Local News
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,”…
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…
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…
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…
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 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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Sophia Smith’s brace sinks Red Stars
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent Home has not been that sweet lately for the Chicago Red Stars. The team lost its second straight game at SeatGeek Stadium with a 2-0 setback to Portland in front of an announced crowd of 4,443 on April 27. Portland star Sophia Smith scored in the 10th and 26th minutes, then…
Nazareth Academy celebrates ‘special talent’ J.J. McCarthy in NFL Draft
By Steve Metsch Dennis Moran has no doubts that J.J. McCarthy – the former Nazareth Academy quarterback who is now with the Minnesota Vikings – will succeed in the National Football League. Moran was among about 60 or so Nazareth Academy fans, friends and coaches who gathered Thursday night at The Stadium Club in McCook…
Brother Rice names Al Perez next soccer coach
By Jeff Vorva Correspondent A few new coaches are dotting the area high school athletic scene. One of the more notable hires was Brother Rice bringing Al Perez aboard as the soccer coach. Perez led Chicago Public League power Washington to a Class 2A state championship in 2013, a fourth-place finish in 2015 and a…
Pickleball courts coming to Palos Park
By Jeff Vorva There will finally be outdoor pickleball in Palos Park. In a process that went longer than anticipated, the Palos Park Village Council was able give the green light to get a pickleball project started on the Village Green. The council voted April 8 to award the contract to U.S. Tennis Court Construction…
First Secure Bank to host American Eagle gold coin sale
From staff reports First Secure Bank & Trust of Palos Hills announced its annual May sale of 1-ounce and ¼-ounce American Eagle Gold Coins, produced by the U.S. Mint, will take place from 10 a.m.to noon on Saturdays, May 4, May 11, May 18 and May 25. The sale will take place at First Secure…
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Comings & Goings
7 years after passage, Illinois’ first in string of recent abortion protections gets day in court
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com ROCKFORD – In 2016 – before Donald Trump’s presidency paved the way for the eventual overturning of Roe v. Wade – Democrats in Illinois passed what would become the first in a series of laws shoring up reproductive rights in the state. That law altered Illinois’ 1970s-era Health…
Nurses unions push for mandatory staff-to-patient ratios
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Unions representing nurses in Illinois are pushing for legislation that would impose mandatory staff-to-patient ratios in hospitals, nursing homes and other health care facilities. But lobby groups representing hospitals and nursing homes say they are steadfastly opposed to the legislation, arguing that a nationwide nursing shortage…
DCFS director to step down at end of the year after agency hit with another scathing audit
By BETH HUNDSDORFER & HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Director Marc Smith will resign effective Dec. 31, he told colleagues in an all-staff town hall meeting Wednesday morning. For years, critics had called on Smith to resign or be fired, amid legislative hearings, contempt citations, a murdered…
State-run developmental center in Dixon will not lose Medicare funding despite citations
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com A state-operated residential facility that serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities will not lose Medicare funding despite receiving recent citations from state surveyors for failing to protect its residents from harm. Mabley Developmental Center in Dixon has two pending “immediate jeopardy” citations from the Illinois Department of…
Pritzker urges Biden to intervene amid ‘untenable’ pace of migrant arrivals
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com As Chicago prepares for an increase in the already steady stream of migrants arriving from the southern U.S. border this week, Gov. JB Pritzker is once again publicly pressuring President Joe Biden to play a larger role in coordinating relocation efforts. “There is much more that can and…
Buoyed by state funding, new biomedical research hub launches in Chicago
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com With vocal support from the governor and $25 million from the state, biomedical researchers are beginning to work on studying the fundamentals of human disease at a new facility in Chicago. The Chan Zuckerberg Biohub – named for philanthropists Priscilla Chan and her husband and Facebook founder Mark…
State-run developmental center in Dixon will not lose Medicare funding despite citations
By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com A state-operated residential facility that serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities will not lose Medicare funding despite receiving recent citations from state surveyors for failing to protect its residents from harm. Mabley Developmental Center in Dixon has two pending “immediate jeopardy” citations from the Illinois Department of…
DCFS director to step down at end of the year after agency hit with another scathing audit
By BETH HUNDSDORFER & HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com Illinois Department of Children and Family Services Director Marc Smith will resign effective Dec. 31, he told colleagues in an all-staff town hall meeting Wednesday morning. For years, critics had called on Smith to resign or be fired, amid legislative hearings, contempt citations, a murdered…
Pritzker urges Biden to intervene amid ‘untenable’ pace of migrant arrivals
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com As Chicago prepares for an increase in the already steady stream of migrants arriving from the southern U.S. border this week, Gov. JB Pritzker is once again publicly pressuring President Joe Biden to play a larger role in coordinating relocation efforts. “There is much more that can and…
7 years after passage, Illinois’ first in string of recent abortion protections gets day in court
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com ROCKFORD – In 2016 – before Donald Trump’s presidency paved the way for the eventual overturning of Roe v. Wade – Democrats in Illinois passed what would become the first in a series of laws shoring up reproductive rights in the state. That law altered Illinois’ 1970s-era Health…