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Bulldogs in business building future business leaders

New RB club helping students learn how to balance time, money

By GREGG VOSS Contributing Reporter

Riverside-Brookfield High School junior John Isaacson has launched his own photography and videog raphy busi-

ness. It’s called Ike’s Visuals and typically shoots school sporting events.

He’s a student first and foremost, of course, but he’s involved in sports him-

By STELLA BROWN Staff Reporter

Brookfield’s village board has struck down an ordinance that would have allowed a cannabis dispensary to open at a vacant property at the corner of 31st Street and Park Avenue.

Trustees on Monday night tied their vote 3-3 before Village President Michael Garvey voted against the dispensary, breaking the tie in favor of a vocal group of residents who have spoken out against the proposed business.

Their concerns have included increased traffic, increased crime and a ne gative impact on the family-friendly nature of the residential neighborhood immediately north of the site. The location will remain vacant for now as it

See BULLDOGS on pa ge 13 See DISPENSARY on pa ge 10

, juniors Julia Szy mczak and John Isaacson, along with sophomore Alonzo Villegas, talk it over at a recent Bulldogs in Business meeting.

In collaboration with Dominican University School of Education

A Conversation with Dr. Eve L. Ewing:

Education, Equity and Justice from Original Sins to Superheroes

Thursday, April 16 at 7 p.m.

Dominican University Lund Auditorium | 7900 Division Street, River Forest

Dr. Ewing is the author of numerous books, most recently the acclaimed Original Sins: The (Mis)education of Black and Native Children and the Construction of American Racism. A New York Times and USA Today bestseller, Original Sins was named a Best Book of the Year by The New Yorker, Esquire, Elle and the Chicago Public Library and was longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal. The book explores the American school system’s historic role in reinforcing the idea of White intellectual superiority and upholding the country’s racial hierarchy.

Dr. Ewing also has been involved in several projects for Marvel Comics, most notably the Black Panther and Ironheart series, and is currently writing Exceptional X-Men. Ironheart, which provides the Chicago backstory of genius inventor Riri Williams following her introduction in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2021), was made into a television series last year by Disney+. She also has published the poetry collections Electric Arches and 1919 and wrote the non ction work Ghosts in the Schoolyard: Racism and School Closings on Chicago’s South Side. Her rst book for young people, Maya and the Robot, was published in 2021. She also co-wrote a young adult graphic novel, Change the Game, with Colin Kaepernick, and a short story, Timebox, with Janelle Monae. No Blue Memories: The Life of Gwendolyn Brooks, a play co-written with Nate Marshall, was presented in 2017 by Chicago performance collective Manual Cinema.

Dr. Sara Rezvi, assistant professor of education at Dominican’s School of Education, will moderate the conversation with Dr. Ewing.

Photo: Jaclyn Rivas

Riverside may regulate food truck operations

Trustees could soon adopt a poli cy, a er having discussions throughout 2025

By STELLA BROWN Staff Reporter

The Riverside Board of Trustees has ag reed to a set of re gulations governing when and where food trucks can open to the public in the village

Before an actual vote, the village’s planning and zoning commission and its preservation commission will take a look at the proposed policy to assess its effect on the village code. After that, an ordinance will come before the village board with any further recommendations.

As the board had discussed at several meetings last year, food trucks will be split into two cate gories: those operating in tandem with special events hosted by residents and those seeking to operate full-time as a licensed business. Food trucks will not be allowed to operate within 100 feet of brickand-mortar restaurants or within 75 feet of residences.

Any given food truck will be able to participate in two special events, which do not yet have a maximum duration under village code, per month, for a combined total of no more than 50 days per year.

The host of the special event, who could be a resident or a business owner in town, must pay a $25 fee for the special event application. The food truck will be responsible for a $30 temporary food service fee to cover costs related to performing a health inspection.

Trucks that successfully apply for a business license, which lasts one year, will be allowed to operate in the Harlem Avenue business district as a permitted use. T hose that seek to open in the central business district, which would require them to reach an ag reement with a private property owner to secure a location, would need to apply for a special use permit, which comes with a $3,000 fee and must be approved by the village board.

All licensed food trucks would be limited to operating within a window from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. and will not be permitted to open on public property. A majority of trustees ag reed with Community Development Director Anne Cyran’s recommendation to increase the licensing fee for food trucks from $100 to $1,000 in order to recoup the costs of having staf f spend

is map highlights possible parking spots for independent food trucks in a lot o Harlem and Ogden avenues. Riverside o cials identi ed other parking lots along Harlem Avenue that could also house food trucks.

time reviewing their application.

With the c ombined f ees, a food truc k seeking to open as a licensed business in downtown Rive rside for the first time would need to front $4,000 in order to be c onsidered. Trustee Elizabeth Ko s c alled the c ombined f ees “extremely proh ibit ive, ” though Cyran said food truc k owners would be able to test c ommunity rece ption through special events before c ommitting to applying for a special use pe rm it to open in the central business district.

Food trucks will be allowed to operat e without f alling into either category if they are permitted to operate on private property by the property owner and only serve a private group, rather than being open for business to the public Kos com-

pared such a situation to privately h irin g a caterer, where the village would have no say.

“They would not be able to circumvent the special event application po rt i on by having it on private property unless they we re f ully within only their f amily [o r a private group],” Vi llage C lerk Emily S tenzel said. “I f they ’re serving the publi c, it has to have a special event application, or if it ’s on the Vi llage of Rive rside right-of-w ay.”

During the discussion, which lasted nearly an hour, trustees ag reed not to launch the re gulations as a pilot progr am, as Village Attorney Bob Pickrell had suggested in August, though they asked staf f to return with updates six months and one year after the new policy is adopted.

Wendor f Deb Abrahamson, Mary Cahillane, Steve Edwards, Judy Gre n, Horacio Mendez, Charles Meyerson, Darnell Shields, Audra Wilson

HOW TO REACH US PO Box 6670, River Forest, IL 60305 PHONE: (708) 442-6739

E-MAIL: dhaley@wjinc.com

ONLINE: w ww.RBLandmark.com

The Landmark is published digitally and in print by Growing Community Media NFP. The newspaper is available on newsstands for $1.00. A one-year subscription costs $57 within Cook County and $95 outside the county. Adver tising rates may be obtained by calling our o ce. Periodical rate postage paid at Oak Park, IL (USPS 0019-585). Postmaster send address corrections to Landmark, PO Box 6670, River Forest, IL 60305. © 2026 Growing Community Media NFP.

Riverside teen arrested for alleged fraudulent home sale

e

By STELLA BROWN Staff Reporter

19-year-old may have used a forged deed to sell a property he didn’t own

A 19-year- old Rive rside man has b een a ccused of fraudulently selling a home he did not own in Burbank after forgin g a d eed, a ccording to Palos Heights p olice. Patch and Southwest Re gional Publishing both re ported on the incident earlier this month after Palos Heights police in November took a re port from a title com-

Do more with an IRS Online Account Individuals can create or access their IRS Online Account at IRS.gov/file/individuals/your information. With an IRS Online Account, they can:

• View key details from their most recent tax return, such as adjusted gross income.

• Request an Identity Protection PIN.

• Get account transcripts to include wage and income records.

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• View and edit language preferences and alternative media.

• Set up or change payment plans, check their balance, or make and cancel payments. Get an Identity Protection Personal Identification Number (IP PIN)

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pany manager, who said the company was the victim of a theft after a property it owned in Burbank was sold fraudulently.

T he manager told p olice they learned the deed to the proper ty had been forged after the rightful owner, who rece ived the home after the previous owner die d in 2019, shared their suspicions and said the d eed may have b een filed fictitiousl y with the Cook County Clerk’s Of fic e. According to b oth news sites, p olice in -

vesti gators learned the d eed was forg ed in April 2025, showing the deceased previous owner had signed the property over to Gold C ost Realty LLC, wh ich then sold the property over the i nternet. Throug h search war r ants, p olice learned the realty firm had been filed in the name of a 19-year- old local resident, who had used a paid we b service to d elete the deceased property owner ’s info rm ation from the i nternet.

Police said bank records showe d about $72,000 was transfer red by the title c ompany to a b ank a ccount in local resid ent’s name in November before it was further transfer red to a second a ccount in his name T he teen turned himself i nto Palos Heights p olice on Fe b. 5. T he C ook C ounty State’s A ttorney ’s Office has approved f elony charges for forg e ry and theft between $10,000 and $100,000.

By Linda Sokol Francis. E.A.

an individual’s Social Security nwnber or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number. It’s a vital tool for ensuring the safety of taxpayers’ personal and financial information.

New for the 2025 filing season, the IRS will accept Forms 1040, 1040-NR and 1040-SS even if a dependent has already been claimed on a previously filed return, as long as the primary taxpayer on the second return includes a valid IP PIN. This change will reduce the time for the agency to receive the tax return and accelerate the issuance of tax refunds for those with duplicate dependent returns.

The best way to sign up for an IP PIN is through the IRS Online Account. If an individual is unable to create an Online Account, alternative methcxls are available, such as in-person authentication at a Taxpayer Assistance Center.

2nd round of community art is coming to Brookfield Shops

Submissions are due by March 20; selected artists will receive stipends

By STELLA BROWN Staff Reporter

Calling all visual artists: Now is your chance to for mulate an original work that could be added to the Brookfield Shops retail incubator.

Officials from the program are seeking artists to apply for its second art opportunity, which will see six artists each commissioned to decorate a wooden panel with their idea that fits one of two themes. Applications are due online by March 20 and must include concept art or renderings of the planned piece.

T he first theme, “Art of Home,” directs artists to depict the meaning of and feelings associated with home, especially as it relates to those who call Brookfield their home. T hese works of art will be displ ayed on provided three-foot-by -fourfoot wooden panels, and selected artists will be given a $300 stipend to cover the costs of other materials.

“That theme is inviting artists to explore the lots of different meanings of what home is through their creative arts. Home can be a physical space; it can be a feeling, a memory, a routine, some type of reflection of identity,” said Libby Popovic, Brookfield’s community development director. “We want to open it up to various interpretations.”

The second theme, “Stories from Brookfield,” invites artists to capture the moment and people who have shaped the Brookfield community today and throughout history. Artists will receive $175 to craft their piece on a provided four-foot-by-twofoot wood panel.

“It could be events, places or moments that shape our community, or how they envision the Brookfield community. It could be related to a specific street or gathering or even traditions. We’re encouraging artists to use their creative abilities to in-

ree of the new art pieces unveiled at the Brook eld Shops ar t unveiling on Friday October 31, 2025.

terpret stories from Brookfield as they’ve experienced them throughout the years,” Popovic said.

The opportunities come after Brookfield accepted nearly $200,000 in grant funding last year from Cook County and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation to support creative placemaking at the shops.

“When we applied, it was specific to Eight Corners and the shops spac e, and the gr ant i tself allowe d us to recreate that c ourtyard i nto an i nteractive spac e that we ’re hoping to use in the s pring,” Po povic said. “We had an idea to brin g local artists and showcase them at the shop s. Th at was the ve ry first group of artists that we we re able to unve il Oct. 31. We had nine different p anels that we have now showcased in the c ourtyard and on the shops themselves.”

Popovic said the first set of art was “so popular” that the county and the LISC asked if Brookfield would commission a second wave, which led a group of staffers, along with the duo from KPGS Consulting, to create the two themes that are now open. Once the submission window is closed, a group of community judges will weigh in and nar row them down to six for each theme, Popovic said.

“We give them a little bit of a roadmap,” she said. “We will give them a handout that explains what the theme is and how it

fits in, and there’s also some benchmarks. [The art] can’t have improper language. It can’t be related to any political collectivity. There are some things for which the artists have their own guidelines … The panel knows that, but other than that, we want them to pick those that speak to them.”

Popovic said the selected artists will have their participation confirmed by March 30, with their art pieces set to be installed before the 2026 cohort of vendors’ grand opening ceremony on May 4 at the Brookfield Shops. They’ll also be featured in an artist showcase in June, she added.

T he works from the previous set of ar t pieces will be ke pt up at the retail incubator as long as there’s enough space, Popovic said. If the village can org anize a third wave of commissioned artwork, it may rotate pieces out to displ ay them elsewhere or “potentially auction them of f,” she said.

Popovic said she has been “completely overwhelmed” by the quality of the seven submissions Brookfield has already received “They’re amazing. They’re really very nice,” she said. “They’ve been really highlevel work, and each one’s so unique in respect to how [the artists] see the different themes, which is exactly what we want. We want people to be able to express themselves and then have the panel pick what they would like to see at the shops.”

TODD BANNOR

D96 names new Ames School principal, nance director

Wilder, from downstate Rochester, to replace Kuzniewski

By GREGG VOSS Contributing Reporter

It wasn’t all that long ago that Nikki Mazza was working full time at a bank with a side gig as a waitress. But she had this desire – to become a teacher.

So she went back to school and got her teaching certificate from Lewis University, before teaching stints in Blue Island and Central Elementary School in Riverside.

Now she’s the new principal of Ames Elementary School, starting July 1 and replacing the retiring Todd Gierman.

The Riverside School District 96 board of education recently approved her hiring as Ames principal, along with Steve Wilder as the district’s new director of finance and operations, replacing Dr. Mark Kuzniewski, who filled that role as an interim.

Mazza is currently an intervention and sup-

port coordinator for District 96, working in all four elementary schools, though she is based at Ames School.

“From the very first second I walked through the door at Ames, I found this warm positivity from the parents and students and staff,” Mazza said. “Mr. Gierman has really built such a strong foundation, and the staff has done incredible work bringing that to life.”

mer, said her objective come July 1 is to continue to build strong relationships with staf f, students and their families, “listening closely to understand what’s working well and where we can grow.

“Ultimately, I want every student and staff member and family member to feel supported and able to reach their full potential,” she said.

Wilder, who grew up in downstate Bloomington, is currently director of business services at Rochester Community Unit School District 3A near Springfield

Like Mazza, he’s excited and ready to roll July 1.

smooth as possible.

As for Kuzniewski, the for mer longtime superintendent of Brookfield-La Grange Park School District 95, had advice for both Wilder and Mazza as he himself heads into retirement, which will include international travel and fishing.

Mazza was chosen from among more than 30 applicants for the position, which included interviews with Kuzniewski, superintendent Dr. Martha Ryan-Toye and a panel of staffers, teachers, a social worker and parents as she became one of the final four candidates

“They asked a lot of questions,” she said of the panel. “One of the first questions was what’s my vision for Ames. They asked how would you support teachers and students, how do you engage families?”

Mazza, who acquired her master’s degree from North Central Colle ge last sum-

“One of my goals is to make sure we are responsible with the resources provided to the district,” Wilder said. “One of the things is living within our means, and the other is short- and long-term planning

“I love the diverse environment in Riverside. The more I talked to people in Riverside (during) the interview process, I was impressed with the quality of people in the district.”

He’s already had some transition-focused conversations with Kuzniewski and will have others to make sure that transition is as

Brook eld Chamber of Commerce Business Spotlight

T“My advice to Steve is, master the learning curve of Cook County, so routine tasks don’t bog him down,” he said, “so he can focus his time and energy on the goals and opportunities in the district. Those are things he just has to learn.”

Mazza, he added, is in a good position because of the foundational work Gierman has done.

