What would January be without a good roundup? We decided to have a little fun and poke into our website to see which stories you liked the most. Sorry, print readers, there’s no way for us to do that for you. If you want to weigh in, just email me.
In the meantime, let’s take a walk down memory lane to see what piqued your interest.
But first, the biggest change. Bob Uphues retired as the Landmark’s editor in August 2023 after 20 years on the job. You’ll see that many of your beloved stories are by him.
10. Riverside man faces contempt hearing in chronic nuisance case by Bob Uphues; Judge says homeowner repeatedly defied court order barring people living there The lawsuit against Robert Golba said that Riverside police had been called to his house more than 120 times between June 2020 and July 2022 for a variety reasons, including loud noises, unwanted subjects and disturbances, some of which resulted in arrests.
A sad story from the campus.
8. Tornado tears through suburbs, narrowly missing Brookfield by Bob Uphues; Damage reported from Burr Ridge to Stickney as winds approached 110 mph “I looked out the window and saw a large rotating column of debris as it seemed to float through the intersection of Joliet and LaGrange roads, moving east,” a witness said. “I’d never seen a tornado before, and although it didn’t look like something out of the ‘Wizard of Oz,’ I still knew it was a tornado and something pretty dangerous. I was worried for the people in the intersection and in its path.” The event capped a volatile cycle of weather that began July 2-3, when between 6 and 9 inches of rain was dumped on Brookfield, Riverside and North Riverside. Another strong storm followed July 5, again overwhelming sewers that were still recovering from the earlier storm.
7. Riverside property owner faces $412,000 in fines for ‘chronic nuisance’ home by Francia Garcia Hernandez; The homeowner is set to appear at initial eviction hearing after failing to follow court orders Nuisance or not, Landmark readers couldn’t get enough of Robert Golba.
6. West 40 buys 30-acre St. Joseph High School campus by Amaris E. Rodriguez; Agency serving local school districts plans alternative school The campus in Westchester was purchased for $8 million, wrote our education reporter, with plans for it to be the home of an alternative school run by the West 40 Intermediate Service Center, a state-funded entity which is an intermediary between the Illinois State Board of Education and 38 public school districts and three co-ops in western Cook County.
5. Galloping Ghost acquires 19 parcels along Ogden Ave. by Bob Uphues; $3 million transaction caps two-year effort to buy leased properties “It was a big step,” said owner Doc Mack, who opened Galloping Ghost Arcade in 2010 with 120 games. At the time, it had since expanded to include more than 930 games.
4. Illegal street takeovers hit suburbs, Brookfield by Bob Uphues; Cars, spectators block 31st/Maple to cheer on ‘drifters’ We doubt you forgot this one. Street takeovers, where dozens of vehicles converge on an intersection or parking lot and then block it, set off fireworks and cheer as a vehicle drifts inside the ring, made their way to the suburbs, causing a stir in many towns, including Brookfield.
3. Riverside man killed by stray gunfire in Chicago by Bob Uphues; Classic car buff was hanging out with colleagues after car show on June 23 This heartbreaking story moved readers. Jose Alejando Medina, a classic car lover, left behind his wife and two daughters.
2. Still with us? Juvenile charged with attempted murder in LTHS attack by Bob Skolnik; LaGrange police investigation remains active, victim still hospitalized This issue was connected to the story we listed in number nine. The juvenile was the second to be arrested in connection with the incident.
And the drumroll please…
1. Riverside police investigate fatal crash at First and Ridgewood by Bob Uphues; Impact demolishes digital display sign at Riverside-Brookfield High School Landmark readers sure love their police and crime stories. This one, however, ended in tragedy after the driver of the car died in the crash.
We hope you enjoyed reminiscing with us! We’re happy to serve you and promise you even better stories in the year ahead. We couldn’t do it without you. Come back, read often and drop me a line, if you’re so inclined.