Tag: Illinois

Marijuana sales exceed $10 million during first week in Illinois

January 6, 2020 Ray Hanania No Comments

Marijuana sales exceed $10 million during first week in Illinois Pritzker Administration Announces Sales Figures for First Weekend of Adult-Use Cannabis, Applicant Totals for Dispensary Licenses. State’s new adult-use cannabis industry generated over $10 million in sales in first days; Preliminary estimates show that of 700 total applicants for May 1 dispensary licenses, more than 600…

Environment, Government, Health, News, Taxes

Pritzker to give financial aid to illegal and undocumented students

January 6, 2020January 6, 2020 Ray Hanania No Comments

Pritzker to give financial aid to illegal and undocumented students The governor’s directive will also provide state financial aid to transgender students. Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid provides qualifying students an opportunity to apply for MAP Grants For the first time in Illinois, eligible undocumented students and transgender students who are disqualified from federal financial…

Education, Government, Illinois Legislature, News, Politics, Taxes

94 West one of the best restaurants in the Southwest Suburbs

December 31, 2019July 5, 2021 Ray Hanania No Comments

94 West one of the best restaurants in the Southwest Suburbs If you are planning a celebration, there is no better place to do it over dinner than at one of the best restaurants in the Chicagoland suburbs, 94 West Restaurant, which is best known for its phenomenal steaks and seafood menus. 94 West boasts…

Blogger, Business, Commentary, Editors Pick, Entertainment, Features, food, Opinion, Orland Park, Recipes, restaurants, Review, Suburban Chicagoland, Travel

Schaumburg resident embodies Veterans Day values as member of U.S. Navy Reserve

November 5, 2019November 5, 2019 Ray Hanania No Comments

Navy Salutes service members on Veteran’s Day Two features spotlighted: Schaumburg resident embodies Veterans Day values as member of U.S. Navy Reserve By Theodore Quintana Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class , Navy Office of Community Outreach As Americans reflect on the service of military men and women this Veterans Day, some may not realize that…

Features, News, Veterans

Third Illinois Resident dies after Vaping related lung injury

October 31, 2019 Ray Hanania No Comments

Third Illinois Resident dies after Vaping related lung injury The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is reporting the death of a third Illinois resident who had recently vaped and been hospitalized with a severe lung injury. At this time, a total of 166 people in Illinois, ranging in age from 13 to 75 years…

Health, News

Pritzker signs bill raising minimum teacher salaries to $40,000 to address statewide teacher shortage

August 22, 2019 Ray Hanania No Comments

Pritzker signs bill raising minimum teacher salaries to $40,000 to address statewide teacher shortage Taking another step to address the statewide teacher shortage, Governor JB Pritzker signed legislation today raising teachers’ minimum salary to $40,000. “As Illinois children head back to school this week and next, this new law says to them and their…

Education, Government, Illinois Legislature, News

Berwyn native participates in Navy Joint-Service training mission

August 22, 2019August 24, 2019 Ray Hanania No Comments

Berwyn native participates in Navy Joint-Service training mission By Joint Hometown News Service Cmdr. Tracy Joy, a 1986 Immaculate Heart Of Mary High School graduate in Westchester and native of Berwyn, Illinois, is a nurse corps officer in the Naval Reserve. She is with the Expeditionary Medical Facility (EMF) Great Lakes One, Illinois, that participated…

News, Suburban Chicagoland, Veterans, Veterans Column

Orland Park native exemplifies “We Build, We Fight” legacy of Navy Seabees

August 22, 2019August 22, 2019 Ray Hanania No Comments

Orland Park native exemplifies “We Build, We Fight” legacy of Navy Seabees By Alvin Plexico Navy Office of Community Outreach “We Build, We Fight” has been the motto of the U. S. Navy’s Construction Force, known as the “Seabees,” for more than 75 years. Commander Michael Meno, a 1991 Carl Sandburg High School graduate and…

News, Orland Park, Suburban Chicagoland, Veterans, Veterans Column

Is there a politics to mass shootings?

