Latest news with #Shorewood
CBS News
20-07-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Dougie Bedinger using autism journey to inspire others after parents told he'd never play sports
When Dougie Bedinger was just a few days old, his parents were told he'd never play sports. Not only has he overcome the odds, but he's now helping to inspire others. It's a familiar sound of summer. Dougie Bedinger plays travel ball with the Rhino Sports Academy in Shorewood. "It's pretty good. I've played with one of my teammates for years," he said. "It's pretty exciting just to be able to show up every weekend and know who he is and what he's gone through and being able to compete with peers who are trying to fight for going to college and looking at scholarships, and him being included is pretty cool to watch," Doug Bedinger said. Doug, who is Dougie's father, mentioned all that his son has gone through. Dougie was born with a heart condition that required multiple surgeries in the first few weeks of his life. "It was obviously tough to see your child two days old, laying there, hooked up to every machine that you can see, thinking what's going to happen, if we're even going to have him around," he said. The need for those surgeries was due to a genetic disorder. Part of his 22nd chromosome is missing. It would eventually lead to Dougie being diagnosed with autism. "My mom antenna was up. We got him tested and the rest is history. I actually felt a sense of relief when he got diagnosed with autism because I finally knew what was going on, and we had a path that we could follow in school and everything, and I knew he would be fully supported," Mary Bedinger said. "I didn't let that stop him or us from doing what he wanted to do. We've never hidden his defects or his autism from anybody. It is what is, and we just kind of work with it," Doug said. On the field, Dougie is just one of the guys, playing the game he loves, pitching a little, and playing first base as well. "I just like to throw, throw hard. I just love baseball," he said. "When he walks on that field, you can see it. You don't have to ask questions, you don't have to do anything. You can just see it in his eyes, he puts that baseball uniform on, and he's ready to go," Coach Brian Dewalt said. "Just to see him love something so much in life, that's all we could ask for," Mary said. "We're extremely proud of him, again embracing his autism. That's what I'm most proud of is that he's not afraid to be who he is." Dougie recently embraced his autism when he got the opportunity to design a glove for Chicago-based Wilson in connection with Autism Speaks. "They invited us to the Wilson headquarters in Chicago. Dougie got the big league experience. He went in. They showed us around the faciilty. We sat down with their glove designer. He was awesome. They hashed everything out on what he wanted. He actually did the first baseman's mitt and a pitcher's glove as well," Doug said. "It was scary at first. Then I was pretty nervous, and then they put on the school website holding my gloves up," Dougie said. His teammates weren't the only ones who liked it. Wilson sells the glove on their website, and Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson showed off his love for Dougie's glove on Instagram. Dougie wants to keep showing off his skills playing the game he loves. How did that opportunity with Wilson come about? Mary actually wrote a letter to the company's president, Tom Hackett. He read it, loved the idea, and the rest is history.
