Amid the cold marble, dull plaster and dark wood that make up the austere halls of justice at the Porter County Courthouse, an oasis of calm and comfort now floats on the fifth floor in what is believed to be the first victim assistance suite of its kind in the state.

A heavy crowd of prosecutors, victim assistance advocates, law enforcement and elected officials gathered Thursday afternoon to celebrate the suite’s opening.

Porter County Deputy Prosecutor Mary Ryan, who has been in the job for 36 years, welcomed the crowd that she was happy to note included some unfamiliar faces. “It means we are getting word out to the public,” she said.

The suite is the dream of Porter County Circuit Court Judge Rebecca Buitendorp, who conceived the idea while a deputy prosecutor.

Porter County Prosecutor Gary Germann said that when his staff was vacating the space for new offices in another building in the summer of 2021, Buitendorp proposed the idea of turning “a space that was dreary and lifeless” into a safe and private area that would reduce stress on victims and their families.

He said the ribbon-cutting of the suite was “a defining and a generational moment in the history of the Porter County Courthouse.”

Porter County Prosecutor Gary Germann speaks during the open house for Porter County’s new victim assistance suite in the Porter County Courthouse in Valparaiso on Thursday, January 22, 2026. (Michael Gard/for the Post-Tribune)

Buitendorp and victim advocate Ona Torres spearheaded the project with significant assistance from The Molley Lanham Foundation and Valparaiso’s Iota Chapter of Tri Kappa. A portrait of Molley Lanham walking on the beach in a white sundress graces one of the five rooms and informs the relaxing color scheme of watery blues and grays.

Lanham was brutally murdered in February 2019 and her family’s experience navigating the many hours of the trials in these very spaces directly influenced many of the design decisions. Her mother Stacy Spejewski and sisters Lindsey and Lauren Lanham, who are both now Lake County deputy prosecutors after their experience, greeted people at the unveiling.

“We spent a lot of time, honestly, sitting outside,” Lindsey Lanham said of the many hours of waiting periods during the trial. “We would always say, ‘We wish we had someplace to go,’” Lauren Lanham added.

“And you have to put on a brave face and just get through it,” Spejewski said. All three women and Ryan spoke also of the awkwardness victims and their families feel being in close proximity to the accused and their families. Now they have somewhere to wait in privacy.

Victim advocate Ona Torres speaks during the open house for the county’s new victim assistance suite in the Porter County Courthouse in Valparaiso on Thursday, January 22, 2026. (Michael Gard/for the Post-Tribune)

“The victims are the true reason you’re doing this,” Lindsey Lanham said. “It just feels safer, too. Safe space emotionally, but also physically, too.”

The suite has a Family Comfort Room with plenty of furniture to accommodate several people and enjoys natural light from a large window, as does the Children’s Room, which has even softer colors, two gliders for soothing babies, toys and books. “I don’t even recognize the room from when it was the prosecutor’s office,” said Adult Probation Officer Cynthia Otano.

Ryan said the rooms offer a practical solution for families waiting for a verdict. If they left the building but a verdict wasn’t reached until after 4:30 p.m., they had no way to get back in after the doors were locked.

Now there’s a comfortable space with a coffeemaker in the central outer room, as well as a private interview room that is insulated with ornamental sound-dampening tiles so children waiting next door can’t hear graphic details their parents are sharing with prosecutors. There’s also an office for prosecutors and victim assistance staff.

Porter County Deputy Prosecutor Mary Ryan speaks during the open house for the county’s new victim assistance suite in the Porter County Courthouse in Valparaiso on Thursday, January 22, 2026. (Michael Gard/for the Post-Tribune)

Buitendorp told the crowd the spaces aim to provide calm where there has been chaos because every individual deserves respect, dignity, and compassion.

“Justice should not only be fair, it should be humane,” she said.

Shelley Jones is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/23/porter-county-offers-space-of-comfort-and-safety-for-crime-victims/ 

After controversially being left out of the College Football Playoff in 2025, Notre Dame knows what it has to do to get into the 2026 playoff – be ranked in the Top 12.

