Original News, Features & Opinion on Chicago, Illinois and America
Treasurer Maria Pappas: Homeowners Blast Property Tax Increases, but Skip Voting When Given a Chance to Reject Them Just one in five Cook County voters bothered to vote in the last two elections when asked whether to approve property tax increases, allowing a distinct minority of voters to approve hundreds of millions of dollars in…
Northbrook West/Citation Lake Stormwater Project earns highest-priority ranking from Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Northfield Township Road District’s Phase II project placed in Group 1, the top tier, of MWRD’s 2026 Stormwater Partnership Program; construction could begin as early as 2027 NORTHBROOK, Illinois (July 21, 2026) — The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago (MWRD)…
Court Denies former Mayor Keith Pekau’s Motion to Dismiss lawsuit Former Mayor Must Answer Village’s Complaint, Village of Orland Park says countering misleading information released by disgraced for mayor Keith Pekau Orland Park, IL (July 16, 2026) – The Village of Orland Park announced that on July 6, 2026, the Cook County Circuit Court denied…
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Your Property Index Number or PIN; What You Need to Know By Maria Pappas If you own property in Cook County, there’s one number you should always know: your PIN. That’s short for Property Index Number—a 14-digit code assigned to every piece of real estate in the county. It’s tied to the legal description of…
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Hastings encourages municipalities, park districts to apply for IDNR grant State Senator Michael E. Hastings is urging park districts and municipalities in the 19th District to apply for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Open Space Land Acquisition and Development grant. “Some places become more than parks, they become gathering places where memories are made,…
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Bolingbrook Mayor, Legislators, Urge ICC to Reject Latest Illinois American Water Rate Hike The ICC will host a public hearing in Bolingbrook to allow residents to speak out on the proposed massive rate hike by Illinois American Water. The meeting will be Tuesday, July 14, 2026 beginning at 6:30 PM at the Bolingbrook Community Center,…
The Pappas Portal: Free News You Can Use By Maria Pappas When it comes to property taxes in Cook County, a lot of people feel like they’re staring at a 1,000-piece puzzle—and someone hid the box with the picture on the cover. That’s why I want to tell you about a tool that helps you…
Hanania interviews Burt Odelson the best election and municipal attorney in America 06-27-26 Ray Hanania conducts a profile Interview of Attorney Burt Odelson interview Burton S. Odelson, a prominent Illinois attorney who has spent more than five decades specializing in municipal law, election law, school law, and local government representation. Video podcast below Burt Odelson…
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The levy: It’s not a dam, but it is a word you should know! Since I first stepped into my office 27 years ago, one question has repeatedly come up: “Why do my property taxes always go up?” It’s a valid concern. At the heart of the answer is something called the tax levy. Simply…
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Podcaster Marc Sims interviews Arab News columnist/writer Ray Hanania Podcaster Marc Sims interviews Ray Hanania, columnist and writer with Arab News newspaper, the leading English language newspaper in the Gulf, and the Southwest Regional Press newspaper chain on Chicago’s Southwest and West side and suburbs. Hanania and Sims discusses politics and the issue of the…
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Speaker Welch says keeping Bears Stadium in Illinois important The Illinois General Assembly, House and Senate, did not pass the key stadium bill before adjourning last week as public concern focused on proposals to pass tax breaks for the Bears organization which is extremely profitable and earned more than $600 million last year, according to…
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Illinois Takes a Major Step to Protect Homeowners By Maria Pappas Owning a home has long been the foundation of financial security for American families. It’s typically a person’s largest investment, one that represents hard work, sacrifice, and a chance to build generational wealth. That’s why the Illinois General Assembly’s passage of House Bill…
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Duckworth Grills Secretary Rubio on State Department Cuts That Undermine Diplomacy and Make Americans Less Safe Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) grilled U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio Tuesday, June 2, 2026, on Donald Trump’s Congressional budget request that once again proposes deep cuts to the State Department that would gut our…
Orland Park Centennial Park Aquatic Center to Reopen Tuesday Centennial Park Aquatic Center (CPAC) will reopen on Tuesday following a thorough review of the facility and completion of all recommended health and safety procedures. CPAC was closed late Saturday afternoon after a staff member reported being treated for Escherichia coli (E. coli) infection. A second potential…
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United States Attorney Andrew S. Boutros Announces Sweeping Reforms to Internal Grand Jury Practices and Disclosures Remediation Plan Includes Most Substantial and Significant Changes in Decades Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, announced a series of sweeping internal reforms to the Office’s grand jury practices and disclosures that took…
Northwestern University dedicates William O. Lipinski Congressional Papers By Ray Hanania Officials of Northwestern University on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, dedicated the official placement of historic personal and official documents donated by former Congressman William O. Lipinski into the university’s Library archives on transportation. Lipinski was joined by his wife, Bonnie, his son Congressman Dan…
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Important News: WLS TV spotlights achievements of Maria Pappas, returns millions to taxpayers By Ray Hanania WLS TV recently did an extensive report that showed how Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas was refunding property tax overpayments and crediting failed deductions to tens of thousands of Cook County property tax owners. The return of the overpayments…
Treasurer Maria Pappas Honors AANHPI Heritage Month by Recognizing Community Leaders with Live Music and Dance Celebration Cook County Treasurer Maria Pappas will celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month by recognizing community leaders, cultural advocates and business owners whose contributions strengthen Cook County and the greater Chicagoland region. The event will…