The seemingly endless primary election season has finally reached Illinois. While the national election might be getting the most attention, it is the local races and refernda that are our focus here at Palos Patch.  Our Election Central page is bursting with information on all the day's races. Visit the page to read candidate questionnaires, explore past coverage and find links to voting information like polling place locations.  I have been paying particularly close attention to the Palos Fire District Rederendum this season, so check out that page for all the background information.  …

What a difference a year makes. It was one year ago today that the Chicago area was blanketed in almost two feet of snow. Cars were snowed in, streets were impassable and kids looking to build snowmen had to wade through the waste-deep white stuff.  Today, not a speck of snow or ice is on the ground. The unseasonably warm temperatures makes a major snowfall a distant thought. What better way to celebrate this warm weather than a look back a what last Feb. 1 had to offer. Re-live our coverage of last year's snowfall: Will the Blizzard of 2011 Top 1967? Live Updates on Blizzard 2011 Palos Park …

With Super Bowl on the immediate horizon we thought it would be the perfect time to delve into the most controversial topic in the south suburbs. Who serves up the best pizza? Over the course of the next few days we will be stacking up the best locally owned pizza shops against each other. We want to end up with the strongest pizza in Palos so we can top all those other suburbs who think they are home to the best pies around. (I will be inconsolable if a Lincoln-Way area site wins.)   We are focusing on locally owned places. Independently owned shops with maybe a few locations at the most. No…

The SouthtownStar ran an editorial today endorsing the idea of a merger between the Palos Fire Protection District and the Orland Fire Protection District. The notion was first floated by Orland Fire President James Hickey on Jan. 12 in a press release. The Orland Fire Board will meet Tuesday evening and are expected to discuss the issue. Palos Fire Chief Steve Carr has said he was not made aware of that specific proposal before its public release. The editorial states that Palos' $200,000 budget shortfall and impending referendum could push the districts toward a union. While the pros and …

If you are reading this post, then you already are somewhat familiar with the site. What you might not know is that you are missing out if you don't follow us on Facebook. Palos Patch's Facebook page is a great way to stay updated on the latest news throughout the day. I post links to stories, short news items and photos every day. It's a great way to get the news as soon as it happens. The page is also the perfect place for you to ask questions and engage in discussion about what's happening around town. You can post photos, or add your own news tips. It has come in handy for winter weather …

Last week I stopped by PHTV's studio to talk about the top 10 stories of 2011 on Patch. I chose the stories based on a few factors. Many were the most widely read posts on the site. Some like the Granat murders and TCF Bank robbery gained national attention and brought huge numbers of people to the site. Others were examples of Patch's overall mission, to tell the stories of the people who live in the Palos area and why they matter to their community.   Channel 4 has always been incredibly supportive of the site and I thank Ron and Sue Jankowski and Jordan Huenink for inviting me to appear. …

With 2012 in full swing now is the perfect time to catch you up on some of the important developments around these parts and remind you of some site features you may not know about.  Let's Get Social I know many of you are used to thinking of the site as an online newspaper. While we always try to bring you the most timely and informative stories about the Palos area, the site exists as something more.  On Patch you are able to post your own events, announcements and share information through our Local Voices blogging platform. We also have a comprehensive local business directory. All these …

One of the most frequent complaints I hear from Palos area residents is the number of empty storefronts in their town. In actuality the Palos area is doing slightly better than most in keeping the business occupancy rate up. Yet the fact remains that in today's economy running a successful retail small business is hard work. Shopping malls filled with chain stores and big box retailers with their cheaply made products and cheaper prices have in many ways taken over the retail game.  Locally owned operations face stiff competition. Yet they offer something that many larger stores can't. Unique…

There are few holidays as steeped in tradition as Thanksgiving Day. Practically every table consists of turkey, stuffing and cranberry sauce. In honor of Thursday's holiday I thought it would be the perfect time to share some of your Thanksgiving favorites. If you have a favorite holiday recipe share it in the comments section. Do you have any special traditions that your family participates in? Let us know. Or if you prefer to let someone else do the cooking tell us what restaurant serves the best meals or pre-made dinners. I have a few favorite recipes of my own: Turkey with Herbs and …

Mark your calendars. At about 2:55 p.m. fall officially ended.  While the weather all this week has been hinting that winter was just around the corner, it took a brief snow and hail burst to confirm it. I grabbed my camera and captured the fleeting moments of wintry mix.  You can always think of it this way, spring will be back in about four and a half months. Enjoy the painfully early sunset!