“I’m sure there will be instructional desires out of strategic planning going on right now,” he said, adding she should “understand how Ames culture works and start laying out a plan to implement change in a period of time, as opposed to rapid change in process or procedures.”

Find Your Style at The Shop | Style House Boutique & The Shop Salon

he Brook eld Chamber of Commerce is proud to highlight two businesses that embody style, con dence, and community connection: The Shop | Style House Boutique and The Shop Salon

Both locally owned and deeply rooted in Brook eld, these sister businesses have created welcoming spaces where personal style and self-care come together seamlessly.

The Shop | Style House Boutique

9200 Broadway Ave, Brook eld Anniversary Date: June 6, 2025

The Shop | Style House Boutique is a thoughtfully curated women’s boutique o ering stylish, on-trend apparel, accessories, and gifts for everyday life. Designed with versatility and quality in mind, each piece is selected to help women feel con dent, comfortable, and e ortlessly put together.

just browsing racks, they’re building relationships, receiving thoughtful recommendations, and nding pieces that truly t their lifestyle.

This isn’t fast fashion, it’s intentional fashion. From elevated basics to statement pieces, the boutique focuses on wearable styles that transition seamlessly from school drop-o to client meetings to dinner with friends. Accessories and lifestyle items round out the collection, making it easy to nd the perfect gift or nishing touch.

What truly sets The Shop | Style House Boutique apart is its personalized service. Shopping here feels relaxed and welcoming. Customers aren’t

Proudly rooted in the Brook eld community, the boutique values supporting local connections and creating a space where women feel seen, styled, and supported. As it celebrates its 2025 anniversary, The Shop | Style House Boutique continues to grow as a destination for con dence-building style right here in town.

The Shop Salon

3735 Grand Blvd, Brook eld

Serving the Community Since March 17, 2018

Since opening its doors in 2018, The Shop Salon has built a strong reputation for quality, consistency, and care. As a locally owned salon, the team is committed to helping clients look and feel their best in a comfortable, welcoming environment.

The salon o ers a full range of professional

services, including precision cuts, custom color, blonding, toning, hair extensions, brows, smoothing treatments, and restorative hair health services. Each stylist focuses on delivering results that not only look beautiful but also work for real life.

At The Shop Salon, great hair isn’t just about trends, it’s about trust. Stylists take the time to listen carefully, educate clients on maintenance, and create customized looks tailored to individual needs. Whether someone is seeking a dramatic transformation or a subtle refresh, the goal remains the same: healthy, manageable hair that ts seamlessly into daily routines.

Ongoing education is a core value. By staying current with techniques and products, the team ensures reliable results that clients can depend on. Families, professionals, and visitors alike

know they can walk through the doors and feel welcomed, relaxed, and con dent in the care they receive.

Style, Self-Care, and Community

Together, The Shop | Style House Boutique and The Shop Salon o er a complete experience— fashion and beauty under one shared vision. One helps you nd the out t; the other perfects the nishing touch. Both are built on relationships, authenticity, and a genuine love for serving Brook eld.

Chamber members commit beyond their storefronts. They represent the entrepreneurial spirit that keeps our local economy thriving. Supporting businesses like these means supporting neighbors, families, and the continued growth of our vibrant community.

The Brook eld Chamber of Commerce is proud to celebrate The Shop | Style House Boutique and The Shop Salon as valued members who bring con dence, connection, and style to Brook eld every day.

NIKKI MA ZZ A

MARK KUZNIEWSKI

Pritzker brings his message directly to students at OPRF

Governor advocates in person for his proposal to ban cellphone use during

class time

By BOB SKOLNIK Contributing Reporter

Gov. JB Pritzker came to Oak Park and River Forest High School Friday morning to advocate directly for his proposal to ban cellphone use in school during class time.

“Strong schools are the foundation to our success as a state. This year, I am proposing legislation that requires school districts to adopt a cellphone policy that keeps students focused on the work in class,” Pritzker said during an hour-long event at the school’s west gym that drew about 50 people, including 25 student leaders. “We owe it to our kids to cultivate the healthiest, most productive learning envi-

ronment possible – this proposal will help us do just that.”

Appearing with the governor were three members of the Illinois General Assembly including State Rep. Camille Lilly, a 1979 graduate of OPRF

Pritzker mentioned the ill effects on young people of excessive reliance on screens and social media.

“There’s real harm being done by social media,” Pritzker said.

OPRFHS currently has a limited, voluntary cell-phone policy in affect.

Pritzker initially proposed a cellphone ban in schools last year but the General Assembly didn’t vote on the measure and decided to hold of f and refine the bill to address concerns that some voiced. Some parents like being able to contact their children in school at any time by text message and some worried that students need their phones in case of an emergency.

The latest proposed legislation would

TODD BANNOR

Governor JB Pr itzker speaks at the press conference at OPRF High School on Feb. 20.

GCM donates publications to nonpro t news group

By BRENDAN HEFFERNAN Staff Reporter

For the first time in the newspapers’ long histories, Wednesday Journal, Austin Weekly News, Riverside-Brookfield Landmark and Forest Park Review will have out-of-state owners.

The papers, run as nonprofit publications under the Growing Community Media umbrella since 2020, are now part of nonprofit journalism group NEWSWELL’s portfolio of publications The GCM papers are the organization’s first titles outside of the state of California and the only regular weekly print publications included among the group’s portfolio.

No immediate changes for the papers are anticipated

GCM will dissolve as an entity following a transition period, with the organization donating its publications to NEWSWELL. All of GCM’s employees are being offered employment by NEWSWELL, including Executive Director Max Reinsdorf, who until now carried an interim title, and longtime Editor Dan Haley.

The move comes amid longstanding financial issues for GCM, with the organization terminating its lease last summer for the Oak Park office space that staffers had occupied since the 1980s

This deal represents the clearest path to financial sustainability for the papers in recent memory, Reinsdorf said in an interview.

“Our struggles showed that we didn’t necessarily have a guaranteed path to continued

news coverage for the decades to come, and that was a realization that the GCM board had over the summer,” said Reinsdorf. “We have a path towards standing the test of time with NEWSWELL, and it puts us in a position to be stronger and more resilient than we were before.”

Founded in 2024, NEWSWELL is a nonprofit affiliated with Arizona State University (ASU) that provides centralized support to bolster local publications in areas including legal support, business strategy, audience development, marketing and human resources administration. Reporting and editing remains local. That help is desperately needed for the four papers, Reinsdorf said.

“Donating these assets to NEWSWELL allows us to get the expertise and the resources that GCM had been seeking that had been out of reach for us,” he said. “From a financial perspective, there’s revenue upside and there’s also savings to be had by NEWSWELL taking over the backend functions.”

“It allows me to see a much stronger financial picture for us.”

The group’s other publications include Stocktonia covering Stockton, CA, Times of San Diego covering San Diego County and Santa Barbara News-Press, the one-time bankrupt paper of record for the oceanside city that NEWSWELL recently helped resurrect as a digital publication.

The group has ambitions to expand to wherever local news needs support, said NEWSWELL’s Executive Director Nicole Carroll. The GCM newspapers fit exactly what the group was looking for, Carroll said.

“I’m really impressed with the four news titles, all of them make a difference in their communities, all of them are the source of truth for their communities, they’re all respected,” she said. “That’s really important for NEWSWELL; when we partner with someone … it’s important that they do solid journalism, that they’re of their communities and that they’re respected by those communities. The four titles check all those boxes.”

Carroll also works as a professor of practice at Arizona State University’s famed Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and previously served as top editor for the Arizona Republic and editor-inchief of USA Today. She said that bringing the GCM papers into the NEWSWELL portfolio also makes sense as another link between Chicago and Arizona, alongside Cubs and White Sox spring training, Portillo’s and Lou Malnati’s franchise locations and Frank Lloyd Wright architecture.

“There’s a well-worn path from Chicago to Phoenix,” she said.

NEWSWELL’s mission comes in response to the widespread closures of local news outlets and the dramatic reduction of journalism jobs seen across the country over the last 20 years. Hyper local outlets, like the four GCM papers, are worth protecting, Carroll said.

“We want to go where we’re needed, wanted and can make a difference,” Carroll said.

The papers’ newsgathering and editorial processes will remain unchanged, except for some additional support on investiga-

tive projects that NEWSWELL will provide, said Haley, who was a founder of Wednesday Journal in his mid-20s. NEWSWELL offers journalism support to its network, including investigative editing and legal support for public records requests and pre-publication review.

“The goal we have had since the very start was to create intensely local, authentic, independent journalism,” Haley said. “This step is a big step, but it’s in my mind an extension of everything we’ve done up until now. This is another variation on the goal of creating an independent viable local news model, and I’m really excited about what this offers us.

“We’ve found an entity that’s as focused on legit local news as we are.”

The papers will continue on their regular print schedules for the foreseeable future, Haley and Reinsdorf said.

While the NEWSWELL donation will buy the papers more room to breathe, the deal doesn’t represent an immediate exit from choppy financial waters, Reinsdorf said. The operations of the papers will still largely be paid for through local fundraising and subscription and advertising revenue.

True financial sustainability for the papers will almost certainly involve a more for malized reader membership program, Reinsdorf said.

“It is not a money cannon; we’re still responsible for fundraising at a similar level,” he said. “One of the first major goals will be to launch a membership program. We need a reader revenue model to generate new income and to reinvest in our newsroom.”

CELLPHONES

from page 7

require all school districts and charter schools in Illinois to adopt a policy limiting the use of wireless communication devices on school grounds during the day – from “bell to bell” according to a press release put out by the governor’s office.

The proposal contains four exceptions to the proposed prohibition of cellphone use during class time:

■ When a medical professional determines that the possession or use of a wireless communication device is necessary for the management of a student’s health care

■ When it is necessary to fulfill an Individualized Education Plan or 504 plan,

■ When necessary for students who are English learners to access learning materials, participate in class, or otherwise facilitate communication

■ When a student is a caregiver and is routinely responsible for the care and wellbeing of a family member.

Pritzker said that 25 other states have already enacted bans on using cellphones in schools

“Our teacher committee believed we owed it to students to do all that we could to foster and preserve that human element in the classroom – a return to a daily experience marked by authentic person-to-person exchanges,” Parker said. “And recognition that, every time a student reaches for or glances at the phone, that human element suffers.”

Mcgee said that she has noticed a clear improvement in student engagement in class since OPRF began using the cellphone homes

OPRF junior Isabella Crowe said that she likes the cellphone homes but noted that some teachers are stricter about requiring that students give up their phones in class than others.

“Even at lunch my friends always hold each other accountable and we try not to be on our phone around each other.”

ISABELLA CROWE OPRF student

Pritzker came to OPRF in part because OPRF has a general practice in which students are supposed to put their cellphones in a pouch, called a cellphone home, that is typically hung on a classroom door for the duration of a class period. Martin Torres, Pritzker’s Deputy Gover nor for Education, is the father of a current OPRF student and was aware of OPRF’s cellphone policy and helped arrange the visit

The use of the cellphone home at OPRF came out of a faculty committee that was for med at OPRF a few years ago. For mer OPRF history teacher Dan Wolman was a driving force on that committee.

OPRF Superintendent Greg Johnson, Principal Lynda Parker and English teacher Raquel Mcgee as well as Lilly and the other two members of the General Assembly also spoke at the event.

Parker said that OPRF’s cellphone policy is intended to prevent students from being districted by their phones in class and also to preserve face-to-face interaction among students

“I find it’s very helpful if teachers are enforcing it because it becomes second nature to just put in the phone home regardless of the day or if the teacher is lighter on it,” Crowe said after the event. “Some teachers are less prone to enforcing the rule than others which I think then becomes the problem of cellphones in class but when enforced and when the teacher has made it very clear that that is an expectation as part of the classroom it works perfectly.”

Crowe said that most teachers enforce the rule but some are less strict about it

She said that she doesn’t find it hard to be without her phone during class time, especially now as a junior when she is taking more difficult classes.

“You don’t find it hard to be without [your phone]; it’s so busy in the classroom,” Crowe said. “Often the only times we’re prompted to use our phone is for schoolwork, whether using our calculator or Google Classroom on our phone to upload work but it’s not hard to be without it. We have it in passing periods and lunchtime.”

Crowe said that even during lunch she and her friends try to focus on face to face interaction instead of staring at their phones.

“Even at lunch my friends always hold each other accountable and we try not to be on our phone around each other,” Crowe said.

State Rep. Michelle Mussman, (D-56th District) the chairwoman of the House Education Policy Committee, said that research indicates that students are less safe in emergencies if they are on their phones instead of listening to instructions.

Mussman also noted the irony that she was reading her remarks on her own cellphone

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708-387-1030

Living•Assisted Living•Memory Support Short-Term Rehab•Long-Term Care•Home Care

This concert will take you on a musical journey through American traditions and the music that reflects the richness of 250 years of our country and its people. Wonderful and surprising arrangements of America the Beautiful by Frank La Rocco and the Star Spangled Banner by Paul Laprade, a premiere of Lacrimosa by Paul Carey, the well-known Alleluia by Randall Thompson, and an exciting Alleluia by Jake Runestad. The program will cover a variety of music genres representing our history from the Civil War to the present as we celebrate America’s 250th birthday. Please join us on this musical journey through American history.

DISPENSARY

Turned down

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has since 2019. The village board in 2023 rejected a petition to allow a daycare to open in the building due to similar concerns over parking and traffic issues.

Trustees Kit Ketchmark, Katie Kaluzny and Nicole Gilhooley voted to deny the special use permit while trustees Jennifer Hendricks, Julie Narimatsu and Kyle Whitehead voted against denying it before Garvey broke the tie in favor of the for mer group. If the board had rejected denying the permit, they would have proceeded to vote to explicitly allow the permit.

Tanya Griffin, the CEO of Water + Trees, a consulting firm working to bring Prolific to Brookfield, did not respond to a request for comment by the Landmark the morning of Tuesday, Feb. 24, after the village board meeting.

This is the second split vote in the controversial case of the proposed dispensary, which was recommended for approval by the planning and zoning commission after a 4-3 vote.

Before the board voted, Ketchmark and Kaluzny each said they felt the applicants had not met Brookfield’s standards of review to grant a special use permit, which require petitioners to describe the proposed use’s compatibility with the property’s zoning district, its compatibility with existing uses on-site and nearby, and how they plan to deal with any “unique, special or unusual impacts” upon the public or adjacent properties.

Narimatsu said she did not believe the dispensary’s nature would ne gatively impact parking in the area compared to any other business at that location.

“I believe this proposal appears to meet the standards we’ve adopted. I see this as a f amily-owned, small business that is fundamentally different in nature from [dispensaries] I’ve seen in other cities on major thoroughfares,” she said. “I also give weight to the recommendation and expertise of the zoning commission, who voted in favor of this proposal, and our village staf f who have reviewed this proposal carefully.”

Hendricks said the dispensary would “probably [be] one of the safest properties in town” and said the public parking lot immediately across Park Avenue from the site would be able to accommodate Prolific’s customers in combination with the

site’s own parking lot and nearby public parking.

“We did put that parking lot in across the street in part so that this property would be able to be developed because we reco gnized that the neighborhood was concerned about parking in this area, and I do believe that it does alleviate that,” she said. “I don’t materially see it as different from any other retail property in town.”

