This Labor Day weekend, State Senator Patrick Joyce (D-Essex) is echoing law enforcement to spread the word of the dangers of drinking and driving. “There is no excuse to drive under the influence,” Joyce said. “This Labor Day holiday, and every day, I would encourage you to think twice before[Read More…]

Jerry Anderson, principal at Homewood-Flossmoor High School, received the Phenomenal Woman in Education award from the Reaching Back Foundation. Jerry Anderson Founded in 2002, the Reaching Back Foundation’s goals are to “support, nurture and empower organizations and individuals who promote the welfare, development and educational opportunities for African American children,[Read More…]

Three weeks after a once-in-a-decade windstorm swept through Flossmoor, a giant pile of branches is being turned into a mountain of mulch. On Wednesday, a huge chipping machine — a tub grinder — was gobbling up debris from the Aug. 10 derecho storm and spitting it into a 20-foot mound[Read More…]

On Wednesday, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) announced that several of the state’s regulated electric, natural gas, water and sewer utilities have voluntarily agreed to extend the moratorium on disconnections for residential customers.  The following companies have agreed to extend the moratorium on disconnections for residential customers until Sept. 30:[Read More…]

It’s a tragedy whenever a tree is lost, and the aftermath of the Aug. 10 derecho windstorm was grounds for mourning across our H-F towns. We were on a family visit and far from home on the day of the storm. Driving back to Flossmoor the next day, I started[Read More…]

Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Housing Development Authority (IHDA) announced on Monday the opening of the state’s new Emergency Mortgage Assistance (EMA) program to assist homeowners who have seen their income decline due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Through the EMA program, IHDA will allocate grants up to $15,000 to[Read More…]

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Indiana has charged two men in connection with bank robberies in Homewood and in Hammond, Ind. Matayo H. Young, 19, of South Holland and Myron McKinney, 19, of Chicago, were named in a criminal complaint. A third person arrested is a[Read More…]

The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) launched a COVID-19 travel map to help inform residents of potential risks associated with traveling during the pandemic. The map indicates countries and U.S. states with increased risk of COVID-19 based on case rates. “Travel may increase the chance of becoming infected and spreading COVID-19,”[Read More…]

IDPH implements new restriction in Region 4. Region 4, which includes East St. Louis and seven surrounding counties, has exceeded Illinois Department of Public Health criteria for COVID-19 spread, triggering additional mitigations in an effort to prevent uncontrollable spread of the virus. The region’s positivity rate averaged more than 8 percent[Read More…]

Homewood is getting some conditional economic relief to help cope with the costs of COVID-19. The village board approved an agreement Tuesday to accept $436,731.52. That’s Homewood’s share of the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The county is the pass-through agency for the funds. It received[Read More…]