Concertgoers at Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre in Tinley Park will face parking fees for the first time since the venue’s opening in 1990.

The move sparked concern from customers who said the parking lot needs improvements, venue prices have increased in recent years and additional fees may hurt the popularity of the amphitheater, known as one of the more affordable venues in the area.

But the owner, Live Nation, said investments in the next year that will make the parking fees worthwhile.

The parking pass, sold separately from tickets, will be required to use venue parking during concerts and other ticketed events starting Jan. 1, according to a Live Nation statement. Tickets can be purchased online in advance or on the day of the event, according to the venue’s website. The amphitheater is located at 19100 S. Ridgeland Ave.

General parking will cost $20 per vehicle if customers pay online in advance or $25 per vehicle if paid on the event date. Parking spots can be reserved and upgraded on Ticketmaster.

Premier parking spots, closer to the venue, cost $50 online. Reserved, oversized and limo parking spots cost $90. Parking spots labeled as easy out, which provide an easy entry and exit according to the website, cost $120.

“We look forward to welcoming fans for the 2026 summer concert season and showing them the major investments we are making in the venue experience,” a spokesperson said Tuesday in a written statement.

The parking pass announcement sparked a buzz of grievances on social media, with more than 1,000 people making complaints on the amphitheater’s social media account.

More than 50 people specifically complained about paying for an unpaved gravel lot they alleged is unsafe, needs improvements and can be time-consuming to enter and exit.

People also expressed concern about the availability of accessible parking, as the parking lots closer to the venue require extra payment.

The Doobie Brothers were part of a double-bill with Steve Winwood Aug. 25 at the Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre in Tinley Park. (Donna Vickroy/Naperville Sun)

Several people said they would rather walk to the venue than pay for parking, but were concerned about their safety with the lack of sidewalks and its location near Interstate 80.

Hannah Messenger, a Rockford resident, said the amphitheater has been her go-to venue her whole life, but the parking charges and other recent issues may change that.

Messenger said the parking and walk to the venue is not very accessible. The lack of cement or blacktop in the parking lot makes it messy, unsafe and difficult to drive on in inclement weather, she said, citing her experience at the Korn concert in September 2024.

She said she arrived with plenty of time, but was stuck in line and, after an hour, told to turn around and park about a mile away because the main lot was full. She said the trek from that parking lot was muddy and she and others slipped several times.

This muddy walk was especially a safety concern, she said, because her father had major surgery on his ankle a few months earlier, making him susceptible to falls and injuries. By the end of the walk, she said they missed the two concert openers.

“We were all exhausted and pretty upset with the circumstances,” Messenger said. “If there is a mandatory parking fee, I would hope for a legitimate parking lot with ease of access.”

The west, or yellow parking lot at the Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre in Tinley Park. Beginning in 2026, the venue will charge for parking, and this lot ranges between $20 and $50 online. (Addison Wright/Daily Southtown)

She said the new fee will influence her decision on what venue to attend for concerts and said she would be more inclined to pay for parking if she knew it was well-structured.

Chad Eric, of Peru, Illinois, said the increased costs might hurt the venue, as he said its advantage is its affordability. He said if costs continue to increase, he might elect to see shows at larger venues in Chicago.

The amphitheater, Eric said, was his date spot with his wife for the last five years. He said they purchased “lawnie passes,” which offered access to all the shows for the season at a flat rate of about $240. He said he would use this pass and typically see at least 20 shows in a season, but after Live Action discontinued the pass in February, he only went to six concerts.

He said the venue offered a deal for $30 shows, but other shows were at least $100. He also said food and drink prices increased in recent years and last year he bought a margarita for $32. Customers were also barred from bringing lawn chairs in recent years, he said, and must now rent them.

“That lawnie pass was good for regular blue collar workers that, you know, we don’t make a huge amount of money, but a decent amount and don’t want to spend $100 a weekend to go see someone,” Eric said. “I’m only going to do that a couple times a year.”

Eric said he saw noticeably lower attendance last year, and he and his wife were relocated to seats instead of lawn tickets in one instance because venue staff said they couldn’t fill the seat tickets. He said vendors complained about lower sales due to lower attendance.

A spokesperson said Tuesday the amphitheater is working on upgrades and said accessible parking will continue to be available for guests with a valid state-issued placard or license plate, and team members will be onsite to assist with any access needs.

The spokesperson said on-site spending, such as the parking charges, fund operations including building maintenance, lawn upgrades, security and employee wages.

“We’re always looking for ways to give people more opportunities to see the artists they love and will continue introducing new programs,” the spokesperson said.