Chicago Tribune
18-07-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Will County approves solar farms in Crete, Lockport townships; deny two in Troy
The Will County Board voted Thursday to approve commercial solar energy facilities in Lockport and Crete townships but denied two solar farm plans in Troy Township. Several government agencies objected to the four separate plans. The village of Homer Glen objected to the Lockport Township proposal; Crete Township voiced concerns over the solar farm proposed in its community and 10 agencies, including Shorewood, the Troy Fire Protection District and various school districts, objected to the solar projects for Troy Township. Concerns included the solar farms not being a right fit for the site, potential depreciation of nearby home values and concerns regarding soil and groundwater contamination. Board member Kelly Hickey, a Naperville Democrat, said if the County Board denies a project, they will likely get sued by the solar developer. 'It's the county that's going to foot the bill,' Hickey said. Illinois law sets statewide standards for wind and solar farm siting and states local ordinances cannot be more restrictive than the state standards. The Illinois State Association of Counties has created a Wind and Solar Facility Task Force to discuss and propose policy recommendations to provide counties with more flexibility when complying with the state law while ensuring counties and their residents retain adequate protections. A handful of solar companies have sued the county after the board denied a project, and the courts may issue a decision in the coming months which will give the board greater direction, County Board Speaker Joe VanDuyne, a Wilmington Democrat, said. 'Board members feel like the state legislature is taking power out of our hands,' he said, saying not every project is the right fit for the site proposed. When 10 separate government entities protest a project, such as the two solar farms on the table for Troy Township, County Board members listen, he said. 'Our job is to listen to the residents,' VanDuyne said. Shorewood attorney David Silverman said the state's legislation doesn't require counties to approve solar fields, and discretion can be used. Board member Judy Ogalla, a Monee Republican, said solar farms decrease the land available to farmers. The leasing of farmland to commercial solar energy providers is especially concerning to young farmers, she said. As part of all the solar projects that were voted on, Ogalla requested the developers bury their connectivity lines to ComEd underground to make the solar farms more aesthetically pleasing, especially since leases for the solar farms can run 30 to 40 years. In Lockport Township, Enterprise Energy proposed a 4.25-megawatt commercial solar energy facility along South Archer Avenue, abutting the city of Lockport. The solar facility would be built on about 23.5 acres of a 45-acre parcel at 14910 and 14750 S. Archer Ave., and the lease would run for 35 years, according to county documents. Enterprise Energy proposed a community solar garden, that allows people who do not have a good spot for solar panels to be treated by the electric utility as though these solar panels are on their property. The site was selected, in part, due to its proximity to electrical infrastructure, Enterprise Energy said. According to the company, the electricity will be sold to local customers for 10% to 20% less that what they pay to ComEd. Neighboring Homer Glen submitted a letter of objection to the county, saying the village limits solar energy projects to an industrial zoning district. Concerns were raised in the village regarding the affect of solar farms on the community, depreciation of property values and potential contamination of groundwater from solar panels or other equipment, the letter states. 'Homer Glen is also a primarily rural community and the Village felt that the installation of solar farms may be incongruous with this rural, agrarian character,' Planning and Zoning Director Christopher Gruba wrote. County Board member Steve Balich, a Homer Glen Republican, said the project 'creates a hardship for the area.' 'The state has no business telling us we have to approve solar projects,' Balich said. 'I don't like the idea of taking good farmland out of production.' He questioned what would happen if the solar energy farms became obsolete. Dan Gorman, a representative with Enterprise Energy, said the solar facility would have robust screening. It would not generate traffic once built, he said. The project passed by a 14-8 vote. Construction on the solar farm is expected to begin next spring and be completed before winter 2026, according to board documents. In southwestern Crete Township, Renewable Properties wants to operate a 3.5 megawatt solar energy facility on nearly 21 acres near Bemes Road and Stoney Island Avenue. Crete Township Supervisor Michael J. Liccar wrote to the county saying the township is opposed to any more solar farm developments because the locations of sites 'appear to be chosen haphazardly with little or no regard to the residences in proximity.' He told the county the township opposes the patchwork of the facilities popping up closer to residential areas, which would cause a reduction in property values. Many homes rely on well water in the township, and there is not