2025’s Top Chicago Southland 2025 Stories

Published: 30 December 2025
Written by Stephanie Pyrzynski
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Categories: Chicago Southland, Tinley Park News

Wondering which stories about the Chicago Southland captured people’s attention the most in 2025? Think nothing really happens out here in the sticks as they call this? From major development projects, and severe weather to viral moments and hometown pride, 2025 was a year that shaped daily life across the Chicago Southland. This year-in-review highlights only the top stories that captured attention, sparked conversation, and left a lasting impact — including a few you may have missed.

And if you’d like to show your appreciation for all the reporting I’ve done over the years, feel free to buy me a coffee here.

Top Chicago Southland Stories in Q1 2025

Top Stories January 2025

  1. Lincoln-Way Marching Band Performs at Rose Bowl
  2. Will County Gets Historic $27 Million In Federal Funds For New Lenox Rail Overpass
  3. North & Maple Restaurant Opens (1/20/2025)
  4. New Lenox North & Maple Opening Set: ‘Now The Fun Starts,’ Owner Says
  5. Singer Famous For Golden Girls Theme Song Pays Tribute To Betty White In Oak Park
  6. Ozinga Matriarch Marilyn Ozinga turns 100
  7. Building Along The Boulevard on U.S. 30 at Joliet and Plainfield Continues With Starbucks, Olive Garden, Cooper’s Hawk, and Costco
  8. Lemont Gets Half Million in Community Project Funding For Railways
  9. Hog Wild Evicted
  10. Brush Fire in Tinley Park at Flossmoor Rd & Central Ave

Top Stories February 2025

  1. Opening Date Set For Pete’s Fresh Market In Orland Park
  2. Tinley Park Mom and Social Worker Gets Compensated after Runaround from Village
  3. Kayla Cabrera, Southland Violinist Plays for Coldplay and Beyoncé
  4. Love’s Sweet Arrow on Chicago Today
  5. New Video Gaming Lounge, Ultimate Gaming Xperience Opens
  6. New Non-Profit Infinite Inclusivity Aims To Unite Parents Of Neurodiverse Children
  7. Homer Glen Playground Coming

Top Stories March 2025

  1. Teehan’s Soft Opening on Silver Anniversary of the March of the Green Parade (3/4/25—2 Years to the date from the Announcement of the Project’s Resumption)
  2. First Green Awards Given Out by Tinley Park Environmental Enhancement Commission
  3. B/Bauer Boutique Lands Demos Innovative Hair Solution on WGN 
  4. Irregular Snow March 5th & 16th, 2025
  5. Creamery Opens at Orland Square Mall
  6. Village of Lansing Trustee Saad Abbasy, Appear on 3/21/2025 episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show
  7. Tinley Woman Pens Book on Long COVID
  8. Open Bottle Closes Doors after 10 Years in Tinley Park
  9. Downtown Orland Park Groundbreaking
  10. Tornado Warning, Hail storm (3/30/2025)

Top Chicago Southland Stories in Q2 2025

Top Stories April 2025

  1. Tinley Park Mom and Son survive Fall at Starved Rock State Park
  2. Chicago Bears Sign Tinley Park’s very own Miles Boykin
  3. Homer Glen former Chicago Bears defensive tackle and Hall-of-Famer Steve McMichael, Passes After Long Fight with ALS

Top Stories May 2025

  1. WNBA Forward Angel Reese Buys Home In Lemont
  2. Flossmoor Resident Speaks at Press Conference with Illinois Govenor About Illinois Historic Expenditure of Film Projects in 2024
  3. Dolton Native First Ever Pope from the U.S.
  4. Tandoori House Opens second location for Quick Service
  5. Robbins History Museum Director and Curator, and former Village Clerkand Trustee Tyrone Haymore Passes Away
  6. KidsWork Outdoor Odyssey and H2O Zone open 5/17/2025
  7. Fogo de Chao Opens in Orland Park (former TGI Fridays)
  8. Fatal Week in May
    • Off-duty Cop killed
    • Serial Killer Dies
    • Missing Woman Found Dead
    • Funnel Cloud and Winds Worsen Suburban House Fire
    • Children hurt near Plush Horse in Palos 
  9. Giving Tree Dedicated to Former Franciscan Olympia Fields Nurse Carmen Freilich
  10. Tinley Park’s Benches on the Avenue featured in Global Traveler Magazine 
  11. Kenzie’s Playhouse Soft Opens in Orland Park 5/29/2025
  12. Frankfort Awarded $1.6 Million Grant For Trail Project 
  13. Gordon Ramsay Films Network show at Freddy’s Steak House in Hammond, IN

