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Week in Review: Long Police Shifts and Honoring Veterans

You may have missed stories about new business, charitable holiday efforts, new village hires, a man accused of attacking his father, fraud claims, Metra fare hike and baby Bears in Orland Park during the past week.

MONDAY Veterans Saluted for Service at Orland Park Ceremony Eighteen new names of veterans were added to the village's memorial this year for the annual Veterans Day Ceremony. Business Comings & Goings: Hibachi Grill Opens in Orland Park Tinley Glass Corp. moves to Frankfort Square • Red Mango to help Hurricane Sandy victims Nov. 13 • Walgreens near 159th Street and 80th Avenue unveils new look • Toy show and sewing expo come to Tinley Park Convention Center. TUESDAY Ways to Give Back for the Holidays Patch has compiled a short list of different charitable efforts around Orland Park, Tinley Park and Oak Forest. Orland Park Police Blotter: Return Trip Theft Dump and Cursing at Police Orland Park police reports, Oct. 12-13 WEDNESDAY Orland …

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In the Rear View: Half Ton of Pills and Police Layoffs

We look back at a week of overcoming major obstacles, helping when in need, pensions woes, crash-heavy intersections and thoughts on the Secret Service prostitution scandal.

MONDAY Over 1,000 Pounds of Unused Pharmaceutical Medicine Collected Saturday in Orland Park Two Orland Park drop off points for the National Take Back Initiative on Saturday collected over a half-ton of unused medicine for disposal over the course of four hours. Sexual Exploitation Trial Put on Hold for More Evidence The state's pretrial investigation continues against a man charged with 14 counts related to sexual abuse following a joint effort last year by Orland Park and Palos Hills police. TUESDAY Director of Teachers’ Retirement System: Illinois in a ‘Fiscal Mess’ Staff who oversees Illinois teacher pensions spoke to about 1,000 teachers at Carl Sandburg High School Thursday night about how the state might change retirements, Sun …

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Police Blotter: DUIs, Drug Arrests, Zero Tolerance

Orland Hills police reports, March 2-15

THURSDAY, MARCH 15 Christopher E. Gorecki, 29, of the 9100 block of 167th Street in Orland Hills was charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession of a hypodermic needle. Police said they found heroin and needles on Gorecki on Jan. 27, when he was hospitalized. Criminal charges had been deferred, and he was arrested outside his home around 6:30 p.m., police said. TUESDAY, MARCH 13 Atta S. Muhdi, 19, of the 15100 block of 82nd Avenue in Orland Hills was charged with possession of cannabis. Police said he was on foot patrol in the 9200 block of Hunter Drive around 9 p.m. when they smelled marijuana coming from a group of men, one of whom—Muhdi—claimed ownership over a small bag of marijuana that had been tossed on the …

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Orland and Tinley Police Find Car Filled With Fake Checks During Traffic Stop

Police pulled over a car Friday with three suspicious people inside, they said.

Police said they found a "large number of checks" in a vehicle during a midnight traffic stop on Friday that believed were fraudulent. Orland Hills police initially pulled over a car of three suspects near the intersection of 80th Avenue and 159th Street in Tinley Park, according to the police report. Officers "flagged down" Tinley Park police to help with the stop. During a search, officers found checks from multiple businesses and names in the car. Some of them appeared to have been used, police said. Electronics totaling $867.92 were also found in the car and the receipt said they had been purchased from Super Kmart using a check. Employees at Super Kmart said that on Oct. 13, they watched about six people who were trying to pass fake …

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In the Rear View: Clout, Budgeting and Dan Hampton

We look back at a week of lawsuits, added eyes, a cheese ruse, our Halloween giveaway, antiques and a White House denial.

