Latest news with #OakPark
Chicago Tribune
22-07-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Community news: Area students win scholarships, Oak Park expands tourism campaign, more
Twelve students in the community recently received $4,000 scholarships awarded by the UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Hinsdale and LaGrange hospitals. Recipients were chosen by their school counselors based on dedication to pursuing a career in the medical field and outstanding academic achievements. Scholarship winners are Hinsdale Central High School students Rami Abdul Azim, Chelsea Chen, Nicole Garcia, Amor Shanklin, Kaan Turkilmaz and Karen Zaki; Westmont High School students Kimberly Aguilar and Wiktoria Dubiel; and Lyons Township HIgh School students Anya Elson, Clarissa Gonzalez, Maitri Patel and Jessica Sloan. 'These grantees represent the future of compassionate, innovative care, and we are honored to invest in their journey,' Dr. Maninder Kohli, medical staff president of UChicago Medicine AdventHealth Hinsdale and LaGrange, shared in a news release. 'Their dedication inspires us all, and we look forward to the impact they will make in the communities we serve.' Do West of Chicago by Explore Oak Park and Beyond is a campaign designed to put Oak Park and its neighboring communities on the map for visitors to the Chicago area, from biking trails to local eateries, architectural masterpieces and street festivals. The effort aims to lure visitors searching for activities near Chicago and destinations close to the city but not downtown. It's backed by 'keyword research and use behavior data,' per a media release. Annie Coakley, executive director of Explore Oak Park and Beyond, called the campaign a 'directional nudge and an invitation to explore' in the release. 'It's not just about Oak Park,' Coakley shared in the release. 'The campaign is built to shine a spotlight on every community we represent – from Forest Park to LaGrange, Brookfield, Franklin Park and beyond.' The message asking visitors to head west will roll out during the year via visitor materials, media outreach and digital channels. Each community participating will be featured with its own visual and identity in print material, window displays and online guides. In addition, digital storytelling will be used, such as blog content, curated itineraries and social videos. Plan an outing in the western suburbs by visiting This year's Families Anonymous World Service Convention, set for July 25 to 27 at the Chicago Marriott Oak Brook, 1401 W. 22nd St. in Oak Brook, lets families meet up in person with fellow members in person, network and share. The event takes place in a different city each year. The theme is 'The Present: A Gift You Give Yourself. It's open to the public. Families Anonymous is an organization that helps the people who love and support those battling addiction. Seventeen trained professionals, including lawyers, social workers and representatives of such organizations as the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation of Chicago,Hope Dealer Outreach and Providence Farm, will provide real-world support, tools and hope. The fee, $240 per person, includes an evening welcome reception July 25; breakfast, lunch and dinner on July 26, as well as workshops, speakers and entertainment; breakfast July 27 and all workshops. Workshops begin at 8:45 a.m. July 26. Register at or by calling 847-795-8320. Nerudivergent Nerdout takes place 1 to 2 p.m. July 27 in the small meeting room at the Oak Park Public Library, 834 Lake St. The public is invited to this intergenerational program tailored to neurodivergent students in elementary school through older adults. It's run by neurodivergent librarians. Attendees can participate in various ways, including just relaxing in the space. Fidgets will be available. The event is part of the library's Disability Pride Month celebration. Registration closes at 1 p.m. July 27. The next Neurodivergent Nerdout will be at 1 p.m. Nov. 16. In addition, a Disability Pride ice cream social is planned for 2:25 to 3:30 p.m. July 27 in the lobby community space. It's for people in elementary school through older adults. The program is a 'low-pressure, high-joy celebration of community, connection, and inclusion,' per the library's website. Sign up for either program at or via 708-452-3420. Smart Money for High School and College Students – Navigating Your Financial Future with Confidence is set for 6:30 to 8 p.m. July 28 in the community meeting room at the Hinsdale Public Library, 20 E. Maple St. The same program is available from 6:30 p.m. 8 p.m. Aug. 5 at the library. Financial advisor Nora Hernandez will discuss money skills, featuring topics such as student loans, investing, budgeting and saving. Parents are welcome as well. Register online at Details are at 630-986-1976.
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Look: Illinois firefighters rescue escaped snake on a train
July 22 (UPI) -- Firefighters in a Chicago suburb were called to a commuter train to help capture a ball python that got loose from its owner and slithered into a control box panel. The Oak Park Fire Department said in a Facebook post that firefighters responded to a CTA Green Line train at the Harlem stop on a call "for assistance in securing a pet ball python snake." The snake, named Lucius, had slithered away from its owner and made its way into a control box panel aboard the train. "We were able to open the box, secure the snake and return Lucius to a very appreciative pirate, his owner," the post said. "Not a typical rescue, but a memorable one for sure!"
CBS News
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Oak Park, Illinois firefighters come to rescue snake gets stuck on CTA train
Back in 2006, Samuel L. Jackson starred in an action thriller called "Snakes on a Plane." In real life 19 years later, some Chicago Transit Authority 'L' passengers in Oak Park, Illinois, starred in a real-life situation of "snakes on a train." On Saturday, the Oak Park Fire Department was called to the Harlem/Lake Green Line terminal, on the boundary of Oak Park and Forest Park. A ball python named Lucius, after the Harry Potter character Lucius Malfoy, had gotten away from his owner and had gotten stuck inside the train's control panel. Firefighters were able to open the box, free Lucius, and return him to his owner — who happened to be dressed like a pirate. The Oak Park Fire Department posted on Facebook, "Not a typical rescue, but a memorable one for sure!"
