Local News
Palos Heights officials hear from both sides on video gaming
By Jeff Vorva Palos Heights officials took the temperature of the community about video gaming Monday night. It was very warm for both sides. More than 80 people showed up at the Palos Heights Recreation Center’s Orchard Room for special meeting of the License, Permits and Franchise Committee for a chance to air their opinions.…
Seven reasons this spring sports season could be special
By Jeff Vorva Staff writer Things are a little quiet right now, but it’s the calm before the storm. Get ready for a monster sports spring in the area. The IHSA offers 13 spring sports and activities, including bass fishing. Area colleges will be busy, especially with baseball and softball. The Chicago Red Stars, who…
Area Sports Roundup: Top pick Ava Cook scores Red Stars’ lone goal in winless trip to Portland
By Jeff Vorva Staff writer Mixing a blend of veterans and newcomers, the Chicago Red Stars lost two games and tied one while scoring just one goal during a three-game preseason series in Portland. New coach Chris Petrucelli watched his team open with a 0-0 deadlock with the U23 U.S. Women’s National Team on March…
College Report: Rice grad Rothstein enjoying coaching at Fontbonne
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer After hitting the floor time after time after time as a libero at Brother Rice and Fontbonne University, Zach Rothstein’s body is glad he is now a graduate assistant with the latter. The Evergreen Park native admits there is a time or two where he wouldn’t mind diving to make…
Roberts Road, 87th Street overnight closures start March 14
From staff reports Overnight road closures with detours will be scheduled on Roberts Road and 87th Street during the next two weeks to accommodate mainline bridge beam placement on the Central Tri-State Tollway (I-294) Project. Overnight lane closures will also be scheduled in both directions on I-294 during this time to complete the work. The temporary closures are necessary to…
Joliet Road reduced to one lane in Indian Head Park thru the summer
From staff reports The Illinois Tollway is scheduled to begin a long-term lane closure starting March 14 on Joliet Road under the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) in Indian Head Park as work resumes to rebuild the I-294 bridge over Joliet Road. Reconstruction of bridges and ramps in the I-55 Interchange area is necessary to accommodate the…
Paisan Pizzeria coming to Oak Lawn
By Joe Boyle Oak Lawn Village Manager Tom Phelan was initially underwhelmed when plans for a new pizzeria were being discussed. “My thought was we don’t need another pizza place,” Phelan said during the Oak Lawn Village Board meeting Tuesday night. “But when I found out what would be coming in and what they have to offer,…
Orland Park board asks for Foxx’s resignation
Rossi named as new police chief By Jeff Vorva Whenever the Orland Park Board of Trustees gather for a meeting, it’s not a matter of “if” but “when” someone will get around to bashing Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx. Mayor Keith Pekau and the rest of the board members kept the spirit alive Monday…
OLCHS art students win awards
From staff reports Oak Lawn Community High School students Bre Buttney, Shelbylyn Dykstra, Hedaya Hasan, Madison Iwema, and Hailey Rabideaux excelled in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. This competition takes place yearly across the country. Spartan artists submitted artwork and won awards at the regional level. Over 40 schools participated and over 2,000 pieces…
Moraine Valley looking for local residents to host international students
Learn about another culture while welcoming an international student into your home. Moraine Valley Community College’s International Student Affairs Department has immediate needs for local residents to help integrate students into the U.S. and provide a safe place for them to stay through its Host Home Program. Hundreds of international students from countries such as…
Obituaries March 10, 2022
THOMAS P. ANDRICOPOULOS Thomas P. Andricopoulos, 74, passed away on February 26. He was the beloved husband of Gitana; Loving father of Paul and Sofia; Beloved son of the late Paul and Catherine; Dearest brother of Cathe (Joe); Fond uncle of Christe and Anthony and numerous other nieces and nephews; Loved cousin and friend to…
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Illinois News
Lawmakers pass on oversight vote for Pritzker’s prison closure, rebuild plan
By HANNAH MEISEL & DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – For the last two decades, each time a governor has moved to close a large state-run facility like a prison or mental health center, a legislative oversight panel has voted on the plan. That changed on Friday – at least for now –…
‘We don’t really know what we’re voting on,’ top Dem says of Pritzker’s prison plan
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com LINCOLN – On the eve of a scheduled vote to advise Gov. JB Pritzker’s administration on plans to close and rebuild a pair of dilapidated state prisons, hundreds filed into a junior high school gymnasium Thursday evening clad in matching green T-shirts. Printed on the shirts was a…
Illinois child tax credit: who gets it, how much is it?
By ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois aadams@capitolnewsillinois.com In the final hours of their spring legislative session, Illinois lawmakers approved a tax credit of up to about $300 for families with young children. The credit is available to Illinoisans with children under age 12 who qualify for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit, or EITC. Although…
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…
Elections board urged to dismiss complaint that Bailey illegally coordinated in 2022 campaign
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com A hearing officer is recommending the Illinois State Board of Elections dismiss a complaint that alleged conservative radio host and political operative Dan Proft illegally coordinated with former Republican state Sen. Darren Bailey during his 2022 campaign for governor. Proft, a one-time gubernatorial candidate himself, is behind an…
Communities, commission push Pritzker admin for more prison plan details
By DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com Jimmy Soto spent more than 42 years wrongfully imprisoned in Illinois Department of Corrections facilities. In 2020, he was moved to the “F-House” at Stateville Correctional Center in Joliet, a condemned unit, not because he was being punished, but because it was where the facility was housing individuals…
Judge blocks law that would have banned newly slated candidates from ballot
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com A Sangamon County judge on Wednesday blocked the Illinois State Board of Elections from enforcing a new law that would have prevented certain General Assembly candidates who didn’t run in the March primary from getting on the November ballot. The move doesn’t void the bill in its entirety,…