The College Football Playoff announced Friday that it will remain at 12 teams next season after expansion talks between the SEC and Big Ten stalled. Multiple outlets reported that four Power 4 conference champions will receive automatic bids, as will the top-ranked conference champion from the Group of 6 in 2026.

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But there’s one additional stipulation, which Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua confirmed last month: The Irish will receive a CFP bid if they are ranked in the top 12.

That’s a departure from the 2025 season, when Notre Dame finished No. 11 in the last CFP rankings but was left out of the field in favor of No. 9 Alabama and No. 10 Miami.

“People have asked me, ‘Well, how come Notre Dame gets that benefit?’” Bevacqua said during an end-of-season news conference. “And we still have to prove it on the field more than anybody. We still have to put ourselves in that area, that zip code of a top 12 team, but we want to protect ourselves against what happened this year.”

The Big Ten and SEC have been in talks to expand the CFP after two seasons with 12 teams. But ESPN reported Friday that Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti only would agree to CFP expansion to 16 teams if SEC commissioner Greg Sankey committed to a 24-team field after three years. Sankey wasn’t ready to do that, ESPN reported.

“After ongoing discussion about the 12-team playoff format, the decision was made to continue with the current structure,” CFP executive director Rich Clark said in a statement. “This will give the Management Committee additional time to review the 12-team format, so they can better assess the need for potential change.

“While they all agree the current format has brought more excitement to college football and has given more schools a real shot in the postseason, another year of evaluation will be helpful.”

At nearly the same time as the CFP news broke, Notre Dame released its 2026 schedule, which includes two teams that finished in the CFP top 12. The Irish will play at No. 12 BYU on Oct. 17 and will host national runner-up Miami on Nov. 7.

The Irish also will host SMU, which appeared in the CFP rankings for one week in 2025 on Nov. 21. Along with Navy, those are the only four teams on Notre Dame’s schedule that won more than five games in 2025.

Notre Dame has only four true road games: Purdue, North Carolina, BYU and Syracuse. The Irish also play two neutral-site games against Wisconsin at Lambeau Field and Navy at Gillette Stadium.

Notre Dame and USC announced last month that their longtime rivalry series is on pause after they failed to agree on scheduling.

Here’s the full Notre Dame football schedule, with times yet to be released.

Sept. 6: Wisconsin at Lambeau Field
Sept. 12: Rice
Sept. 19: Michigan State
Sept. 26: at Purdue
Oct. 3: at North Carolina
Oct. 10: Stanford
Oct. 17: BYU
Bye week
Oct. 31: Navy at Gillette Stadium
Nov. 7: Miami
Nov. 14: Boston College
Nov. 21: SMU
Nov. 28: Syracuse

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/23/notre-dame-cfp-2026-schedule/ 

Por EMILIE MEGNIEN, JEFFREY COLLINS y JAMIE STENGLE

DALLAS (AP) — Hacía demasiado frío el viernes para ir a la escuela en Chicago y otras ciudades de la región centro-norte de Estados Unidos, ya que comenzaba a intensificarse una enorme tormenta invernal de varios días que podría provocar nieve, aguanieve, hielo y bajas temperaturas, así como extensos cortes de energía a aproximadamente la mitad de la población de Estados Unidos, desde Texas hasta Nueva Inglaterra.

Los meteorólogos advirtieron que los daños, especialmente en las áreas golpeadas por el hielo, podrían rivalizar con los de un huracán. Al menos 177 millones de personas estaban bajo alertas o advertencias de hielo y nieve, mientras que más de 200 millones habían recibido avisos o advertencias de clima frío, las cuales en muchos lugares se superponían.

Maricela Resendiz fue de compras el viernes en Dallas antes de que la tormenta llegara allí. Compró pollo, huevos y algunas pizzas para pasar el fin de semana con su hijo de cinco años y su novio.

“Será una gran tormenta”, dijo, y añadió que sus planes para el fin de semana son “quedarse en casa, simplemente estar fuera del camino”.

