Category: Local News

Aurora electoral board hears objections to mayoral, aldermanic candidate petitions

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An Aurora electoral board’s decision to keep a mayoral candidate on the ballot in the upcoming election could hinge on the candidate’s economic interest statement. That is one of the main questions about the nominating petitions filed by Karina Garcia for the April 2025 mayoral election. Garcia, the CEO of the Aurora Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, was one of six candidates who filed petitions in October to run for mayor in the city election. Because six candidates filed, as it stands now, there would be a primary in February. The candidates are: Mayor Richard Irvin, the incumbent; Ald. Ted […]

2 years after fire destroyed a Park Ridge condo building, residents paying mortgage and fees but can’t go home: It’s a ‘hardship for many’

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More than two years after a fire gutted a Park Ridge condominium building, rendering the structure uninhabitable and displacing dozens of residents, some of them are calling for the city to step in and help speed up the rebuild so they can return home. A handful of residents of Bristol Court condos attended the Park Ridge City Council meeting Monday night to publicly question why their units still haven’t been rebuilt. “We are asking Park Ridge to provide a professional insurance mediator, specialized project manager or legal counsel,” resident Katie Dooley-Joyce told the council. She spoke during the public comment […]

Chicago Fire Department reminds Thanksgiving cooks to remember one crucial ingredient: Safety

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Using a pulley and standing a safe distance back, a Chicago firefighter dropped a frozen bird into a turkey fryer with too much hot oil, splashing the viscous liquid everywhere. The oil swiftly ignited, and despite a quick reaction from another firefighter wielding a hose, bright orange flames as tall and wide as a CTA bus engulfed the fryer. “Thanksgiving is one of the year’s busiest days for fire departments, with cooking-related fires leading the charge,” said Chicago Fire Department Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt Wednesday morning at the turkey-fry-gone-wrong demonstration.  As families gear up for Thanksgiving gatherings stuffed with gratitude and […]

Barrington man hit north suburban doctor in the head with baseball bat, shot her to death in front of their daughter, prosecutors allege in court

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The Barrington man suspected of killing north suburban endocrinologist Olga Duchon was ordered detained Wednesday after prosecutors alleged he lured her to his home and fatally shot her in front of their daughter.  The 46-year-old man charged with first-degree murder, William Zientek, contacted Duchon on Sunday asking her to have a conversation at his home in the 400 block of West Russell Street, authorities told a Cook County judge during a detention hearing in Rolling Meadows. The two had a prior dating relationship and have a 3-year-old daughter together.  In ordering Zientek detained, Judge Ellen Mandeltort said he posed a […]

Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau says state comptroller trying to ‘inflict harm’ on residents in holding back money

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  mposed punitive sanctions on the Village of Orland Park by suspending offset payments due to a delay submission; and WHEREAS, as reported in the Illinois Local Government Warehouse delinquency report, a total of 361 units of government statewide have similarly outstanding financial reports from 2022 or earlier, including six (6) units that have not submitted required reports for over a decade, yet these entities have not faced similar punitive actions from the Comptroller’s Office, highlighting a deeply concerning lack of consistency in enforcement; and WHEREAS, the Comptroller’s Office specifically s   FROM COMPTROLLER— When municipalities are delinquent in filing […]

Gary Common Council approves ARPA funds for bus system; remaining funds must be allocated by end of 2024

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The Gary Common Council on Tuesday approved using American Rescue Plan Act funds to assist the city’s public transportation system. In a 7-0 vote, the council unanimously passed two ordinances related to the ARPA funds. Councilwoman Mary Brown, D-3rd, was absent. Former Councilman Mark Spencer, D-At large, on Nov. 6 resigned from Gary Common Council, said Lake County Democratic Chairman Jim Wieser. Spencer was elected as District 3 Indiana State Senator, and the county’s Democratic party will hold a caucus to fill his role. The council approved allocating $750,000 in ARPA funds for the Gary Public Transportation Corporation. The funds […]