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The only obstacles in Shane Conroy’s way had little to do with running. A mysterious “heart problem.” Torn and sprained knee ligaments. So the Portage junior is relieved the course seems clear. “Everything’s just better,” Conroy said. “I’m in a way better spot than I was after last winter. It could be because I wasn’t…

A child staying at a migrant shelter on the Lower West Side developed a confirmed case of measles, Chicago public health officials announced Friday. It was the second case of measles reported in the city this week. Officials said the child has recovered and is no longer infectious. The city of Chicago is responding with…

For five weeks in the middle of the regular season, Lockport sophomore Claudia Heeney stayed off the wrestling mat, letting her broken right thumb begin to heal. Heeney was eager to get back to competition, but she had some doubts about whether she could achieve her ultimate goal. “It was in the back of my…

After finishing off his fourth state championship in typical dominant fashion for Joliet Catholic, senior heavyweight Dillan Johnson isn’t sure if he has wrestled his last match. But Johnson does know that — as far as high school wrestling goes — it’s definitely mission accomplished. And now, he can finally smile about it. “The job…

Individuals from juggernaut programs Mount Carmel, Marist and Joliet Catholic lead first team selections from the all-area team. Boys First Team Donavon Allen, Marist, junior, 138 pounds: Capped breakthrough season with third-place finish at state. Finished with 35-7 record. Rylan Breen, Mount Carmel, senior, 190: Earned third state medal with highest finish, taking third. Went…

The Chicago Blackhawks needed a higher power — or at least a highly efficient power play — to break their accursed 22-game road winless streak. The Hawks scored four goals with a man advantage — courtesy of Seth Jones, Nick Foligno, Jason Dickinson and Philipp Kurashev — during a 5-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes…

In 2021, defender Tatumn Milazzo broke in with the Chicago Red Stars. And as she enters her fourth year with the team, the amount of change surrounding her has been staggering. Milazzo can count on one hand the number of original teammates still around — and have some fingers to spare. Goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher and…

The European Security Conference — held in Munich, Germany in February — has highlighted transatlantic cooperation in the face of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Anthony Blinken addressed the gathering. Vice President Harris underscored the growing importance of Africa, along with U.S. commitment to world engagement. Also at…

While there were no major (or minor) accidents at the Lyons Township High School’s South Campus Saturday, plenty of help was on hand if someone had succumbed to a sudden broken leg or burn. All morning Boy Scouts from the Portage Creek Scouting District held their annual first aid competition at the Corral, meaning troops…

Naperville School District 203 administrators are recommending the full-time equivalent of 12.7 new staff members be hired for the 2024-25 school year based on enrollment data and the need for specialized classrooms. The hiring plan was presented to the D203 School Board Monday night and is expected to add a little more than $1.1 million…

Success does not happen overnight; it takes countless hours of hard work, dedication and conquering numerous failures and challenges, especially in business and entrepreneurship. It’s an even tougher task when you start at ground zero. One individual who’s had quite a remarkable journey, coming from a third-world country to find success in the United States’…

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson on Monday endorsed U.S. Rep. Danny Davis over City Treasurer Melissa Conyears-Ervin and three other candidates in the 7th Congressional District Democratic primary. The endorsement from Johnson, like Davis a West Side resident, came three days after Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle and other top Democrats staged…

The Joffrey Ballet on Monday announced its upcoming 2024-25 season in the Lyric Opera House, the company’s 69th season. Along with a return of the annual holiday “The Nutcracker,” highlights include the U.S. premiere of choreographer Cathy Marston’s “Atonement” and Christopher Wheeldon’s adaptation of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.” “Atonement” (Oct. 17-27): British choreographer Marston is…

It’s always a welcome sign when affordable housing is a priority in a community. Unless one considers a six-bedroom home affordable. That’s what a major area homebuilder has planned for a piece of the Walgreens property in Deerfield. In addition to four to six bedrooms, the 42 single-family homes to be built by Atlanta-based Pulte…

A man was killed and a teen was injured in a drive-by shooting in Little Village Saturday night, police said. The shooting happened on the 2500 block of South Trumbull at around 11:54 p.m. The men were in a vehicle stopped at a stop sign when a two-door white sedan pulled up and fired shots.…

A Chicago police officer was shot while patrolling in Humboldt Park early Sunday morning, authorities said. Two officers were on patrol on the 3800 block of West Augusta Boulevard at around 2:02 a.m. when people began shooting at a group of men walking down the street. A bullet hit the window of their marked squad…

Homer Glen residents will be asked in the March 19 election whether the village should pursue efforts to potentially dissolve or discontinue township government, a move supporters say would be the first step to eliminate layers of government and duplicative services and save taxpayer money. “This is a local advisory opinion on public policy,” village…

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Friday shortened the prison sentence of former Kansas City Chiefs assistant coach Britt Reid for a drunken driving crash that seriously injured a 5-year-old girl. Parson’s commutation converted the remainder of Reid’s three-year prison sentence to house arrest, subject to several conditions. Reid had been sentenced…

WASHINGTON  — U.S. military C-130 cargo planes dropped food in pallets over Gaza on Saturday in the opening stage of an emergency humanitarian assistance authorized by President Joe Biden after more than 100 Palestinians who had surged to pull goods off an aid convoy were killed during a chaotic encounter with Israeli troops. Three planes…

The only thing more outrageous than vesting the contents of a petri dish with legal rights is the Alabama Supreme Court’s use of religion to get there. Two-thirds of Americans oppose Alabama’s ruling that frozen embryos are children entitled to legal protection, but the ruling is entirely consistent with Republicans’ position that life begins at…

Merrillville residents took one woman’s submission to heart and made it the town’s new slogan. The Merrillville Town Council unanimously accepted the slogan,”The Heart of the Region,” as its theme after honoring its coiner, Candi Colvin, during its Feb. 27 meeting, spokesman Chas Reilly said in a release Thursday. “The Heart of the Region” came…

Sunshine helped to set the summer mood Thursday for many attending this year’s Northern Illinois Boat Show at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Grayslake. Outdoor temperatures hovered at 35 degrees, but many warmed to what’s ahead for the Chain O’Lakes, Lake Michigan, and along the region’s rivers and lakes. “This beautiful weather has folks excited…