The venue has boasted performances by The Grateful Dead, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Whitney Houston, Bon Jovi, Bob Dylan and Cher. It can hold up to 28,000 spectators with 11,000 reserved seats and up to 17,000 people on the lawn.

The amphitheater has been called the New World Music Theatre, Tweeter Center and the First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre. Its name was most recently changed in 2023 from the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in 2023, when Credit Union 1 became a major sponsor.

The venue is scheduled to kick off its 2026 season July 8 with Evanescence. The 2026 lineup also includes Train, Guns N’ Roses, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Mötley Crüe and Iron Maiden.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/09/tinley-parks-credit-1-union-amphitheatre-parking/ 

Could Morgan Township High School be shut down in the future, East Porter County School Board member Natalie Bowersock asked during Monday’s contentious board meeting.

“There’s been a lot of chatter in the community about the videos that went out,” she said, including speculation about considering whether to shut down that high school, leaving East Porter with Washington Township and Kouts high schools still operational.

Staff members at Kouts told Bowersock they were left with that impression when Assistant Superintendent Alissa Schnick visited Kouts.

Schnick denied that she said anything about closing Morgan Township.

Bowersock asked, “How did staff members discuss or perceive it that way?”

“Go back and ask them who said that,” Schnick said, but it didn’t come from her presentation.

“I don’t feel like there was misinformation being spread in the community,” Bowersock said, but a different plan.

The whole point of a series of videos created was to clarify what the administration and board are considering, Superintendent Aaron Case said.

“You have a strategic plan potentially online,” Bowersock said. “There really is no plan.”

The district’s strategic plan, posted on its website, has a section on maximizing efficient operations, including “conduct a facilities/utilization audit” and “explore different options for building structures/consolidation to one high school, two K-12 buildings/or maintain the three with a referendum option.”

“Explore, that was the word that was used,” Schnick said.

“Yes, you have to explore,” board Vice President Elizabeth McFalls said.

“We wanted to make sure the community got the information, and that’s why we did the four,” Case said.

Bowersock said people who said they met with Schnick at Kouts thought that if any high school closes, it would be Morgan.

“You’re almost insinuating as if we’re hiding something,” McFalls said.

Board member Robert Martin, who was instrumental in the creation of East Porter decades ago, said, “I didn’t hear it that way, Natalie. I heard that there were options being explored that I disagree with.”

As Washington Township trustee when the three townships’ schools were consolidated into a single district, Martin was one of the people who pushed for the consolidated district to maintain the three township high schools instead of building one central high school.

Martin took issue with Bowersock’s request earlier in the meeting to see copies of a few invoices before agreeing to pay them. She cast the sole vote against paying the claims, which Case said amounts to about $1 million every month.

Martin said he has requested information about specific claims in the past, but  “I’ve always done it before the meeting without the intent of embarrassing someone.”

Lately, though, Martin hasn’t requested information because he trusts the administration, he said. Martin lifted a large stack of papers, saying he prints out information given to the board ahead of time so he can read it more easily than on a computer screen.

“I think clarification is good on some of the things,” he said, but it’s better to work together and not use information as a lever to create strife, “and that’s sometimes how you come across.”

“I have no problem with you asking for things if there’s a way to get you the information ahead of time,” Martin said.

Bowersock also voted against renewing the property insurance coverage effective Jan. 1.

“It came back significantly higher than we anticipated,” Case said, but he’s working with the insurance company to try to get better numbers. The board approved a maximum amount for the premiums, hoping the actual figure will be less than a $100,000 increase.

Case recommended rebidding the whole package next year.

“There’s an awful lot of claims that have been made for our school district,” Bowersock said. “As a district, I feel we should be overall more conservative.”

The overall premium increase is 27%, Case said.

Bowersock noted ongoing litigation she has against the district. “I think there were a lot of unnecessary claims that were made directed at me,” she said. “It’s a shame that our claims increased so much, and that was directed at me.”

In September, the other six members of the board voted to censure Bowersock, citing eight alleged violations of the board’s code of ethics.

Bowersock, in her first term on the board, sued the board, the district and Case over a no-trespass warning against her at Washington Township Middle School, which her children attend. She also filed a tort claim involving her son being injured by another student at the school last spring.

Last winter, Bowersock filed a formal complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission regarding what she believes to have been sexist treatment on the board. A district employee also filed a formal harassment complaint of harassment against her.

