southtownstar.suntimes.com

Vickroy: Guiding knight: Lab gets woman where she needs to go

Wed, 22 May 2013 04:00:13 -0500

Up concrete stairs, around giant flowerpots and through throngs of bustling commuters, Kathy Austin makes her way to work each morning. Though she is virtually blind, only able to distinguish contrasts of light and dark, she makes getting from her home in the leafy suburb of Homewood to her office on the 10th floor of a Loop high rise look easy, partly because she has Solomon to guide her, partly because she doesn’t let much stop her from pursuing her dreams. “Going blind is the only horrible thing that’s ever happened to me,” she says. “It’s just one of those …

Homewood police blotter

Thu, 23 May 2013 22:02:00 -0500

HOMEWOOD THEFT: Someone stole a rear registration sticker May 8 or 9 from a vehicle in the 18600 block of Lexington Avenue. RETAIL THEFT: Timothy Horton, 43, of Harvey, was charged with retail theft after stealing items May 9 from Kohl’s, 17620 Halsted St., police said. VEHICLE BURGLARY: A laptop computer was stolen May 9 from a vehicle in the 140 block of Linden Road. DOMESTIC DISPUTE: William Murray, 55, of the 1300 block of Ridge Road in Homewood, was charged with domestic battery, interfering with a report of domestic violence and obstructing identification after a May 10 disturbance at …

Campus (East) for May 26, 2013

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:25:50 -0500

Here is a look at what Southlanders from SouthtownStar’s East region are accomplishing in college. News includes Beecher, Calumet City, Chicago Heights, Crete, Homewood, Flossmoor, Lansing, Richton Park, Park Forest and South Holland.

Local sorority plans 100 acts of kindness

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:25:44 -0500

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Joliet Area/South Suburban Alumnae Chapter, will celebrate the sorority’s 100 years of service on June 1 by performing 100 acts of Kindness In Service through Sisterhood. Instead of communities focusing on the weekly murder count, the Deltas want to focus on counting acts of kindness and service, according to a news release. Acts of service will be performed in 22 communities. The day will start at 9 a.m. at Martin Luther King Elementary School, 14601 Seeley, Dixmoor, with a pep rally, greetings from local officials, and a moment of silence to remember the sorority’s 22 founders. …

Community Sports Calendar (East) for May 26, 2013

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:26:00 -0500

Here is a look at sporting events in the SouthtownStar’s East region, which includes Beecher, Chicago Heights, Country Club Hills, Crete, Flossmoor, Glenwood, Homewood, Matteson, Monee, Olympia Fields, Park Forest, Richton Park, Steger, and University Park.

Country Club Hills, Homewood police blotter

Fri, 17 May 2013 22:32:00 -0500

COUNTRY CLUB HILLS THEFT: An air conditioning unit was stolen sometime before May 7 from a home in the 19000 block of Loretto Lane. DUI ARREST: Jeffery Denard, 47, 19019 Farmcrest Terrace, Country Club Hills, was charged with drunken driving after a May 9 stop at 179th Street and Cicero Avenue, police said. DOMESTIC BATTERY: Dashan Berry, 38, 17156 Coventry Lane, Country Club Hills, was charged with domestic battery after a May 11 incident at his home, police said. RETAIL THEFT: Cory Smith, 38, of Rockdale, Ill., was charged with retail theft after stealing $230 worth of DVDs May 11 …

More Campus (East) for May 26, 2013

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:29:40 -0500

Here’s a look at what Southlanders from the SouthtownStar’s East region are accomplishing in college. News includes Lansing, Beecher, Calumet City, Chicago Heights, Country Club Hills, Crete, Dolton, Flossmoor, Glenwood, Harvey, Hazel Crest, Homewood, Lansing, Markham, Matteson, Monee, Park Forest, Posen, Richton Park, Sauk Village, South Holland, Steger and Thornton.

