Orland Park
GOVERNMENT
New Illinois laws 2024: More laws in effect July 1, including minimum wage, tax increases
A host of new laws went into effect in Illinois Monday, at the halfway point of the year.Some of the new laws mean you will pay more at the pump and at your favorite Chicago restaurants, but it also means many minimum wage workers are getting a raise.ABC7 Chicago is now streaming 24/7. Click here to watchMinimum wage increaseMinimum wage workers in Chicago and Cook County will be getting a raise July 1.Those workers will now make a base pay of $16.20 per hour.Chicago tipped minimum wage phase-outChicago started the first phase of cutting out tipped wages for workers. The...
With nests on telephone poles, once-endangered osprey are flying high in Cook County
Wildlife biologist Chuck Rizzo climbs into what looks like an enormous white bucket and slowly begins to rise. The metal arm of an aerial lift truck propels him higher and higher, above thick underbrush and then even some treetops, toward a striking sight in an otherwise ordinary Cook County forest preserve: a sturdy, stick-strewn platform built on top of a 50-foot telephone pole. “How is it?” ...
Fireworks Tonight And Tomorrow Night
——— July 3rd, Independence Day with the Channahon Park District Staff at Ronald D. Lehman Community Park! Concert in the Park by Sundance 6-9:15 p.m. Fantastic Fireworks Show 9:15 p.m. ———— Plainfield Fireworks July 3 .The Plainfield Park District is partnering with the Village of Plainfield...
Suburban mayors push back amid massive increases in property tax bills
With some suburban residents facing significant increases in their property tax bills, a group of mayors are pushing to try to reverse some of those charges. Harvey Mayor Christopher Clark is one of those mayors, pursuing efforts to address the surging property tax bills. During a Tuesday press conference, Clark...
Illinois Finally Signs Agreement to Build $1B Invasive Carp Barrier, Now That the State Isn’t on the Hook for Entire Lifelong Maintenance Tab
After months of negotiations, Illinois finally signed onto a project partnership agreement this week with the state of Michigan and the Army Corps of Engineers to move forward with construction of what’s largely viewed as the last line of defense against invasive carp entering the Great Lakes. The best...
Dolton Village Board meeting yet again devolves into frenzy
Another meeting of the village board in Dolton took a chaotic turn. Most of the meeting was calm. Then, an activist, Jedidiah Brown, confronted Trustee Andrew Holmes over allegations of sexual assault that Holmes has denied.
OP Public Health Director Theresa Chapple steps down
After about three years in the position, Oak Park’s Public Health Director Theresa Chapple will be officially leaving her role July 12. Chapple is taking a couple weeks of vacation now, according to village officials, and is not expected back by the time her official tenure concludes. For now, Deputy Village Manager Lisa Shelley will oversee the public health department, which celebrated its 75th anniversary this year.
DuPage County Division of Transportation announce major road construction projects kicking off this year
“It’ll be a great place if they ever finish it,” the old O. Henry quote, jabbing at the seemingly endless construction around New York City, comes to mind every summer in Illinois; as construction crews come out of winter hibernation to fill some of the potholes expanded by the thawing and freezing of precipitation on roads’ surfaces. This year, as part of its five-year Transportation ...
New Rainbow Cone shop to open in Chicago suburb
FLOSSMOOR, Ill. - Flossmoor is set to welcome a new Rainbow Cone store this week. The new ice cream shop will open Wednesday at 19805 S. Crawford Ave., near Richton Township High School. The festivities will kick off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:30 a.m., followed by the store's opening at 11 a.m. The first 50 customers in line will receive a free Rainbow Cone.
Cook County veteran gifted new roof from local contractor: 'It was like winning the lottery'
THORNTON, Ill. - There’s a new roof going up on a house in south suburban Thornton. Normally, that’s not big news. But under this new roof, a remarkable story played out involving a military veteran with an ill granddaughter who got a helping hand from a local contractor.
The village isn’t listening
After living in the village of Oak Park for 25 years, it is surprising how little our voices are heard in this small community. When the Madison Street road diet was implemented, there was prompt removal of the planters and trees without warning, evidently fearing community input. There was a 5-story apartment building approved despite a 7-0 vote rejection by the Plan Commission. Now we are pushing forward with leaf-bagging, which is opposed by the majority of the village. It has been stated that the recycling service may not be able to continue leaf pickup.
Long-Awaited City Square Approved by Joliet City Council
An area adjacent to the historic Joliet Rialto Square Theater will be getting a total makeover thanks to the approval of the Joliet City Council at Tuesday’s council meeting. The project known as City Square, has been in the works since the city completed the Downtown Joliet Plan in 2015 that identified the need to create a larger urban gathering space at this location.
A former employee of a Cook County agency sues over his firing, alleging retaliation
A former aide to Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele has filed a federal whistleblower lawsuit against the county property-tax appeal agency, Steele and her top aide, court records show. The ex-employee, Frank Calabrese, said he was an appeals analyst and communications director for Steele until he was...
After Matteson Freight Train Derailment, Local Officials Look to Ensure Community’s Safety
Residents of south suburban Matteson were in for a shock the morning of June 27 when a major freight train derailment caused nearly 25 cars to fall off the tracks, resulting in a temporary evacuation order for up to 300 people. Trains are running again and there are no reported...
Dolton firefighters confront Mayor Tiffany Henyard over unpaid wages, insurance issues
DOLTON - They say where there’s smoke there’s fire, which is why more than a dozen firefighters in south suburban Dolton are going public with their concerns about the controversies smoldering at village hall. On Monday, those firefighters confronted Dolton Mayor Tiffany Henyard at a village board meeting,...
Upon Further Review, IDOT Is Granting Limited Access From Route 53 To NorthPoint Facilities
WJOL reported last month that IDOT was going to grant NorthPoint permission for truck access to Route 53 at the Third Coast Intermodal park. Officials told WJOL that we were wrong, but just two weeks later we learned the story was correct. IDOT has given NorthPoint/Third Coast Intermodal limited access...
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