Latest news with #Libertyville
Irish Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
Pan by Michael Clune: Surreal, mind-bending tale of teenagerhood
Pan Author : Michael Clune ISBN-13 : 978-1911717614 Publisher : Fern Press Guideline Price : £16.99 'Spring is panic's season,' writes Michael Clune near the beginning of his hallucinatory novel, Pan. 'But panic, as I was to learn, isn't a disease of death. It's a disease of life.' A dense, boundary-pushing and increasingly psychedelic book that draws you into its peculiar world – much like the experience of panic itself – Clune's debut wrestles with the elusive experience of consciousness (what it 'feels like' to have thoughts) and uses malleable teenage minds to do so. It's narrated in the first-person by 15-year-old Nick, forced at the novel's start to move in with his late-shift-working father to where he lives near Chicago: Chariot Courts, the 'cheapest place in all of Libertyville'. At school Nick is mostly concerned with being cool and maintaining his 'bad-ass' reputation. But the sudden onset of panic attacks – the opposite of 'cool' – threatens to derail his standing. They crescendo just as the most popular kids in school, Tod (whose personality 'floated just out of reach') and the open-minded, beautiful Sarah, subsume Nick and his best friend Ty into their gang. READ MORE Together, they develop theories around Nick's panic attacks: that they are 'fear aroused by the presence of a god' – namely, the Greek god Pan – and that 'your consciousness gets so strong it actually leaps out of your mind entirely'. They celebrate 'Belt Day' (surely Beltaine) either to expel Pan, or surrender themselves to him. Yet the clan's drug-fuelled revelry and fanatic ideas begin to take a more sinister turn. Fusing elements of beat poetry, Greek philosophy and existentialism through the prism of American high school stories like Dazed and Confused, The Breakfast Club or SE Hinton's The Outsiders, Pan is a deliberately non-naturalistic portrayal of adolescence. The novel is rife with far-fetched theories about prophecy, age and perception, but studded with more attuned, grounded observations about class, work and family. The Ireland-born, Chicago-bred Clune is the author of two award-winning memoirs, White Out (a deep-dive into the heroin underground) and Gamelife (about gaming as a child); his two concerns, childhood and consciousness, are married here. A surreal, if slightly unwieldy, portrayal of teenagerhood, this mind-bending book is anchored by Clune's effortless, masterful humour: the result is not only an impressive debut, but a gargantuan feat in coming-of-age literature.
The Independent
23-07-2025
- The Independent
New dad killed in wreck with dump truck while heading to pick up wife and newborn from hospital
A new father was killed in a collision with a dump truck while on his way to pick up his wife and baby from the hospital. Dennis Lewis Jr., 35, died Friday after his motorcycle collided with a dump truck near Libertyville, Illinois, a suburb north of Chicago. His daughter, Harley Rose, was born just three days earlier, according to a GoFundMe launched to support his family. According to witnesses, Lewis was on his motorcycle approaching an intersection with a green light when a dump truck made a left turn in front of his motorcycle, Lake County Sheriff's Office Deputy Chief Christopher Covelli told The Independent. Lewis collided with the truck and was ejected from his motorcycle. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Lewis died from blunt force injuries to his head and neck, Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek told the Lake and McHenry County Scanner. The truck driver is uninjured and cooperating with the investigation, Covelli said. Lewis never got the chance to hold his newborn daughter at home, according to the GoFundMe page. 'His sudden passing has left a tremendous hole in our hearts and a heavy burden on the mother of his newborn, who is now navigating the unimaginable: caring for a brand-new baby while grieving the loss of her partner,' the GoFundMe page reads. The funds will be used to support Harley Rose and her mother, Amberly. The page has a goal of $6,500 and has received more than $4,900 as of Wednesday morning. 'It's important to us that people understand Dennis didn't cause this — his life was taken unfairly, just days after he became a father for the first time,' the GoFundMe page reads. 'He never got the chance to bring Harley home.' The crash is under investigation by the Lake County Sheriff's Office.
CBS News
16-07-2025
- CBS News
Libertyville police warning residents after string of vehicle burglaries
Police in Libertyville are warning residents to lock their cars after several vehicle burglaries were reported early Friday morning. Police said thieves took purses and credit cards from some of the cars, but the majority were just broken into. Two of the vehicles were reported stolen and later found nearby. All of the vehicles targeted were left unlocked overnight. The vehicle burglaries took place at the following locations: No arrests have been made. Police are investigating. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Libertyville Police Department's Investigations Division at 847-362-8310.
