EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD: New land bank will be catalyst for change

As part of their ongoing commitment to improving the southern suburbs, the South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association and several of its member communities recently created the South Suburban Land Bank and Development Authority to help facilitate the redevelopment of vacant, foreclosed a…

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T.F. South coach Bob Quayle talks to team captain Lauren Hart and the team Saturday during the Oak Forest Girls Bowling Invitational.

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T.F. North's Jackie Chavez reacts to her strike as coach Greg McCune looks on Saturday at the Oak Forest Girls Bowling Invitational.

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T.F. North coach Greg McCune talks with the team at the Girls Bowling Oak Forest Invitational on Saturday. The Meteors finished 12th overall.

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T.F. North's Nora Ramirez, front, gives Cequitah Shannon a high five for her strike Saturday at the Oak Forest Girls Bowling Invitational.

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Crete-Monee coach Jason Fundukian talks with Amanda McDonald on Saturday at the Oak Forest Bowling Invitational.

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T.F. South's Lauren Hart bowls a strike in the Oak Forest Bowling Invitational on Saturday. Hart finished with an 1,101 series and in 14th place overall.

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OAK FOREST - TF North H. S. Girls Varsity Bowler Cequitah Shannon bowls at the Oak Forest Girls Bowling Invitational as team coach, (with baseball cap) Jason Fundukian watches on Saturday.

Chicago Southland CVB awards $12K for tourism promotion

From left, Oak Forest Deputy Fire Chief Charley Sopko, Chicago Southland CVB Marketing Manager Kim Kislowski, and Chicago Southland CVB President/CEO Jim Garrett hold up a check for $1,674 at the Chicago Southland CVB offices. The money was used for the recent National Firefighter Combat Cha…

Chicago Southland CVB awards $12K for tourism promotion

LANSING | The Chicago Southland Convention & Visitors Bureau awarded $12,000 to four local municipalities and nonprofits for events in the Chicago Southland region through its Local Tourism Matching Grant program. The four grant recipients are:

Oak Forest hosts firefighter challenge

OAK FOREST |Two local firefighters earned the right to be listed among the nation's best after winning awards at the National Firefighter Combat Challenge Saturday in Oak Forest.

Ben Santori

Marian Catholic's Ben Santori picked up two big postseason wins, including a 12-strikeout performance against Simeon on Monday.

Marian Catholic's Robby Cifelli

Marian Catholic's Robby Cifelli steals second, beating the tag by Oak Forest's Jason Hine Wednesday at the Class 3A Lincoln-Way West semifinal. It was Cifelli's 53rd stolen base of the season.

Marian Catholic's Erik Callaghan

Marian Catholic's Erik Callaghan slides home safely in the seventh inning on a wild pitch by Oak Forest's Kyle Funkhouser. The Spartans won 7-5 Wednesday to advance to Saturday's Class 3A Lincoln-Way West Sectional final.

Marian Catholic's Ben Santori

Marian Catholic's Ben Santori pitches in the final inning as Marian Catholic beat Oak Forest 7-5 Wednesday in one semifinal of the Class 3A Lincoln-Way West Sectional.

Marian Catholic's Patrick Schmidt

Marian Catholic's Patrick Schmidt gets picked off of first by Oak Forest's Brian Richard Wednesday in one semifinal of the Class 3A Lincoln-Way West Sectional. The Spartans won 7-5.

Marian Catholic's Robby Cifelli

Marian Catholic's Robby Cifelli dives back to first base, beating the tag by Oak Forest's Brian Richard in the Spartans 7-5 win Wednesday at the Class 3A Lincoln-Way West semifinal.

Marian Catholic pitcher Ben Santori

Marian Catholic pitcher Ben Santori, center, is mobbed by teammates after the Spartans beat Oak Forest 7-5 Wednesday in a semifinal game of the Class 3A Lincoln-Way West Sectional.