Dear Palos Patch Readers, It’s official: Palos Patch has hit the one-year mark. Honestly, the past 12 months have flown past. When I look back on the variety of stories we have posted in the past year, I am amazed not only by our work but by the vibrancy of the community we cover. There are many perks to this job that far outweigh the sometimes long days I spend in front of a computer screen. The most prominent one is that a large part of my job involves meeting and talking to interesting people who are doing amazing things. From high school students dedicating themselves to helping others, …

I am pleased to announce a new series that will be launching on Palos Patch and all Patches nationwide. "DisPatches: Reclaiming the American Dream" is a nationwide effort to tell local stories that reflect broader national trends. National debates about unemployment, foreclosures, debt, religion, government and private enterprise all touch on fundamental ways in which we see ourselves and our communities. At Patch, we want to explore that conversation on a daily basis so we can better understand how our neighbors are adjusting to the challenges and opportunities that surround us. Over the …

Here at Palos Patch I am always trying to keep things fresh. From the types of stories we cover, to how we go about covering them. A major goal of this site is offering a forum for locals to voice their opinions and share their experiences. With the advent of our blogging section we are able to offer a place for local experts to share their opinions on a variety of topics. Today I have the great pleasure of introducing two new contributors to the site. They each have filed their first stories and we will be seeing much more of them in the future. Our new parenting columnist is Cassidy Novak. …

It was 30 years ago today that MTV burst onto the pop culture scene.  For many people of a certain age their memories of the network are defined by the MTV of their youth. As the decades passed MTV has morphed from a somewhat cutting edge, although corporate owned, music channel to a trashy reality television juggernaut. Mokena Patch's editor Paul Dailing has compiled a list of his favorite MTV moments. The Guardian's music blog also has a pretty solid list of 30 great MTV moments. I thought I would take a stab at listing my own MTV memories. Although, I must admit that the MTV of my junior …

It's Gettin' Hot In Here It appears that summer is officially in full swing as the temperatures have been peaking north of 90 degrees for the last few days. You can expect a high of 95 degrees today and 96 degrees tomorrow, according to NOAA.   It looks like Thursday will bring in some cooler weather and a bit of rain. In the meantime, try to stay cool and don't forget the sunblock. If you know of someone who might be going without air conditioning and could use a wellness check, contact Palos Park, Palos Heights or Palos Hills police departments. Meeting Cancelled Tonight's regularly …

Somewhere, Pomp and Circumstance is playing, and someone is struggling to keep that mortarboard in place. It's graduation season, and whether it's your preschooler moving on to the big K, or your college senior heading out into the real world, you can brag about it on PAlos Patch. First, make sure you are a registered user of your Patch (if you aren't, click on Sign Up in the top right corner of the home page). Once you are logged in, scroll to the bottom of the home page and under Contribute on the right side, click "Announce something to everyone." In the announcement template, fill out all…

Despite the tease that Mother Nature has been lately, let's agree that spring cleaning is done. That means it's time for the summer sales. If you have a garage sale, we want you to announce it on Patch. Let us be that small sign you hang up at the larger intersections in town. Give people an address they don't have to circle back around the block to get correct, and let them know what's available before they show up and leave disappointed. You've got a deal, we want to know! Here's how you can publicize your garage sale this summer:  1. Log into Patch. In the upper right corner, there should …

Due to a technical glitch, today's daily newsletter did not go out this morning as it normally does. We had quite a few stories run today, and I didn't want you to miss out on any. So slightly delayed, here is the day's news from Palos Patch: Top Spot Palos Heights Takes Aim at Harlem Vacancies - If you are wondering what is going on with all the vacant store fronts on Harlem Avenue, this is a must read. Find out where things stand, and what the city is doing to attract potential business. Palos News Daily PatchCast: Vacancies, Departing Maestro and Cops on Roofs Sold! Real Estate …

I am always amazed by the number of activities and events that take place in our relatively small community. This weekend is what I like to call the perfect storm of community events. As always, Palos Patch will be on hand to document the day. Friday Stagg High School Prom - I will be stopping by Stagg's senior prom to take some snapshots of Chargers in all their dressed up glory. A photo gallery will be posted on Saturday. Saturday Palos Chamber Expo and Health Fair - Stop by the Palos Patch table to meet yours truly, along with ad manager Drew Richards. We will be passing out Patch goodies…

I recently sat down with Mike Skrobin and Anthony Balcaitis from Palos Heights TV's The Four. I chatted with the guys about Palos Patch and the future of online journalism. Thank you to Jordan Huenink for inviting me. You can watch my segment on the video player to the right. You can find The Four on Facebook and can catch up on all of the episodes on YouTube.