Hofmann: ‘Evening for Josie’ helps Homewood teen

Sun, 19 May 2013 02:34:50 -0500

To paraphrase lines from Shakespeare, “All the world’s a stage … where every man (and woman) must play a part.” So was the case last weekend when members of The Drama Group banded together to stage an “Evening for Josie,” a benefit performance to defray medical costs for Josie Nordman, the 19-year-old college student from Homewood who’s in need of a double lung transplant. If you live in the Homewood-Flossmoor area, chances are good that you know about Josie. The 2011 Homewood-Flossmoor High School graduate is suffering from end-stage lung disease as a result of cystic fibrosis, a genetic lung …

H-F ‘proud’ of its places in national rankings

Sun, 19 May 2013 02:36:31 -0500

Homewood-Flossmoor High School District 233 was ranked No. 45 in Illinois and No. 1,527 in the country by the Washington Post’s America’s Most Challenging High Schools report, which ranks the nation’s public high schools using a formula based on certain tests given at a school each year divided by the number of seniors who graduated that year. “We are proud of our students and staff for their dedication and commitment that affords us this outstanding honor,” Supt. Von Mansfield said. Newsweek/The Daily Beast released its 2013 America’s Best High Schools report, and H-F again was ranked one of the top …

Jack & Jill students travel to Ghana

Sun, 19 May 2013 02:34:59 -0500

Nearly one dozen members of the South Suburban Chapter of Jack & Jill of America, all of whom are juniors and seniors who attend high school in the south suburbs, recently toured the Republic of Ghana in West Africa to learn firsthand about the social and economic disparities of one of the most visited countries in the world. Noah White, Seth Adams, Dylan Harris, Nia Long, Niles Porter, Aisha Dillard, Deja Rollins, Chelsea Tayui, Morgan Alston, Cydney Richardson and Hope Ihaza participated in the trip. Officials said the life-altering, seven-day tour included the Osu Children’s orphanage, which houses several dozen …

Country Club Hills, Homewood police blotter

Fri, 10 May 2013 22:30:01 -0500

COUNTRY CLUB HILLS RETAIL THEFT: Diane Ray, 53, 6933 S. Stewart Ave., Chicago, was charged with retail theft after stealing $400 worth of clothing and bedding from Wal-Mart, 4005 W. 168th Place, on April 29, police said. THEFT: A wallet was stolen April 29 from a shopping cart at Wal-Mart, 4005 W. 168th Place. BURGLARY: A chain saw and $100 worth of batteries were stolen April 29 or 30 from a garage in the 4400 block of 182nd Place. DUI ARREST: Darren Jones, 46, 18920 Maple Ave., Country Club Hills, was charged with drunken driving, driving on a suspended license, …

H-F Area League of Women Voters hosts climate change program

Sun, 12 May 2013 02:33:59 -0500

The Homewood-Flossmoor Area League of Women Voters hosted a climate change program at the Homewood Library. Thirty-four members and guests attended a presentation by Dr. Richard Treptow, a retired chemistry professor from Chicago State University. Treptow is a member of the Union of Concerned Scientists and a lobbyist for the Sierra Club Illinois Chapter. Treptow’s presentation included a slide show. In addition to pointing out the difference between the meanings of “climate” and “temperature,” he also explained the danger of fracking and the potential negative consequences of installing the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada to Texas. Treptow cautioned the audience …

H-F SD 233 earns highest possible bond rating

Sun, 12 May 2013 02:35:48 -0500

H-F School District 233 ranks among elite with first AAA bond rating from Standard & Poor’s

Academics (East) for May 12, 2013

Sun, 12 May 2013 02:33:31 -0500

Here is a look at what Southlanders from the SouthtownStar’s East region are accomplishing in school. News includes Lansing, South Holland, Country Club Hills, Homewood, Flossmoor, Park Forest, Crete, Olympia Fields, Harvey, Dolton, Calumet City, Chicago Heights and Richton Park.

Country Club Hills, Homewood police blotter

Fri, 03 May 2013 22:24:00 -0500

COUNTRY CLUB HILLS BURGLARY: A stainless steel sink, faucet and sprayer were stolen between Feb. 17 and April 25 from a vacant house in the 4700 block of 176th Street. BURGLARY: Copper piping was stolen sometime in April from a vacant house in the 17700 block of Anthony Avenue. BURGLARY: Copper piping, a water meter and a hot water heater were stolen from a vacant house in the 4900 block of Fairoaks Drive between April 21 and 26. HOME BURGLARY: A Country Club Hills man told police someone broke a glass door April 24 at his home in the 3900 …

H-F parks to spruce up Dolphin Lake

Sun, 05 May 2013 02:18:33 -0500

Work on restoring Dolphin Lake’s shoreline may start this spring.