El hielo y la nieve podrían comenzar a caer la tarde del viernes en Texas y Oklahoma. Se esperaba que la tormenta se desplazara hacia el sur con lluvia helada y aguanieve, dejando una capa de hielo que rompería ramas de árboles y postes de electricidad.

Luego avanzaría hacia el noreste, dejando caer alrededor de 30 centímetros (un pie) de nieve desde Washington, D.C., hasta Nueva York y Boston, pronosticó el Servicio Meteorológico Nacional. Boston declaró una emergencia por frío durante el fin de semana, y se prevé que la sensación térmica caiga muy por debajo de cero.

El aire ártico es el primer factor

El primer factor para la tormenta fue el aire ártico que descendía desde Canadá. Las Escuelas Públicas de Chicago y otras en la zona centro-norte del país cancelaron las clases el viernes. Se prevé que la sensación térmica alcance -40 grados Celsius (-40 grados Fahrenheit), y la congelación podría establecerse en diez minutos, haciendo que sea demasiado peligroso caminar a la escuela o esperar el autobús.

La sensación térmica en Dickinson, Dakota del Norte, fue de -47 °C (-52 °F) el viernes por la mañana. En Bismarck era un poco más cálida cuando Colin Cross limpiaba una unidad vacía del complejo de apartamentos donde trabaja.

“He estado aquí por un tiempo y mi cerebro dejó de funcionar”, dijo Cross, que vestía calzoncillos largos, dos playeras de manga larga, una chaqueta, gorro, guantes y botas.

El hielo, la nieve y la aguanieve comenzarán en las siguientes horas del viernes en lugares como Oklahoma, donde los trabajadores del Departamento de Transporte trataron previamente las carreteras con salmuera. La Patrulla de Caminos canceló los días libres para los patrulleros y se asoció con la Guardia Nacional para enviar equipos de ayuda a los conductores varados.

Texas también se preparaba. Las bajas temperaturas provocaron el cierre de las escuelas de Houston el viernes, con un día de aprendizaje en línea para los estudiantes de escuelas públicas. Las compañías de servicios públicos convocaron a miles de empleados para ayudar a mantener el servicio eléctrico.

“Todos están en acción”, publicó en línea el alcalde de Houston, John Whitmire. “Esperamos lo mejor, pero estamos preparados para lo peor”.

El hielo podría derribar líneas eléctricas

Más de 1.000 vuelos se retrasaron o cancelaron en todo el país el viernes antes de la tormenta, incluso en aeropuertos de Dallas, Atlanta y Oklahoma, según el sitio web de seguimiento de vuelos FlightAware, que enumeró más de 1.400 cancelaciones para el sábado.

Una vez que el hielo y la nieve terminen, el aire frío del norte se dirigirá hacia el sur y el este. El descongelamiento tomará un tiempo, una perspectiva especialmente peligrosa en lugares donde el hielo y la nieve pesan sobre las ramas de los árboles y las líneas eléctricas y provocan cortes de electricidad que podrían durar varios días.

El hielo puede agregar decenas de kilos (libras) a las líneas eléctricas y las ramas y hacerlas más susceptibles a romperse, especialmente en clima ventoso.

La mayoría de los hogares de al menos 11 estados del sur, desde Texas hasta Virginia, tienen calefacción eléctrica, según la Oficina del Censo de Estados Unidos.

Hace cinco años, una severa ola de frío derribó gran parte de la red eléctrica en Texas, dejando a millones de personas sin electricidad durante días y provocando cientos de muertes. El gobernador Greg Abbott dijo el jueves que eso no volverá a suceder.

La gobernadora de Nueva York, Kathy Hochul, dijo a sus residentes que esperen la mayor cantidad de nieve en años.

“Se avecina un evento meteorológico muy, muy peligroso”, dijo, señalando la posibilidad de hipotermia y congelación.

La gente se resguarda

En Atlanta, Eliacar Diego buscaba un lugar cálido tras dormir bajo un Puente para resguardarse de la lluvia. Las noticias sobre la tormenta no habían llegado a muchas de las personas sin hogar que estaban con él. Planeaba encontrar uno de los centros de Abrigo que la ciudad abre durante el clima frío.

