Residents, officials surveying damage in wake of Wednesday night storms

Dan Wolfe and his family returned to their Merrillville home Wednesday night after the storms had passed to find a tree had smashed his car.

June 13, 2013 8:53 pm

Area legislators back bill supporting Peotone airport

Despite the talk of how little the Legislature accomplished in its spring session, local officials praised a bill to boost chances of a Chicago-area airport for rural Will County.

Sherman ends his 40-year reign in Steger

STEGER | Lou Sherman, one of the area's longest-serving municipal officials, has stepped down from his government post.

Sherman ends his 40-year reign in Steger

Longtime Steger Village President Lou Sherman stepped down this year after 40 years at the helm. He is one of the longest serving leaders in the south suburbs.

Riverdale, area emergency services run hazard drill

RIVERDALE | Emergency service crews from the south suburbs — including Flossmoor and South Holland — played out a chemical spill scenario as part of the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Plan on Thursday at the Indiana Harbor Belt rail yard.

New face at gambling negotiation table

SPRINGFIELD | There’s a new face at the negotiating table when it comes to a massive expansion of gambling in Illinois.

Volunteers needed for Little Calumet River cleanup

Are you passionate about cleaning and preserving the local waterways?

Festivals, events offered in Southland this summer

LANSING | Looking for something to do this summer or planning to attend one of the region’s many festivals?

New Illinois casinos could bust Indiana's budget

INDIANAPOLIS | The ink is barely dry on Indiana's two-year state budget legislation, but the potential for new Illinois casinos is threatening to throw the Hoosier spending and tax cut plan out of balance.

Transitional Employment Program for area developmentally disabled teens wins Work Olympics

A group of south suburban developmentally disabled teens participating in the Transitional Education Program at Advocate South Suburban Hospital in Hazel Crest recently won the 2013 Work Olympics trophy at the fifth annual Work Olympics after winning 13 out of 18 total events.

Election Tuesday for municipal, congressional candidates

CHICAGO | Clerk David Orr is reminding suburban Cook County voters to participate in Tuesday's consolidated election, when 993 contests and 2,688 candidates will be on the ballot.

Wastewater treatment plant serving SE Side, south suburbs receives engineering award

CHICAGO | The oldest wastewater treatment facility in the metropolitan Chicago area, at 400 E. 130th St. in the Golden Gate neighborhood, underwent an overhaul and recently received an award for merit from the American Council of Engineering Companies/Illinois, according to a news release fr…

Peterbilt opens this week in Lansing

LANSING | Village officials are pleased that a Waukesha, Wis.-based company that sells and repairs Peterbilt-brand trucks in Illinois and Wisconsin began operations in the south suburb this week.

Cook County poor farm to be preserved

CHICAGO | Imagine strolling through a wooded acreage once called home by early 20th century occupants of a poor farm and patients of a tuberculosis infirmary. Imagine learning the rich history of that land — including its geology and ecology — during a family outing just 25 miles from Chicago.

Cook County poor farm to be preserved

Artifacts of remnants of prehistoric tools were found on the Oak Forest Heritage Preserve site during a recent survey by Midwest Archaeological Research Services in Oak Forest, Ill.

Cook County poor farm to be preserved

Patients and nurses at Cook County's Oak Forest Hospital enjoy the outdoors around 1950, in a photo provided by the Cook County Forest Preserve District. Planners envision the 170-acre site of the former hospital — which also has served as working farm, an infirmary and, from 1910 until 1971…

Cook County sheriff warns of 'lottery' scam

CHICAGO | Two women from Lansing and Palos Heights have lost a combined $172,000 to a scam where "winners" are told they are entitled to a large lottery prize even though they did not buy a ticket, said Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart.

Village president: Completion of Joe Orr Road opens possibilities

LYNWOOD | The completion of Phase 1 of the Joe Orr Road extension did more for Lynwood than reroute the connection between Stony Island and Torrence avenues, according to Village President Gene Williams.

Homewood, East Hazel Crest agree on plan for south suburban casino

East Hazel Crest Village President Thomas A. Brown has a problem with the property at 174th and Halsted streets and thinks a casino straddling the line between his village and Homewood may be the answer.

Homewood, East Hazel Crest join forces to bring casino to south suburbs

The villages of Homewood and East Hazel Crest have announced a partnership to bring a casino to a vacant site west of Halsted Street and south of Interstate 80/294.