enough data on environmental concerns such as soil and ground water pollution, he wrote. Attorney for the developer Benjamin Jacobi said the Crete Township objection was a blanket objection and not specific to this project. No neighbors objected to the plan, he said. The project passed by a 17-5 vote. In Troy Township, two projects were proposed by New Leaf Energy, including one for Baltz Road and County Line Road, Joliet, and another for West Black Road and South County Line Road, Joliet. Among the objectors included state Rep. Harry Benton, Minooka Community High School, Troy Community Consolidated School District as well as Shorewood, Troy Fire Protection District and Troy Township. The Troy Fire Department said it is not equipped to fight fires in solar developments. Shorewood Mayor Clarence DeBold said the village is not against solar projects, but they have to be in the right location, and this property is within Shorewood's comprehensive plan. 'The underlining concern on these cases is siting. The village of Shorewood supports solar in an appropriately zoned location,' he said. 'We are not anti-solar, but we are following our comprehensive plan.' Each municipality needs to find an appropriately zoned location that doesn't affect residential growth, he said. Ogalla said each solar facility is unique where it is proposed, and the board needs to respect the planning done by communities. Board member Katie Deane-Schlottman, a Joliet Republican who represents the area, said residents are not in favor of these solar plans. 'As a board, I would hope we support the people who live in the area,' she said. Both Troy Township solar proposals failed with 16 board members voting against it and 6 supporting it. The Troy Township landowner Mark Fecht said he received an email of support for the solar project from state Rep. Janet Yang Rohr and state Sen. Laura Ellman, both Naperville Democrats, which points to state law that siting or special-use permits for a commercial solar energy facility shall be approved if it is in compliance with the state regulations.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Yahoo
Chicago-area caregiver charged after flushing stolen items from 90-year-old resident: police
The Brief A caregiver at a Shorewood assisted living facility was caught trying to flush stolen jewelry and cash belonging to a 90-year-old resident down a toilet. Police say 54-year-old Maryln Villalobos also attempted to dispose of more stolen items while in custody at the police station. Villalobos is facing multiple charges, including financial exploitation of the elderly, and is being held in the Will County jail. SHOREWOOD, Ill. - A caregiver at a suburban assisted living facility is facing multiple charges after police say she tried to flush stolen jewelry and cash down the toilet to avoid arrest. What we know Shorewood police were called around 1:40 p.m. Monday to a facility in the 1100 block of North River Road to escort the caregiver from the premises. Before officers arrived, the caller told dispatchers the woman had allegedly stolen items from a 90-year-old resident and was hiding in a bathroom to evade police and get rid of the evidence. Police found 54-year-old Maryln Villalobos, of Orland Park, in the women's restroom attempting to flush jewelry down a toilet, authorities said. Some of the items were recovered from the toilet and Villalobos was taken into custody. Officers said that after being taken to the station, Villalobos asked to use the restroom several times. During one of those occasions, she allegedly attempted to flush additional stolen items — including cash — which officers recovered. Charges Filed Villalobos is charged with financial exploitation of the elderly, residential burglary, burglary, theft and obstructing a peace officer. She was booked into the Will County Adult Detention Facility pending a pretrial release hearing.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Yahoo
One dead, two others shot in Shorewood. Another dead after apparently connected police chase
One person was shot and killed and two others were shot during the early morning hours of July 3, including a Shorewood police officer who was struck in his ballistic vest and treated and released from the hospital. While chasing the suspect later in the day, officers exchanged gunfire with the man and killed him. The person who died in Shorewood during the early morning was an adult woman, according to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office. Officials have not revealed the condition or identity of the other person shot in Shorewood and have not revealed the identity of the suspect. A relative of the woman who died told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel the person killed was Victoria Truss, 34. The Medical Examiner's Office called family members on July 3 to notify them of Truss's death, Truss's cousin Dominique Jones said. Jones and other family members believe Truss was a victim of domestic violence. Following the early morning Shorewood homicide, police searched for the suspect, locating him around 9:23 a.m., according to a press release sent in the evening by Wauwatosa Detective Joseph Roy who is commander of the Milwaukee Area Investigative Team (MAIT). The entity, a collaboration of 27 area agencies, is spearheading the officer-involved shooting investigation, led