“Solo tengo que aguantar este fin de semana”, señaló.

Las tiendas de comestibles de todo el sur se quedaban sin mercancías. Holly Lawson fue de compras la mañana del viernes y adquirió agua embotellada en caso de que sus tuberías se congelen, así como carne y queso para sándwiches por si se corta la electricidad.

“Si no lo usamos, esto irá a las bolsas de bocadillos para deportes el próximo fin de semana” para su hijo de diez años que juega baloncesto, dijo.

___

Megnien informó desde Atlanta y Collins desde Columbia, Carolina del Sur. Periodistas de The Associated Press de todo el país contribuyeron a este informe.

___

Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/23/gran-tormenta-invernal-amenaza-con-hielo-nieve-y-fro-a-ms-de-la-mitad-de-eeuu/ 

GROVE, Inglaterra (AP) — Williams se perderá las primeras pruebas de pretemporada de la Fórmula 1 la próxima semana en Barcelona tras informar de “retrasos” en la preparación de su coche para la temporada.

Williams dijo el viernes que todavía tiene “mucho que esperar” a pesar del contratiempo antes de la prueba de cinco días de la próxima semana. Es la primera vez que los monoplazas con especificaciones de 2026 estarán en la pista durante más que breves filmaciones y pruebas de fiabilidad.

“El equipo Atlassian Williams F1 ha tomado la decisión de no participar en la prueba de shakedown de la próxima semana en Barcelona tras los retrasos en el programa del FW48, ya que seguimos esforzándonos por obtener el máximo rendimiento del coche”, dijo el equipo.

Se ha planificado un programa de pruebas virtuales para la próxima semana, ya que Williams ahora apunta a la primera de dos pruebas en Bahréin el próximo mes. La prueba de Barcelona se llevará a cabo en privado con un enfoque en la fiabilidad, permitiendo a los equipos correr en cualquiera de tres de los cinco días.

“Esperamos con ansias estar en la pista en las próximas semanas y queremos agradecer a todos nuestros fanáticos por su continuo apoyo; hay mucho que esperar juntos en 2026”, agregó Williams.

Es un revés para Williams, que mejoró a lo largo de 2025, con dos podios para el español Carlos Sainz, Jr.

Williams fue uno de los equipos más abiertos sobre la planificación detallada para 2026 lo antes posible, apostando a que un cambio importante en las regulaciones podría sacudir el campo y permitirle avanzar. Antes de que comenzara la temporada 2025, el piloto Alex Albon dijo que ya estaba probando ideas para 2026 en el simulador del equipo.

La decisión de retirarse de la primera prueba recuerda un punto bajo anterior para Williams, que se perdió los primeros días de pruebas en 2019 cuando su coche no estaba listo. Eso terminó siendo una de las peores temporadas del equipo con solo un punto anotado en todo el año.

___

Deportes en español AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/23/williams-se-perder-el-inicio-de-las-pruebas-de-pretemporada-de-f1-por-retrasos-en-su-nuevo-coche/ 

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — The Las Vegas Raiders are on the clock, and Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza is officially available.

Mendoza formally declared for the NFL draft Friday and could be headed to the Raiders with the No. 1 pick in April. Mendoza led Indiana to a 16-0 season and its first national championship with a 27-21 victory against Miami on Monday night.

QB Fernando Mendoza is the 2025 Chicago Tribune Silver Football winner — Indiana’s 1st winner in 24 years

“Let’s get to work,” Mendoza wrote in a social media post that included a highlight video. “I’m humbled to announce that I am officially declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft!”

The junior completed 72% of his passes this season for 3,535 yards, with 41 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also ran for seven scores. He played some of his best football in the College Football Playoff, with eight TD passes and no picks. He ran for a score against the Hurricanes, turning a fourth-and-4 play into a 12-yard scamper that proved to be a pivotal moment in the game. It extended Indiana’s lead to 24-14 in the fourth quarter.