The censure resolution accused Bowersock of overstepping her role as a board member and attempting to act in an administrative, not policy-making, capacity; refusing to recognize her ethical duties as a board member by claiming such duties are not required by law; making various unsubstantiated allegations against school personnel and administration though refusing to cooperate with investigations of those allegations; visiting school property on numerous occasions without coordinating with school administrators and acting inconsistently with policy while in attendance; actions leading to internal complaints by school district employees and administrative staff; discussing board matters in various public settings and social media posts, undermining community confidence in the district and its processes; and making personal attacks on school administrators and personnel in public settings, including social media posts and emails.

Doug Ross is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune. 

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/09/east-porter-tries-to-tamp-down-school-closure-rumor/ 

Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, according to Christian belief, has been replaced in an Evanston church’s Nativity scene by a memorial to victims of injustice committed by federal immigration agents, church officials said, including a man who was shot and killed in Franklin Park by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel.

“Joseph didn’t make it,” reads a sign in Lake Street Church of Evanston’s outdoor Nativity, placed where a Joseph figure had earlier stood.

Snowfall damaged a Nativity scene outside Lake Street Church of Evanston, with snow wrecking the Joseph figure. The church had created the Nativity with baby Jesus’ hands zip-tied, Mary and Joseph wearing gas masks and centurions dressed as ICE agents. Now, a sign in Joseph’s stead is a memorial to victims of immigration enforcement without due process. (Jillian Westerfield)

When the church first created the Nativity scene in late November, the Joseph and Mary figures wore gas masks, baby Jesus’ hands were zip-tied, and masked centurions with “ICE” marked on their vests loomed behind them.

Church officials said then they were drawing a parallel between the Holy Family’s refugee experience and the immigrants of today.

Apparent vandalism and heavy snowfall damaged the scene, however, with the weather wrecking the Joseph figure so that it could no longer stand properly, said Rev. Michael Woolf, pastor. He also said he was certain someone had removed the zip ties on baby Jesus’ hands, and added that the gas masks were nowhere to be found.

The church decided to replace the Joseph figure with a memorial to Silverio Villegas González and other victims of federal immigration agents, Woolf said, and Rev. Jillian Westerfield, associate pastor, and others created it, and also replaced Jesus’ zip ties and Mary’s gas mask.

Villegas González, 38, was pulled over in Franklin Park by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents Sept. 12. DHS officials said Villegas González drove his car toward the agents, who shot and killed the father of two.

The sign at the Nativity in Joseph’s former spot reads, in part,  “We hold this space to honor and remember all the victims of immigration enforcement terror. Everyone who has been deported. Everyone who has disappeared. Everyone who has been denied medical care. Everyone who has had to go into hiding. Everyone who has seen these things happen to friends, family, and neighbors.”

Woolf also said, “We were grateful to have a group of folks from Jewish Reconstructionist Congregation in Evanston guard our nativity during (10:30 a.m. Sunday) worship, and that show of support really meant a lot to us.”

Lake Street Church has also scheduled an outdoor prayer vigil for 6:15 p.m. Wednesday “where we expect a good group of interfaith folks to support this nativity and its message as we lament and build resilience and pray for all the victims of ICE terror,” Woolf said.

Snowfall damaged a Nativity scene outside Lake Street Church of Evanston, wrecking the Joseph figure. The church had created the Nativity with baby Jesus’ hands zip-tied, Mary and Joseph wearing gas masks and centurions dressed as ICE agents. Now, a sign in Joseph’s stead is a memorial to victims of immigration enforcement without due process. (Jillian Westerfield)

He said the Nativity scene has received support from Evanston and Chicago-area people, who have lived through the experience of the federal government’s “Operation Midway Blitz,” when federal immigration agents pulled people, including some citizens, off of streets and arrested and detained and deported many from September through November.

Woolf said last week, after the Nativity went up, that it had attracted controversy from some out-of-state, right-wing media outlets.

The church announced on Facebook Nov. 25 that it had assembled the Nativity scene that draws “direct parallels between the Holy Family’s refugee experience and contemporary immigration detention practices.

“By placing the Christmas story (Christianity’s central narrative of refuge, sanctuary, and sacred family) within the visual language of immigration enforcement and detention, this work asks viewers to confront the disconnect between professed religious or moral values and immigration policies. The (infant’s) emergency blanket references the actual materials used in detention facilities. The zip ties on the infant’s wrists directly reference the children who were zip-tied by agents during a raid on a Chicago apartment building earlier this year, where most residents were U.S. citizens: a stark reminder that enforcement terror does not discriminate by documentation status.

