Local News
UPDATE: Wilson gas giveaway at Hickory Hills Falcon Fuel, Oak Lawn BP
From staff reports Chicago businessman Willie Wilson created massive traffic jams last week when he gave away $200,000 in free gasoline. So, he’s doing it again this week including at stations in Hickory Hills, Oak Lawn and Stickney. Wilson upped the ante from last week and announced he will be giving away $1 million in…
Jon’s Way to hold Family Fun Fair in Chicago Ridge
By Kelly White A Chicago Ridge youth group is finding creative ways to keep the community involved. Jon’s Way Youth Group will be hosting a Family Fun Fair on Sunday, March 27, at Freedom Activity Center, 6252 W. Birmingham Ave., Chicago Ridge. “With this event the teens get to show their leadership skills to the…
Worth Spring Craft Night
The Worth Public Library, 6917 W. 111th St., held a Spring Craft Night for area children and their parents on March 10. During the event, Bonnie Pawlarczyk, Head of Youth Services, read When Spring Comes by Kevin Henkes. Afterwards, children were able to make a variety of spring crafts that they could take home with them. The event…
Hockey star and police chief honored by Orland Park
By Jeff Vorva It was a night of celebration at Monday’s Village of Orland Park meeting with Kendall Coyne Schofield and outgoing police chief Joseph Mitchell serving as the stars of the show. Both received proclamations and standing ovations. Schofield, a Sandburg graduate, was honored for bringing home an Olympic silver medal in women’s hockey.…
Straz looking forward to bringing Pete’s and Pride to Palos Heights
By Jeff Vorva Pete’s and Pride. In Palos Heights’ immediate future, good things will come in “P’s.” Mayor Bob Straz gave his State of the City presentation Tuesday in the Orchard Room of the Recreation Center in an event hosted by the Palos Area Chamber of Commerce, and he was full of good news as…
Shepard rallies for Respect Week
By Kelly White Each year, schools across Illinois celebrate Respect Week. This campaign focuses on inclusion for people with disabilities, celebrating Respect for All – no matter the disability, gender, or race. Shepard High School students proudly took part in the week-long celebration that derived from the Spread the Word Campaign. “Plunging is an opportunity…
Shepard students take Polar Plunge for Special Olympics
By Kelly White After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Shepard High School students once again took the plunge last week. The Polar Plunge, that is, which is a huge fundraising effort benefiting Special Olympics and the athletes. Participants take in pledges from family, friends and more before taking the literal plunge into…
Worth narrowly approves COVID testing and medical services site
By Joe Boyle With COVID-19 positivity rates declining in Illinois, some members of the Worth Village Board wondered why a business emphasizing testing is necessary? Trustees Rich Dziedzic and Brad Urban brought the issue up during the Worth Village Board meeting Tuesday night, questioning if Free COVID Drive Thru Testing Inc. should be operating with the current…
Batter Up: Richards and Stagg show resilience in baseball’s opening week
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer If the infancy of the high school baseball season has proved anything, it’s that Stagg and Richards are two resilient teams. Just when they look down and out … Let’s look at Richards first. The Bulldogs opened the season on March 14 with a 4-0, five-inning road loss to Marist.…
Area Sports Roundup: South Suburban College wins national title
By Jeff Vorva Staff writer Now for some March Madness that was not as heavily publicized over the weekend … Area athletes participated in three national championship basketball games on Saturday, and a couple of them can lay claim to being national champs. St. Rita grad Cameron Bartmann and Catalyst Maria alum Jonathan Brundidge play…
Pro Soccer Report: Red Stars seek title after back-to-back runner-up finishes
By Jeff Vorva Staff writer It’s an obvious goal. Win it all. The Chicago Red Stars, who make their 2022 home debut in the Challenge Cup at 7:30 p.m. Friday against Kansas City at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, finished runner-up in each of the past two NWSL seasons in 2019 and 2021. There was no…
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Illinois News
Potawatomi land transfer advances in Illinois House
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A bill that would help the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation expand their newly established reservation in DeKalb County advanced out of a state House committee Tuesday, despite concerns about the tribe’s long-term plans for the property. House Bill 4718 would authorize the state to hand over…
Illinois could be 19th state to phase out subminimum wage for disabled workers
By ALEX ABBEDUTO Capitol News Illinois abbeduto@capitolnewsillinois.com After years of negotiations and continued opposition from service providers, Illinois appears poised to prohibit employers from using a federal exemption that allows them to pay individuals with disabilities less than the minimum wage. The federal Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 established minimum wage law, but created…
Once again working through the night, lawmakers finalize $53.1 billion budget
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com After a near-derailment and an all-nighter to wrap up the General Assembly’s spring session, supermajority Democrats in the Illinois House gave final legislative approval to the state budget as the sun rose Wednesday morning. Despite holding 78 seats in the chamber, it took Democrats three tries to reach…
Members of House speaker’s staff sue over ongoing unionization conflict
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Members of a would-be union representing staffers in House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch’s office filed suit against their boss on Friday, asking a Cook County judge to force recognition of the union. The Illinois Legislative Staff Association, which formed in the fall of 2022, claims Welch’s…
Regulators slash Chicago gas utility’s rate request, setting up likely legal battle
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com Regulators at the Illinois Commerce Commission on Thursday once again reduced a request to increase customer rates from Chicago natural gas utility Peoples Gas. In November, the ICC paused all spending related to Peoples Gas’ controversial “safety modernization program” for replacing aging infrastructure and reduced its $404 million…
Ban on ‘captive audience’ meetings, AI regulations among 466 bills to pass this session
By ALEX ABBEDUTO, COLE LONGCOR, & DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com A bill banning what unions refer to as employer-sponsored “captive audience” meetings about religion and politics has cleared both chambers of the General Assembly. It was one of 466 measures to do so during the Illinois legislature’s recently concluded spring session, including measures…
Would-be union of legislative staffers accuse Welch of undermining organizing effort
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Seven months after Democratic Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch advanced a measure that would allow legislative staff to unionize, members of his own staff on Tuesday blasted the speaker for allowing the bill to languish. The legislation has not seen any action since its passage…