Chicago Tribune
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Introducing the 2025 News-Sun Baseball All-Area Team
Five players from Class 4A state champion Libertyville highlight the first and second teams, which also include three players each from Antioch, Lake Zurich and Mundelein. Ryne Dzierzynski, Grant, senior, shortstop/pitcher: Batted .387 with .500 on-base percentage, 1.102 OPS, three home runs, 24 RBIs, 30 runs scored, 17 walks and six strikeouts. Also went 6-0 with 1.96 ERA, 56 strikeouts and eight walks in 55 innings. All-conference. Committed to Wisconsin-Parkside. Caden Earing, Mundelein, senior, first baseman: Batted .433 with .545 on-base percentage, 1.295 OPS, program-record 18 doubles, three home runs, 31 RBIs, 33 runs scored and 10 steals. All-conference and Class 4A all-state honorable mention. Committed to Saint Louis. Ryan Fostiak, Wauconda, senior, outfielder: Batted .443 with .514 on-base percentage, 1.227 OPS and 24 extra-base hits. All-conference and 3A all-state first team. Committed to Illinois Tech. Joshua Holst, Libertyville, senior, pitcher/first baseman: Went 13-0 with 1.34 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, 118 strikeouts and 25 walks in 73 1/3 innings for 4A state champion. Also hit .361 with five home runs and 44 RBIs. Conference pitcher of the year and 4A all-state first team. Committed to Air Force. Cash Kaczmarek, Lake Zurich, senior, first baseman: Batted .417 with .500 on-base percentage, 1.196 OPS, five home runs, 37 RBIs and 42 runs scored for 4A sectional finalist. All-conference and 4A all-state honorable mention. Committed to Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Owen Klosinski, Lakes, senior, outfielder: Batted .471 with .532 on-base percentage, 1.208 OPS, 18 RBIs and 30 runs scored. All-conference and 3A all-state. Committed to Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Chase Lockwood, Libertyville, junior, pitcher: Went 10-0 with 0.82 ERA, 64 strikeouts and 14 walks in 59 2/3 innings for 4A state champion. All-conference and 4A all-state. Cole Lockwood, Libertyville, senior, shortstop: Batted .421 with three home runs, 16 RBIs, 52 runs scored and 38 steals in 40 attempts for 4A state champion. All-conference and 4A all-state. Committed to Valparaiso. Quinn Schambow, Libertyville, senior, catcher: Batted .449 with 18 doubles, three triples, three home runs, 47 RBIs and 32 runs scored for 4A state champion. Conference player of the year and 4A all-state. Committed to Oklahoma State. Evan Schmidt, Antioch, senior, first baseman: Batted .446 with .513 on-base percentage, 1.275 OPS, 17 doubles, five home runs, 30 RBIs, 29 runs scored and 10 steals. Conference player of the year. Committed to Wisconsin-La Crosse. Baris Brua, Mundelein, senior, pitcher: Went 5-3 with 1.40 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 54 innings. All-conference. Committed to Wisconsin-Oshkosh. Colin Chung, Lake Zurich, junior, pitcher/second baseman: Went 4-4 with 1.45 ERA, 61 strikeouts and 21 walks in 48 1/3 innings for 4A sectional finalist. Cal Hanson, Grayslake Central, senior, first baseman/pitcher: Batted .395 with 13 doubles and 32 RBIs. Also went 4-3 with 1.40 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 39 innings. All-conference. Committed to Parkland. Carson Holmes, Libertyville, junior, outfielder: Batted .419 with .536 on-base percentage, 1.252 OPS, five home runs, 25 RBIs and 17 runs scored for 4A state champion. All-conference. Joey Kafka, Mundelein, senior, pitcher: Went 5-1 with 1.50 ERA, 54 strikeouts and 10 walks in 41 2/3 innings. All-conference. Committed to Valparaiso. Ben Lichtenfeld, Highland Park, senior, pitcher/infielder: Went 7-2 with 2.86 ERA in 49 innings. Also hit .378 with 20 RBIs and 12 steals. Conference player of the year. Josh Marzec, Lake Zurich, senior, pitcher: Went 8-2 with 2.42 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 60 2/3 innings for 4A sectional finalist. All-conference. Committed to McHenry County College. Javier Rolon, Round Lake, senior, shortstop: Batted .393 with .494 on-base percentage, 1.297 OPS, six triples, four home runs and 12 steals. All-conference. Committed to College of Lake County. Nathan Yeager, Antioch, senior, outfielder: Batted .466 with .593 on-base percentage, 1.218 OPS, 44 runs scored, 24 walks and 23 steals. All-conference. Committed to College of Lake County. Carson Young, Antioch, senior, pitcher: Went 8-1 with 1.94 ERA, 72 strikeouts and 27 walks in 54 innings. All-conference. Committed to Bethel University.
