Latest news with #LoyolaAcademy
Yahoo
19-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Illinois high school football schedules released
The road to Hancock Stadium in Normal, Illinois and the Illinois high school football state championships is now known. All 256 programs received their official schedule for the upcoming 2025 season from the Illinois High School Association. Games begin in late August and run until the crowning of eight state champions in late November. MORE: Top senior football players gather for annual game in Iowa The first round of the playoffs will be released on Saturday, October 25 with the 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A championship games set for Friday, November 28. The 5A, 6A, 7A and 8A title games take place a day later. Illinois State University will be the host for the championship round, with Hancock Stadium on the campus the site. Teams will play a nine-week schedule leading up to the postseason. Defending champions are Loyola Academy (8A), Mt. Carmel (7A), East St. Louis (6A), Nazareth Academy (5A), DePaul College Prep (4A), Montini Catholic (3A), Chicago Christian (2A) and Althoff Catholic (1A). Last year, Mt. Carmel won its third consecutive title and 16th overall. That broke the previous record of 15 for most in the state held by Joliet Catholic. Complete schedules can be viewed on the IHSA website. MORE HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS NEWS: How to watch Iowa high school state softball tournament How to watch Iowa high school state baseball tournament Final state fields set for 3A, 4A baseball in Iowa Two defending champs back in Iowa state baseball tournament Tigers knock Iowa City High out of softball, punch first ticket to state in school history
Chicago Tribune
28-03-2025
- General
- Chicago Tribune
Douglas Higgins, who in middle age returned to a career in education, dies
Douglas Higgins spent a quarter-century in real estate management before returning to his roots in education and spending 16 years as the principal and assistant principal of elementary and junior high schools in Bloomingdale, Steger and Calumet City. 'He loved the children, and everything that he did was about teaching and learning,' said Anita Rice, the superintendent of Lincoln Elementary School District 156 in Calumet City. 'He was deeply committed and he was very thoughtful.' Higgins, 81, died of complications from congestive heart failure on Feb. 27 at Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, said his daughter Rana. Born in Cleveland, Douglas Allen Higgins grew up in Evanston and attended Loyola Academy in Wilmette, where he played baseball and basketball. He received a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Notre Dame in 1965. After picking up a master's degree from Notre Dame in 1966, Higgins taught English at Washington High School in South Bend, Indiana, for two years. He substitute taught in Chicago before taking a full-time job in1969 teaching English at Crane Tech High School on the West Side. In the early 1970s, Higgins switched careers and began working in property management for Draper and Kramer real estate, and later with other firms. Then, in 1998, he left real estate and went back to school at National Louis University, earning what then was known as a type 75 certificate — now a professional educator license — to become a school administrator. 'He always was passionate about education, and he regretted leaving it,' Higgins' daughter said. 'This was an opportunity for him to change career paths. He was in his 50s at the time and felt very invigorated and didn't want to retire.' In 1999, Higgins was hired to be an assistant principal at DuJardin Elementary School in Bloomingdale, starting the position at an age, 55, when most teachers and school administrators consider retiring. He was at DuJardin for two years before taking a job as the principal at Central Junior High School in Steger. A year later he became principal at Lincoln Elementary School in Calumet City. 'He felt a lot of fulfillment and felt he could really make a difference and really make an impact, and I think working (as a principal) harked back to his days in the Chicago Public Schools,' his daughter said. 'He regretted not doing more at that time, so this was his opportunity to make more of an impact.' While at Lincoln, Higgins launched the school's Tiger Token store and program, as a way to encourage positive and constructive behavior from students. He also initiated the Read to Succeed program and quarterly raffle programs as a way of recognizing pupils who scored 100% on accelerated reading exams. Bonnie Walker, an assistant principal at the school, said Higgins built a strong culture of trust in his staff. 'It wasn't a big 'I' and a little 'you' — it was a team,' she said. 'I stayed at the school because the three of us had such a strong bond. The purpose was to teach children, educate them and develop them socially so that when they left Lincoln, they'd be prepared.' Walker also pointed to the fact that Lincoln students' test scores increased significantly during the years that Higgins was principal and she and Rice were assistant principals. 'He cared for people deeply, and the teachers loved him as an administrator and as a friend,' Rice said. At age 71, Higgins retired from Lincoln in 2015 after 13 years as its principal. Higgins practiced daily meditation for more than 50 years, and was a longtime follower of the Indian speaker and author Prem Rawat. Two previous marriages ended in divorce. In addition to his daughter, Higgins is survived by his wife of 30 years, Gabriela; another daughter, Emily; a son, Daniel; two stepdaughters, Banafsheh Siadat and Marwan Siadat; a brother, John; and three grandchildren. Services were held.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘The best possible news:' Mike Lowe shares hopeful update about his cancer fight
