Original News, Features & Opinion on Chicago, Illinois and America
Warehouses for Bridgeview Nearly 1 million square feet to be available By Steve Metsch The village of Bridgeview will be getting two warehouses at the northeast corner of 79thStreet and Harlem Avenue. At its July 18 meeting, the board approved a letter of understanding between Sponte Sales, doing business as Hawk “This is the sale…
Hard work rewarded in Bridgeview Linden is new fire battalion chief By Steve Metsch After nearly three decades working for the Bridgeview Fire Department, Ed Linden has a new title. Linden, 52, was promoted from lieutenant to battalion chief at the July 18 meeting of the Bridgeview Village Board. He is one of three battalion…
New cabinet store in Lyons Owner/home builder likes larger site on Ogden Avenue By Steve Metsch A vacant building at 8121 W. Ogden Avenue in Lyons will be the new home of Signature Cabinetry. Owner Jay Riordan is moving his business from 7657 w. 100thPlace in Bridgeview. He also owns Riordan Signature Homes, building high-end,…
Summit wants new water meters Loan from state EPA may provide them at no cost By Steve Metsch Summit hopes to get a loan from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to pay for new water meters at homes and businesses throughout the village. Village officials think Summit could qualify for a loan of up to…
Villanueva named successor to Tabares in 21st Illinois House District Community activist Celina Villanueva was named Monday night as the new State Representative for the 21st Illinois House district to fill the vacancy created when State Rep. Silvana Tabares who resigned to accept appointment as alderman of Chicago’s 23rd Ward. Villanueva, a youth engagement activist…
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Cicero Fire Department receives excellent ISO rating The Town of Cicero Fire Department has received an ISO (Insurance Services Office) Public Protection Classification rating of 2, which is recognized as one of the nation’s top performance ratings. Fire Chief Dominick Buscemi said the Cicero Fire Department said the rating classification is a result of the…
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Pretend interview with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel I’ve covered six Chicago Mayors since 1976 including Mayors Richard J. Daley, Michael A. Bilandic, Jane M. Byrne, Harold Washington, Eugene Sawyer and Richard M. Daley. But I have yet to get Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to allow me to interview him, despite numerous requests. What’s the excuse…
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Illinois job growth surges upward by 18,100 new jobs Unemployment Rate Steady at 4.3% The Illinois Department of Employment Security (IDES) announced today that the unemployment rate held steady at 4.3 percent in June and nonfarm payrolls increased by +18,100 jobs over-the-month, based on preliminary data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)…
36 Illinois Nursing Homes cited by state for safety concerns Nursing Home Violations for Second Quarter 2018 The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) today announced the 2018 Second Quarterly Report of Nursing Home Violators is now posted on IDPH’s website. The report contains additional information about the violations. The facilities listed below were cited…
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Activists Vow to Continue Fight Against Illinois Voter Suppression Governor’s Veto Yet Another Reminder: Elections Matter Attention is now focused on the November elections and future legislation to secure elections and fight voter suppression, after Governor Rauner’s veto of SB 2273. The bill would have modified existing law to stop Illinois from sharing voter data…
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Harlem Avenue closed because of large bakery fire at 84th Street 5:10 pm Tuesday July 17, 2018 The Bridgeview Police Department has ordered Harlem Avenue closed in both directions around 84th Street at the scene of a major fire. Police officials urged motorists not to approach the intersection and suggested that they detour along 79th…
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Governor vetos bill that would restrict interstate voting checks Veto of Bill No.: SB 2273. Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner released the following statement in vetoing SB 2273 which would prohibit interstate checking of voter registration Today I veto Senate Bill 2273 from the 100th General Assembly, which would limit the State of Illinois to participation in…
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Rauner vetos bill to reorganize Metro East Sanitary District Gov. Rauner vetoes SB 2368. Stops manipulation of local government balance of power, in St. Louis region. Gov. Bruce Rauner today vetoed Senate Bill 2368, saying it was a politically motivated attempt to undercut the good work of the Metro East Sanitary District (MESD) Board of Commissioners….
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McCarthy Statement on Recent Police-Involved Shooting Former Chicago Police Superintendent and Candidate for Mayor of Chicago Garry McCarthy issued this statement on rising violence in the City of Chicago: “These kinds of shooting incidents are a tragedy. As a city, we all lose when they occur. I offer my condolence to the victim’s family. At…
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Cicero hosts Day of Prayer to fight street gangs This is the 7th year of what has become an annual summer tradition for this “Day of Prayer in Cicero” which has helped bring the community together and succeed in overcoming the violence of street gangs. Local church leaders and community members joined with the Town…
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Pfleger publicity stunts do nothing to stop violence Father Pfleger organized a protest of community residents and activists to block traffic on the Dan Ryan Expressway recently to protest increasing gang violence. But are the protests good for the community or his own personal interests. What he should be doing is helping residents to stand…
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Term limits undermine the rights of voters to choose The push to impose term limits isn’t being done by the voters or the public. It’s being led by political candidates who just can’t seem to take control of government because they lack the support of the majority of voters. Term limits are wrong because it…
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Argo has a new football field Cushioning pad aims at safer conditions for players By Steve Metsch Striding onto the new football field at Argo Community High School, there’s a noticeable “give” to each step taken. That’s because there’s a pad that lies beneath the new Mondoturf field recently installed by Kiefer USA, based in…