Whitehead said the dispensary would bring additional traffic to the area in the same way as any other retail use on the site and suggested the board consider adding additional parking to the area if it continues to be a resident concern in relation to developing the vacant proper ty.

“We have granted variances on this very corridor for specific business that fell short of the current parking requirements. These are not hard and fast rules,” he said. “Revenue certainly should not be the only consideration. There are many factors … but revenue, I do think, is important. We have lots of conversation as a board about how we are overly reliant on property tax revenue as a village.”

Brookfield would have earned 5% sales tax on recreational cannabis sales at Prolific, according to the village’s memo about the case, with expected village re venues of $79,600 in 2026, $190,000 in 2027 and $209,000 in 2028.

Prolific is the second dispensary that has gone before the village board for approval. In 2023, the board unanimously approved a special use permit for a dispensary at 8863 Ogden Ave., which was proposed to be operated by the 1937 Group. Construction at the site has since stalled, and Community Development Director Libby Popovic said the property “has a lot of code violations” that have led to multiple adjudication hearings.

At the committee of the whole meeting, which followed the re gular meeting Monday night, trustees seemed supportive of a petition from village staf f to revoke the Ogden Avenue property’s special use permit to open a dispensary there.

The special use that was granted in 2023 could only be fulfilled by the 1937 Group, “so, technically, no one else could comply with that,” Village Attorney Adam Durkin said. “This is strictly to clean the slate of the 1937 Group, which has not been involved with this property since shortly after the special use was passed.”

The board ag reed to put the case up for a vote at their March 9 meeting

Riverside closes 150th year with focus on sense of place

Residents and o cials gathered at the library

Friday, Feb. 20

By STELLA BROWN Staff Reporter

After a year full of festivities in 2025, Riverside’s sesquicentennial year has drawn to a close.

Village officials and residents sent of f the 150th anniversary year ofRiverside’s official incorporation in 1875 at a gathering held Friday, Feb. 20, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Riverside Public Library.

The event featured speeches from Village President Doug Pollock and trustees Alex Gallegos and Aberdeen Marsh-Ozga, who were co-chairs ofthe village’s sesquicentennial planning committee.

State Rep. Abdelnasser Rashid ofthe 21st District was present to read a proclamation from the Illinois House of Representatives. State Sen. Javier Cervantes was supposed to be in attendance to read a similar proclamation from the Illinois Senate, but Pollock read it in his place due to unforeseen circumstances.

Patty García, the chief ofstaf f of Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García who is running to succeed him, was present to read a proclamation honoring Riverside that the Congressman had read into the congressional record in Januar y.

The program continued with a dramatic reading of“Riverside Home” by Gabriella Galloway, the winning poem ofthe village’s poetry contest, by local actor Carli Ruggless before a silent auction featuring paintings and lithographs inspired by Riverside opened, a final fundraising ef fort before the sesquicentennial committee is set to donate its remaining funds to the village to be used toward the renovations coming to Turtle Park

Riverside resident David Oppenheimer said he and his family attended to celebrate the special moment in reco gnition ofthe importance of civic participation.

“I brought my son here tonight. He’s wandering around, and to think the things

that he’ll see as a participant in the community as well, even ifhe may or may not remember this evening,” he said. “As he goes forward to the 200th or 225th year anniversary, I think that it’ll be nice for him to be able to say, ‘My dad was there. I was there.’ A wonderful thing about Riverside is the carrying forward of the generations Many people come back to Riverside.”

Gallegos described the evening as the “culmination of every aspect ofthe Riverside universe” and said he hoped future generations of residents understand that family, blood and chosen, is at the heart of the village.

“We are such a tight-knit c ommunity, friends and neighbors become f amily,” he said.

Pollock told the Landmark that the celebrations marked the importance ofself-government and volunteerism found in Riverside

“As a city planner [by trade], I know I could do the best plan for a project, and it’s meaningless unless there are residents who are willing to go out there and make it alive, and that’s what happened in Riverside,” he said. “It was a great year, a lot of fun, and now we move onto other things.”

Marsh-Ozga said she was proud ofher committee’s ability to spread the sesquicentennial cheer throughout the last year.

“When you’re with certain people, ideas sparked and people got excited and motivated to do things, and that energy carried through the year. Even though certain people couldn’t obviously do things on a sustained basis all the way through, it was a synergistic effect. We made some remarkable memories for people, and I think we kept the sesquicentennial present in people’s consciousness throughout the year, and we sustained it,” she said.

Turning an eye from Riverside’s past to its future, Pollock said he expects the community’s reverence for the village’s green space to continue.

“I think the beauty ofRiverside is that it’s ageless. New residents come here, and they’re changed when they come here,” he said. “They don’t always realize it, but a large part ofthat is because of what Olmsted did to combine nature and everyday living.”

Marsh-Ozga said she had similar hopes and emphasized the power of collectivity.

“I would want [future Riversiders] to have the same sense of care for one another and for their environment that we do. I want them to care deeply,” she said. “I want them to be inspired by all ofthat and to know that, together, they can accomplish more than perhaps they think they can.”

FebruaryisAmericanHeartMonth, atimetofocusoncardiovascular healthandthestepswecantaketo maintainastrongheart.AtCantata SeniorLiving,werecognizethe importanceofhearthealth, especiallyforolderadults. Herearesomeeasywaysto prioritizecardiovascularwellness:

StayActive –Engageinlight exerciselikewalking,chairyoga,or stretchingtokeepyourheart strong.

EatHeart-HealthyFoods –Enjoy mealsrichinfruits,vegetables, wholegrains,andleanproteins whilelimitingsodiumandprocessed foods.

ManageStress –Practicedeep breathing,meditation,orsocial activitiestoreducestressand supporthearthealth.

MonitorYourHealth –Keepup withregularcheck-ups,blood pressurescreenings,and medicationsasprescribed.

StayHydrated –Drinkplentyof watertohelpmaintaincirculation andoverallhealth.

StayConnected –Engageinsocial activitiestoboostmentaland emotionalwell-being,which benefitstheheart.

ThisFebruary,takesimplesteps towardahealthierheart.Let’s embracewellnesstogether— becauseahealthyheartisa happyheart!

Formoreinfo,visitCantata.orgor call(708)387-1030

TODD BANNOR

Guests at the Riverside Sesquicentennial Closing Ceremony at the Riverside Public Library on Friday Februar y 20, 2026.

Brook eld police arrest man with warrant

Brookfield p olice on Fe b. 12 ar rested a 27-year- old Berwyn man who had a warr ant out for his ar rest.

Around 10:32 a.m., an officer was on patrol near Eight Corners when they witnessed a car without a front license plate drive through the roundabout and turn south onto Maple Avenue, where the officer initiated a traffic stop on the 3600 block.

After the officer made c ontact with the drive r, the man explained he had j ust returned from Michig an, where he had purchased the vehicle from a private bu ye r. T he man provided a copy ofthe car title to c onfirm as much but said he did not have i nsurance on the vehicl e d ue to the recency of the purchase.

After r unning the man’s info rm ation, the officer learned there was a war r ant out for him from C ook C ounty for a previous charge of reckless driving.

T he officer asked the man to exit hi s car and ar rested him without incident before transporting him to the Brook-

field p olice station, where Brookfield p olice charged him with driving without valid re gistration. Police set a March 10 c ourt date before transporting the man to the Berwyn Police Department, where p olice processed him on his war r ant and held him for a b ond hearing the next day.

Driving with expired plates

Brookfield police arrested a 38-year-old Brookfield man on Feb. 10 who was driving a vehicle with expired registration.

Around 1 p.m., an officer observed the man’s car heading east on Ogden Avenue with expired license plates.

After the officer pulled the man over at the intersection with Vernon Avenue, he said the vehicle was not re gistered to him and that he has a revoked driver’s license. He also could not provide proof of insurance for the vehicle.

The officer ran the man’s information and confirmed his license had been revoked in relation to a past DUI charge. The officer arrested the man and transported

him to the police department, where he was charged for driving with expired re gistration, for driving on a revoked license and for driving an uninsured car with a March 10 court date

Stolen vapes

Brookfield police responded to a report of a retail theft on Feb. 14, but no one was arrested Around 7:16 p.m., an officer responded to the Quick Mart at the Clark Gas Station at the corner ofMaple Avenue and 31st Street in response to the report of three men who had entered the store and stolen vapes before fleeing on foot.

At the scene, an officer spoke with an employee, who said all three men had entered the store together, and one ofthem approached the counter to purchase a bottle ofGatorade and a packet of gummy bears. When the man noticed a container of vapes that were located over the counter, the man grabbed eight to 10 packs ofthem before all three men fled, police said.

Police observed video footage and took

the Gatorade and gummies into idence before contacting the gas station owner. No arrests were made.

These items were obtained from the Brookfield Police Department re ports dated Feb. 9-16; they re present a portion ofthe incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in these re ports has only been charged with a crime and cases have not yet been adjudicated. We re port the race ofa suspect only when a serious crime has been committed, the suspect is still at large and police have provided us with a detailed physical description ofthe suspect as they seek the public’s help in making an arrest.

Compiled by Stella Brown

April 19 • 4pm Trombone Treat

(music of Schubert, Higgins and Bernstein)

June 14 • 4pm Superb Stars

(music of Suk, Bruch and Groesch)

Concordia University Chapel, River Forest

March 15 • 3pm Chamber Conversations

(music of Handel, Mauldin, Mozart and Bach)

April 26 • 3pm Chamber Stars

(music of Beethoven, Ravel, Haydn, Brahms and Bartok)

Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 611 Randolph, Oak Park

BERNARD SHAW’S PRESENTS

BULLDOGS

Driving innovation

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self and also posts to RB’s football and basketball teams’ Instagram and Facebook pages.

In between that, he’s running his business, so life is a constant balancing act, when you consider he’s also got a social life and family responsibilities, too

That growing acumen is part of the value he brings to Bulldogs in Business, a new club that launched this semester. Isaacson is the treasurer of the club, which is moderated by Patty Sarkady, a business and technolo gy educator in the technical education de partment.

So how d oes I saacson answe r a crucial q uestion in the business wo rl d: What ’s the more important resource to manage – time or money ?

No doubt in Isaacson’s mind

“I think managing time,” he said. “It’s a lot. ”

Bulldogs in Business was the brainchild of junior Julia Szymczak, who wants to go into financial engineering after high school. That’s a growing field where artificial intelligence is used to help businesses run more ef ficiently.

“I wanted to launch it because I want to go i nto business, I want to major in business, and I was looking for something other than the business classes,” Szymczak said. “I wanted something as a community and do more for it. We have a health science club her e, b ut no business club. So I wanted to make one as well to have a c ommunity and be able to collaborate and wo rk to g ether.”

Sarkady said it takes about a year for a club to start at the high school, including vetting and school board approval.

“Eve rything is validated to make sure it’s a club that will do well,” she said.

Bulld og s in Business is of f to a great start and offers monthly topical discussions on business matters. In Januar y, for example, the discussion was about Valentine’s Day and how the economy shifts at that time.

There are about 30 students involved and the board includes Isaacson; Szymczak, the president; sophomore vice president Alonzo Villegas; sophomore marketing supervisor Alex McQueeney; junior fundraising chair Sophia Jimenez; and

junior secretary Layla Konar. McQueeney takes part in the club because business might be something she wants to pursue as a career. And maybe not, but either way, she’ll be armed with the information and experience she needs to make an informed decision.

“ I’m involved because next year I’m taking AP Business, and I thought that this would be a g ood j ump start to ge t involved in the c ulture and see if that’s wh at I want to do in the f uture, ” she said. “Being on the b oard I think j ust helps me with that experienc e. ”

Jimenez, whose mom owns two busi nesses, joined Bulld og s in Business be c ause she is c ontemplating going i nto finance as a career, but li ke McQueeney, that’s just a maybe right now.

“This gives me more of a f eel of a re presentation of wh at I would be do ing,” she said.

But wh at are r ank-and-file students asking about the club? Turns out, a lot, a ccording to Vi lle ga s, who loves numbers and wants to go into financ e.

“I think a big one is marketing, bec ause that’s wh at lot of p eople want to go i nto,” he said. “I think for the firs t meeting, we had our sur ve y where we wanted to see wh at (students) we re most i nterested in, and by far marketing was the one that was most chosen. ”

Konar is i nterested in marketing , wh ich is why she joined

“I think that joining the club would be helpful to t ry to we igh my options and make that decision,” she said.

Where is Bulldogs in Business a year from now? T he board has big plans, on the order of DECA, the global career and technical student organization.

T here is no DECA progr am at RB, so Bulldogs in Business is the same type of oppor tunity

“I want to make it more c ollaborative,” Szymczak said. “Right now it ’s me and A lonzo r unning it, going up and presenting. I want to make it more of a group project, li ke we ’re to g ether li ke a real business, and c ompete in business competitions.”

Sarkady teaches Business 1, Business 2 and Social Media and Digital Marketing, and Bulldogs in Business ties back to the concepts she wants her students to remember upon graduation.

“I li ke innovation, driving change in growth,” she said. “I also li ke taking risks and creating value. T hese are all g ood wo rds. ”

Opinion

LETTERS

85K new town logo?

As a newer Brookfield resident, the town seal or logo is something I cherish and find incredibly unique. After getting our first letter from city government in 2021, I sliced the seal of f the envelope & taped it on the ice box next to a picture of our son, my prized Wayne Gretzky ’98 holographic trading card, and some other top-tier-worthy snippets and memories.

Later, in 2023, I reached out to village hall regarding if anything like a Brookfield flag or decal was available to purchase They never replied. I then chatted my neighborinos over a cold one in the alley, to find no one even knew what the aesthetically charming, old school + minimally radical new age town seal looked like, so I found the highest resolution image of it on the ol’ computer web and fabricated it onto a canvas flag through sublimation and some good ol’ tinkering in the woodshed with the Metallica cranking. I proudly fly this town logo on my weathered

front porch, looking westbound yonder onto the beauty that Brookfield is on a daily basis.

All that said, I admit — just my opinion but, hey — I know the PEP Party does whatever the heck they want in their monopolistic or rather smugly arrogant, condescension-rooted takeover of Brookfield over the years-er-decades (read the room, it is time for some new faces, y’all), but how about we spend the $85K on moving along the lead pipe replacement (Lead, scientifically proven to be extremely no-no to human health-o) instead of making our town seal more like something in my Aunt Greta’s bathroom, that says in Papyrus font “Live Laugh La Grange Park?”

Let’s keep some sanctity of character in this lil’ slice of Paradise we call Brookfield, ya?

Your future mayor,

Paul Pagæsh Brookfield

Change may a ect vote-by-mail ballots

On Jan. 2, the U.S. Postal Service issued a statement re garding its postmarking practices that may affect the inclusion of voteby-mail ballots in vote tallies in the March 17 Illinois Primary Election. Illinois voteby-mail ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and received with 14 days. According to the USPS statement, “We have made adjustments to our transportation operations that will result in some mailpieces not arriving at our originating processing facilities on the same day that they are mailed This means that the date on the postmarks applied at our processing facilities will not necessarily match the date on which the customer’s mailpiece was collected by a letter carrier or dropped off at a retail location.”

