Original News, Features & Opinion on Chicago, Illinois and America
District 230 Board of Education appoints new member The Consolidated High School District 230 Board of Education appointed Orland Park resident Chris Kasmer to serve out a vacant term of office until April 2025. Kasmer serves as president of Carpenters Local 1027 and is in his 14th year as a trustee to the Chicago Transit…
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Bridgeview police arrest suspect in 2023 and 2024 Jewelry store heists On July 13 2023, the Jawahir Jewelry store (8454 S. Harlem ) was the victim of an armed robbery. On January 09 2024, the Jerusalem Jewelry store (9070 S. Harlem) was also robbed. Both of these store suffered substantial losses. Both of these occurrences…
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Apply for a refund yourself and keep the money you would have paid to a third party By Maria Pappas Some Cook County homeowners are bombarded with ads and solicitations from vendors offering help to obtain refunds on their property taxes. My office has about $93 million available in potential refunds for property tax overpayments…
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Leving Firm Matrimonial Law Seminar: Utilizing practice management software The Law Offices of Jeffery M. Leving Ltd. will host the next presentation of the Arthur S. Kallow Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Seminar Series on September 19th at 6:30 p.m. CDT at 19 S. LaSalle St. in Chicago. Experienced matrimonial Managing Attorney Jeffrey Paustian will be the…
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Suspect arrested in connection with aggravated vehicular hijacking, carjacking, in Orland Park On June 6, 2024, the Orland Park Police Department responded to a call of an aggravated vehicular hijacking at the Mercedes-Benz of Orland located at 8430 W. 159th St. The victim, a vehicle transporter, was preparing to load a black 2021 Mercedes-Benz onto…
Judge grants struggling father relief from ‘unconscionable’ pre-nuptial agreement By: Laura Reichel Prenuptial agreements are meant to lay out how individuals entering a marriage will divide their assets in case of divorce. While the main goal is to protect an individual’s assets in case of divorce, there are times when they are used to take…
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Change in law lets tax breaks automatically renew for homeowners with disabilities By Maria Pappas State lawmakers have made it easier for people with disabilities to continue receiving property tax relief on an annual basis. Cook County homeowners who receive the Persons with Disabilities Exemption no longer have to reapply for the benefit every year….
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Orland Fire Protection District responds to home fire, no injuries At approximately 2pm on Thursday, September 5th, 2024, the Orland Fire Protection District responded to a fire in the single-family home on the 14300 block of South Claridge Court. On Arrival crews were faced with a fire in a second-floor bedroom. The fire was quickly…
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Katsenes and Pekau are angry that I blew the whistle on their TIF district threat to taxpayers By Ray Hanania 09-04-24 The dangers of Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau’s secretive TIF district proposals I am not surprised Orland Park Trustee Cindy Katsenes, a local realtor with Village Realty, attacked me personally at the Village Board…
Orland Fire District hosts Open House Saturday 11 AM to 2 PM with live emergency/life saving demonstrations The Orland Fire Protection District will host its annual Open House on Saturday, Sept. 7, from 11 AM until 2 PM featuring live demonstrations in fighting fires and engaging in life-saving rescues. The Open House is one of…
New school year challenges also provide a chance for parents and children to start fresh By Jeffery M. Leving SM The start of the new school year comes with anxiety for too many parents and children, so it’s essential to take preemptive action to address the things that cause stress and seize opportunities. Like the…
Union leader says former Cook County Commissioner Ed Moody lied to union, public and can’t be trusted By Ray Hanania Former Cook County Commissioner Ed Moody had a bad habit of lying about how he would act on controversial policies from the prevailing wage to the one-cent per-ounce tax on soda pop. Published in The…
Ex-wife used daughter’s therapy to cut dad’s court ordered parenting time By Laura Reichel The time a father spends with his child can be incredibly important to maintaining a strong relationship between father and child. However, in the case of a Chicago father, he feared his relationship with his young daughter was at risk. Chicago…
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Press Release: Orland Park should suspend TIF district plans until they release delinquent financial audits Orland Park, IL — Plans by Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau to create three TIF districts to address “blighted land developments” should be put on hold until after he releases two delinquent financial audits detailing the true nature of the…
7th Chicago International Latino Theater Festival opens Oct. 11 Subtext Studio Theatre Company’s Que Te Vaya Bien, Part of Destinos: 7th Chicago International Latino Theater Festival Opens October 11th at Greenhouse Theater Center Subtext Studio Theatre Company (SSTC) announces the first production of Season Two: Generations featuring the world premiere play Que Te Vaya Bienby Artistic…
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Unincorporated Orland homeowners blast mayor’s annexation move Residents of Unincorporated Orland Township blast Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau for trying to grab their land and violate their rights. Residents say Mayor Pekau failed to properly notify them of his plans that began quietly in 2022 and continued to 2023 before residents could address the board…
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Illinois expands property tax breaks for veterans to include World War II vets By Maria Pappas Illinois lawmakers have enacted significant changes to property tax exemptions benefiting veterans, including a landmark provision for those who served during World War II. These amendments, effective for the 2024 tax year, underscore our commitment to supporting our veteran…
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Leving legal team won appeal defending falsely accused Chicago dad By Laura Reichel The Leving legal team won a critical decision from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) in favor of an accused father they defended. It is terrifying for any father to be faced with the allegation that he neglected his…
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