“The gas masks worn by Mary and Joseph reference the documented use of tear gas and other chemical weapons deployed by ICE agents against peaceful protesters, journalists, and community members advocating for immigration reform and bearing witness to human rights abuses within the system.”

Breitbart, a conservative-leaning outlet, wrote on Dec. 2 that “the display echoes a prevalent left-wing claim that Jesus was a refugee, which is considered by many Christians to be historically inaccurate.”

On the Sean Hannity Show, Hannity told his listening audience that the church’s nativity scene was “truly horrifying,” and that “the war on Christmas is back.”

“Could you be even more offensive?” Hannity said, describing the Nativity scene.

Associate Minister Jillian Westerfield, who designed the Nativity set, said it is supposed to be offensive.

“It is offensive, because this is happening to real people, she said. “The things that we’re showing are not imaginary, and you should be offended that this is happening to God’s children right now all over our country.”

Westerfield said that local reaction to the Nativity set is positive because the message resonates with people who have experienced the fear that federal immigration agents brought to the streets in recent months.

“They understand very clearly what we’re trying to say and what we’re trying to show,” she said.

“Some people disagree with what we’ve done here, and some people agree with us far away,” Westerfield added. “I think it’s natural that this kind of thing is going to evoke emotional responses in people.”

Woolf said that the church has received some vaguely threatening phone calls, but it hasn’t affected the church’s mission.

A figure of baby Jesus in a Nativity scene has zip-tied hands and is covered in an emergency blanket at the Lake Street Church of Evanston. The church’s leadership chose to depict the Nativity set as an homage to people facing “Operation Midway Blitz.” This photo was taken before snow did damage to the scene and the zip ties disappeared in apparent vandalism. The church has replaced them. (Jillian Westerfield)

“I think that what we really want to focus on is that what really profanes the image of God is the things that are happening in Chicagoland and what has been happening,” Woolf said, referring to “Operation Midway Blitz.”

The church and its leadership have made political statements and taken actions in the past. A week into President Donald Trump’s second term in office, Woolf announced that it would take in immigrant refugees and keep them out of reach of immigration agents without a judicial warrant. In November, Woolf and a group of other religious leaders were arrested in Broadview after they stepped into a restricted area outside of a site designated by the village of Broadview as permissible protest areas. Woolf and 20 others were charged with misdemeanor violations.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/09/jesus-zip-ties-taken-evanston-church-updates-nativity/ 

Rich People, Poor Morals: Wealthy Are The Most Likely To Rip Off Self-Checkout Machines

Tyler Durden
Tue, 12/09/2025 – 16:40

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/rich-people-poorer-morals-wealthy-are-most-likely-rip-self-checkout-machines 

Imprisoned former House Speaker Michael Madigan has become the latest high-profile Illinois Democrat to officially ask President Donald Trump for clemency on a corruption conviction.

Madigan, who was convicted in February on a range of corruption counts, recently filed a clemency petition with Office of the Pardon Attorney that is still pending as of Tuesday, according to information on the office’s website.

The entry says Madigan asked for a “pardon after completion of sentence,” but further details were not provided, meaning it’s unclear if Madigan has requested to be released from custody early.

The classification of Madigan’s request seemed odd on some counts. Typically, defendants still in custody are directed to file a different form seeking a commutation of sentence.

Also, since Madigan is currently not set to be released until he’s almost 90 years old, asking for a pardon after he leaves prison would hardly seem worth the effort.

The entry does not say exactly when the request was filed, but it appeared on the pardon attorney’s website within the last week. Any specific information or documents submitted on Madigan’s behalf as part of the request is not public.

A spokesperson for the Justice Department, which includes the Office of the Pardon Attorney, confirmed Tuesday that the department had received the request from Madigan, but declined to comment further.

The Tribune also contacted several of Madigan’s current and former attorneys and none said they had a hand in filing the request or had any comment on who might have submitted it.

While the filing was the first official clemency request to surface in Madigan’s case, several sources told the Tribune that the former speaker also pursued relief from Trump through back channels in Washington around the time of his sentencing in June, but no action was taken by the White House at the time.

News of the clemency request comes as the U.S  Bureau of Prisons on Friday offered its first calculation of Madigan’s release date: March 3, 2032, shortly before what would be his 90th birthday. That’s based largely on the calculation for most federal inmates, who must serve 85% of their sentences.

Meanwhile, records show former Commonwealth Edison CEO Anne Pramaggiore, who was convicted in a scheme to bribe Madigan, has been paying a high-powered Washington lobbying firm to explore clemency options with the Trump White House.