Chicago Tribune
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
‘Stressful' Air Force admission process doesn't stop Joshua Holst, the 2025 News-Sun Baseball Player of the Year
Joshua Holst's victory lap was short-lived, but for good reason. Yes, he cherishes the Class 4A state championship that he and his Libertyville teammates won on June 14, and he enjoyed the celebratory pep rally on Saturday as much as anyone. But Holst has already embarked on the next chapter of his life. He flew to Colorado Springs, Colorado, this week, not for baseball workouts with his new team, but for the rigorous weekslong basic cadet training at the U.S. Air Force Academy. 'It's combining two things that I love,' he said. 'I love my country, and I love baseball, so I might as well combine both. 'A lot of what I'll encounter won't be easy, but I know I have the determination to get through it. A lot of people wish they had this opportunity, and I plan to take full advantage of it.' Holst, the 2025 News-Sun Baseball Player of the Year, certainly knows how to seize the moment. To complete a season in which he didn't lose a start, the senior left-hander allowed one run on two hits and drove in three runs as the Wildcats defeated McHenry 4-1 in the Class 4A state championship game. For the season, Holst went 13-0, setting a program record for wins, with a 1.34 ERA, a 0.79 WHIP, 118 strikeouts and 25 walks in 73 1/3 innings. He also hit .361 with 14 doubles, a team-high five home runs and 43 RBIs. 'He's not going to back down from anybody, and he gives everything he has every time he plays,' Libertyville coach Matt Thompson said. 'Obviously, his stuff is good. You can have good stuff, and you can live in the bullpen or in a pitching lesson in the winter. But he's going to be the guy you want on the mound when the chips are on the table and the pressure is on.' Air Force coach Mike Kazlausky, a Grant graduate who enjoys recruiting local student-athletes, also sees traits in Holst that the academy values. 'I'm excited for the fact that he's accepted a challenge to be different,' Kazlausky said. 'Americans want the best of the best to be trained here.' At Grant, Kazlausky played for his father, Fritz, who is a member of both the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Mike Kazlausky has been the coach at Air Force, his alma mater, since 2011 and emphasized that winning isn't the only priority there. 'I'm proud for him that he had such a great year, but we have higher expectations than just baseball,' Kazlausky said. 'Yes, we want to win. But he'll also learn about service and character and be pushed to fail, which will lead to him being the best possible version of himself with a remarkable outcome. He's on America's team now.' That opportunity might not have arisen had Holst not posted on his Perfect Game profile that he's interested in aviation. A couple of weeks after the initial contact period opened Aug. 1, 2023, he received a call from Kazlausky. 'My grandfather was an Air Force pilot, and I also have an aunt who was in the Air Force, but I hadn't really ever considered the military,' Holst said. 'I knew that I didn't want a normal job when I grew up and wanted to become a pilot. A month later, I had committed.' But Holst's admission process wasn't so straightforward. A test detected he had hearing loss in one ear, which didn't meet the academy's physical standards. Holst had a minor surgical procedure to address the impairment, and tubes were placed in his ears, a step the academy didn't approve. The tubes were subsequently removed, but by that time a waiver to allow Holst's admission had been denied, essentially disqualifying him from enrolling. So he decommitted earlier this year. 'We filed an appeal, but coach said he didn't have any idea how long the appeal process would take,' Holst said. 'So he said it would be in my best interest to open up my recruitment. I heard from some bigger schools that liked where I was at talent-wise, which was good to hear. But right after spring break, it got approved. It was definitely a stressful time.' Not that anyone would have noticed based on Holst's on-field performance. A mainstay in Libertyville's rotation for three years, he was virtually unhittable this season, and his accolades included 4A all-state first-team recognition. Quinn Schambow, an Oklahoma State recruit who caught Holst for years, had the utmost confidence in him. 'I know when someone has it on the mound and when someone doesn't, and he does,' Schambow said. 'Every time he steps on that mound, it's lights out.' Holst knows a new challenge awaits. 'Before every inning, I tell myself I'm the best and that no one is going to hit me,' he said. 'I'm going to attack every hitter. When you pitch with confidence, it makes you that much more effective. 'Starting school, there's definitely some nervousness, but I'll attack it to the best of my ability.'