The League of Women Voters believes that

voting is a fundamental right of citizenship that must be guaranteed. It supports efforts to expand voter registration and access to voting mechanisms, including vote by mail. Therefore we want to alert voters to what they should do to protect their vote by mail ballots:

• Go inside your retail postal site and request that your ballot be manually postmarked.

• Use secure drop boxes where available or return your vote by mail ballot directly to the election authorities office.

• Consider the last day to put your vote-by-mail ballot in the U.S. mail as March 10, 2026.

Barbara Lamb & Curt Hansman Co-Presidents, League of Women Voters LaGrange Area

OBITUARIES

Mary Ann Moravek, 94

Av id athlete and reader

Mary A nn Mor avek, 94, a resident of Rive rside for 60 year s, died on Fe b. 10, 2026. A grega rious soul and mat riarch of a large f amily, she always p ut her friends and f amily ahead of herself

Her p assions included biking and tennis; wh ich she did well i nto her 80s. S he c ould often be seen pedaling her bicycle to one of the Rive rside tennis c ourts. An avid athlete, she was also a l ife g uard and a c ompetitive table tennis pl ayer. S he enjoyed reading and was a re g ular patron of the Rive rside Public Library.

Later in l ife, she affectionately refe rr ed to herself as “Goldie” after Goldie Hawn. S he enjoyed socializing at senior fairs and luncheons and pa rt icipating in Bingo g ames

One of her claims to f ame migh t have b een the first women trailblazer to wear gy m shoes on the Burlington Northern train line wh i le c ommuting to her downtown Chicago le ga l

secretary jo b.

Mary An n was the w ife of the late Joseph; the mother of Nora (Ron) Zborowski, Paul (Renee), A bigai l (Dick) S exton, A nne (Mark) Nystrom, and B rian (Laura); gr andmother of A nn Marie (Greg ), St ev ie (Brett), RJ ( Niki), Spencer (Mere dith), A stin, Corey (Gina), Daniel (Dave), E mma ( Eric), Ky le (Phoebe), late Elizabeth, Eileen (Gerardo), Tim, Mar y, and Christine; greatgr andmother of 11; and sister of the late Wi lliam (E ve lyn) Havlicek.

A gathering to honor her will be held on Fe b. 28, starting at 10:30 a.m. at St. Mary’s Catholic C hurch, 105 Herrick Road in Rive rside, followe d by Mass at 11.

Rudy Mudjer, 89 Union carpenter

Ru d olph L. “Rudy” Mudje r, 89 of Rive rside, for merly of Brookfield , died on Fe b. 17, 2026 at MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn. Born on April 20, 1936 in Chicag o, he was a U. S. Ai r Fo rce Vi etnam Wa r veteran and a B-52 Bomber pilot during the Vi etnam Wa r. He was ve ry proud of hi s Croatian heritage and wo rked as a Union ca rp enter at McCorm ick Plac e before retiring.

Rudy was the husband of Marija Mudjer (nee Djeljevic); the father of Nicholas (Jovita Ortiz) Mudjer; and the grandfather of Nicolas.

Visitation was held on Feb. 22 at

Johnson-Nosek Funeral Home, 3847 Prairie Ave., Brookfield. The funeral took place on Feb. 23, followed by interment with military honors at Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery, Elwood.

Online condolences, memories and photographs may be shared with the family at www.JohnsonNosek.com.

Sports

Injury can’t keep Gonzalez from fth at 2A state wrestling

Bulldogs’ O’Connor, Lombardo, Fenwick’s Burns make state debuts

By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter

Riverside Brookfield High School senior Izaiah Gonzalez felt slight pain in his right knee during the final moments of winning the 132-pound championshi p at the Class 2A Hinsdale South Sectional. T here was no way the injury was going to prevent him from stepping onto the top-six all-state awards stand at the state meet Saturday in Champaign .

“He didn’t really practice much leading up, so he hadn’t really tested it,” RBHS coach Nick Curby said. “He might have been a little bit protecting [at first]. As the tournament went on, I could definitely tell it was affecting him less and less. It was not as much of a problem although he did mention it was sore at times.”

He went out an all-stater by earning fifth p lace with a 10-4 victory over Morris sophomore Pa rker Barry (38-16) b ehind a 9-1 lead after two periods. Gonzalez (345) was 3-2 at his first state meet. Fo r hi s senior year, he move d to L aGrange Pa rk and transfer red to RBHS from Bremen, where he had twice q ualified for sectionals and c ame one sectional backdraw victory from reaching state in 2024.

“He really put that [knee] aside and wrestled really well,” Curby said. “He had some exciting moments but overall wrestled really well. Placing at state is always a great accomplishment.”

Gonzalez opened with a 19-5 major decision and had a huge 12-11 quarterfinal victory over Rockford East junior Victor Onfore (31-9). He fell behind 11-6 after a takedown with 56 seconds left but pulled of f a reversal with 36 seconds left and fourpoint nearfall to prevail.

In the semifinals, he lost by technical f all 19-4 to the eventual state champion, IC Catholic Prep j unior Max C umbee (43-7). He then lost his first wrestlebac

Riverside-Brook eld’s Izaiah Gonzalez wrestles Providence Catholic’s Lucas Forsythe during a 132-pound semi nal bout at the Class 2A Hinsdale South Sectional Feb. 14, in Darien, IL.

match 11-8 to fourth-place Washington

senior Lo g an Makiney (39-12) on a takedown and three-point nearfall in the final 21 second s.

RBHS senior Nick O’Connor (31-1 at 175) and junior Tony Lombardo (27-8 at 138) both were 0-2 in their first state trips O’Connor lost his opener 3-0 and by tech-

nical fall 15-0 to sixth-place Morris junior Brock Claypool (46-8) and 10-0.

Fenwick boys wrestling

Fenwick junior Burke Burns of Riverside (27-10) was 0-2 at 2A state, losing his opener by technical fall 19-2 to the state champion, Providence sophomore Justus (50-1), and 17-1.

STEVE JOHNSTON

Mercer keeps moving up RBHS record board

Senior guard becomes all-time leader in threes; RBHS girls lose in regional

By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter

Riverside Brookfield High School senior Cameron Mercer often studies replays of his team’s basketball games, looking for ways to improve. Then there are times he watches for fun, such as the Bulldogs’ 5748 victory over Thor nton Fractional Nor th his sophomore year, his first on varsity.

“I only had 21 points but it’s a game where I see I did a lot defensively, offensively, off the ball, on the ball. I took charges. I got a backcour t violation. I got some steals,” Mercer said. “That’s the kind of game I like watching over again just to remind myself who I am.”

That breakthrough performance now is quite common for Mercer, who further added his name to the record books in his final home game, Feb. 17.

Mercer became the program leader in career three-pointers and collected a careerhigh 33 points during the Bulldogs’ 60-47 victory over South Elgin.

Currently at 209, Mercer sank a thirdquarter three that passed the 207 threes by Randy Ramsey from 1995-99.

“I didn’t know about [the record] until they announced it,” Mercer said. “I don’t really have any feelings toward it, but it’s as cool as far as RB history.”

Seniors Colin Cimino (10 points with 2 threes, 7 rebounds), Ben Biskupic (6 rebounds) and Liam Enright (5 assists) and sophomore Noah VanTholen (6 assists) also contributed for the Bulldogs (23-7), who won 15 of their last 17 re gular-season games heading into the Class 4A Hinsdale Central Sectional as the No. 6.

They begin Morton Re gional play Wednesday against No. 11 Simeon (169). The winner most likely plays No. 3 Whitney Young (21-7) for the re gional title at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27, and a sectional semifinal berth at 7 p.m., March 4.

The Bulldogs haven’t won re gionals since 2022. With his career-high game, Mercer now has 1,397 career varsity points and moved past Tim Brasic (1,392 from

Riverside-Brook eld’s Cameron Mercer (5) is introduced before tip o against De La Salle during a nonconference game, Feb. 13, in Riverside.

1998-2002) into fourth place in RBHS history behind Chris Par rish (1,570 from 200408), Ryan Jackson (1,541 from 2008-11) and Ramsey (1,532).

Mercer leads the Bulldogs in points (20.9 per game), threes (83) and steals (73).

“Cameron’s improved in every way. His game has developed now to how you talk about three-level scorers. He’s really like a four-level scorer,” RBHS coach Mike Reingruber said. “He can get all the way to the rim, a very good mid-range game, hits the heck out of it from three and he creates a lot of offense from his defense.”

While acknowledging Cimino (9.9 ppg, team-high 178 rebounds) as the team’s “vocal leader,” Mercer also has tried to improve that part of game this season while keeping his cool consistency and calm demeanor

“People call me nonchalant sometimes but I just feel like some things are chill,” Mercer said. “No reason to get mad about it or re-

act. Things that are not in my control, I can’t really change. There’s no reason to beat myself over it.”

Mercer recalls meeting Reingruber at his sixth-grade basketball opener for Hauser Middle School. Like many RBHS players, he wasn’t a Junior Bulldog. He attended summer camp but only briefly before leaving for Kentucky to visit his father, for mer NBA player Ron Mercer.

Despite that background, focusing on basketball wasn’t a given.

“I talked to [my father] about it and he said I don’t have to fill his shoes. It was really just me choosing what I want to do with my life and it just happened to lean on basketball,” Mercer said. “I was into golf, soccer, baseball. Basketball was the sport that kind of stuck with me.”

He was entertained by the shooting exploits of NBA players like Michael Beasley and Russell Westbrook. He soon enjoyed

other aspects of the game

“I like defense, how you can affect the game without scoring. The dynamic of the team concept. That’s what I like about basketball mainly. The ups and downs, the goods and bads and the runs you can go on,” Mercer said.

“I just don’t like getting scored on in general. I’m OK with getting scored on off a screen but one-on-one, someone breaking me down, I ca n’ t stand that.”

RBHS/Nazareth girls basketball

Riverside Brookfield senior Arianna Hudson unknowingly played about three weeks this girls basketball season with a cracked rib. Injured the previous season, Hudson wanted to continue after the injury was diagnosed.

“They let me play. I just had to put a pad

STEVE JOHNSTON

LTHS boys basketball earns rst share of Silver since 2015

LTHS girls lose to St. Ignatius in regional nal; Smith reaches 1,000 points

By BILL STONE Contributing Reporter

Lyons Township High School senior Owen Carroll gladly celebrated at the expense of rival Hinsdale Central one last time, Feb. 17. The Lions just won 54-42 on their rival’s home court to clinch a share of their first West Suburban Conference Silver Division title since 2015 with an 11-1 record

LTHS (22-6) split its meetings with co-champion York (27-4), which was beating Downers Grove North 39-31 at the same time

“It means a lot. This is such a tough conference to win. Especially beating Hinsdale to win conference, too. It means everything,” Carroll said. “It’s an amazing feeling. We kind of felt that we were going to be pretty good this season and seeing it come to fruition is something we are very proud of.”

Nate Woods (21 points), Grant Smith (12 points, 4 rebounds), Carroll (10 points, 5 rebounds), Timmy Sloan (7 points, 4 rebounds, 4 steals), Tommy Blyth (4 points, 5 rebounds) and Grayson Lee (4 rebounds) fueled the Lions, who edged the fourth-place Red Devils (12-18, 6-6) in La Grange 39-33 Dec. 12.

The Lions trailed the rematch 25-22 at halftime but pulled ahead 36-33 after three quarters. They scored the first eight points of the

over it to keep it safe,” Hudson said.

The Bulldogs continued that desire and joy of playing all the way until the end Feb. 17. Despite losing to Nazareth Academy 6621 in the Class 4A Hancock Re gional semifinals after trailing 33-0 in the second quarter, RBHS was determined to play all out.

“This season, we kind of developed a really great team bond so if this was going to be our last g ame, we wanted to kind of end it on a positive note even if it wasn’t the outcome that we wanted,” said guard Addie Vaia, a senior captain with Hudson and Abby Weinert.

RBHS (11-18), the No. 16 seed in the Hinsdale Central Sectional, had lost to No. 1 Nazareth 73-13, Dec. 16, but won its previous four g ames. T he Roadrunners (30-3)

fourth quarter and answered a pair of Hinsdale Central threes with a dunk by Smith to start a 6-0 run and lead 52-39.

“It was a huge night for the guys. We knew Hinsdale was going to put up a fight,” LTHS coach Tom Sloan said. “We’ve had really good teams come through (in past years) and it’s just a really hard league to win.”

Hinsdale Central will happily see Carroll graduate. Last season, his amazing buzzerbeating shot just beyond half-court gave the Lions a 58-55 home victory and snapped the Red Devils’ 25-game winning streak.

“It’s just as good (clinching the Silver),” Carroll said. “Beating them any time is fun, especially since this is my last Hinsdale game so a nice memory to have.”

The Lions then beat Downers Grove South 61-47 on Senior Night Saturday to extend their winning streak to 11 games entering the Class 4A Jones Regional. Smith (28 points, 6 rebounds), Woods (12 points, 5 rebounds), Sloan (7 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists) and Dylan Holcer (7 rebounds) paced the victory.

The Lions are the No. 9 seed in the Hinsdale Central Sectional and begin regionals at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday against No. 8 Oak Lawn (238). The winner most likely plays No. 1 Curie (26-1) for the regional title at 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 27 and a sectional semifinal berth at 7 p.m. March 3.

“We’re hoping we can take this momentum into playoffs,” Carroll said.

LTHS girls basketball

Two days after reaching 1,000 career varsity points, Lyons Township girls basketball senior Gwen Smith was doing everything for

beat No. 8 Whitney Young 58-36 for the regional title, Feb. 19.

“Very proud they played hard. T hey have all year,” said RBHS assistant coach Emma Jarrell, coaching in place of recuperating head coach Jordan Mack or the third straight g ame. “They were a really fun group. And they did whatever we asked of them. A lot of seniors. We had a lot of fun. T hey worked hard. That’s all you can ask for.”

Vaia had eight points with 2 threes, Hudson had four points and Weinert, senior Maggie Por ter and junior Kate Hamilton also had threes

T he 5-foot-10 Hudson also had four steals and blocked four shots

just one more basket Feb. 19. Smith had the final shot of regulation in the Lions’ class 4A St. Ignatius Regional final against the host Wolfpack. Smith drove left of the lane heavily guarded and her bank shot was unsuccessful. The Lions went scoreless in overtime and lost 48-43 after trailing 35-25 during the third quarter.

“I’m really proud of everyone. It’s hard to come back in such a high-pressure game,” Smith said. “We were struggling with our offense the whole game so it really felt good to get those moments back. But at the end of the day, it just didn’t fall our way.”

Smith (16 points, 7 rebounds), freshman Kennedy Moore (11 points, 6 rebounds), senior Avery Mezan (7 points, 3 rebounds) led the Lions (20-11), the No. 4 Hinsdale Central Sectional seed who beg an the season beating Benet Nov. 17 with four seniors and Moore starting before a wave of injurie s.

All-state senior and Cornell recruit Emma O’Brien was lost to ACL knee surgery after being injured at York Feb. 3. Mezan (broken hand) and senior Anna Bigenwald (sprained ankle) also missed significant time

“It was a pleasure to have Avery come back and awesome to see (the seniors) play their last game together,” LTHS coach Meghan Hutchens said. “This is a good group that has worked really hard and had a lot of success This one game doesn’t define us.”

