Colin Mickow is making a habit of breaking the Hidden Gem Half Marathon record. In the sixth annual race in Flossmoor on Saturday, Sept. 6, he set the men’s record for the third time. Mickow, 35, of Naperville, crossed the finish line in 1:03:13, maintaining a 4-minute, 50-second pace, a[Read More…]
Author: Eric Crump
Hidden Gem 2025: Gatorade, water and Broadway at Mile 9
The Mile 9 stop on the Hidden Gem Half Marathon offered Gatorade, water, bananas, and show tunes that blared from the speaker at the watering stop in the Braeburn/Brassie neighborhood. And, plenty of encouragement from the volunteers who cheered, clapped and rang cow bells as the more than 1,200 runners[Read More…]
Column: Books Without Borders reading club starts Sept. 11, plus the benefits of meandering
I remember talking with an older white man in front of Homewood village hall about five years ago. He had just tried to persuade Mayor Rich Hofeld to include in the village 4th of July festivities a reading of Frederick Douglass’s famous 1852 speech, “What to the Slave is the[Read More…]
Cosmetologist pledges $20K to Forever Lexi Foundation
Alexis Wilson’s legacy continues to grow. At the fourth annual butterfly release on July 27 to honor her memory, John Amico, owner of John Amico School of Hair Design, which has locations in Niles and Oak Forest, announced a $20,000 contribution to the Forever Lexi Foundation to fund scholarships to[Read More…]
Homewood Farmers Market introduces new feature: themes
National Citizens Senior Day was Thursday, Aug. 21, but Homewood celebrated at the weekly farmers market on Saturday, Aug. 23, and in the process introduced a new market feature: themes. “Next year we’ll come out with all sorts of different themes, but this was for our first test and we[Read More…]
Focus on Safety: CMAP study offers glimpse at types of cargo in local trains
Homewood and Flossmoor were founded along existing rail lines, so train traffic has been routine for the entire history of both villages. It’s easy to take for granted the presence of train cars but not as easy to discover what kinds of materials are in them. Information on specific quantities[Read More…]
Flossmoor board approves grant funded buyout of flood prone property on Western Avenue
The Flossmoor Village Board approved an agreement with the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District to take ownership and convert the flood risk property at 1648 Western Ave. to open land. The board also authorized Mayor Michelle Nelson to sign an agreement with FEMA Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) Program for a grant[Read More…]
08.12.2025 | What You Need To Know Today
Homewood Board of Trustees will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 12, in village hall, 2020 Chestnut Road. The agenda is available here. The livestream will be available here. Meeting ID 980 4907 6232, passcode 830183. Highlights: Cook County 5th District Town Hall. Cook County 5th District Commissioner Kisha McCaskill will host a town[Read More…]
The Weeks | Aug. 10: Gobble Doggs, Beyond Borders, streetscape update, HFD honored for film role, ‘Matilda’ the musical, ‘Matilda’ the film
THE WEEK > Your government Flossmoor Public Art Commission will meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 11, in village hall, 2800 Flossmoor Road. The agenda is available here. Homewood School District 153 Board of Education will meet at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 11, in the media center at James Hart School, 18220 Morgan[Read More…]
Focus on Safety: MABAS hazmat team trains to respond to train emergencies
Homewood Deputy Fire Chief Steve DeJong was called to the scene of the train derailment in Matteson last year in his role as one of the hazardous materials team leaders for Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) district 24. “Matteson responded as a department. They realized that they had a[Read More…]