Mendoza’s decision to turn pro was widely considered a mere formality. The Hoosiers seemingly tipped his NFL intentions when they signed TCU quarterback Josh Hoover during the open transfer portal window.

Mendoza is considered the clear-cut top QB in the draft after Oregon’s Dante Moore announced he would return to school for the 2026 season. And the Raiders desperately need better quarterback play.

Las Vegas went 3-14 in 2025 and clinched the No. 1 overall pick with a loss to the New York Giants in Week 17. And the franchise will have a new coach after firing veteran Pete Carroll after one season.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/23/fernando-mendoza-nfl-draft/ 

TikTok Announces Formation Of US Majority-Owned Joint Venture To Prevent Ban

Tyler Durden
Fri, 01/23/2026 – 11:25

https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/tiktok-announces-formation-us-majority-owned-joint-venture-prevent-ban 

St. Charles could be getting a new senior living community in the near future, as a senior living operator eyes the area for a proposed 151-unit development.

Cedarhurst Senior Living, a St. Louis-based owner and operator of senior housing communities, is looking to build a senior living development at the southwest corner of Dean Street and Peck Road, currently in an unincorporated part of St. Charles Township.

The proposed project would have assisted living units and a memory care facility, as well as a number of independent living units.

The project — which would be called Cedarhurst of St. Charles — is intended to meet a demand for senior housing options, said Nick Dwyer, the Director of Development for Dover Development, at the city’s Planning and Development Committee meeting on Jan. 12. Cedarhurst Senior Living is the management company for Dover.

At the meeting, during which the developer presented some of the plans for the development and addressed questions from the city, Dwyer said that St. Charles is a market the developer has “looked at for quite some time.”

Cedarhurst operates similar communities in Naperville and Yorkville, and in other locations in Illinois and across the Midwest, according to its website.

Dwyer said that senior housing is “much needed” in the area, and said that this project would only meet half of the demand the developer believes will be required in the area in the next five to 10 years.

The development would sit on 23 acres of unincorporated property north of Renaux Manor subdivision, part of a larger farmland property called the Heisley Property, according to city documents. The city would have to annex the land into St. Charles in order for the development to occur. The land is separated from St. Charles’ boundaries by the Great Western Trail to the south, which is owned by the Kane County Forest Preserve District.

The developer’s pitch is a 77,000-square-foot facility with 87 units — 60 of which would be dedicated to assisted living and 27 for memory care. A second phase of the project would add 64 “independent living cottages,” and would include amenities like a clubhouse and dog park.

According to Dwyer, the entire project would cost around $64 million, and is expected to generate more than 60 jobs.

The pitch was first brought to the city’s Plan Commission on Jan. 6, at which some feedback was given to the developer regarding things like tree preservation and constructing a connection to the Great Western Trail for the independent living residents, according to city documents.

Some residents, mainly from the Renaux Manor subdivision to the south, expressed concerns about things like the impact of the proposed development on the Great Western Trail, possible noise from emergency vehicles and light pollution and whether the project fits the character of the surrounding area and if a single-family use would be preferred.

At the Jan. 12 Planning and Development meeting, Dwyer clarified that Cedarhurst has its own general contractor that builds communities for them, but that they use local labor and subcontractors.

He explained that, upon getting the needed permissions from the city and finishing designs and architectural plans, Dover would plan to break ground later this summer. He noted that these types of projects typically take around 18 months to construct, and then it would be another 18 months before the first phase of the project would be fully operational. From there, the developer would start on constructing the independent living units.

Asked about the price point for the units, Dwyer said a one-bedroom assisted living apartment in St. Charles currently goes for around $7,000 per month including all services, and that these units would be in that range. The cottages, too, would be rented on a month-to-month basis, like the other units.

At the meeting, members of the City Council provided feedback, with some pointing to a need for this sort of housing in the city. They also asked questions about things like traffic and road safety and the preservation of trees on the land.

Ald. Jayme Muenz expressed concern about the project being inconsistent with the city’s comprehensive plan, including its priority to fill in the areas within the city limits as opposed to acquiring new land, and noted the potential costs associated with extending utilities and first responder services to that area.