by the Oak Creek Police Department. A car chase ensued where the suspect driver shot at officers until coming to a stop in the Halyard Park neighborhood of Milwaukee at West Reservoir Avenue and North Finlayson Street, according to MAIT. The suspect, an adult male, continued to shoot at officers. Multiple officers fired back and struck the suspect who sustained fatal gunshot injuries. The medical examiner told the Journal Sentinel they responded to the scene. Tactical vehicles, ambulances and FBI agents were also present. A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter at the scene observed a black Mercedes car with apparent bullet holes in the rear passenger windows. No officers were injured during the pursuit and shooting, per MAIT. The involved officers will be placed on leave status, per their own agency's policies. Jones said she is Truss's cousin, but the two grew up side by side as sisters. She said she's devastated and angry about losing someone she cared for deeply in such a reckless way. Truss had been fighting regularly with the man she was seeing, and the day before her death, Jones said Truss called her to say she had finally kicked him out, she said. Jones does not know his full name. Truss leaves behind one son who was about to enter high school in the fall, Jones said. Truss was a graduate of Custer High School and worked as a private security worker at the Metro Mart. The Shorewood officer was struck by gunfire while in his squad car as he was arriving at the scene of a reported shooting just before 3 a.m. in the 4100 block of North Bartlett Avenue, Shorewood Police Chief Heather Wurth said. At least two rounds struck the windshield, another struck the passenger side of the vehicle, and another struck the officer's vest. Wurth said she was grateful the officer, whose identity she did not disclose, was wearing a protective vest. "Half an inch and it could've been a completely different circumstance," she said. Officers believe they know who the suspect is. Wurth declined to describe the relationship between the suspect and victims but said it was not a random act of violence. The Shorewood officer is the third Milwaukee-area officer to be struck by gunfire while responding to a call within a week. It follows the shooting of Milwaukee police officers Kendall Corder and Christopher McCray, who were shot June 26, also while responding to a report of shots fired. Corder died from his injuries days later. "The violence in this community — Milwaukee, Shorewood and the attacks against our officers — has got to stop. It's got to stop," Wurth said. A shelter-in-place order for nearby Shorewood residents was lifted about 7:20 a.m., about an hour and a half after emergency alerts were sent to residents' phones. The alerts first went out about 6 a.m. and referenced a "tactical situation" in the 1700 block of East Wood Place. After the officer was shot, squads from several departments responded to the scene. Officers in a tactical vehicle had been making announcements through a loudspeaker outside a home. Village President Ann McKaig issued a statement in response to the shooting. "I'm grateful for the service of the responding officer, the leadership of the Shorewood Police Department and mutual aid from supporting agencies. I am deeply saddened for all who are impacted and pray for their healing and safety," she said. All Shorewood School District activities were canceled for the day, including summer programs, athletics and recreation programs. Several roads near East Capitol Drive and North Oakland Avenue remained closed after the shelter-in-place order was lifted. More: Milwaukee mourns the death of police officer Kendall Corder during procession This story will be updated. Domestic violence advocates can help with safety planning. Calls to advocates are confidential and do not involve law enforcement. The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 800-799-7233. The Sojourner Family Peace Center in Milwaukee operates a 24-hour confidential hotline at 414-933-2722. The Milwaukee Women's Center offers a 24-hour crisis line at 414-671-6140. The Women's Center in Waukesha has a 24-hour hotline at 262-542-3828. We Are Here Milwaukee provides information on culturally specific organizations at The Asha Project, which provides culturally specific services for African American women and others in Milwaukee, provides a crisis line from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 414-252-0075. The UMOS Latina Resource Center in Milwaukee offers bilingual, bicultural domestic violence, sexual assault and anti-human trafficking supportive services and operates a 24-hour hotline at 414-389-6510. The Gerald L. Ignace Indian Health Center offers culturally sensitive, trauma-informed services for those who have experienced domestic or sexual violence and can be reached at 414-383-9526. Our Peaceful Home, which serves Muslim families and is a program of the Milwaukee Muslim Women's Coalition, operates a crisis line at 414-727-1090. The Hmong American Women's Association, which serves the Hmong and Southeast Asian community, has advocates available at 414-930-9352 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin has a statewide directory of resources at This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Person dead in Milwaukee after apparent chase, Shorewood shooting