Smith elevated her game since the absences and again versus No. 5 St. Ignatius (21-11) with 10 second-half points.

The Lions’ five straight points tied the game 41-41 and Moore hit two of three free

“It feels good to have done some good things. T hey’re a really good team but we just had to play as hard as we can for the last g ame,” Hudson said.

Hudson fondly remembered returning to the court for the season opener. Weinert recalled making her first three as a sophomore reserve on varsity.

“I just remember all of the starters going crazy for me. That was a really welcome-tothe-team kind of moment,” Weinert said.

Seniors Lyla Shelton (19 points with 3 threes) and Stella Sakalas (16 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists) and freshman Mia Gage (19 points, 12 rebounds) led Nazareth. Sakalas equaled her career best of 33 points against Whitney Young on 15-for-

throws with 1:21 left for a 43-43 tie.

After the Wolfpack missed two shots, Smith got the rebound and the Lions called a timeout with 28.0 seconds left in regulation.

“I saw (Smith’s drive) developing and her posting and just chose not to call (another) timeout,” Hutchens said. “It was a good shot. Were people on her? Yes, but Gwen’s the person you want taking the shot.”

Smith, who will play at Gannon University (Erie, Pa.), surpassed 1,000 points with her first-quarter three in the 57-16 regional semifinal victory over Morton Feb. 17. She achieved the feat in only three varsity seasons

“I feel like it’s a testimony to my hard work and obviously wouldn’t have been possible without the support of my coaches at LT and on my travel team (Full Package Athletics) and also my teammates. It was a really big milestone for me,” Smith said.

Moore, sophomore Syd ney Munson, j unior Sinclair Zieba and freshman Evie Riopell made significant strides as starters or ke y sub s. One indication was the 65-47 victory Fe b. 6 over re gional champion Glenbard West j ust after Bigenwald returned

“It’s scary being a freshman on varsity. I’ve gotten way more confident in taking shots and communicating with my team,” Moore said. “The seniors were 100 percent the biggest factor. All of them are great leaders.”

“There’s not many teams that will go through as much adversity that we have throughout a season,” Hutchens said. “(Our underclassmen) have stepped up in big moments for us.”

18 shooting with a three. Gage (10 points, 6 steals) and juniors Sam Austin (8 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists) and Sophia Towne (5 points, 6 assists) also contributed

S akalas, who will pl ay at B righam Young, leads N azareth in career reb ounds (802) and is second in career points (1,866).

N azareth played St. Ignatius (21-11) in the Hinsdale Central Sectional semifinals Tuesd ay with the winner playin g No. 2 Downers Grove North (29-2) or No 6 Hinsdale Central (21-11) for the sectional title at 6 p. m. Thursd ay, Fe b. 20.

T he Lyons Township super- sectional is at 7 p. m ., March 2, with the winner ga ining a state semifinal berth in Nor mal.

PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICES PUBLIC NOTICES

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given, pursuant to “An Act in relation to the use of an Assumed Business Name in the conduct or transaction of Business in the State,” as amended, that a certification was registered by the undersigned with the County Clerk of Cook County. Registration Number: M26001329 on February 3, 2026 Under the Assumed Business Name of PIZZA DOM with the business located at: 905 S. LOMBARD AVE. UNIT 2, OAK PARK, IL 60304. The true and real full name(s) and residence address of the owner(s)/partner(s) is: DOMINIC VALLONE 617 WILLOW GLEN ST. ADDISON, IL 60101, USA

Published in Wednesday Journal February 11, 18, 25, 2026

PUBLIC NOTICE

SECTION I REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Landscape Maintenance and Watering 2026: Ogden Avenue, Cermak Road, Roosevelt Road and Depot District NOTICE TO PROPOSERS: The City of Berwyn (hereinafter City) is seeking Requests for Proposals for the project listed below. A Request for Proposal (RFP) packet is available at the City Clerk’s Office, City Hall, 6700 West 26th Street, Berwyn, IL 60402, or at https://www.berwyn-il. gov/government/bids-rfps

Sealed RFPs will be received at the City Clerk’s Office, until the time and date specified below, for: Landscape Maintenance and Watering 2026: Ogden Avenue, Cermak Road, Roosevelt Road and Depot District.

ADDRESS PROPOSALS TO: Attention of the City Clerk’s Office, City Hall, 6700 W. 26th Street, Berwyn IL 60402, on or before 10:00 a.m. on March 18th, 2026. Proposals shall be sealed and clearly marked on the front, “Proposal for Landscape Maintenance and Watering 2026: Ogden Avenue, Cermak Road, Roosevelt Road and Depot District.” Faxed or emailed proposals will not be accepted.

PROPOSALS ARE DUE NO LATER

THAN: 10:00 a.m. on March 18th, 2026. Proposers shall submit three (3) paper copies and one (1) electronic copy in .pdf format on a flash drive of their proposal.

is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

Restrictions or prohibitions of pets do not apply to service animals.

To complain of discrimination, call HUD toll free at: 1-800-669-9777

-- WJ/FPR/RB LANDMARK --

QUESTIONS: All questions and clarifications regarding this Request for Proposal (RFP) must be submitted no later than 5:00 p.m. on March 6th, 2026 by e-mailing or calling the following City Representative: John Marchand, Public Works Director, 708-749-6510, jmarchand@ci.berwyn.il.us

Published in Wednesday Journal, Forest Park Review, RB Landmark February 25, 2026

LEGAL NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE The Village of Oak Park will receive sealed bids from qualified contractors at the Public Works Center, 201 South Boulevard, Oak Park, Illinois 60302 Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. local time until 3:00 p.m. on Friday, March 13th, 2026 for the following:

Village of Oak Park 2026

Traffic Sign Materials Bid

Package Bid Number: 26 - 107

Bid documents may be obtained from the Village’s website at http://www.oak-park. us/bid. For questions, please call Public Works at (708) 3585700 during the above hours.

Published in Wednesday Journal February 25, 2026

PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Notice is hereby given by the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Brookfield, Illinois that bid proposals will be received for the following project:

the Edwin Hancock Engineering Company.

PUBLIC INFORMATION MEETING #2

2026 STREET IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD, ILLINOIS

This project will include the replacement of concrete curb and gutter, sidewalks, driveway aprons, and drainage structures, pavement widening, replacement of certain sections of combined sewers, milling and resurfacing certain pavements, landscaping disturbed areas, and performing other related work.

Sealed bids will be received up to the hour of 11:15 A.M. on Wednesday, the 11th day of March 2026, in the office of the Village Manager in the Village Hall located at 8820 Brookfield Avenue, Brookfield, Illinois. All sealed bids received will be publicly opened and read at 11:15 A.M. on the same day, Wednesday, the 11th day of March 2026, at the Village Hall.

Electronic copies of bidding documents, consisting of the bid proposal, project specifications, and project plans are available from the Edwin Hancock Engineering Co., 9933 Roosevelt Road, Westchester, Illinois 60154. Bidding documents can be requested by emailing info@ ehancock.com. No bidding documents will be issued after 4:30 P.M. on Friday, the 6th day of March 2026.

All bidders wishing to obtain bidding documents must be approved by the Village prior to obtaining bidding documents. All bidders must provide proof that they are prequalified with the Illinois Department of Transportation to perform at least 40% of the value of the work before being issued bidding documents. A non-refundable fee of Fifteen dollars ($15.00) will be required to obtain bidding documents. Proposals will only be accepted from bidders that have obtained bidding documents from

All bid proposals offered must be accompanied by a bid bond, cashier’s check or certified check in an amount not less than Five Percent (5%) of the total amount of the bid, as a guarantee that if the bid proposal is accepted, a contract will be entered into and the performance of the contract properly secured. Checks shall be made payable to the Order of the President and Board of Trustees of the Village of Brookfield. No bid proposal shall be considered unless accompanied by such bid bond or check.

Any bidder in doubt as to the true meaning of any part of the bidding documents may request an interpretation thereof from the Village. The bidder requesting the interpretation shall be responsible for its prompt delivery. At the request of the bidder, or in the event that the Village deems the interpretation to be substantive, the interpretation will be made by written addendum issued by the Village.

In the event that a written addendum is issued, either as a result of a request for interpretation or the result of a change in the bidding documents issued by the Village, a copy of such addendum will be emailed to all prospective bidders. The Village will not assume responsibility for receipt of such addendum. In all cases it will be the bidders’ responsibility to obtain all addenda issued.

The Contractor and Subcontractor shall comply with all regulations issued pursuant to Prevailing Wage Act (820 ILCS 130), and other applicable Federal Laws and regulations pertaining to labor standards.

The Village of Brookfield reserves the rights to determine the lowest, responsive, responsible bidder, to waive irregularities, and to reject any or all bid proposals.

BY ORDER THE PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF TRUSTEES

VILLAGE OF BROOKFIELD, ILLINOIS

Published in RB Landmark February 25, 2026

Scheduled by The Village of River Forest For Improvement of the Washington Boulevard Corridor The Village of River Forest will hold a second Public Information Meeting concerning the proposed improvement of Washington Boulevard Corridor. The Public Information Meeting will be held in the Community Room on the first floor of Village Hall (400 Park Ave, River Forest, IL 60305) on Thursday, March 19th, 2026 from 4:00 - 7:00 PM. All persons interested in this project are invited to attend this meeting.

The purpose of this public meeting is to share information and gather community input on Phase I of the project, which includes preliminary engineering and environmental studies for proposed improvements along Washington Boulevard between Thatcher and Lathrop Avenues. The proposed improvements are intended to enhance safety and accessibility for motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists.

This will be an open house–style meeting, and residents are encouraged to stop by at any time during the scheduled hours to review project materials, ask questions, and provide feedback. Village staff and members of the project team will be present to receive input, provide information, and answer questions. Those unable to attend in person may submit comments or questions via email to WashingtonCorridorProject@ primeraeng.com. Additional project information is available on the Village website or by visiting the QR code below:

The Village of River Forest is committed to ensuring accessibility for all participants. Persons with disabilities who require reasonable accommodations to attend or participate in this meeting are encouraged to contact the person listed below by March 12th to make arrangements. The contact may be by telephone, in writing, by fax or by telecommunications device for the deaf (TTY).

For additional information, please contact Jack Bielak, Director of Public Works & Engineering, Village of River Forest | 400 Park Ave, River Forest, IL 60305 | 708-714-3551

Published in Wednesday Journal February 25, March 4, 2026

Submit events and see full calendar at rblandmark.com/events

Why you should check your judges

Judges are powerful officials whose decisions can take someone’s freedom, remove a child from their parents, or evict someone from their home. They have the power to correct or perpetuate injustices. That’s why Injustice Watch created this guide to judicial candidates running in Cook County’s primary elections on March 17.

Illinois voters elect judges every two years. This year, 46 candidates are running for 29 judicial vacancies—continuing a trend of declining competition in these races. Most candidates are running for seats on the circuit court, where judges hear cases such as tra ffic tickets, divorces, evictions, and criminal charges. All candidates this year are running in the Democratic primary; the winners will run unopposed in the November general election.

Our team spent months researching the candidates’ legal experience, community involvement, donors, political connections, and controversies. Injustice Watch does not make recommendations or endorsements. Our guide has everything you need to be an informed voter.

About the cover

The cover art is inspired by Norman Rockwell’s 1968 illustration “The Right to Know,” which accompanied an editorial in Look magazine advocating for more government transparency during the Vietnam War. I see this cover as a reminder to our readers of their responsibility to watch what our government is doing and their power to demand transparency and accountability from judges and other elected officials.

—Verónica Martinez, Injustice Watch visual reporter

Find your subcircuit

Cook County is divided into 20 subcircuits, geographic boundaries first created in the 1990s to build a more diverse judiciary. About two-thirds of the county’s circuit court judges are elected from subcircuits. Once elected, they have the same roles and responsibilities as judges elected countywide.

Check this map to see which subcircuit you live in. If you’re not sure, you can check your voter ID card, scan the QR code on the opposite page, or visit injusticewatch.org/checkyourjudges

Primary voting

This year’s Illinois primary election is March 17. Early voting in Chicago’s 50 wards and sites around suburban Cook County starts March 2 (and earlier in downtown Chicago and at suburban courthouses).

To find your polling place and check your voter status:

• Chicago residents, visit chicagoelections.gov

• Suburban Cook County residents, visit cookcountyclerkil.gov/elections

Who can vote?

Voters must be at least 18 years old, be a U.S. citizen, and reside in their voting precinct for at least 30 days prior to Election Day. People with felony convictions can vote in Illinois as long as they are not serving a felony sentence in prison or jail. People in jail pre-trial and people on mandatory supervised release are eligible to vote.

Sources: Cook County, U.S. Census, Google Maps

MCCARTHY

Map by Jonathon Berlin and Mark Friesen

More in our digital guide

This is a condensed version of our guide, edited for space. For more detailed candidate profi les, including responses to our candidate survey, complete bar association evaluations, endorsements, and top campaign donors, scan the QR code or visit injusticewatch.org/ checkyourjudges.

Understanding the candidate icons

Current or former public defender

or former prosecutor

Current or former public defender: This candidate has served as a public defender, representing clients in criminal cases who can’t a fford a private attorney. Current or former prosecutor: This candidate has served as a prosecutor at the city, county, state, or federal level.

Appointed judge: This judge was appointed by the state Supreme Court to temporarily fi ll a vacancy. Appointed judges must run for a full term to stay on the bench. Past controversy: This candidate has been involved in some kind of personal or professional controversy. We report what we found in the “Notable” section and offer candidates an opportunity to respond to our reporting. Democratic Party pick: This candidate has earned the endorsement of the Cook County Democratic Party. The party only endorses candidates in countywide races.

Highly qualified ratings: Two or more bar associations have rated this candidate highly qualified or recommended. Not all bar associations give out ratings higher than qualified.

Negative ratings: At least two bar associations have said this candidate is not recommended or not qualified to be a judge. Candidates who don’t participate in the ratings process are automatically rated as not recommended.

JUDITH C . RICE 68, River Forest

Experience:

• Presiding judge of the Cook County Circuit Court’s domestic violence division (2021-present)

• Circuit judge hearing divorce, domestic and elder abuse, and eviction cases (2014-2021)

• Senior vice president of BMO Harris Bank, overseeing the bank’s community development activities and serving as its Community Reinvestment Act officer to ensure equitable lending (2007-2014)

• Deputy chief of sta ff to Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, working on public housing and economic development issues (2006-2007)

• Chicago City Treasurer, elected to oversee city investments (2000-2006)

• Commissioner, Chicago Department of Transportation (1999-2000)

• Commissioner, Chicago Department of Water (1996-1999)

• Various roles in the Chicago departments of law and revenue and as executive assistant to Mayor Daley (1989-1996)

• Cook County assistant state’s attorney in the criminal appeals and juvenile court divisions (1988-1989)

Law school: UIC Law (formerly John Marshall Law School) (1988)

Notable: Rice is well-regarded by domestic violence survivor advocates for her management of the domestic violence courthouse. She has led efforts to increase access to emergency petitions for restraining orders to nearly 24 hours per day.

Rice was the fi rst woman to head Chicago’s transportation and water departments. Rice would be the fi rst openly lesbian appellate court justice in Illinois. Rice’s father, Fred Rice, was Chicago’s fi rst Black police commissioner.