Lobbying disclosure records submitted to the U.S. House of Representatives in October show Pramaggiore paid Crossroads Strategies LLC $80,000 this year for “advising on public policy and legislative matters relevant to the pardon process.”

Pramaggiore’s payments to Crossroads were first reported by the online news site NOTUS.

Pramaggiore, who like Madigan is appealing her conviction, had been set to report to prison last week but was granted a last-minute reprieve from U.S. District Judge Manish Shah due to recent hip surgery, court records show. The new deadline for her to report is Jan. 3.

Mark Herr, a spokesman for Pramaggiore, said in a statement to the Tribune that Pramaggiore is “exploring all avenues” to prevent being unjustly imprisoned. He noted underlying bribery conviction against Pramaggiore and her co-defendants were later thrown out, leaving only counts involving the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

“Ms. Pramaggiore faces two years in prison for ‘covering up’ a crime the Supreme Court says never was,” Herr said. “Even if she prevails on appeal, there is a real chance that she will have lost two years of her life while innocent.”

Madigan, 83, entered the medium-security federal facility near Morgantown, West Virginia, on Oct. 13 to begin serving his 7 1/2-year sentence.

But given his advanced age, Madigan could wind up serving far less time in an actual prison setting, as the First Step legislation that offers early release on home confinement for elderly or infirm inmates with nonviolent convictions.

That’s what happened with Madigan’s former Democratic colleague, ex-Ald. Edward Burke, who served only about 10 months of his 2-year sentence for corruption in prison before being released on home confinement earlier this year.

Like Madigan, Burke had sought clemency from the Trump White House while in prison, asking for his sentence to be commuted, records show. That request was still pending when Burke was released from the low-security prison facility in Thomson, Illinois, in July, and has since been administratively closed, records show.

Burke’s custodial sentence officially ended two weeks ago, and he is now serving his one-year term of court-ordered supervised release, the federal equivalent to parole, records show.

He also was to pay $65,000 in restitution to the owners of the Burger King franchise he was convicted of shaking down, as well as a $2 million fine imposed by U.S. District Chief Judge Virginia Kendall.

Clemency petitions, which include requests for both full pardons and the commutation of federal sentences, can take months or years to resolve though the Office of the Pardon Attorney, which investigates requests before making recommendations to the White House.

Trump, however, has largely upended that process. During Trump’s first term, former Gov. Rod Blagojevich was able to woo the president after a yearslong media campaign claiming he’d been prosecuted by the same FBI and Justice Department officials who at the time were investigating Trump.

In February 2020, Trump commuted the 14-year sentence for Blagojevich on sweeping corruption charges, springing him from prison more than four years early. Then, shortly after regaining the White House this year, Trump issued Blagojevich a full pardon.

In his second term, Trump issued blanket pardons to more than 1,500 people charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. He’s also granted a number of controversial clemency petitions for other individuals, including former aides Rudy Giuliani and Mark Meadows, tech CEO Changpeng Zhao, who has ties to the Trump family’s cryptocurrency business, and former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández, who had been convicted of major narcotics trafficking charges.

Though he’s often made Chicago Democrats his personal punching bag, Trump has also shown the propensity to grant clemency to Democrats, including Blagojevich. Earlier this month, Trump pardoned Democratic Texas Rep. Henry Cuellar and his wife, saying the federal bribery and conspiracy case against them was the result of a “weaponized” justice system.

Madigan, who had a record run as speaker and served for years as the leader of the state Democratic Party, was convicted by a jury Feb. 12 on bribery conspiracy and other corruption charges. The jury found him guilty on 10 of 23 counts, including a multipronged scheme to accept and solicit payments from Commonwealth Edison to Madigan associates for do-nothing subcontracts.

Madigan also was convicted on six out of seven counts — including wire fraud and Travel Act violations — regarding a plan to get then-Chicago Ald. Daniel Solis, who testified at length in the trial, appointed to a state board.

The jury acquitted Madigan of several other schemes alleged in the indictment and deadlocked on other counts, including the overarching racketeering charge.

The same jury deadlocked on all counts involving his co-defendant, longtime confidant Michael McClain, and prosecutors later opted not to retry McClain and dropped the charges. McClain was convicted, however, in the parallel “ComEd Four” bribery case for much of the same conduct and has been sentenced to two years behind bars.

Meanwhile, Madigan’s appeal of his conviction is pending before the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The government’s response brief is due in January, and arguments should be scheduled sometime in early 2026.