CHICAGO — About 20% of new colorectal cancer diagnoses are made in people 50 years old and younger. WGN's Mike Lowe was one — but he didn't want to be just a number. Instead, he chose to share his battle with the public with the hope he'd help save others from suffering the same fate. Now he faces a final question — after undergoing months of treatment, did it work? He was an open book from beginning to end. A storyteller who shared a deeply personal story — his own — and the city rallied behind him. Stocked among the shirts honoring Chicago sports treasures in Joe Johnson's Obvious Shirts, there's a message for a true Chicago sports fan. On his cancer journey, Mike Lowe gets a helpful, healing boost from a Chicago sports legend 'When we found out he was diagnosed with cancer, we had to act quick, and we wanted to do whatever we could to show him our support,' he said. '(For) the shirt design, I know Mike is a huge Bears fan. He will let you know that every time you talk with him. … So the support, I knew it would be high but it exceeded my expectations.' The shirt said 'Lowe Strong.' And it turns out Mike Lowe is pretty strong. Dr Daniel Dammrich is an oncologist at Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital. 'I think Mike using his platform here to raise awareness around colorectal cancer, early screenings, listening to your body, has been invaluable,' he said. 'I've had enumerable people come up to me patients, friends and family people in community.' There were 30 rounds of radiation and four months of chemotherapy, at times with brutal side effects. 'I'm going try to go into this cancer fight as strong as I can possibly be:' WGN's Mike Lowe shares health journey 'Next few days, 72 hours I would say, if you touch something cold or drink something cold it's going feel like shards of glass going down your esophagus,' Dammirch said of the treatment. Mike gutted through all of it. Just as he didn't miss any days at work, Mike didn't let his treatments sideline his support for Loyola Academy. The alum and former football player made every effort to support his team. Matt Lee is the son of Mike's best friend. 'He's always out here even when he's not feeling well,' he said. Mike's positive outlook carried him through the darkest times. And so did his family and friends, always by his side. In late January came a moment Mike has been thinking about since his diagnosis in April 2024 — a final test called a sigmoidoscopy. His doctor, Dr Vitaliy Poylin, a colon and rectal surgeon with Northwestern Medicine was looking for any signs of the Stage 3-C colorectal cancer Mike learned he had at age 44. A recent MRI had sparked some concern the cancer remained, not a surprise even after months of treatments. 'There have been some really hard stretches': Mike Lowe reflects on his cancer fight 'But endoscopically, it actually looks like you have a complete response, which is good,' Poylin said. His latest results were a surprise. No visible signs of disease. 'That was the best possible news I could have gotten today,' Mike said. The recommendation? No surgery for the moment. The cancer may be gone. They'll recheck in another three months. 'Can I give you a hundred percent guarantee? I cannot. Nobody can,' Poylin said. 'I would defer to what you are saying,' Mike said. 'I think wait and see is better than doing a surgery if we may not need it, right?' Waiting won't hurt his chances for a cure. 'Up to 40 percent of people who did not have an initial complete response, have a partial incomplete response,' Poylin said. 'They actually will convert if we give them a little bit more time without compromising the overall outcome. So it happens.' More Coverage: WGN's Medical Watch That's because the effects of radiation and chemotherapy build over time as cancer cells continue to die off weeks even months after treatment. Mike may ultimately avoid surgery with difficult side effects. 'It can affect the urgency you have to go to the bathroom … quality of life issue keep you from doing your job,' he said. 'If I can avoid that, to me that is the best news I've had all year.' Mike's doctor says current treatments for stage 3 colorectal cancer offer a 75 to 80 percent cure rate. Mike will undergo another sigmoidoscopy this Spring to confirm if he has, in fact, had a complete response from the combination of radiation and chemotherapy. Sign up for our Medical Watch newsletter. This daily update includes important information from WGN's Dina Bair and the Med Watch team, including, the latest updates from health organizations, in-depth reporting on advancements in medical technology and treatments, as well as personal features related to people in the medical field. Sign up here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