LUZ MARIA TOLEDO

46, Palos Hills

Experience:

• Cook County assistant state’s attorney, assigned to the civil bureau, where she defends the county in real estate tax matters. She spent 11 years prosecuting felony and misdemeanor criminal cases. (2007-present)

• Policy adviser, Illinois lieutenant governor’s office, working under then-Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn on proposed legislation related to consumer protections, health care, and the environment (2006-2007)

Law school: UIC Law (formerly John Marshall) (2006)

Notable: In 2020, Toledo won a case in which a New Jersey investment fi rm purchased a segment of the Kennedy Expressway in a Cook County tax sale, which the assessor’s office had misclassified as vacant land, then claimed it was owed $1 million in interest after the sale was deemed erroneous and voided.

44, Near South Side

Experience:

STEVEN Q. McKENZIE 59, Irving Park

Experience:

• Assistant corporation counsel supervisor, Chicago Law Department, overseeing lawsuits against property owners over building code violations (2006-present)

• Director of litigation, Law Center for Better Housing, representing tenants in court (2003-2006)

• Assistant defender, O ffice of the Illinois State Appellate Defender, representing clients in appeals (2002)

• Attorney for legal aid organizations in Cleveland and Chicago, representing people in poverty and people with HIV/AIDS (1998-2001)

Law school: IIT Chicago-Kent (1997)

Notable: McKenzie, who specializes in housing law, works for the city of Chicago helping to draft housing ordinances and suing landlords over building conditions. For example, McKenzie took numerous landlords to court for failing to heat homes during a cold snap in 2019. In 2014, he helped press the owner of an unsafe Pilsen building to aid tenants with relocation assistance. More recently, he represented the city in a lawsuit against the owners of Ellis Lakeview, a troubled apartment building in Kenwood.

• Circuit court judge appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court in January 2025, hearing tra ffic cases

• Judicial clerk to state Supreme Court Justice Mary Jane Theis, evaluating petitions for leave to appeal, reviewing and analyzing motions, and drafting opinions (2019-2025)

• Illinois assistant attorney general in the civil appeals division, fi ling briefs and conducting oral arguments before the Illinois Supreme Court and state and federal courts of appeals (2013-2018)

• Senior associate at a large law fi rm, focusing on complex commercial, employment, and products liability litigation (2008-2013)

• Law clerk, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (2006-2008)

Law school: University of Chicago (2006)

Current

Democratic Party pick

Past controversy

Appointed judge

COOK CIRCUIT COBBS VACANCY

COOK CIRCUIT | BURKE VACANCY

LINDA SACKEY

COOK CIRCUIT | COGHLAN VACANCY

ASHONTA C . RICE 47, Lower West Side

Experience:

• Attorney in private practice specializing in family law, but also handling real estate, probate, criminal law, and other matters. She also serves as a court-appointed child representative and guardian ad litem. (2007-present)

• Assistant public guardian, Cook County Office of the Public Guardian, representing children in minor guardianship cases, special education advocacy, administrative appeals, and advocacy for minors (2004-2007)

Law school: Loyola University New Orleans (2004)

Notable: Rice fi rst ran for judge in the 15th subcircuit in 2018. She ran for judge countywide in 2024, but was removed from the ballot by the Cook County Electoral Board for failing to include her married name in her fi ling paperwork. Rice was in divorce proceedings at the time.

In 2021, Rice was found by a Cook County Electoral Board hearing officer to have engaged in a “pattern of fraud” while gathering petition signatures for her mother’s campaign for Chicago Heights Park District commissioner. Rice disputed the officer’s fi ndings in an interview with Injustice Watch. “The fi ndings of the hearing officer are her fi ndings and her thoughts, but I testified under oath telling the truth. … I did not collect any fraudulent signatures.” The hearing officer struck 32 signatures collected by Rice; Rice’s mother did not appeal and was removed from the ballot.

MICHAEL CABONARGI 55, Wilmette

Experience:

• Circuit court judge appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court, hearing tra ffic cases (2025-present)

• Democratic counsel, U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, researching the backgrounds of Trump administration nominees (January-June 2025)

• Region 5 Director, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, implementing health care policies across six Midwestern states (2023-2025)

• Commissioner, Cook County Board of Review, evaluating and deciding property tax appeals (2011-2022)

• Senior attorney, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, prosecuting fi nancial fraud cases in the Chicago regional office (2005-2011)

• Attorney at two large Chicago law fi rms, where he also represented the Cook County Sheri ff ’s O ffice in police misconduct lawsuits and helped defend the City of Chicago following the closure of Meigs Field (2002-2005)

• Law clerk to U.S. District Court Judge William J. Hibbler (2000-2002)

Law school: University of Illinois (2000)

Notable: Before law school, Cabonargi was an aide to U.S.

Sens. Paul Simon and Dick Durbin, and he quickly rose through the Illinois Democratic Party ranks. In 2011, then-Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans appointed him to the Board of Review. He was reelected to the board unopposed three times, before losing his seat in 2022.

While Cabonargi was a board commissioner, his wife, Erin Lavin Cabonargi, worked from 2015 to 2019 as a director and consultant for Chicago developer Sterling Bay. Cabonargi initially told Injustice Watch he not only recused himself, but “completely walled off ” himself and his sta ff from any Sterling Bay property tax appeals during his wife’s tenure. Records show he and his sta ff participated in deciding at least three Sterling Bay appeals in that period, including one in which he and the other commissioners reduced the valuation of a Hyde Park fitness center, leading to a $110,000 reduction in its taxes. In two other appeals, Cabonargi agreed with other commissioners not to change property valuations. Records provided by the board did not show any other Sterling Bay appeals decided by the commissioners in that period.

Cabonargi told Injustice Watch his recusals put Sterling Bay at a disadvantage because the company’s cases were then decided by only two of the three commissioners. But records provided by the Board of Review showed no instance where Cabonargi recorded a recusal and only the other two commissioners voted on a Sterling Bay appeal. Cabonargi later asked to clarify his statements. “In no case did Sterling Bay receive a benefit while I was commissioner and while my wife worked at Sterling Bay that they would not otherwise have received based upon the evidence they submitted to the board because I interceded to give them a benefit,” he said.

In 2017 and 2018, the county Board of Ethics found Cabonargi and the two other Board of Review commissioners collected improper political donations from real estate professionals who practiced before the Board of Review. Cabonargi’s campaign violations mounted over nine months—even after two ethics board warnings. Cabonargi said he ultimately returned all $82,050 in excessive contributions reported in ethics notices.

In 2017, Cabonargi’s political aides created a second campaign committee, The Fund for 9th District Democrats. Of the $107,813 in donations to this new committee, $90,200 came from real estate professionals whose work included property tax appeals, an Injustice Watch analysis found. Cabonargi said in an interview that he followed the law and quickly returned excess contributions.

Cabonargi also promoted close political operatives to senior positions at the Board of Review while they did campaign work for him, the county O ffice of the Independent Inspector General reported in 2020. Cabonargi was “Commissioner A” in the report, and his role has not been previously reported. “There were no allegations of criminal or civil misconduct. There was no action. There was just no evidence of misconduct,” Cabonargi said.

From 2013 through 2019, Cabonargi sued two former Chicago Tribune columnists over $5,220 Cabonargi said he was owed following the sale of his Logan Square home to them. “It turned legal quickly, in a way I did not expect,” columnist Heidi Stevens told Injustice Watch. Cabonargi ultimately won in court and said he had little recollection of the events.

AVA GEORGE STEWART

58, Near North Side

Experience:

• Solo practitioner representing clients in tra ffic, DUI, and other criminal cases, along with civil litigation including wrongful death and breach of contract cases (2023-present, 2005-2021)

• Chief of the misdemeanor and tra ffic division for the Lake County State’s Attorney’s O ffice (2021-2023)

• City of Chicago municipal prosecutor handling driving offenses (2003-2005)

Law school: University of Illinois (2003)

Notable: Stewart is vice chair of the Illinois Guardianship and Advocacy Commission, a public body that oversees guardianship for people with disabilities and mental illness and advocates for their rights.

D’ANTHONY ‘TONY’ THEDFORD

55, Loop

Experience:

• Circuit court judge appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court, assigned to the pretrial division (2024-present)

• Attorney in private practice handling criminal defense, personal injury, employment, and civil rights cases (2005-2024)

• Cook County assistant public defender (1997-2005)

Law school: University of Alabama (1996)

Notable: Thedford represented the family of Calvin Cross, who was fatally shot by Chicago police in 2011, in a civil lawsuit. The city settled the case for $2 million. In 2021, county officials considered him to lead the public defender’s office, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Between 2011 and 2018, Thedford and his wife faced state and federal liens seeking about $249,000 in unpaid taxes, interest, and penalties. Thedford told Injustice Watch his state debt had been resolved and he continues to pay the IRS. He said he “will be able to wrap this up pretty soon.” Thedford said his debts ballooned after he and his wife bought a home and borrowed money to improve it shortly before the 2008 housing crisis. He noted that the Illinois Supreme Court vetted him before appointing him to the bench.

RADIANCE WARD

43, Kenwood

Experience:

• Cook County assistant public defender, serving as lead trial attorney in fi rst-degree murder cases. She previously worked in the felony trial, misdemeanor, and juvenile justice divisions. (2013-present)

• Case manager, Cook County O ffice of the Chief Judge, in the mortgage foreclosure division (2012-2013)

• Solo practitioner focused on domestic relations and tra ffic cases (2009-2012)

• Sta ff attorney, Life Span Center for Legal Services and Advocacy, representing domestic violence survivors in divorce and order of protection proceedings (2007-2009)

Law school: Loyola University Chicago (2007)

NATALIE L . HOWSE

52, Near South Side

Experience:

• Solo practitioner focused on contracts and civil litigation (2025-present)

• Assistant general counsel, Illinois Commission on Equity & Inclusion, reviewing agencies’ procurement decisions and equity policies and responding to Freedom of Information Act requests (2024-2025)

• Manager in the banking division of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, which oversees banks’ compliance with equitable lending laws (2024)

• Litigation attorney, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, representing the department in administrative cases against parents and legal guardians (2018-2024)

• Cook County assistant state’s attorney in several divisions, including felony review, juvenile court, and felony trials (2001-2018)

Law school: Howard University (2000)

Notable: Howse is the sister of Illinois Appellate Court Judge Nathaniel Howse Jr.

In 2018, Howse was terminated from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s O ffice. She told Injustice Watch in an interview she had no complaints about being fi red and reflected warmly on her experience there. “I think it was probably time for me to go,” she said.

Between 2007 and 2019, Howse faced two foreclosure cases and two eviction suits from her condominium unit, all of which were dismissed. In that period, she was also sued on three occasions for alleged unpaid debt and had her wages garnished for a default on a student loan. All cases were eventually dismissed and the judgments satisfied.

Howse has also been a landlord, and between 2005 and 2006 fi led a halfdozen evictions against tenants of a 12-unit building in Greater Grand Crossing that her family owned and has since been demolished. Howse said these experiences “would make me a little bit more compassionate for the litigants that appear before me. I understand those fi nancial hardships that they face.”

Howse is a past president of the Cook County Bar Association and has been the director of its foundation’s legal clinic since 2023.

ASHLEY GREER SHAMBLEY 41, Avalon Park

Experience:

• Cook County assistant public defender, mainly handling felony cases, currently assigned to the multiple defendant unit (2012-present)

• Review board member, Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to hear appeals in attorney disciplinary cases (2025-present)

• Associate at the law office of John Lyke, now a Cook County judge, focused on criminal defense (2011-2012)

Law school: DePaul University (2010)

Notable: Shambley is on the executive board of the public defenders union and has been outspoken about issues of racial justice and equity in the court system.

In 2020, Shambley spoke at a Black Lives Matter rally outside the Cook County criminal courthouse. “It is a di fferent life being a Black public defender, because these are our people every day who are ushered through those doors,” Shambley said at the time.

She also spoke with the Chicago Tribune in 2021 about the backlog of criminal cases as the court came back from the Covid-19 shutdown. She expressed frustration with elected officials who were blaming each other for the court closures and not addressing the root causes of violence.

Shambley represented Paris Sadler, who was accused of shooting a Chicago police officer in 2012. The case became controversial after a prosecutor was caught lying under oath. Sadler eventually pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

GINGER ODOM

56, Avalon Park

Experience:

• Circuit court judge appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court, hearing tra ffic cases (2025-present)

• Director of expungement, O ffice of the State Appellate Defender, overseeing a program educating people with eligible criminal records about how to expunge or seal their records (2020-2025)

• Assistant appellate defender, O ffice of the State Appellate Defender, representing criminal defendants in direct appeals (2004-2020)

Law school: IIT Chicago-Kent (2003)

TIFFANY N . BROOKS

49, South Shore

Experience:

• First deputy commissioner, Chicago Business A ff airs and Consumer Protection (2025-present)

• Chief of sta ff, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County (2023-2024)

• General counsel, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County (2020-2023)

• Assistant commissioner, Chicago Business A ff airs and Consumer Protection, serving as a liaison to the mayor’s office and to other officials (2018-2020)

• Investigator, Civilian O ffice of Police Accountability, reviewing police misconduct complaints (FebruaryJuly 2018)

• Legislative aide, Chicago City Council committees on economic development and education and child development, responsible for reviewing and drafting ordinances (2015-2018)

• Solo practitioner on a range of cases, including evictions, probate, criminal defense, and domestic relations (2013-2020)

• Senior lending manager and, later, sta ff attorney, Urban Partnership Bank, reviewing contracts and managing residential foreclosures (2004-2013)

Law school: UIC Law (formerly John Marshall) (2009)

Notable: Brooks previously ran for judge in the 5th subcircuit in 2022, but lost in a four-way race. In 2015, she ran for 5th Ward alderperson, losing to incumbent Leslie Hairston.

One of Brooks’ largest campaign donors, giving $2,500, is housing developer Elzie Higginbottom, whose East Lake Management & Development Corp. has been criticized for the conditions of its apartment buildings.

3RD

JOHN CARROLL 55, Riverside

Experience:

• Circuit court judge appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court, hearing domestic violence cases (2025-present)

• Deputy chief of sta ff, O ffice of the Illinois Attorney General, focused on legislation and criminal justice policy (2019-2025)

• Cook County assistant state’s attorney in several divisions, including felony trial, sex crimes, narcotics, and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. He also worked for nine years in the legislative unit. (2000-2019)

Law school: Loyola University Chicago (1999)

Notable: In 2021, Carroll was appointed to a four-year term on the Riverside Township Board. He has applied multiple times to be a judge.

3RD SUBCIRCUIT | SHERLOCK VACANCY

MARTIN DOUGLAS REGGI 74, Cicero

Experience:

• Solo attorney in Berwyn focusing on criminal and civil law, including real estate closings and bankruptcies (1985-present)

• Cook County assistant state’s attorney, drafting appeals and working in suburban courthouses (1980-1985)

Law school: Northern Illinois University (1979)

Notable: This is Reggi’s fourth run for judge. At 74, he is the oldest judicial candidate this year. He has run a limited campaign, reporting no contributions since mid-2024. He declined an interview, but in response to Injustice Watch’s candidate survey, he called his experience an asset. “My 45 years of independent legal practice, as a former prosecutor and longtime general practitioner, have prepared me to bring stability, integrity, and neutrality to the bench.”