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/09/ex-speaker-madigan-asks-trump-for-clemency/ 

FILADELFIA (AP) — Los Filis de Filadelfia acordaron una extensión de contrato por un año para la temporada 2027 con el mánager Rob Thomson tras conducirle a los playoffs en cuatro campañas consecutivas.

Thomson, de 62 años, llevó a los Filis a la Serie Mundial de 2022 y a la Serie de Campeonato de la Liga Nacional de 2023, y los títulos de la División Este de la Liga Nacional de 2024 y 2025. Los Filis fueron eliminados en cuatro juegos por los Dodgers de Los Ángeles, campeones de la Serie Mundial, en la serie divisional de la Liga Nacional.

Thomson ha guiado a los Filis al segundo mayor número de victorias (346) y al segundo mejor porcentaje de victorias (.580) entre todos los equipos de MLB, solo detrás de los Dodgers (368 victorias, .616).

Reemplazó a Joe Girardi como manager de Filadelfia el 3 de junio de 2022, pero Thomson ha estado con el club desde la temporada de 2018, cuando fue contratado por primera vez como coach de banca bajo el ex manager Gabe Kapler.

Pasó 28 años como miembro de la organización de los Yankees de Nueva York (1990-2017), incluyendo 10 temporadas en el cuerpo técnico como coach de banca (2008, 2015-17) y coach de tercera base (2009-14).

Thomson se convirtió en solo el cuarto manager en la historia de MLB en llegar a la postemporada en cada una de las primeras cuatro temporadas completas al comenzar una carrera como manager. Se unió a Dave Roberts, Aaron Boone y Mike Matheny como los únicos pilotos en lograr esta hazaña.

También se convirtió en el tercer manager en la historia de los Filis en ganar títulos divisionales consecutivos, uniéndose a Charlie Manuel y Danny Ozark.

___

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

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/09/filis-extienden-contrato-del-mnager-rob-thomson-un-ao-ms-hasta-el-2027/ 

Question Everything

Tyler Durden
Tue, 12/09/2025 – 16:20

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/question-everything-0 

The last-minute rescheduling of “Holly Jolly Fest” in Niles earlier this month due to forecast of a major snowfall may have been a scramble, but village officials said the date swap had little impact on the crowd size.

Deputy Village Manager Katie Schneider told Pioneer Press the annual holiday-time event drew about the same number of attendees as in 2024.
According to Schneider, when village officials saw that weather forecasts predicted heavy snow on Nov. 29, the original date for the free festival was reevaluated. Instead of that Saturday, the event was quickly moved to the day – Friday – before.

April Serrano, of Niles, takes a selfie with her 2-year-old daughter Sophie at the Niles “Holly Jolly Fest” Nov. 28, 2025 at Golf Mill Park in Niles. (John Konstantaras/for Pioneer Press)
Mira Bash, of Riverwoods, takes a photo of her children Nikki and Alex, 3, at the Niles “Holly Jolly Fest” Nov. 28, 2025 at Golf Mill Park in Niles. (John Konstantaras/for Pioneer Press)
A pair of costumed pups was among the throng of attendees at the Niles “Holly Jolly Fest” Nov. 28, 2025 at Golf Mill Park in Niles. (John Konstantaras/for Pioneer Press)

“We did evaluate our options, the highest priority being safety but also looking at logistically what we were able to do,” Schneider said.

Niles Public Works Department staff typically are used to help implement the Holly Jolly Fest, but Schneider explained that those staffers and the department’s vehicles would be needed for the snowstorm.

After officials determined Nov. 28 would be better for the fest, the village posted notices on its website and Facebook, Instagram and YouTube social media pages, and included the update in an automated storm preparation phone call made to residents that week.

“We also asked our vendors and other partners to push out the message,” Schneider said.

Schneider estimated that at least 2,000 people attended Holly Jolly Fest despite temperatures being in the 20s on that day after Thanksgiving. The event drew some 2,000 attendees last year, and about 3,000 have attended when temperatures were in the teens.

While mostly Niles residents attend Holly Jolly Fest, Schneider said the event has drawn residents from Chicago, Des Plaines, Evanston, Morton Grove, Skokie and other surrounding suburbs.

“We are very happy with the way it turned out,” Schneider said. “We’re glad people came out and wish everyone a happy holidays.”

Schneider said minimal changes were made to Holly Jolly Fest, which took place a day earlier than originally scheduled.

“Almost all the vendors were able to adjust,” Schneider said.

