargers first new head coach in 16 seasons. She succeeds Bill Turner, who stepped down…
Shepard’s yearbook wins national recognition
By Kelly White Shepard High School students have worked tirelessly to create a yearbook for this academic year that was nationally recognized. The high school, 13049 S. Ridgeland Ave. in Palos Heights, was chosen as a Yearbook Excellence Contest recipient from Walsworth Publishing Company, a family-owned printing company based out of Marceline, Missouri. Walsworth produces…
Orland Park Public Library kicks off summer
By Kelly White Summer is nearly here and the Orland Park Public Library is ready for it. On June 8, the library, 14921 S. Ravinia Ave., hosted its second annual Summer Reading Challenge Kick-Off event themed, Read, Renew, Repeat. “There are multiple interpretations to this theme,” Jackie Boyd, Communications Manager at the Orland Park Public…
Boys Hoops | St. Laurence, Marist, Oak Lawn among teams striving to reach next level
By Xavier Sanchez Correspondent High school boys basketball does not stop in March and pick back up in late autumn. For many players, playing hoops is a year-round commitment. AAU ball is a big reason for, that there are summer camps, shootouts or other events at most schools during the summer. The 21st annual…
Loss to Courage brings Red Stars’ winless streak to five games
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent The Chicago Red Stars historic start to the season is all but forgotten. In the last five matches, the Red Stars have failed to win, with the latest setback being a 3-1 loss on the road to North Carolina on June 23 in an NWSL battle. The Red Stars are 5-7-2…
Summer League Basketball | Illinois powers compete at Riverside-Brookfield Shootout
By Xavier Sanchez Correspondent School’s out for the summer, but high school athletes across Illinois are remaining active during the summer sports season. This includes basketball players, who can be found at camps, open gyms, camps and even weekend tournaments. Among the more high-profile hoops action in the area was the Riverside-Brookfield Shootout, which featured…
Dana Rettke and Ryan Murphy heading to Paris Summer Games
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Area fans of the Summer Olympics will have extra reasons to cheer athletes from the United States in the upcoming Paris Games. Dana Rettke of Riverside is a member of the U.S. women’s volleyball team and Palos Heights native Ryan Murphy will represent the country in swimming. Rettke, a 6-foot-8 middle…
Palos Heights tax preparer convicted of Covid-relief fraud
From staff reports A Palos Heights tax preparer who operates a business in Bridgeview has been convicted on federal charges for fraudulently assisting customers in obtaining loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. The jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago on June 10 convicted Hadi Isbaih, 42, on all four counts…
Renovations begin on Shepard High School theater
By Kelly White Shepard High School, which prides itself in the fine arts, will soon have a beautifully reconstructed theater right on its Palos Heights campus. The Community High School District 218 Board of Education recently unanimously approved funding for the renovation of the Fine Arts Center at the high school at 13049 S. Ridgeland…
Orland Township event focuses on mental health
By Kelly White Orland Township is taking the time to focus on mental health. Residents were invited out to join Orland Township Supervisor Paul O’Grady for an event called, Minds Matter 2024, on May 16 at Orland Township, located at 14807 S. Ravinia Avenue in Orland Park. “This was an excellent opportunity to connect with…
Corey Wolf ‘living the dream’ as new Shepard hoops coach
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent For Corey Wolf, obtaining the ultimate high school basketball prize started in the summer of 2007. Wolf was playing for a Richards team that had showed much promise, having gone 26-3 and winning a regional title the previous season. Then-Bulldogs coach John Chappetto let his players know when summer league play…
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Comings & Goings
Governor signs pretrial interest legislation into law
By RAYMON TRONCOSO Capitol News Illinois rtroncoso@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation Friday allowing for plaintiffs to collect pretrial interest on money awarded in some civil suits, after vetoing a previous version of the provision in March. An amendment to Senate Bill 72, introduced by Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, grants 6 percent pretrial…
Dems say court remap reflects population shifts, GOP calls it power grab
By SARAH MANSUR Capitol News Illinoissmansur@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — Partisan outrage over new proposed district lines for the Illinois Supreme Court was on full display Friday in the Illinois General Assembly. The House passed the court remap legislation by 72-45 vote. It was up for debate in the Senate at of 5:15 p.m. Friday, Legislative Republicans…
From Better Government Association: Illinois Medicaid companies rake In record profits from pandemic
By DAVID JACKSON Better Government Association The for-profit insurance companies running Illinois Medicaid collected hundreds of millions of dollars in extra profits during the COVID-19 pandemic — much of it for services never provided to patients, an investigation by the Better Government Association has found. The windfall was the result of a payment system based…
Bill banning ‘hairstyle discrimination’ in schools passes House
By TIM KIRSININKAS Capitol News Illinoistkirsininkas@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House passed a bill Thursday to prevent “hairstyle discrimination” in schools, sending it back to the Illinois Senate. Senate Bill 817, originally introduced by Sen. Mike Simmons, D-Chicago, prevents Illinois schools from enforcing dress codes that prohibit hairstyles historically associated with race, ethnicity or texture,…
Latino Caucus lays out undocumented immigrant protection agenda
By SARAH MANSUR Capitol News Illinoissmansur@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Legislative Latino Caucus laid out a policy agenda Thursday that includes bills to strengthen protections for immigrants among several other measures. One of the proposals, Senate Bill 225, would prohibit the Illinois Secretary of State from sharing facial recognition data with local, state or federal…
Energy working groups continue amid new indictment
By GRACE BARBIC Capitol News Illinoisgbarbic@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Nearly 50 legislators identifying as the Illinois Legislative Green Caucus signed a letter Wednesday asking leadership to make equity and utility accountability the foundation of an energy overhaul bill expected before the General Assembly adjourns May 31. “For too long, utilities have dictated energy policy in Illinois.…
Senate passes ‘sexting’ measure, bill lifting benefit ban for those with drug convictions
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinoisjnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Senate on Thursday passed a measure requiring public schools to include the dangers of “sexting” in sex education coursework and another lifting a ban on people convicted of drug crimes from receiving certain family benefits. House Bill 24 requires public schools that teach sex education…
Former Madigan chief of staff indicted by federal prosecutors
By SARAH MANSUR Capitol News Illinoissmansur@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — The former longtime chief of staff to former House Speaker Michael Madigan was indicted Wednesday for allegedly lying under oath and attempting to obstruct justice. Tim Mapes, who also formerly served as the House clerk, was granted immunity in connection with the federal investigation into potentially criminal…
Republicans tie Democratic mapmaking effort to latest indictment
By RAYMON TRONCOSO Capitol News Illinoisrtroncoso@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Republicans on Wednesday tried to tie an indictment of a longtime lieutenant of former House Speaker Michael Madigan to the Democrats’ effort to redraw legislative district lines ahead of the General Assembly’s May 31 adjournment. The latest indictment came Wednesday with just six days remaining in the…
House passes right-to-unionize amendment
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinoisphancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House passed a proposed constitutional amendment Wednesday that would guarantee workers in the state the right to unionize. The proposed amendment, which passed the Senate last week, would provide that employees have a “fundamental right” to organize and engage in collective bargaining over wages, hours…