RACHEL MARRELLO 51, Riverside

Experience:

• Operations counsel, Cook County Health, serving as a legal adviser for hospital leaders and ensuring compliance with employment laws (2022-present)

• Investigator, Cook County O ffice of the Independent Inspector General, leading investigations into alleged fraud, waste, and mismanagement (2010-2022)

• Attorney for the Cook County Shakman Compliance Administrator and the Forest Preserve of Cook County, investigating systemic patronage hiring practices (2007-2008; 2009-2010)

• Attorney at several small law fi rms, representing employees and labor unions in arbitration and employment benefit cases (2000-2010)

Law school: IIT Chicago-Kent (2000)

Notable: Marrello was an elected board member of Riverside School District 96 from 2013 to 2017. The Riverside-Brookfield Landmark described her as “not afraid to ru ffle feathers, asking tough questions and speaking her mind.” She was a critic of two former superintendents, one of whom she allegedly reported to the State’s Attorney’s O ffice for “questionable expenses,” the Landmark reported. No charges were fi led.

Her husband, Daniel J. Marrello, is a retired Riverside police officer.

5TH

STEPHANIE S . KELLY 52, Grand Boulevard

Experience:

• Contract attorney for a national legal recruiting fi rm (2023-present)

• Associate general counsel for labor and employment, Cresco Labs, a national cannabis company (2022-2023)

• Senior corporate counsel, Harley Davidson (2021-2022)

• General counsel, Chicago State University. She started as deputy general counsel and was promoted in 2018. (2017-2020)

• Partner at a national law fi rm, representing employers in labor cases (2014-2016)

• Partner at a large global law fi rm representing employers in labor law cases (2005-2014)

• Associate at a national fi rm (2001-2005)

Law school: IIT Chicago-Kent (2001)

Notable: Kelly is married to Cook County Circuit Court Judge David L. Kelly.

8TH SUBCIRCUIT | GAMRATH VACANCY

46, Lincoln Park

Experience:

• Cook County assistant state’s attorney serving as deputy supervisor of the labor and employment litigation division. She started in the civil actions bureau in 2017 and was promoted in 2019. (2017-present)

• Associate at an international law fi rm, focusing on complex commercial litigation and fi nancial services transactions and conducting internal and external corporate investigations (2010-2017)

• Law clerk for U.S. Appellate Judge William Bauer (2009-2010)

• Law clerk for U.S. District Judge Michael Mihm (2008-2009)

• Associate at a small law fi rm, focusing on commercial litigation cases (2007-2008)

Law school: Loyola University Chicago (2007)

Notable: Ori recently represented the Cook County Health and Hospitals System in a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging the health system failed to accommodate a pharmacy technician who refused to receive the Covid-19 vaccine on religious grounds. The county successfully argued vaccination was the best way to protect vulnerable patients and sta ff at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital.

47, Lincoln Park

Experience:

• Cook County assistant state’s attorney in several divisions, including felony trial, felony review, and the sexual assault and domestic violence bureau. Last year, she was promoted to deputy supervisor of fi rst appearance court, where she oversees detention eligibility hearings and trains sta ffers. (2003-present)

Law school: UIC Law (formerly John Marshall) (2003)

Notable: Dibler has prosecuted high-profi le cases, including a Michigan man who was found guilty of threatening to kill former Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

GARSON FISCHER

49, North Center

Experience:

• Illinois assistant attorney general, who has spent his career in the criminal appeals division, becoming a supervising attorney in 2019 and deputy chief in 2022 (2005-present)

Law school: Georgetown University (2005)

Notable: Fischer has represented the state in hundreds of cases before state and federal appeals courts. Last year, he defended the state’s concealed carry laws in a case before the Illinois Supreme Court. In 2016, Fischer helped prepare a case for argument before the U.S. Supreme Court that was ultimately dismissed.

ELIZABETH CHRISTINA DIBLER

KATHLEEN CUNNIFF ORI

68, Lincoln Park

Experience:

• Circuit court judge appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court, hearing tra ffic and domestic violence cases (2025-present)

• Worked at a large, national law fi rm focusing on appeals and complex motions on malpractice and workers’ compensation cases (2022-2025)

• Solo practitioner handling appeals and complex motions in civil and criminal cases (2021-2022)

• Cook County assistant public defender, who started out as a trial attorney in juvenile court and later handled felony trials and appellate cases. In 2003, he became a supervisor of the legal resources division, which handles appeals and post-conviction cases. He was promoted to chief of the division in 2008. He became chief of sta ff to then-Public Defender Amy Campanelli in 2015. (1984-2021)

Law school: DePaul University (1982)

Notable: Finkle was Campanelli’s chief of sta ff when she and the county were sued in 2017 by female assistant public defenders who said she and Sheri ff Tom Dart were not doing enough to address sexual harassment at the jail. The county settled the lawsuit for $14 million in 2020. Finkle was not named in the suit or accused of wrongdoing.

Finkle has been a fi nalist for Cook County associate judge twice and ran for circuit judge in 1996.

In January 2025, the Illinois Supreme Court appointed Finkle to a six-year term on the Board of Commissioners for the O ffice of the State Appellate Defender, which represents indigent defendants in appellate cases.

Former colleagues said Finkle has a “brilliant” legal mind, and attorneys who have appeared before him said he is very professional. But some domestic violence advocates have said he lacks patience to preside over a high-volume courtroom where emotions run high. They asked to speak anonymously because they don’t want their clients’ cases to be negatively impacted. In an interview, Finkle said he doesn’t believe he’s been unfair. “I understand sometimes someone can be dissatisfied with my ruling, and I’m sorry for that dissatisfaction,” he said.

DAN BALANOFF

46, Near West Side

Experience:

• Top aide to Cook County Board of Review Commissioner Samantha Steele, acting as a legal adviser and overseeing office operations. He also served as a lead litigator at the Illinois Property Tax Appeal Board, where he defended the county’s property assessment values. (2023-2025)

• Chief deputy commissioner, Cook County Board of Review, overseeing administrative functions and internal policies (2022-2023)

• Managing partner at Balanoff and Associates, focusing on estate planning, real estate, and consumer bankruptcy law (2007-present)

Law school: UIC Law (formerly John Marshall) (2007)

Notable: Balanoff comes from a prominent family of judges, politicians, and labor organizers. His father, Robert Balanoff, was a Cook County Circuit Court judge for 20 years until retiring in 2025. His grandmother, Miriam Balanoff, was a Cook County judge and state representative. His uncle, Clem Balanoff, was also a state representative as well as national political director for one of the largest unions representing public transit workers.

Balanoff ran unsuccessfully for judge countywide in 2022.

In June 2024, Balanoff was named as a co-defendant in a federal whistleblower lawsuit against Commissioner Steele. Frank Calabrese, a former employee, accused Balanoff of retaliation, alleging Balanoff demoted him and fi led false disciplinary complaints against him after Calabrese refused to leak information about the Chicago Bears’ tax appeal on their new Arlington Heights property. In January 2025, the county settled the lawsuit for $180,000 without admitting wrongdoing. In an interview with Injustice Watch, Balanoff denied the lawsuit’s allegations and said decisions related to Calabrese’s employment were made by Steele.

In June 2025, a month after Balanoff resigned from the Board of Review, the county’s Board of Ethics fi ned him more than $5,000 related to two investigations, records show. The fi rst alleged Balanoff conducted legal work for his own fi rm, engaged in personal travel, and attended two Cubs games on county time. The second said he wrongly allowed a

sta ffer to attend a conference on county time. Balanoff challenged the ethics board’s fi ndings, arguing that the board didn’t have jurisdiction, that he did not knowingly violate the county’s rules, and that his use of county resources did not interfere with his duties or impose extra taxpayer cost.

In an interview with Injustice Watch, Balanoff claimed the controversies surrounding his employment at the Board of Review stemmed from his attempts to unionize the office.

“When you come into an agency like the Board of Review, which has been fraught with corruption, bad decisions, and shadiness for years, and you try and change that, you get a lot of pushback,” Balanoff said.

KATHERINE CAROLE MORRISON

39, Near West Side

Experience:

• Partner at Burns Noland LLP, a small law fi rm, representing state and local governments, including the City of Chicago, and police officers in civil rights lawsuits. She has also defended hospitals, nursing homes, and medical professionals in malpractice cases. (2018-present)

• Associate at a national law fi rm, defending corporations, hospitals, and municipalities in civil lawsuits (2013-2017)

Law school: IIT Chicago-Kent (2012)

Notable: Morrison has helped represent the City of Chicago in high-profi le lawsuits, including a 2013 wrongful death case alleging the Chicago Police Department’s “code of silence” protected a former homicide detective who killed two young men when he crashed into their vehicle while driving drunk. The city settled the lawsuit in 2017, and City Council approved a $20 million payout.

Morrison is the daughter of state Sen. Julie Morrison, a Democrat representing parts of Chicago’s northern suburbs. Morrison’s judicial campaign has received $72,800—the legal limit—from her mother’s campaign fund, as well as $30,000 from Illinois Senate President Don Harmon’s campaign committee.

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LESTER FINKLE

11TH

44, Oak Park

Experience:

• Cook County assistant state’s attorney, in the child protection division (2019-present)

• Supervising administrative law judge for the Illinois Department of Human Services, presiding over hearings on public assistance eligibility (2018-2019)

• Attorney at the O ffice of the Cook County Public Guardian, representing minors in abuse and neglect proceedings (2011-2018)

• Sta ff attorney at a domestic violence legal clinic, representing survivors in order-ofprotection hearings (2011)

• Fellow at the Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services, representing victims of elder abuse and exploitation (2008-2010)

Law school: DePaul University (2008)

Notable: For more than 15 years, Knox and his wife have been licensed foster parents with the Hephzibah Children’s Association in Oak Park.

48, Elmwood Park

Experience:

• Solo practitioner based in River Grove primarily handling criminal defense, real estate law, probate, and estate planning (2009-present)

• Associate at a small Chicago law fi rm (2005-2009)

Law school: UIC Law (formerly John Marshall) (2005)

Notable: Carrozza is a fourth-degree member of the Knights of Columbus, whose leaders have historically opposed abortion rights and same-sex marriage. In an interview, Carrozza said he takes no issue with same-sex marriage, and although he opposes abortion on religious grounds, his views would not impact his decision-making as a judge. “Obviously, I would do my absolute 110% best to always be fair and impartial. I do truly believe that my beliefs— whatever they may be—would not come into play with regards to any type of rulings,” he said.

11TH SUBCIRCUIT ROBERTS VACANCY

43, Park Ridge

Experience:

• Circuit Court judge appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court, assigned to the domestic violence division (2025-present)

• Cook County assistant state’s attorney, who prosecuted felony cases at the Leighton Criminal Courthouse, served in the grand jury and felony review units, and prosecuted felony and misdemeanor cases at the Skokie courthouse (2008-2025)

Law school: DePaul University (2008)

Notable: Przekota ran for judge in the 11th subcircuit in 2024 but lost in a close race. She was a Division I college swimmer and water polo player and is the head coach of the Loyola Academy girls water polo team. She is married to Wilmette police Sgt. Chris Przekota.

13TH SUBCIRCUIT CURRY, JR. VACANCY

54, Inverness

Experience:

• Cook County assistant state’s attorney assigned to the Skokie courthouse, where he handles felony preliminary hearings, grand jury indictments, and alternative to prosecution programs. Previous assignments include felony trial, child sex crimes, and felony review units. (1999-present)

Law school: IIT Chicago-Kent (1999)

Notable: Groebner’s wife, Susanne, died in 2022 at the age of 46, less than two years after she was elected as a Cook County Circuit Court judge. Groebner’s mother is bankrolling his campaign with a $344,300 loan.

13TH

46, Elgin

Experience:

• Managing partner of Pedersen & Irvin Ltd., in Kane County, working with former Aurora mayor and Republican gubernatorial candidate Richard Irvin on criminal defense and civil litigation (2017-present)

• Partner at the Law O ffices of Tegeler & Pedersen, which became Pedersen’s private practice following her former law partner’s election to the Kane County Circuit Court (2012-2017)

• Kane County assistant public defender, representing indigent individuals, including those involuntarily committed to Elgin Mental Health Center (2009-2012)

Law school: Loyola University Chicago (2008)

Notable: Pedersen ran unsuccessfully for Kane County judge twice, in 2020 and 2022. In both races, Pedersen was not recommended by the Illinois State Bar Association, based on negative reviews from dozens of fellow attorneys.

Pedersen has been charged with driving under the influence three times since 2004, court records show. In the fi rst two cases, she ultimately pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of reckless driving. Her latest arrest came in September 2023, after police in Streamwood pulled her over for speeding and the officer noted signs of impairment, records show. The DUI charge in that case was ultimately dismissed, and Pedersen successfully petitioned to expunge the charge from her record over the objections of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s O ffice, records show. “I’ve made mistakes in my life, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t pick myself back up and keep going because that’s the type of person I am … and that’s why I believe that people deserve second chances, and third chances, and maybe sometimes a fourth,” Pedersen said in an interview.

Pedersen is the president of her father’s landscaping company, which was sued in federal court over wage theft allegations in 2018 and 2019, court records show. The earlier lawsuit was settled for an undisclosed amount. The most recent lawsuit, which also named Pedersen as a defendant, was certified as a class-action suit and settled in 2020 for about $100,000. Pedersen said that her father runs the business and she helps with its fi nancial and legal dealings and that the company’s attorneys recommended settling the wage-theft claims.

13TH SUBCIRCUIT | THOMAS J. KELLEY VACANCY

WILLIAM F. KELLEY 71, Schaumburg

Experience:

• Managing partner at Kelley, Kelley & Kelley, a law practice founded by his father that specializes in commercial law, business law, and estate planning (1984-present)

Law school: Loyola University Chicago (1980)

Notable: Two of Kelley’s brothers and former law partners, Martin C. Kelley and Thomas J. Kelley, are former Cook County Circuit Court judges. Martin Kelley died in 2024, and Thomas Kelley, whose seat his brother is running for, retired in 2025.

Kelley is the chair of the Board of Trustees of Harper College in Palatine. He has been on the board since 2003 and previously served as dean of graduate studies.

BRITTANY MICHELLE PEDERSEN

JARRETT KNOX

JOHN R . CARROZZA

KIM PRZEKOTA

ROBERT ‘BOB’ GROEBNER

DAN NARANJO

53, Barrington

Experience:

• Circuit court judge appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court and assigned to the domestic violence division (2025-present)

• Cook County assistant public defender, serving most recently in the multiple defendant and felony trial divisions (2000-2025)

• Associate in a small law fi rm in Miami specializing in criminal defense (1997-2000)

Law school: University of Miami (1997)

Notable: For more than 20 years, Naranjo’s primary residence was in Lake County, according to interviews and property records. Naranjo said he applied to become an associate judge in Lake County in 2024, but was unsuccessful. In December that year, the Illinois Supreme Court began accepting applications to fi ll the vacant Cook County Circuit Court seat previously held by Shannon P. O’Malley, who lost retention after Injustice Watch questioned whether he lived in Cook County, as required. By then, Naranjo said he had moved into a rental in Cook County in order to submit his application. In February 2025, Naranjo and his wife purchased a condo at the edge of the 13th subcircuit. Naranjo was appointed to the O’Malley vacancy in June and put his Lake County house up for sale a month later.