Niles mayor George Alpogianis, right, gets a little help lighting the town Christmas tree at the Niles “Holly Jolly Fest” Nov. 28, 2025 at Golf Mill Park in Niles. (John Konstantaras/for Pioneer Press)
D.J. Jules holds a holiday dance party with kids at the Niles “Holly Jolly Fest” Nov. 28, 2025 at Golf Mill Park in Niles. (John Konstantaras/for Pioneer Press)

The fest featured fireworks, horse-drawn trolley rides, a petting zoo, Santa and Mrs. Claus visits, a snow globe photo booth and the tree lighting with mayor George Alpogianis and the Village Board.

Schneider said what started as a tree lighting ceremony in 2013 inside Niles Village Hall grew to an event at Niles Park District’s Oasis Water Park and later a celebration at Civic Center Plaza before being at Golf Mill Park in 2024 and 2025.

“It’s to build community and to celebrate the holidays,” Schneider said.

Other activities include Home for the Holidays Raffle, which offers one entry for every $50 spent at a Niles business from Nov. 28 to Jan. 2, 2026. Then five names will be drawn at the Jan. 27, Village Board meeting to receive a $100 gift card to a Niles business of each winner’s choice.

Also, Niles Public Arts and Culture Council’s free Twinkle & Lights Holiday Decorating Contest accepts nominations to 2 p.m. Dec. 17 with winners receiving a yard sign and a gift card – $100 for first place and $50 for second place and third place – to a Niles business of their choice.

Jessi Virtusio is a freelancer.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/09/niles-holds-annual-holly-jolly-fest/ 

ROME — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reaffirmed his strong refusal to cede any territory, resisting U.S. pressure for painful concessions to Russia as he moved ahead Tuesday to rally more European support for his country.

“Undoubtedly, Russia insists for us to give up territories. We, clearly, don’t want to give up anything. That’s what we are fighting for,” Zelenskyy told reporters in a WhatsApp chat late Monday.

“Do we consider ceding any territories? According to the law we don’t have such right,” he said. “According to Ukraine’s law, our constitution, international law, and to be frank, we don’t have a moral right either.”

In an interview with Politico released Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump pressed Zelenskyy to accept the U.S. proposal that Ukraine cede territory to Russia, arguing Moscow has the “upper hand” in its nearly 4-year-old invasion, and that Zelenskyy’s government must “play ball.”

Zelenskyy met in Rome with Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni, discussing the progress of the peace process, her office said. They emphasized the importance of U.S. and European unity and of solutions “that will have repercussions on the continent’s security,” the statement said.

They also discussed “developing robust security guarantees to prevent future aggression and maintaining pressure on Russia to join the negotiating table in good faith,” it said.

Earlier, Zelenskyy met with Pope Leo XIV at Castel Gandolfo, a papal residence outside Rome. The Vatican said Leo reiterated the need for continuing dialogue and “expressed his urgent desire that the current diplomatic initiatives bring about a just and lasting peace.”

The Holy See has tried to stay neutral in the war while offering solidarity and assistance to what it calls the “martyred” people of Ukraine. Leo has met three times with Zelenskyy and has spoken by telephone at least once with Russian President Vladimir Putin, calling for a ceasefire and urging Moscow to make gestures promoting peace.

On Monday, Zelenskyy held talks in London with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to strengthen Ukraine’s hand amid mounting impatience from Trump.

Ukraine faces US pressure

U.S. and Ukrainian negotiators completed three days of talks Saturday aimed at trying to narrow differences on the Trump administration’s peace proposal.

A major sticking point is the suggestion that Kyiv must give up control of the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine to Russia, which illegally occupies most but not all of the territory. Ukraine and its European allies firmly resist the idea of handing over land.

“You know, a lot of people are dying,” Trump told Politico on Monday, claiming that other Ukrainian officials that he identified only as Zelenskyy’s “lieutenants, his top people” agree with the U.S. administration.

Other than Zelenskyy’s comments Monday, Ukrainian negotiators have said little in public about the content of the U.S. proposal or their attitude toward it.

Speaking to reporters again Tuesday on WhatsApp, Zelenskyy said three documents were being discussed with American and European partners — a 20-point framework document that is constantly changing, a document on security guarantees and a document about Ukraine’s recovery.

Zelenskyy told reporters that Ukraine’s updated version of the proposal would be given to the U.S. on Wednesday.

Russia, Trump said, is too powerful for Ukraine to continue fighting.

“I give the people of Ukraine and the military of Ukraine tremendous credit for the, you know, bravery and for the fighting and all of that,” he said. “But you know, at some point, size will win, generally.”

