South Cook News

From Prairie State Wire

Senate GOP Leader Bill Brady said to have voiced private support for abortion funding, gun control legislation

By W.J. Kennedy | 17 minutes ago

A former high-level aide to Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner has revealed that Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady (R-Bloomington) told the then governor he was right for signing HB 40 in September 2017, the law requiring Medicaid funding of abortions. At a separate meeting, Brady also recommended that the governor sign gun control bills should they reach his desk.

No one talking about shadowy home-refurbishment programs in Dolton, Markham

By W.J. Kennedy | Jan 7, 2020

It remains unclear if programs to entice prospective homeowners into buying refurbished, formerly abandoned homes in Dolton and nearby Markham have achieved their stated goals of reducing blight and revitalizing the tax bases of the economically distressed South Suburban communities.

Mystery over Dolton abandoned home investment program deepens

By W.J. Kennedy | Nov 27, 2019

The mystery over the Invest in Dolton program deepens with the village’s acknowledgment that it has no records of who bought property under the 2-year-old program to refurbish vacant homes in the economically distressed village.

Dolton withholding information on 2-year-old home rehab program

By W.J. Kennedy | Nov 15, 2019

The Village of Dolton is in violation of the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) for not responding to a request from South Cook News for information about its 2-year-old Invest in Dolton program. The village has been warned that legal action is imminent to force it to comply with the law.

Orland Park pension battle between Mayor Pekau and Trustee Dodge ongoing, personal

By W.J. Kennedy | Oct 31, 2019

Pension eligibility for the mayor of Orland Park, an issue seemingly resolved back in May, has returned and is again pitting Mayor Keith Pekau against Trustee Jim Dodge in a battle that is at times over the facts of the law covering municipal pensions, and at times personal.

Homewood shanks on chance to redevelop a struggling Calumet Country Club, real estate developer says

By W.J. Kennedy | Oct 4, 2019

Residents of Homewood will miss out on more than $1.5 million in additional tax revenues as well as potentially shelling out a few million in legal fees in a dispute over the proposed redevelopment of the failing Calumet Country Club, according to the CEO of a real estate group that has the course under contract.

From Prairie State Wire

Pritzker’s claims of paying down pension debt “simply dishonest,” fiscal watchdog says

By W.J. Kennedy | 7 months ago

The recently approved state budget hardly makes Illinois the beacon of fiscal prudence that Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker and legislative leaders claim it is, budgetary analysts at Wirepoints say.

From Prairie State Wire

Madigan 'bullying' income tax increase through legislative process

By W.J. Kennedy | 8 months ago

House Speaker Michael Madigan used his absolute power over the legislative process to move legislation to the floor on Friday that exchanges Illinois’ constitutionally mandated flat income tax with a progressive tax.

Pekau: "Dodge projecting his lack of morals and values on me"

By W.J. Kennedy | May 24, 2019

Monday’s vote to eliminate pensions for part-time elected officials in Orland Park intensified a simmering feud between reformist Mayor Keith Pekau and some old-time board members, most notably Trustee Jim Dodge.

Bloom High School’s new principal Kenyatta Starks is on CPS “do not hire” list

By W.J. Kennedy | May 23, 2019

Bloom Township High School District 206 hired a principal placed in “do not hire” status by her old employer, Chicago Public Schools (CPS), the Chicago Heights Patch reports.

Planned Parenthood maligns Flossmoor’s new pregnancy counseling center

By W.J. Kennedy | May 16, 2019

Planned Parenthood’s recent shots at a new pregnancy counseling center, Aid for Women, in Flossmoor shows “how radical” the abortion provider has become, former State Rep. Peter Breen (R-Lombard), one of Illinois’ leading pro-life advocates, told South Cook News.

Comp'd Country Club membership proves double-edged sword in Orland Park village board battle

By W.J. Kennedy | Mar 28, 2019

On her monthly bill at the private Crystal Tree Country Club in Orland Park, former Cook County Commissioner Elizabeth Gorman is $873.48 past due.

Orland Park Trustee candidate Kelly O’Brien is an ineligible outsider, letter of complaint says

By W.J. Kennedy | Mar 27, 2019

A candidate for village trustee, Kelly O’Brien, is running on a ticket with two other trustee candidates close to the former mayor, and she is almost certainly in violation of the residency requirement of the state’s election code.

Opening of Flossmoor center for expectant mothers is a show of unity, hope

By W.J. Kennedy | Mar 6, 2019

On Sunday, Feb. 24 in Flossmoor “a unique and inspiring display of unity” occurred around the ribbon-cutting ceremony of a pro-life support center for pregnant women.

Flossmoor pro-life pregnancy center opens next door to Planned Parenthood abortion clinic

By W.J. Kennedy | Feb 25, 2019

Illinois pro-life leaders spoke in Flossmoor yesterday at the ribbon cutting and open house of an Aid for Women pregnancy center located on Governors Highway next door to a Planned Parenthood (PP) abortion clinic that opened in January 2018.

'Life-affirming' crisis pregnancy center set to open in Flossmoor

By W.J. Kennedy | Feb 14, 2019

What organizers are calling a “life-affirming alternative” to the Planned Parenthood clinic in Flossmoor that offers abortions is on schedule to open later this month

Orland Park mayor is lone 'no' vote in move to give village manager extension less than a year into contract

By W.J. Kennedy | Aug 31, 2018

Orland Park Mayor Keith Pekau was the lone dissenter on a 6-1 vote by the village board to extend manager Joe LaMargo’s three-year contract for a year and increase his severance from six months to nine.

From Chicago City Wire

Republican Party officials boycott Cook County meeting over proposed bylaw change

By W.J. Kennedy | 1 year ago

A proposed change in the bylaws of the Cook County Republican Party that would have allowed Democrats to serve as Republican ward committeemen fizzled at a meeting of party officials July 25 and county Republicans lacked a quorum necessary for a vote after nearly 30 committeemen boycotted the meeting.

As Rauner, GOP remain silent, Ives says Morrison should resign GOP leadership posts over employee scandal

By W.J. Kennedy | Jun 20, 2018

Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison (R-17th) demonstrated such poor judgment in requesting a judge allow an employee of his security firm, awaiting trial for the indecent solicitation of a child, to travel out of state that he should resign his Republican leadership posts, State Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) told South Cook News.

'They vote the way they are told to vote' — Tax-strapped south suburban homeowners point finger at their Springfield representatives

By W.J. Kennedy | May 23, 2018

"I bought a house in South Holland eight years ago for $250,000. The value went down to $137,000 but I still had to pay over $7,000 a year in property taxes. I had to put it up at a sheriff’s sale.”