MONDAY Lawyer: Damages in Orland Hills Whistleblower Suit Could Cost Town ‘A Couple Hundred Thousand’ Lawsuit claims political clout led to charges being tossed, and an Orland Hills officer was fired for reporting it to the FBI. TUESDAY Village Looking For Extra Set of Eyes on the Ninety 7 Fifty Site Orland Park is considering taking on U.S. Equities as the owner’s agent on the new apartment complex project, and other details from the Monday, Oct. 3 village board meeting. No Cheese Laced with Nails in Chicago Area Dog Parks Dog owners in the Chicago area were alerted to rumors of cheese cubes containing nails that reportedly began popping up at dog parks. But the rumor is false, according to Snopes.com. WEDNESDAY Police Looking For Grab-…

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Lawyer: Damages in Orland Hills Whistleblower Suit Could Cost Town ‘A Couple Hundred Thousand’

Lawsuit claims political clout led to charges being tossed, and an officer was fired for reporting it to the FBI.

A former Orland Hills police officer's lawsuit against the village and police chief, with claims that a traffic arrest was tossed because of political connections, could cost a large sum if the village loses. David Kristofek says he was ordered to hand over paperwork and delete all computer data on two traffic charges against a man whose mother is a former mayor of a nearby town. The woman asked that her son not be arrested and he was released from custody without charges, according to Kristofek's lawsuit.   Kristofek was fired from the department on April 21, and claims that his termination was retaliation for notifying the Federal Bureau of Investigation about the tossed charges. “There’s a question of back pay for the time he’s been off…

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Police Blotter: Identity Theft, Credit Card Fraud

Orland Hills police reports, June 15-20

MONDAY, JUNE 20 Rayshaun Boler, 22, of the 1600 block of Portland Avenue in Chicago Heights, and Tyree D. Brock-Tolber, 21, of the 8200 block of South Ada Avenue in Chicago, were charged with criminal trespassing. Police were called by a property manager in the 9300 block of Hunter Drive just before 1 p.m. The manager said the men had been banned from the property and she had asked them to leave. FRIDAY, JUNE 17 An Orland Hills woman reported that her debit card had been used in Michigan at a Walmart around 7:15 p.m. An Orland Park man reported that someone had stolen several items from him and used his credit card at Walmart and Comfort Inn in Orland Hills on June 16. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 15 Benjamin T. Kowalis, 22, of the 8800 block of …

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Orland Hills Teams with USO to Celebrate Village's 50th Anniversary

Three-day party at Kelly Park thrills residents and helps support a great cause.

The Village of Orland Hills has come a long way since its humble beginnings. Before name changes, annexations and incorporations, the community spent much of its 50 years known as Westhaven, with little more than 100 homes. The village’s population is now approximately 7,000. A three-day celebration was held at Kelly Park this past weekend to celebrate the village’s 50th anniversary, with concerts, food, family events, laser light shows and firework displays that rivaled those of larger cities. Proceeds raised by the celebration were donated to the United Services Organization (USO) of Illinois. Jim Michael, director of development for USO of Illinois, manned an information booth during the Orland Hills celebration.  "All the money used by…

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Police Blotter: Warrant Arrests and Phone Harassment

Orland Hills police reports: May 17-24

TUESDAY, MAY 24 Orland Hills police were asked to assist the Posen Police Department at the 16000 block of South Haven Avenue around 10:30 p.m. Posen PD had signed complaints of phone harassment against Daniel J. Kerbs, 44, of the 16000 block of South Haven Avenue in Orland Hills, and they asked Orland Hills officers to bring him into custody, police said. He was taken into custody without incident and then picked up by Posen officers, according to the report.

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Police Blotter: Taser-Tosser Arrested; Identity Thefts

Orland Hills police reports, May 15-31.

SUNDAY, MAY 29 Jermaine Smith, 31, of the 1600 block of Lexington Avenue in Ford Heights, was arrested for failing to appear in court on Chicago Heights police charges. Orland Hills police stopped Smith's car in the 17100 block of LaGrange Road around 5 p.m. for a possible license plate violation but filed no charges of their own. SATURDAY, MAY 21 Debra A. Bockelman, 48, of the 16800 block of Vicky Lane in Orland Hills, was charged with domestic battery. Police said Bockelman punched a man in the face inside her home around 11:30 p.m. She split the man’s lip, but he refused medical treatment, police said. SUNDAY, MAY 15 Anthony J. McCarthy, 33, of the 11600 block of Roberts Street in Mokena, was arrested around 11 p.m. for possessing …

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