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Illinois Senate President Don Harmon appeals potential $9.8 million fine for improperly accepting campaign cash
An attorney for Illinois Senate President Don Harmon's political operation says state election authorities reached an 'absurd' conclusion earlier this year in issuing nearly $10 million in penalties against Harmon's campaign fund after determining he violated campaign fundraising limits. In an 11-page appeal filed late last week with the Illinois State Board of Elections, attorney Michael Kasper also laid out what amounted to a legal justification for Harmon's unsuccessful attempt in the closing hours of this spring's legislative session to pass a measure that could have negated the case and the $9.8 million potential penalty. At issue is whether Harmon, a Democrat from Oak Park, improperly accepted $4 million more in campaign contributions after the March 2024 primary than permitted under limits established in a state law he co-sponsored. The elections board leveled the charges this spring after a Chicago Tribune inquiry about the fundraising activities of his Friends of Don Harmon for State Senate campaign fund. Using a frequently used loophole in a law purportedly designed to help candidates compete with wealthy opponents, Harmon contributed $100,001 to his own campaign in January 2023. It was precisely one dollar over the contribution limit threshold that allowed him or anyone else running for his Senate seat to accept unlimited funds for that race. In campaign paperwork, Harmon indicated he thought the move allowed him to collect unlimited cash through the November 2024 election cycle. But board officials informed him that the loophole would only be open through the March 2024 primary, meaning they viewed the campaign cash Harmon collected above campaign restrictions between the March primary and the end of the year was not allowed. Responding to a June 5 letter in which elections board staff notified Harmon's campaign of the impending fine, his attorney argued that the January 2023 contribution should have lifted the contribution limits at least through the end of 2024, if not through the March 2026 primary, when Harmon's seat will next appear on the ballot. 'The staff's analysis would create an absurd system that unfairly benefits self-funding candidates and also turns campaign finance compliance into simple accounting gimmicks,' Kasper wrote. The state elections board had no comment on Harmon's appeal, spokesperson Matt Dietrich said Monday. Harmon campaign spokespersonTom Bowen said the appeal 'speaks for itself.' The next step is for a hearing officer to hold a hearing with both sides and make a recommendation to be reviewed by the board's general counsel before the board issues a final ruling, possibly as soon as its August meeting. In the filing, Harmon's campaign argued the elections board's interpretation would allow a candidate in his position to accept unlimited contributions during a period well before an election when no opponent has entered the race and then have limits put back in place closer to when voting begins. Conversely, a candidate in Harmon's position could also simply lift the limits again by refunding his own cap-busting contribution the day after a primary and depositing it back into the campaign fund 'on the same day — the same hour — the same minute,' the campaign said in its appeal. 'Does the money even have to move accounts, or can it just be an accounting entry?' Kasper wrote. 'According to the Board's staff, (due to) the fact that Mr. Harmon did not go through this, frankly, silly exercise, he now faces almost $10,000,000 in fines and penalties. 'The General Assembly did not enact the thorough and time-tested campaign finance regime that we have today by requiring candidates to jump through accounting hoops simply for the purpose of jumping through the hoop.' In arguing that the contribution cap should have been off through at least the end of 2024, Harmon's filing also calls attention to how the board's determination treated his situation differently than it would a member of the Illinois House, where each seat is up for election every two years. Senate seats, by contrast, have two four-year terms and one two-year term each decade. This issue was at the heart of Harmon's controversial attempt to add language into elections legislation on the final day of the spring session that would have declared it 'existing law' that senators halfway through a four-year term 'shall be deemed to have been nominated at the next general primary election, regardless of whether the candidate's name appeared on the general primary election ballot.' Defending the move to the Tribune days after backlash to the provision tanked the broader elections bill, Harmon said: 'A fundamental notion of campaign finance law is that House candidates and Senate candidates be treated the same. The state board staff's interpretation treats House candidates and Senate candidates fundamentally differently.' In the recent filing, Harmon's attorney points out that a section on contribution limits in the board's own campaign disclosure guide notes, 'Candidates seeking office in the General Assembly have their election cycle reset every general election regardless of participation.' 'It makes little sense that the Board would treat Senate and House candidates the same for purposes of applying contribution limitations, but differently for removing contribution limitations after a primary election,' Kasper wrote. 'Instead, the General Assembly structured election cycles so that all legislative candidates are treated the same.' Calling the board's penalty — a payment to the state's general fund equal to the more than $4 million it says Harmon raised in excess of the limits, plus a nearly $5.8 million fine calculated based on 150% of that same amount — 'excessive' and 'unconstitutional,' Harmon's campaign asked for the matter to be dismissed.
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Yahoo
Police: 1 killed, 3 injured in shooting at Royal Oak Twp. park
One person was killed and three others were wounded in a mass shooting overnight at a Royal Oak Township park, according to Michigan State Police. Troopers from the Metro Detroit Post said a 44-year-old Detroit man was killed in the shooting, which was reported at 1:45 a.m., Sunday, June 22. Three other people were treated for non-fatal gunshot wounds at three different area hospitals, police said in a post on X. State police said no arrests have been made and no motives have been determined. Detectives were gathering evidence, conducting interviews and processing the crime scene on Sunday. State police were alerted to the shooting from an open 911 call during which the dispatcher could hear banging sounds and screaming in the background. When troopers arrived at the park, they found the 44-year-old Detroit man with a gunshot would to his head. They administered first aid and he was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said. During the investigation, police said, they learned of three additional victims who were being treated for gunshot wounds at three different hospitals. They have been identified as a 33-year-old male from Detroit, a 15-year-old from Macomb and a 19-year-old from Detroit. The gender of the last two victims was not provided. State police said there was a large crowd in the park from a party when officers arrived. Officers from nearby Oak Park aided in the initial response and helped secure the scene, state police said. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Man killed, 3 others injured by gunman in Royal Oak Township