Muenz also suggested that this project “goes against” the city’s priority of being walkable and bikeable, and said she would like to see the project in a different location.

“Even if you have some independent living individuals who would prefer to be able to walk to a grocery store or walk to their doctor’s office or walk to other things, that’s not going to be possible because, even if you wanted to build it so that it could be, it’s incongruous to the city limits,” Muenz said. “That also kind of goes against what we have been trying to build here as a city.”

Ald. Mark M. Foulkes called it a “wonderful design,” but said that there are questions the city still needs answered.

Developer contributions to the school and park districts have also been a question from the city’s perspective. Ald. Ronald Silkaitis, at the meeting, asked about school contributions, and noted that city staff has recommended exempting the assisted living and memory care units from this requirement but not the independent cottages.

“On the whole, it looks pretty good,” Silkaitis said. “There’s a need for senior housing … we’ll see what happens with the details.”

Provided the developer intends to move forward with the project, the next steps would include annexation, rezoning of the property, a special use for a Planned Unit Development and a PUD preliminary plan, per the city. From there, a final plan and final plat of subdivision would need to be submitted before the developer could submit permit applications for site development and construction.

mmorrow@chicagotribune.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/23/senior-community-proposed-st-charles/ 

Chesterton

Liberty Bible Church: 824 North Calumet Ave. — Liberty Bible Church has Faithful Fitness for women on Mondays and Fridays. Faithful Fitness is an exercise class for women with two different courses offered — basic and modified. The cost is $2 per class. For more information, call 219-878-8700.

Crown Point

Bethel Church: 10202 Broadway — Bethel Church will have a Women of the Word at Crown Point, Cedar Lake and Hobart/Portage campuses from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 27. The Women of the Word will be studying the book of Colossians & Philemon. For more information, visit https://bethelweb.org/events?sapurl=Lys4ZWE4L2xiL2V2LytncXF4ZnF3P2JyYW5kaW5nPXRydWUmZW1iZWQ9dHJ1ZSZyZWNlbnRSb3V0ZT1hcHAud2ViLWFwcC5saWJyYXJ5LmNhbGVuZGFyJnJlY2VudFJvdXRlU2x1Zz0lMkJqcDh5dnJr.

St. Matthias Roman Catholic Church: 101 W Burrel Dr. — St. Matthias Roman Catholic Church will have a Veterans Village Meal Share Jan. 25. Volunteers are needed to prep and deliver the meal and can meet in the kitchen to prep from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Meals will be served from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. at the Veterans Village. Desserts are needed and can be dropped off at the Parish Hall by 11 a.m. For more information, call 219-663-2201.

Dyer

Faith Church: 100 W 81st Ave. — A 13-week GriefShare support program will be held at Faith Church Dyer every Tuesday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. starting Feb. 9 through May 4. Griefshare intends to help attendees recognize patterns of grief, understand signs of healing and experience renewed connection with God while navigating a deeply personal journey. The GriefShare will also be held at Cedar Lake and Highland campuses. For more information on the program and the times and dates for other campuses, visit https://wearefaith.org/event/griefshare/.

Gary

Miracle Temple Church:  4709 East 13th Ave. — Miracle Temple Church will have a “Forever My Valentine” parent & child ball at 6 p.m. Feb. 6. Tickets for one adult and one child are $28.52. Tickets for extra children are available for $12.51. For more information or to get tickets, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/forever-my-valentine-parent-child-ball-tickets-1979630611449.

Marquette Park United Methodist Church: 215 N. Grand Blvd. — All are welcome to worship at 11:15 a.m. Sundays at Marquette Park United Methodist Church. There will be refreshments afterward in the Fellowship Hall.

Hammond

Faith United Church of Christ: 3030 175th St. — Faith United Church of Christ holds its worship service at 10 a.m. on Sundays, followed by fellowship and coffee.

Saint Joseph Catholic Church: 5304 Hohman Ave. — Saint Joseph Catholic Church will have “Donut Sunday” on the last Sunday of every month after the 9 a.m. Mass. Free coffee and donuts are provided at the church hall.