Top Stories June 2025

  1. Romeoville Teacher (Timothy Fogt) Found Dead On Median After Tinley Amphitheatre Concert 
  2. Former Harness Racing Facility in Crete To Be Future Recovery and Housing Site for Men Overcoming Addiction
  3. Teresa Stinnett co-founds arts programs for students of Frankfort School District 157-C.
  4. 5th New Lenox Young Entrepreneurs Fair 
  5. Tinley Park 4th of July Fireworks Back At McCarthy Park
  6. Valedictorian and Tinley Park Violinist Amanda Schuler Lands Grant Park Music Festival
  7. New Lenox Mayor Starts Podcast
  8. Orland Grassland Volunteers Recognized

Top Chicago Southland Stories in Q3 2025

Top Stories July 2025

  1. Harmony Square grand-opening celebration Friday, July 18 TinleyPark.org/HarmonySquare
  2. Rick Springfield Performs in New Lenox
  3. Orland Township Votes 3-2 to cease DMV.
  4. VP and Tinley Park Historical Society Volunteer John Szaton Passe
  5. Nour Shaban and Husband Ommar Fighting for Continued Access to Life Saving Heart Drug for Infant Son

Top Stories August 2025

  1. Premier Suburban Medical Group Officially Joins Forces with Silver Cross Medical Group
  2. Storm on August 17, 2025 at 2:30 AM Leads to Power Outage Due to Lightning Strike at Prairie View Middle School.
  3. New DMV location in Orland Park
  4. Cardinal Joseph Bernardin Catholic School Celebrates 25th Anniversary

Top Chicago Southland Stories in Q4 2025

Top Stories September 2025

  1. Jack in the Box Opens in Tinley Park
  2. Largest Pete’s Fresh Market Opens in Tinley Park
  3. Palos Heights (Kelly Ludes Smentek) and Tinley Park (Lauren and Logan Blount) Children Appear in Time Square Billboards Video Presentation in Buddy Week Kick-off
  4. Tinley Park Residents Demand Action After Decades of Dangerous Crashes along 167th Street
  5. 25 year-old Goes Viral for Revamping Dolton and Cicero Bowling Alleys
  6. Will County Forest Preserve District expands by 500 acres in Second-Largest Land Purchase In History
  7. Kennilworth Set Home Alone 35th Anniversary at D23
  8. Tinley Park’s Scoop Ice Cream Shop in new Disney’ Movie “Trash Mountain”
  9. Tinley Park Mom Stephanie Pyrzynski Lands Interview with Newly Award James Beard Winner Irina Janakievska

Top Stories October 2025

  1. Clawcade Takes Over Former Arcade Space in Orland Square Mall
  2. New Lenox Home Home Featured on WGN with Marcus Leshock For Haunted Manor of Evil Decor
  3. Tinley Park Mom and Co-Founder of Infinite Inclusivity Non-Profit Ashley Thomas Patrick Speaks at Inaugural ‘That’s What She Said’ Conference
  4. Closet Collectibles Shop New Location In Tinley Park

Top Stories November 2025

  1. Southland Development Authority CEO Discuss Efforts to Build Transit-Friendly Housing in the South Suburbs
  2. Mobile ID for Apple Wallet Launches After Years In The Making For Illinois Residents, Android Smartphones to Follow

Top Stories December 2025

  1. Tinley Park Amphitheater Stops Free parking for First Time
  2. Tinley Park Home Featured on WGN’s Annual Around Town Segment For Creating Alphine Village In Driveway
  3. High Winds, Contrails, and Tornadoes in Chicago Southland Neighboring Towns on (12/28/2025)
  4. Scholarship Debuts, In Memory of Beloved Carl Sandburg High School Speech Teacher of Famous Alumni – Accepting Applications Til’ April 8, 2026
  5. Tinley Park Public Library Completes Major Renovation
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