August 21, 2019November 29, 2019 Ray Hanania No Comments

Is there a politics to mass shootings? The mainstream news media covered the killings in Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas far differently than the news media covered the killings the same weekend in Chicago. Though the circumstances were different, with individual suspects involved in Dayton and El Paso and multiple suspects involved in multiple…

Blogger, Commentary, Crime, General Topics, National, Opinion, Police, Politics, Racism, rayhanania

Ticks in Illinois Found to Have Heartland Virus

August 14, 2019August 14, 2019 Ray Hanania No Comments

Ticks in Illinois Found to Have Heartland Virus Last summer (2018), a Kankakee County resident tested positive for Heartland virus, the first case reported in Illinois. In response to this human case, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) collaborated with the Illinois Natural History Survey Medical Entomology Laboratory (INHS MEL) and Kankakee County Health…

Health, Releases, Travel

Cicero District 99 to cut ribbon on state-of-the-art school

August 6, 2019August 6, 2019 Ray Hanania No Comments

Cicero District 99 to cut ribbon on state-of-the-art school Following a busy year of old building teardown, site cleanup and total reconstruction, Cicero District 99 is proud to officially announce the reopening of its newest 21st-century, state-of-the-art educational destination — Sherlock Elementary School (5347 W. 22nd Place). At 3 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 22, District…

Education, Government, News, Suburban Chicagoland

Brighton Park neighbors demand state restore mental health services

July 22, 2019July 22, 2019 Ray Hanania No Comments

Brighton Park neighbors demand state restore mental health services Brighton Park Neighborhood Council holds 2019 Public Meeting In the midst of strong political turmoil, threats to immigrant communities, attacks on black and brown youth, and a push for a higher wage, the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council and community members organize a Public Meeting with legislators. …

Chicago, Government, Health, News, Politics

I promise, I didn’t write this column high on the Ganja

July 10, 2019July 13, 2021 Ray Hanania No Comments

I promise, I didn’t write this column high on the Ganja The decision by the State of Illinois to legalize marijuana has raised some concerns from foes. But marijuana is really no different than alcohol. And if they want to eliminate marijuana, they should eliminate alcohol, too, from our retail stores. By Ray Hanania Anybody…

Blogger, Commentary, Crime, Government, Health, Opinion, Police, Politics, rayhanania

The psychology of JB’s massive tax hike plan

May 29, 2019November 29, 2019 Ray Hanania 1 Comment

The psychology of JB’s massive tax hike plan JB Pritzker has been lobbying hard to get the legislature to adopt his “Fair Tax” plan, but that plan is just a cover for 18 other big tax hikes that are waiting to slam your pocket book. The Pritzker “Fair Tax” will replace the Flat Tax with…

Blogger, Chicago, Commentary, elections, Government, Opinion, Politics, rayhanania, Suburban Chicagoland, Taxes

Governor Pritzker needs a reboot on his tax plan

May 22, 2019November 29, 2019 Ray Hanania No Comments

Governor Pritzker needs a reboot on his tax plan Is Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker anti-women, or does he just not care about empowering women in politics? His faulty drive to replace the Flat Income Tax with the Graduated Income Tax is driven by a male arrogance and a shortsighted political strategy that spells loser across…

Blogger, Commentary, Government, Opinion, rayhanania, Suburban Chicagoland, Taxes

Mark Cuban shares business insights and inspiring stories at Judson University

May 16, 2019May 16, 2019 Ray Hanania No Comments

Mark Cuban shares business insights and inspiring stories at Judson University Entrepreneur and investor Mark Cuban drew a crowd of more than 400 people to Judson University’s campus as the inaugural guest in a new World Leaders Forum speaker series on Thursday. In an interview with Judson alumnus Mark Vargas, Cuban discussed business and politics,…

Business, Education, elections, News, Politics, Suburban Chicagoland

Elmhurst native excels in Naval exercises

May 9, 2019May 9, 2019 Ray Hanania No Comments

Elmhurst native excels in Naval exercises Naval Air Crewman (Helicopter) 2nd Class Nathan Swartz, a native of Elmhurst, Ill., prepares to be lowered to a Mark VI patrol boat, attached to Coastal Riverine Squadron (CRS) 2, from an MH-60S helicopter, attached to the “Island Knights” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 25, during a casualty…

Government, News, Veterans, Veterans Column

Ray Hanania on Politics Podcast: Pritzker’s “unFair Tax”

May 6, 2019November 29, 2019 Ray Hanania No Comments

Ray Hanania on Politics Podcast: Pritzker’s “unFair Tax” In his latest podcast, Ray Hanania on Politics, former Chicago City Hall reporter Ray Hanania digs deep into the problems that Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s “Fair tax’ poses for Illinois taxpayers. Hanania explores the problems caused when the state replaces the Flat Tax on incomes with a “graduated…

Blogger, Commentary, Government, Opinion, Podcast, Politics, rayhanania, Suburban Chicagoland, Taxes