Naranjo was born in Cuba and immigrated to the U.S. as a 1-year-old with his family.

54, Calumet City

Experience:

• Lead attorney, Cook County State’s Attorney’s O ffice child support services division, litigating civil cases on behalf of the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services and criminal cases related to unpaid child support, currently supervising about 12 attorneys (2008-present)

Law school: Thomas Cooley Law School (2006)

Notable: As a child, Moore was a member of the performance troupe Emmett Till Players. Moore also worked as an personal assistant to Mamie Till Mobley, mother of Emmett Till, and continues to serve on the Mamie Till Mobley Memorial Foundation executive board.

In the 1990s, Moore was the host of a popular gospel radio program on WYCA.

In 2024, Moore disclosed to the state’s attorney’s office secondary employment in a real estate investment business she runs with a friend and as a distributor for two multilevel marketing companies: Organo Gold and LifeWave. Moore told Injustice Watch she does not currently have active distributors working under her through either company. “I never sought to move up the ranks,” she said.

MERIDTH HAMMER

55, South Chicago

Experience:

40, Garfield Ridge

Experience:

• Partner in a small law fi rm focused on criminal defense (2018-2025)

• Cook County assistant state’s attorney, prosecuting criminal cases and enforcing child support matters (2013-2018)

Law school: UIC Law (formerly John Marshall) (2013)

41, Near West Side

Experience:

• Deputy general counsel, Illinois O ffice of the Comptroller, providing legal advice on public records requests, contracts, labor and employment, and other issues (2023-2025)

• Senior trial associate at a midsized Chicago law fi rm, managing litigation while conducting trial work and mediations (2016-2023)

• Associate at three Chicago law fi rms, working on personal injury, product liability, and other civil litigation (2012-2016)

Law school: IIT Chicago-Kent (2012)

• Attorney in private practice focused on probate, mortgage foreclosure, and estate planning (2009-present)

• Hearing board member for the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission, issuing recommendations on attorney discipline (2023-present)

• First deputy general counsel, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County (2024-2025)

• Supervising administrative law judge for the Illinois Department of Employment Security, hearing appeals of unemployment benefits decisions (2023-2024)

• Deputy general counsel, Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County (2019-2021)

• Corporate counsel, Crosstown Community Development Corporation, a nonprofit in Indianapolis (2009-2012)

• In-house counsel for a software company and a technology consulting fi rm (2004-2009)

Law school: Indiana University (2001)

Notable: Hammer previously ran for judge in a 2022 countywide race and received not recommended ratings from the bar associations. She also unsuccessfully ran for a seat on the South Chicago (4th) Police District Council in 2023.

On a resume submitted to Injustice Watch in early December and posted on her campaign site, Hammer listed her current job as fi rst deputy general counsel for the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County even though she left the role in August 2025. She updated her resume in mid-January after Injustice Watch raised questions, but her website’s About page remained unchanged as of Feb. 2.

Between 2010 and 2020, Hammer faced Indiana and federal tax liens over more than $34,000 in unpaid taxes, all of which were repaid. A number of civil credit judgments were also entered against her in that period, court records show. Hammer has also faced foreclosure on property she owned in Indianapolis and been sued in eviction court. All cases were dismissed. Hammer said experiencing fi nancial setbacks would inform her perspective as a judge. “I do understand people having to be in that position,” she said. “It’s a tough decision to have to choose between paying your mortgage and feeding yourself.”

JULIAN SANCHEZ CROZIER

JESSICA KARINA VELEZ

NATALIA MOORE

AMARI DAWSON

52, Homewood

Experience:

17TH SUBCIRCUIT | CARROLL VACANCY

• Cook County assistant state’s attorney in several divisions, including felony review and felony trials, and currently serving in the appeals division (2007-present)

• Director of community corrections at Beloved Community Family Services, a nonprofit organization based in Englewood, where she supervised juvenile diversion programs (2005-2007)

Law school: University of Mississippi (2004)

Notable: At the age of 19, Dawson was sentenced to two years of probation and fi ned $510 in connection with a federal drug tra fficking case, according to news reports. Dawson, who referenced her criminal record when she applied to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s O ffice, did not respond to Injustice Watch’s requests for an interview. Her campaign website refers to Dawson as a teen experiencing “challenges such as dealing with emotional trauma caused by violence, managing motherhood while still in adolescence, and confronting the flaws present within the justice system.” Before law school, Dawson worked as a parole agent for the Illinois Department of Corrections.

BIANCA B . BROWN

40, Lynwood

Experience:

• Associate at a Chicago law fi rm specializing in personal injury defense and wrongful death litigation (2025-present)

• Chief attorney, Chicago Transit Authority, handling complex civil litigation (2021-2025)

• Hearing board member, Illinois Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission, issuing recommendations on attorney discipline (2016-2025)

• Cook County assistant state’s attorney, in the civil division, defending agencies and employees in federal civil rights and other litigation (2018-2021)

• Regional director and assistant attorney general, consumer protection division of the Illinois Attorney General’s O ffice, representing the state in lawsuits against businesses and employers accused of fi nancial fraud and discrimination (2013-2018)

• Assistant corporation counsel, City of Chicago, focused on municipal misdemeanor prosecutions,

particularly violations of the city’s gun ordinance (2011-2013)

Law school: Thomas Cooley Law School (2010)

Notable: Brown is the granddaughter of Ethel Skyles Alexander-Taylor, who served in both the Illinois Senate and House between 1979 and 1993.

ANDRÉ THAPEDI

57, South Chicago

Experience:

• Illinois state representative, serving the 32nd District on the South Side. In 2020, he investigated the Covid-19 outbreak at the LaSalle Veterans’ Home that killed 36 residents. (2009-2021)

• A biography by the Illinois General Assembly’s Legislative Review Unit said Thapedi had previously worked in the Cook County State’s Attorney’s O ffice and the law department of the Chicago Transit Authority, and spent eight years as an attorney at two law fi rms before becoming a partner in Thapedi & Thapedi. Injustice Watch could not verify the dates of these positions.

Law school: UIC Law (formerly John Marshall) (1996)

Notable: Thapedi is the son of the late Cook County Circuit Court Judge Llwellyn Greene-Thapedi. They practiced law together before her death in 2014. As a member of the General Assembly, Thapedi was the fi rst Black chair of the House judiciary-civil committee.

Florida land and business records show Thapedi has maintained a presence in the Fort Myers area for many years. In May 2021, Thapedi surrendered his Illinois driver’s license for a Florida license. Thapedi moved to the 17th subcircuit in February 2025, using a trust to buy a home just inside the subcircuit boundaries. His mortgage called this property his secondary residence and stated his current residence was in Florida. The following month, Thapedi updated his Illinois voter registration with his Chicago home’s address, records show.

In 2012, Thapedi contested allegations of legal incompetence after he briefly represented the family of a 3-year-old Cabrini-Green housing project resident killed after a gate collapsed. Thapedi and his mother claimed legal fees of $597,068, but the trial judge awarded them only about $79,000 after evaluating allegations the Thapedis “grossly overstated” their hours. An appellate court upheld the decision. The Thapedis denied wrongdoing. Thapedi did not respond to requests for comment.

18TH SUBCIRCUIT | ANDREOU VACANCY

SAM BAE 54, Mount Prospect

Experience:

• Attorney in private practice in Des Plaines focusing on personal injury, real estate, civil rights, domestic relations, and other civil cases (2012-present)

• Attorney at a small fi rm with his sister, Jennifer, practicing in civil court (2000-2012)

• Associate at a midsize Chicago fi rm working on personal injury, commercial, discrimination, and civil rights cases (1999-2000)

Law school: UIC Law (formerly John Marshall) (1998)

Notable: Bae immigrated to the U.S. from South Korea with his family in 1978. He ran unsuccessfully for judge in a northwest suburban subcircuit in 2014. He was elected to the board of River Trails School District 26 and served from 2017 to 2021.

Experience:

• Cook County assistant public defender assigned to the Rolling Meadows courthouse. He previously handled felony and misdemeanor cases in Chicago and represented young people in juvenile court as well as parents in custody hearings. (2010-present)

• Worked at a small suburban law fi rm representing clients in tra ffic and minor criminal matters (2009-2010)

Law school: Northern Illinois University (2009)

Notable: Ponce de Leon’s uncle is retired Judge Edmund Ponce de Leon, the former presiding judge in Maywood and the fi rst Hispanic judge to oversee a court division in Cook County.

SARA McGANN 47, Beverly

Experience:

• Circuit court judge appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court, hearing tra ffic cases (2025-present)

• Cook County assistant state’s attorney, working as a supervisor in the criminal appeals division. She previously handled misdemeanor cases and preliminary hearings in the fourth municipal district and worked in drug, mental health, and veterans treatment courts in the fi fth and sixth municipal districts. (2009-2016; 2018-2025)

• Enrollment director at a private high school, leading a capital campaign and supervising workers (2017-2018)

• Public a ff airs director, Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation, managing media relations (2016-2017)

Law school: UIC Law (formerly John Marshall) (2009)

JUAN PONCE DE LEON 42, Des Plaines

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MONICA SOMERVILLE 64, Beverly

Experience:

• Sta ff attorney, Cabrini Green Legal Aid, assisting clients with expungements (2025-present)

• Hearing officer, Chicago Department of Business A ff airs and Consumer Protection, hearing appeals related to business license revocations (2024-present)

• Senior attorney, Forest Preserves of Cook County, focusing on contracts and litigation (2023-2024)

• Deputy director, Chicago Department of Finance, working on collection programs and supervising the system to resolve ticket disputes (2018-2021)

• Director of the workers’ compensation program for the Chicago City Council committee on fi nance (2013-2017)

• Supervising administrative law judge, Illinois Department of Employment Security, conducting hearings on unemployment appeals cases (2009-2013)

• Attorney representing the U.S. Postal Service Law Department on employment discrimination cases (2007-2009)

• Administrative law judge, state Department of Employment Security (2003-2007)

• Chief assistant corporation counsel, City of Chicago Law Department, handling wrongful death and other civil lawsuits (2000-2001)

• Litigation counsel, Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (1997-2000)

• Assistant corporation counsel, City of Chicago, handling personal injury and negligence cases (1991-1997)

Law school: UIC Law (formerly John Marshall) (1989)

Notable: In April 2024, Somerville’s job with the Forest Preserves of Cook County was terminated without explanation before the end of her probationary period, personnel records show. Somerville did not respond to requests for comment.

In 2001, she was fi red from the Chicago Law Department. She claimed in a 2002 lawsuit that she was fi red after she spoke out about race and sex discrimination by her boss, but the city cited poor performance as the reason. Her lawsuit was dismissed.

From 2013 to 2017, Somerville helped run the city’s controversial workers’ compensation program, which was operated for decades by Ald. Ed Burke’s fi nance committee until he was indicted in 2019. A subsequent audit of the program, which included the last year Somerville was in charge, found it did not have measures in place to detect or prevent fraud and that claims data was incomplete and disorganized.

JOHN HARKINS 55, Palos Heights

Experience:

• Assistant general counsel, Cook County Sheri ff ’s O ffice. He previously served as director of the Sheri ff ’s Work Alternative Program, a public policy aide, and as liaison to the judiciary. (2009-present)

• Trader at two Chicago investment fi rms (2002-2009)

Law school: UIC Law (formerly John Marshall) (2017)

Notable: Harkins’ wife, Jenny Harkins, is the niece of former Cook County Sheri ff Michael Sheahan and James “Skinny” Sheahan, a former aide to Mayor Richard M. Daley. Jenny Harkins’ sister is married to 19th Ward Ald. Matt O’Shea. The Sheahan brothers and O’Shea are listed as part of his campaign committee, along with Sheri ff Tom Dart.

Harkins was admitted to the Illinois bar in 2018. Most bar associations will not fi nd a judicial candidate qualified if they have not been an attorney for at least 10 years. Harkins did not respond to questions about his experience.

DAVE CONDRON 51, Beverly

Experience:

• Assistant corporation counsel supervisor, Chicago Law Department, representing the city in civil rights and police misconduct cases (2023-present)

• Associate at a small fi rm, litigating contract disputes (2018-2023)

• Associate at a small Chicago fi rm focused on eminent domain on behalf of various state transportation agencies and personal injury defense (2017-2018)

• Cook County assistant state’s attorney, working in the civil actions bureau, the gang crimes unit, and the public corruption and fi nancial crimes unit (2001-2017)

Law school: IIT Chicago-Kent (2000)

Notable: Condron is married to Yvette C. Loizon, chief of policy for Cook County State’s Attorney Eileen O’Neill Burke.

MICHAEL J . ZINK 46, Lakeview

Experience:

• Circuit court judge appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court, hearing civil cases in the fi rst municipal district (2024-present)

• Partner at a small fi rm specializing in housing and eviction (2004-2024)

Law school: DePaul University (2004)

Notable: Zink unsuccessfully ran for judge in 2024 in the 20th subcircuit. Zink’s campaign website at the time said he “directs his practice towards tenants’ rights and independent landlord support,” but court records showed Zink almost exclusively represented landlords in eviction cases. “What I’ve done quite a bit, in recent years especially, is try to keep tenants out of eviction court,” he said at the time.

Experience:

• Administrative law judge, Illinois Department of Employment Security (2022-present)

• Panel arbitrator, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, resolving securities-related disputes (2021-present)

• Partner at two small law fi rms, focused on civil litigation, family law, and criminal defense (2008-2010)

• Assistant defender, O ffice of the State Appellate Defender, fi ling postconviction petitions on behalf of people in prison who had previously been given death sentences (2004-2010)

• Solo practitioner, focused on civil litigation, criminal defense, and postconviction proceedings (2000-2004)

• In-house counsel to the Teamsters’ Central States Funds (1997-2000)

• Associate and partner at a midsize law fi rm handling commercial, tort, employment, intellectual property, and criminal defense matters (1985-1997)

• Law clerk, U.S. District Judge Harold A. Baker (1984-1985)

Law school: University of Minnesota (1984)

Notable: From the late 1980s until 2003, Stromsta provided pro bono representation to clients in Illinois death penalty cases. Stromsta ran unsuccessfully for a 10th subcircuit vacancy in 2020.

BELLE KATUBIG 60, Lakeview

Experience:

• Cook County assistant state’s attorney in the medical litigation unit, defending doctors and sta ff of the Cook County Health System (2018-present)

• Associate and partner at a Chicago law fi rm representing doctors in medical malpractice cases (2001-2018)

• Attorney at two Chicago law fi rms (1997-2001)

Law school: UIC Law (formerly John Marshall) (1996)

JON STROMSTA 66, North Center

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Research & reporting:

Carlos Ballesteros, Aura Bogado, Alejandra Cancino, Maya Dukmasova, Kelly Garcia, Dan Hinkel, and David Jackson

Editing & project management: Jonah Newman

Engagement & promotion: Nathan Armstrong, Danny Callison, Amanda Miley, Charles Preston, Jason Schumer, and Maggie Sivit

Web development: Monkruman St. Jules and Hayley Owens

Cover illustration: Verό nica Martinez