Local News
Stagg girls hoops enjoying dream season
By Jeff Vorva Staff writer The night before a signature victory over Lincoln-Way Central, Stagg senior guard Laila Bakarat had sweet dreams. “I dreamt about it the night before it happened,” she said. “I literally dreamt about winning. I woke up and said, ‘I hope this is reality.’’’ The reality was that she scored 32…
College Report: Former Stagg standout Kazanecki gives hoops one more year
By Jeff Vorva Staff writer The idea was for Tom Kazanecki to finish his basketball career at St. Ambrose in 2021. The former Stagg hoops standout was even toying with the idea of starting a military career, even though he had an extra year of athletics eligibility remaining, thanks to seasons getting snipped because of…
Area Sports Roundup: Marist leads way with 11 wrestlers heading to state
By Jeff Vorva Staff writer An army of area wrestlers is headed to the state tournament, with 49 set to hit the mat in Champaign. During sectional action on Feb. 12, area wrestlers feasted on opponents. Marist will send 11 to the tournament, which begins Thursday at State Farm Center on the University of Illinois…
Man charged in string of armed robberies in Palos Heights, Palos Hills, Hickory Hills
By Bob Bong A Chicago man has been charged in a string of armed robberies that took place in Palos Heights, Palos Hills, Hickory Hills and other communities. He was charged February 2 for the December 28 robbery of the Shell station at 12121 S. Ridgeland Ave. in Palos Heights. Palos Heights police said they…
Campaign 2020: Civil Rights attorney ShawnTe Raines-Welch to seek judgeship
By Ray Hanania Civil Rights attorney ShawnTe Raines-Welch has announced her candidacy for one of two vacancies for judge in Cook County’s 4th Subcircuit in the June 28 primary election. Raines-Welch specializes in legal work for municipal governments, including cities, school districts, park districts and other local taxpayer-funded public bodies at an established municipal law…
Campaign 2020: 11 elected officials endorse Newman in primary
By Bob Bong Marie Newman’s bid to win the Democratic nomination in the new 6th Congressional District picked up steam Tuesday when 11 elected officials in Cook and DuPage counties announced they were endorsing her in the June primary over fellow incumbent Sean Casten. “Congresswoman Marie Newman has been a very strong and effective advocate for…
Owner dispels rumors of Royalberry closing
By Bob Bong Frank Salman, owner of Royalberry Waffle House and Restaurant in Palos Heights, has a simple message: “We’re not closed!” Salman said rumors have been rampant in the area that his restaurant of 17 years suddenly closed at the corner of 127th Street and Ridgeland Avenue. “We are not closed. We are going strong,”…
$900,000 Lotto ticket sold at Palos Heights 7-Eleven
By Bob Bong Local Lucky Day Lotto players best check their tickets for last Sunday’s mid-day drawing. A winning ticket worth $900,000 was sold at the Palos Heights 7-Eleven store. The winning ticket was sold at the store at 6350 W. 135th St., and matched all five numbers in Sunday mid-day’s drawing: 11-13-24-30-37. “Selling a…
Evergreen Park High students collect blankets for the homeless
By Kelly White Students at Evergreen Park Community High School started up an effort to keep the homeless warm as cold temperatures and frigid air have hit the Chicagoland area this winter. The Service Club at the high school, 9901 S. Kedzie Ave. in Evergreen Park, is hosting a blanket drive through Friday, February 11.…
D230 goes yellow and relaxes mask mandates after judge’s ruling
By Jeff Vorva In the wake of a judge’s decision, District 230 has gone yellow. The district, which serves Stagg, Sandburg and Andrew high schools, on Monday switched its COVID-19 status from orange to yellow. Sangamon County Judge Raylene Grischow ruled in favor of parents who took 145 Illinois school districts to court and that…
Area wrestlers advance to sectionals
From Staff Reports The following wrestlers have qualified for sectional competition after placing in the top three at their respective regional tournaments. (Name, class, finish at regional) Class 3A Marist Regional Marist George Marinopoulos, Fr, 2nd at 106 Michael Esteban, Fr, 1st at 113 Will Denny, Fr, 2nd at 120 Jesse Herrera, Jr, 1st…
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Illinois News
Just weeks before Republican National Convention, Illinois GOP chair announces resignation
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com Halfway through the 2024 election cycle and just a few weeks away from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Illinois GOP Chair Don Tracy on Wednesday announced his resignation as head of the state Republican Party. Tracy, who’d held the job since February 2021, explained his resignation in…
As Illinois session ends, lawmakers’ attempt to reinstate wetland protections fails
by JENNIFER BAMBERG Investigate Midwest jennifer.bamberg@investigatemidwest.org In 2006, 19-year-old Jessica Whinston inherited 20 acres of land that her grandparents once farmed in Quincy, Illinois. The land had sat dormant since the 1980s and was overgrown, but Whinston and her husband Bradley worked to turn it into a productive farm. The couple were eventually able to…
Elections board dismisses illegal campaign coordination complaint, declines to clarify law
By HANNAH MEISEL Capitol News Illinois hmeisel@capitolnewsillinois.com CHICAGO – State elections officials on Tuesday indicated they were unlikely to step in to clarify what constitutes illegal campaign coordination after voting to dismiss a complaint alleging such coordination in the 2022 campaign for governor. At their monthly meeting in Chicago, Illinois State Board of Elections members…
Illinois’ ban on ‘bump stocks’ remains in place despite U.S. Supreme Court decision
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – An Illinois law banning the sale and use of “bump stocks” and other devices that increase the firing power of semiautomatic weapons remains in place, at least for now, despite a U.S. Supreme Court decision Friday striking down a federal ban on such items. “Illinois law…
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…