Local News
$1 million Lucky Day Lotto jackpot won in Bridgeview
From staff reports If you bought a Lucky Day Lotto ticket in Bridgeview for Thursday night’s drawing, you may want to check it right away – that’s because you might be a newly-minted millionaire! Circle K gas station, located at 7050 S. Harlem Ave. in Bridgeview, sold a $1 million winning Lucky Day Lotto ticket…
Local Sports Notebook: Four area girls teams headed to Hoopsfest
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Four area girls basketball teams will participate in the 32nd running of the Coach Kipp Hoopsfest. This year’s tournament, sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, takes place Saturday at Montini High School and Monday at Benet Academy. Sandburg is scheduled to play Downers Grove North in the 12:30 p.m. game on…
2 killed in Worth bar shooting
By Bob Bong Worth Mayor Mary Werner confirmed Monday afternoon that two people were shot and killed and a third wounded in a shooting early this morning at the Crossing Bar and Grill, 6959 W. 111th St. in Worth. Werner said the South Suburban Major Crimes Task Force was assisting Worth police with the investigation.…
Bobby Rush to retire after 15 terms
From staff reports U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, the state’s longest serving member of Congress, announced Tuesday he would not seek re-election this year, stepping down after almost 30 years of representing Chicago’s South Side and southwest suburbs. Rush, 75, formally announced that he will not run for a 16th term in Congress, but vowed to…
Stagg health team earns fourth straight Blue Ribbon award
By Jeff Vorva District 230 Supt. Robert Nolting likened the Stagg Health Education department to the New England Patriots. For the fourth straight year, Stagg won the Blue Ribbon Award for Excellence in Education from the Illinois Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. Staff members said Stagg was the first school in Illinois…
Boys Basketball: Highs and lows for Oak Lawn
By Steve Millar Correspondent During a week that Oak Lawn coach Jason Rhodes knew would present a huge challenge for his team, the Spartans started with a big win over a top South Suburban Conference contender. Then the league’s greatest perennial power provided proof that Oak Lawn still has a lot of work to do.…
Palos Heights: Business owners must choose whether to comply with mandates
By Jeff Vorva Palos Heights is not cracking down on businesses that violate Cook County COVID-19 mandates regarding proof of vaccinations. But the city will help if asked. Among the mandates, which started Monday, businesses including restaurants and gyms must have patrons show proof of vaccinations, which is a controversial topic for some. The Village…
College Report: Division I schools listening to Heard
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer Tadriana Heard is ready for a second round of Division I basketball. The former Argo star is playing her second season for Morton College, and heading into this week’s action was first in the nation among National Junior College Athletic Association players with 64 3-pointers. She was also 10th in…
Mayor reads hate mail before diving into COVID and crime issues
By Jeff Vorva Before Tuesday’s village board meeting, Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau said he received a disturbing email. The mayor, who shoots from the hip when it comes to his beliefs is a controversial public figure and figures to get hate mail. This one was especially nasty. “I figured that since I got this…
Boys Basketball: Evergreen Park riding out toughest stretch of schedule
By Jeff Vorva Staff Writer So, how did Evergreen Park get to 9-6 over in its first 15 games? The Mustangs took a rollercoaster ride. In a nutshell: They started the season with four consecutive wins, lost the next three, won five straight and then dropped three in a row. The latest three-game losing streak…
Stepson charged in Evergreen Park murder
By Bob Bong A 24-year-old Chicago man has been charged with first-degree murder in the New Year’s Eve shooting of his stepfather in Evergreen Park. Brandon K. Kizer, 24, of the 8100 block of South Loomis in Chicago, was charged Sunday with first-degree murder in the death of Anthony Young, 52, on the morning of…
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Illinois News
House GOP advances 2 human trafficking victim protection bills as others remain in limbo
By COLE LONGCOR Capitol News Illinois clongcor@capitolnewsillinois.com After Illinois received another failing grade from a national advocacy group, state House Republicans have introduced legislation aimed at further protecting victims and prosecuting perpetrators of human trafficking. Shared Hope International, an advocacy organization that works to prevent sex trafficking, said in its 2023 Illinois report card that…
Hundreds of bills pass, including changes to state’s biometric data privacy law
By HANNAH MEISEL COLE LONGCOR & ALEX ABEDDUTO Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Lawmakers passed more than 200 bills this week ahead of their scheduled May 24 adjournment. Many of the measures will soon head to Gov. JB Pritzker, including a bill that changes how damages accrue under Illinois’ first-in-the-nation biometric data privacy law.…
Pritzker pledges to expand access to mental health care in Illinois
By DILPREET RAJU Capitol News Illinois draju@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – In the middle of Mental Health Awareness Month, Gov. JB Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton hosted a panel in Springfield this week at which he pledged to expand the state’s behavioral health services. With several dozen services providers from around the state in attendance, Pritzker…
With 1 week left in session, Pritzker admin says all revenue options remain on the table
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com While the governor’s office instructed its agency directors to prepare for $800 million in potential budget cuts last week, all facets of his plan to raise $1.1 billion in revenue to avoid those cuts remain under consideration. Read more: ANALYSIS: ‘Significant enough’ opposition to Pritzker’s revenue plan leads to…
Illinois launches summer food assistance program
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The state is launching a new program to provide food assistance during the summer for families with children who qualify for free or reduced-price meals at school. Gov. JB Pritzker joined other state officials and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Thursday to announce that Illinois will…
Lawmakers consider tax break for news publishers, state-sponsored journalism scholarships
By ALEX ABBEDUTO & ANDREW ADAMS Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – A new measure being debated in the Illinois General Assembly would create a tax credit for certain news publishers based on the number of reporters they employ. The proposal from Sen. Steve Stadelman, D-Rockford, is part of a package of policies that he…
House gives OK to new state agency focused on early childhood programs
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois House gave final passage Thursday to a bill establishing a new cabinet-level state agency whose mission will be to provide a kind of one-stop shop for services focusing on early childhood development and education. By the time it’s fully operational in 2026, the new…