Trump also repeated his call for Ukraine to hold a presidential election even though martial law doesn’t allow it and Zelenskyy, elected in 2019, had his five-year term extended because of the war. Trump’s position on Ukraine’s failure to hold an election mirrors frequent statements on the subject by Putin.

Responding to Trump’s remarks, Zelenskyy asked for help from the U.S. and possibly Europe “to ensure security for the elections, and then Ukraine will be ready to hold elections in the next 60-90 days.”

Putin, speaking Tuesday with pro-Kremlin activists, reaffirmed his claim that the Donbas is Russia’s “historic territory” and vowed to fulfill his war goals. “We will certainly take it to the logical conclusion,” he said.

European leaders repeat support for Kyiv

Starmer, Macron and Merz strongly backed Kyiv, with the U.K. leader saying Monday that the push for peace was at a “critical stage” and stressing the need for “a just and lasting ceasefire.”

Merz, meanwhile, said he was “skeptical” about some details in documents released by the U.S. “We have to talk about it. That’s why we are here,” he said. “The coming days … could be a decisive time for all of us.”

European leaders are working to ensure that any ceasefire is backed by solid security guarantees both from Europe and the U.S. to deter Russia from attacking again. Trump has not given explicit guarantees in public.

Zelenskyy and his European allies have repeatedly accused Putin of slow-walking the talks to press ahead with the invasion.

Both sides exchange aerial strikes

Ukraine’s air force said Russia fired 110 drones across the country overnight. While air defenses neutralized 84 drones, 24 more struck their targets.

Several regions of Ukraine faced emergency blackouts Tuesday due to Russian attacks on energy infrastructure, according to Ukraine’s national energy operator, Ukrenergo.

U.N. deputy humanitarian chief Joyce Msuya said Tuesday only 65% of the $278 million required to fund a winter response plan in Ukraine has been received, forcing cuts to services like cash assistance, heating support, mental health care and protection for women and girls.

This means families are facing freezing temperatures without heating, women and girls are losing access to “safe spaces” and older people in front-line areas are left without the means to evacuate, she told the U.N. Security Council.

The U.K. Defense Ministry said a member of the British military died Tuesday of his injuries from an accident while observing Ukrainian troops test a defensive system away from the front lines — the first U.K. servicemember to die in Ukraine in the war. It was not immediately clear what role he was serving or where the accident occurred.

The U.K. military has said a small of number of personnel are in Ukraine to protect British diplomats and support Ukrainian troops.

Ukraine also continued its drone attacks on Russia.

Russia said it destroyed 121 drones in various regions and in the Crimean Peninsula, which Moscow illegally annexed from Ukraine in 2014. In Chuvashia, a region about 900 kilometers (about 560 miles) northeast of the Ukrainian border, an attack damaged residential buildings and injured nine people, Gov. Oleg Nikolayev said.

Ukraine’s Security Service carried out a drone attack on a liquefied gas terminal at the port of Temryuk in Russia’s Krasnodar region on Dec. 5, according to an official with knowledge of the operation who spoke to The Associated Press.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly, said the strike sparked a fire at the facility, with more than 20 storage tanks set ablaze for over three days.

Novikov reported from Kyiv, Ukraine. Associated Press writers Bill Barrow in Atlanta, Brian Melley in London and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/09/zelenskyy-ukraine-russia-war/ 

Single-game tickets for potential Chicago Bears playoff games at Soldier Field will go on sale at 11 a.m. Thursday, the team announced Tuesday.

Tickets for a possible NFC wild-card game Jan. 10-12 and the divisional round Jan. 17-18 can be purchased through Ticketmaster or at chicagobears.com/tickets. If the Bears don’t host a game in either round or don’t make the playoffs, purchases will be fully refunded within 10 days of the scheduled date.

Season ticket holders and those on the season ticket priority list will receive presale access from 10-10:45 a.m. Thursday.

The Bears (9-4) currently hold the seventh and final NFC playoff position. The Nos. 2-4 seeds will host wild-card games, and the top seed plus the highest-seeded team that advances from wild-card weekend will host divisional games.

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Column: Ben Johnson predicted Bears will play their best ball in December. 6 reasons he may be right.
Bears’ 2nd-half spark led by QB Caleb Williams too little, too late in Week 14 loss at Lambeau Field
Why did Bears coach Ben Johnson go shirtless? ‘Anytime you get a chance to feed a city, you want to do it.’
Bears’ 1985 Super Bowl run: Don Pierson’s game-by-game breakdown from the ‘most memorable season’

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/12/09/chicago-bears-playoff-tickets/