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.

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.

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.

"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.”

The latest move by the Orland Park board still smarting over Keith Pekau defeating long-time Mayor Dan McLaughlin last April fizzled out at the May 7 board meeting.

The Flossmoor Planned Parenthood avoided public scrutiny in its planning stages, but the clinic is getting its share of attention now -- with State Rep. Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) recently holding a press conference at the clinic and the launching of a pro-life group in response to its opening in January.

Republicans from at least one township in Cook County said that Tuesday's endorsement of Gov. Bruce Rauner was the outcome of a rigged process and not a reflection of grass-roots support within the party.

The mayor of Flossmoor told South Cook News that he and other village officials discovered only a few weeks ago that the health care center that opened on Jan. 16 at 1985 Governors Highway was going to be a Planned Parenthood clinic, one where abortions will be performed.

Planned Parenthood 'cashing in' on taxpayer-funded abortion law with new Flossmoor clinic and others