Southland College Prep celebrates being ‘all in,’
All 135 members of the class of 2026 at Southland College Prep Charter High School in Richton Park were accepted at colleges and universities across the country, earning more than $50 million in merit-and need-based scholarships.
It’s the 13th consecutive year seniors have earned that distinction, celebrated during the annual All In ceremony. The class received more than 1,300 college acceptances, including several who earned full-ride scholarships. Valedictorian LeiLani Barnes and salutatorian Loren Rounds, both of Matteson, led the class.
In addition, a group of seniors were named Southland’s first ISHA Short Film state champions in 2026 for their film “Soul Music,” written and directed by students as well as featuring a score composed by two seniors.
Other milestones recognized included the Dancing Lady Eagles competitive dance team winning the IHSA Class 1A sectional championship in its first season, the choir and marching bands performing in festivals and the speech team earning its fourth state championship in Performance in the Round.
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The Kwarteng family surprised four seniors with a total of $10,000 in scholarships through the Kwarteng Foundation.
OLCHS serves free breakfast, lunch in June, July
Free meals for children 18 and younger will be served Mondays to Thursdays June 8 to July 16, thanks to the Seamless Summer Options School Nutrition Program available at Oak Lawn Community HIgh School District 229.
Breakfast will be served from 7:30 to 8 a.m. and lunch from 10:30 to 11 a.m. in the high school’s cafeteria. Meals must be eaten there. Attendees should use the visitor entrance at door #7, 9400 Southwest Highway in Oak Lawn.
Students don’t need to attend the high school to participate. Lawn schools. No registration, application or ID are required, and all meals follow USDA nutrition guidelines. Information is at 708-741-5607.
Pride Fest features musical tributes, food vendors
The community is invited to join Pride Fest, planned for the evening of June 12 at Flossmoor Park, 2523 Flossmoor Road in Flossmoor.
Food and beverages will be sold starting at 5 p.m., with the Bel Canto Community Choir performing on the stage at 6 p.m. Beyond the Blonde, a tribute to Pink, Gwen Stefani and Lady Gaga, begins at 7 p.m.
Admission is free. Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs. Alcohol may be purchased from vendors. The event is sponsored by the Homewood-Flossmoor Park District and the villages of Homewood and Flossmoor. Details are at 708-957-0300.
Lemont High School business leaders earn top honors
Members of Lemont High School’s chapter of Future Business Leaders of America earned top honors at the 2026 FBLA State Leadership Conference held recently in Springfield, with students from 10 events earning top four finishes in their categories, including multiple state titles.
Earning first place were juniors Marco Mancini, Brandon Potaczek and Andrew Ascolani for Management Information Systems; juniors Aras Gedgaudas and Jokubas for Sale Presentation; and senior Ethan Spadafora for Computer Game Simulation. State runner-up was sophomore Shaan Sharma for Introduction to FBLA.
Third-place honors went to seniors Lorelei Dimitropoulos, Public Administration, and Jean-Eduard Rodriguez, Social Media Strategies; juniors Karm Patel and Adam Dunkin for Coding & PRogramming; and sophomores Patrick Sobula and Ryan Gal for Digital Animation. Sophomores Alex Tchernev, Introduction to Programming, and Medha Vicharapu, Introduction to Public Speaking, both took fourth.
Overall, Lemont students placed first in 10 individual events and 11 team competitions.
Concert series comes to Good Shepherd Lutheran
The final performance on the 2025-26 St. Michael Concert Series, featuring “pocket concertos,” will take place at 3 p.m. June 7 at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 7800 W. McCarthy Road in Palos Heights.
The concert features Beethoven’s “Fourth Piano Concerto and Rachmaninoff’s “Second Piano Concerto,” showcasing the Lakeside String Quintet and concert pianist Michale Finlay.
It’s free and open to the public, although donations will be accepted via www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/concert-series.
Green Hills library hosts party for summer reading
The Green Hills Public Library kicks off its summer reading program with a party from 3 to 7 p.m. June 8 at Bennett Park, 10801 S. Roberts Road in Palos Hills. Rainbow Cone will give out free treats to all registrants while supplies last.
The party, which typically draws hundreds of people, includes family friendly activities, prizes and incentives for participants and reading challenges for all ages. This year’s theme is “Plant a Seed, Read,” and the program continues through Aug. 2.
Participants can register for the summer reading program, which is free, at greenhillslibrar.beanstack.org or in person at the library, 10311 S. Interlochen Drive in Palos Hills, as well as at the party.
Midewin sets 30th anniversary open house
The public is invited to help celebrate National Trails Day with an event planned for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 6 at Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie on Ill. 53 in Wilmington.
The American Hiking Society began National Trails Day in 1993. It brings together volunteers, partners and federal land managers to accomplish trail stewardship projects to make sure trails are well-maintained, easy to follow, accessible and safe.
The 30th anniversary open house includes interpretive stations at locations around the prairie, with attendees invited to bike, drive or hike from each trailhead to learn about the bison project, prairie restoration and how grazing and agriculture help restoration efforts. The Illinois Natural History Survey Traveling Science Center will be open at the Welcome Center.
June 6 also has been designated as an additional recreation fee-free day by the Forest Service. All standard recreation amenities on Forest Service land can be used by the public for free. Other dates are found at www.fs.usda.gov.
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