Highland

Faith Church: 8910 Grace St. — Faith Church Highland will have a “No Regrets” men’s conference from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Feb. 7. The event will feature multiple seminar options for attendees to pick from. Learn more about this conference at noregretsconference.org and register online here: https://wearefaith.org/noregrets/.

Munster

Family Christian Center: 340 45th St. — Family Christian Center will have a New Members class at 8:30 a.m. Feb. 1 for those interested in taking the first step to becoming a member. Attendees can join in person or over Zoom. To reserve a spot, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/family-christian-center-new-members-class-sunday-february-1st-2026-tickets-1980396230436?aff=erelexpmlt. The church will also have a master class beginning Feb. 8 to allow attendees to learn their spiritual gifts. The class is a total of eight weeks and will end March 17. For more information, visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/family-christian-center-masters-class-sunday-february-8th-2026-tickets-1977642445792?aff=erelexpmlt#location.

Valparaiso

St. Paul Catholic Church: 1855 Harrison Blvd. — St. Paul Catholic Church will have a “Embrace: Retreat for Married and Engaged Couples” on February 14 with guest speakers Chris and Linda Padgett. The retreat will include interactive talks, personal time for couples’ reflection and discussion, a continental breakfast and catered lunch, and adoration with a special blessing for the couples. The cost is $120. For more information, visit: https://dcgary.org/couples-retreat.

To submit worship news, email cnance@post-trib.com.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/23/worship-news-womens-fitness-veterans-meal-share-and-more/ 

Longtime North Chicago senior citizens are now eligible to receive a real estate tax rebate from the city,  returning 25% of the portion of their payment earmarked for the municipality, making it easier for them to continue living in their homes.

North Chicago Mayor Leon Rockingham Jr. said that as people retire and rely more on fixed incomes, it is important they have the opportunity to continue living in the community they have called home for years.

“This lifts our community up,” Rockingham said. “It’s a great program. So many of our seniors are on fixed incomes, and this is something we can do to help them stay here.”

The North Chicago City Council unanimously approved the Senior Citizen Long-Term Property Tax Rebate Program ordinance without debate on Tuesday at City Hall, giving a financial boost to homeowners 65 and over.

To qualify, the homeowner must be at least 65, have lived in the home for at least 20 years and already be registered for Lake County’s senior homestead exemption, according to the ordinance. It must be their primary residence.

Rockingham said the rebate also provides an incentive for people close to age 65 who have lived in their house for close to 20 years to remain in their home.

“If they’ve lived there 18 or 19 years, they can get it the next year or year after,” Rockingham said. “They know they have the opportunity.”

Greg Jackson, the mayor’s chief of staff, said the percentage can change from year to year. The City Council, which approved the 25% rebate for 2026, will decide the rebate annually. The yearly review prevents the rebate from impacting other municipal services.

Though there is no income cap keeping a high-income senior from receiving the rebate, the council has the option to impose such a limitation in the future if it is necessary to keep the city solvent, according to the ordinance.

With a median home value in North Chicago of $147,800, someone living in the average home pays $2,187 in property taxes, according to city documents. Based on the current numbers, the rebate to the individual with an average valued home would be $547.

Once a homeowner pays their property taxes to Lake County, Jackson said, they can apply for the rebate. They must provide proof of payment, evidence that they have lived in the home for 20 years, and that they are the owner. Once done, the city will send a check.

If the homeowner cannot easily bring a copy of the deed showing how long they have owned the house or a copy of a cancelled check, Jackson said the information can be verified by the appropriate Lake County official.

Of the 8,079 housing units in North Chicago, 3,976 are single-family homes, according to city documents. At this time, 633 of the owners of the single-family homes have filed for the senior homestead exemption and have been approved.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/23/north-chicago-seniors-tax-rebate/ 

MINNEAPOLIS — For three Chicago Bulls guards, Thursday’s upset win over the Minnesota Timberwolves could have doubled as a tryout.

As the Feb. 5 trade deadline nears, the Timberwolves have continued to express interest in three Bulls guards: Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu and Tre Jones. All three logged strong performances in Minnesota, a fact that likely won’t sway the trade market one way or another — but it certainly didn’t hurt their cases, either.

White and Dosunmu are preparing for their debuts on the unrestricted free agent market this summer, making them two of the hottest Bulls commodities on the trade market. Jones is on a three-year deal rather than an expiring contract, but the guard’s appeal is driven by his affordability and adaptability as a rotation player who can start in a pinch.

Minnesota doesn’t have much draft stock to deal, which means the Bulls would be looking to load up on some of the young guards who have fallen out of the Timberwolves rotation. The Timberwolves, for their part, need cost-efficient backup in the backcourt to help out Anthony Edwards as he once again attempts to slay the goliaths of the Western Conference in the postseason.

Here’s what to know about the trade prospects for this guard trio.

Coby White

Bulls’ Coby White shoots a three-point basket that’s defended by the Timberwolves’ Donte DiVincenzo during the first half at Target Center on Jan. 22, 2026. (Photo by Tyler Clouse/Getty Images)

Even just a few weeks ago, White’s battle readiness might have drawn some concern after he missed 21 games with a pair of calf injuries. The fact that this injury is hampering White in both legs — and severely detracting from his 3-point percentage, which has dropped to 35.2% — could be a cooling factor for deadline teams looking for short-term solutions for the 2026 postseason.

But White’s recent return to form should be enough to convince teams otherwise. The guard has averaged 19.2 points in 30.8 minutes over the last five-game stretch. His long-range shooting improved to 45.2% in that span. And he hasn’t missed more than two games in a row since early December, which seems to signal a return to health.

The main barrier here is Minnesota’s cap space. Although this would be a bargain rental for a former cornerstone of the Bulls offense, White’s remaining $12.9 million salary would still create a sizable challenge for Minnesota to match in a trade. It would require the Bulls to acquire multiple Minnesota contracts to make the math work.

Ayo Dosunmu

Although he’s still an anchor of the secondary rotation, this has been a standout performance in a contract year from Dosunmu, who is averaging 14.4 points and 3.6 assists in only 26 minutes per game. Dosunmu is also shooting the ball at a 45.9% clip from behind the 3-point arc, the fourth-best in the entire NBA.

Ayo Dosunmu has been a stabilizing force for the Chicago Bulls. Is he also one of their best trade assets?

Trading Dosunmu might be the most efficient piece of business for these two teams to execute. His expiring money is almost half of White’s, which makes him an easier piece for Minnesota to acquire without an outright salary dump. The guard is accustomed to maximizing his minutes off the bench, which would make for a smoother transition to a supporting role on the Timberwolves.

Dosunmu also offers a more robust defensive presence as a true two-way guard — a tantalizing option for the Timberwolves, who are trying to improve on their current status as the seventh-best defensive-rated team in the West.

Tre Jones

Bulls guard Tre Jones works toward the basket as the Timberwolves’ Jaylen Clark defends during the first half on Jan. 22, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

It’s not unlikely that the Bulls end up valuing Dosunmu more than the Timberwolves, which could end trade talks before they really begin. The Bulls front office is not set on parting with the guard and remains interested in potentially extending Dosunmu this summer.

That means the last option on the Bulls roster could end up being Jones, a backup point guard who has logged considerable minutes this season amid other players’ injuries. Jones is not the preferred target in Minnesota, but he’s also much more than a consolation prize. He offers roughly the same cap hit as Dosunmu, but with more permanence, with two years left on his deal.

Tre Jones provides a much-needed creative spark for injury-depleted Chicago Bulls: ‘That’s our recipe to win’

Jones would not boost scoring on his own for the Timberwolves — he averages 12.4 points per game, mostly on 2-pointers — but could still fuel an offense with his facilitation. The guard owns one of the best assist-to-turnover ratios in the NBA (4.27), a testament to his court vision and decision-making.

An added bonus for the Timberwolves — picking up a hometown guy with deep investment who is already invested in the Minnesota community.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/23/nba-trade-deadline-chicago-bulls-guard/