The boys who play tackle football for the Mokena Burros can no longer garb themselves in shades of pink if they want to remain on the gridiron. So says Burros Athletic Director Sal Della Fave. In an e-mail at the onset of Breast Cancer Awareness Month to his players and coaches, Della Fave laid down the law: Only small, pink stickers can be affixed to helmets. "This is the only approved addition to our uniform," he wrote. "No other pink item is to be added to the uniform ie. socks, laces, duct tape etc. I am holding each of you accountable to ensure compliance." Patch's story about the …

Looking for some old-fashioned booze memorabilia to decorate your family bar? Stay close to home with these items. Once upon a time, Mitchel Brewing Co. called Mokena home. You can get a Dutch Boy Draft Beer t-shirt for $13.99, plus $4.75 shipping.  And an Oak Lawn eBay seller is asking $300 for an Old Irish Whisky jug: This Mitchell's Cruiskeen Lawn Old Irish Whisky jug was produced in Belfast. It stands about 7.25 inches tall and 4 inches at the base. The handle is firmly attached with no stress cracking. The black transfers are clear with no glaze runs. There are no chips or cracks. This …

Park your butt in style the way your parents and grandparents used to in these vintage lawn chairs up for auction on eBay in Tinley Park. "A rare vintage loveseat in great condition with some signs of age. It has some surface rust on the middle bar under the seat webbing, and on the underside of the armrests. The aluminum is tinted  a gold to bronze tone. The webbing is in great condition, very firm. Appears to be all original, with the exception of newer white paint on the armrests. aluminum excellent and very unique colors." The owner is asking $49. Someone else wants $10 for a vintage Oak …

One of the reasons we love working at Patch is the reaction from our audience to the coverage and conversation across the local Patch network. We are so focused on the local scene that we don't often share the good news of Patch itself, still a toddler of a company that's growing by leaps and bounds. Monday, we put out a press release about some of the growth we've seen: Patch, AOL’s platform of local news, information and engagement sites, announced Monday, June 10, that May of 2012 was its most successful traffic and revenue period in the company’s history.  Patch served a record 11.7 …

In response to the South Suburban Patch network's Do You Support Gay Marriage? poll, several Patch commenters opened up a debate. Grunty, from Oak Lawn Patch, writes: "You can't make gay marriage illegal because it's a sin. ... What about the rest of the sins that are currently not illegal? Gluttony is a perfect example. If gay marriage is going to be illegal on the grounds of it being a sin, then it should be illegal to be overweight." Pat, from Homewood-Flossmoor Patch, writes: "I believe in small government. I believe government should stay out of our bedrooms and out of our decisions over…

News reporters were in the south suburbs on Saturday covering another misstep in the handling of the deceased at Homewood Memorial Gardens cemetery in Thornton, where 11 coffins with bodies inside were found stacked atop one another. The Cook County Sheriff intervened and oversaw the burials, according to NBC Channel 5's Christian Farr and the Chicago Tribune's John Byrne. The bodies were left unattended for up to a week, according to Byrne: Dwayne Cook discovered the bodies in the chapel Wednesday while trying to visit the gravesite of a friend, Hershal Jordan, who had an internment ceremony…

The nation is talking about South Side Congressman Bobby Rush, who donned a hoodie on the floor of the U.S. House Wednesday morning as he talked about racial profiling and the death of Trayvon Martin in Florida. He was escorted off the floor by the sergeant at arms for violating the House dress code that prohibits headwear. In the Washington Post, Trayvon Martin’s parents said they were moved by Rush's actions. They met with him Tuesday to discuss their son’s case, but had no idea he was going to don a hoodie and speak about the case from the floor of the House. “I’d like to commend …

Mitt Romney, awaiting the results of Illinois' Republican presidential primary, stopped in Wheaton for an unpublicized private reception Tuesday night. Romney greeted children and other neighbors who gathered outside waving American flags and chanting “Mitt for President!” as he arrived. Wheaton Patch editor Charlotte Eriksen caught up with him. Neighbors said they received notice of the event earlier this week. Romney then headed to Schaumburg for his Illinois election night party. Romney also stopped in Vernon Hills and Rosemont during the campaign.  Newt Gingrich made a campaign stop in …

Cook County's suburban Republicans cast 44 percent more Early Voting ballots for the March 20 presidential primary than during Early Voting in 2008, according to the Cook County Clerk's Office.  Nearly 4,400 more Republicans participated during this Early Voting period, which ended Thursday, than did four years ago. GOP voters represented 38.6 percent of all early voting ballots cast, up from 19.4 percent in 2008. With a contentious race among Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul, the outcome of the Illinois GOP primary will matter in the march to a nominee. Democratic Early…

Want to learn more about how to hold your public officials' feet to the fire? Curious about where your tax dollars are being spent? In honor of Presidents Day, Patch highlights a Citizen Watchdog training session taking place at St. Xavier University. The next Better Government Association Citizen Watchdog Training session takes place Thursday, Feb. 23, hosted in partnership with the Saint Xavier University Center for the Study of Fraud and Corruption.  Citizen Watchdog Training empowers you to keep an eye on government by giving you the tools you need to access government. You'll learn from …

Two Things to Pump You Up: Is that a Monster energy drink in your pocket, Seamus, or are you just happy to see us? Seamus P. Scanlan, 21, of the 15600 block of New England Avenue in Oak Forest, was arrested and charged with retail theft Jan. 7 after he was caught leaving the store with two Monster energy drinks in his pants — and several packets of Extenze penis enlargement pills. Living on Oatmeal and Abuse: 53-year-old Chicago Heights woman told police on Jan. 4 that the man she lives with and pays rent to has called her "dirty names" for two years. The woman said she can't concentrate …

Christmas Shoplifting: A man accused of stealing five perfume sets from a Tinley Park Walgreens on Dec. 22 was warned never to return to the store. He grabbed Fantasy, Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, Peluxe and Love & Glamour fragrance sets and bolted for a white van in the parking lot, police said, but cops caught up with him. The store refused to press charges. Not a Creature Was Stirring, Not Even the Mouse: An Oak Forest man received a strange Christmas present on Dec. 27. The man pulled a gift-wrapped package from his mailbox and opened the card, which read, "Your new neighbors, The …

Sliders and beer — sounds like a dangerous combo in so many ways. White Castle chain is testing beer and wine sales at a restaurant in Lafayette, IN, thinking customers might like a cold beer or a glass of wine to wash down a Crave Case or two. Aside from the gastrointestinal distress this combo conjures up, aren't there enough White Castle customers showing up pre-lit already? To wit: A Joliet man who ran a red light was stopped by New Lenox police who saw half a dozen empty Bud Light cans in his car last October. The driver told cops "White Castle ... was calling us." In January, a creepy …

If your paycheck shrinks on the first payday of 2012, who will you blame? The House, the Senate and the president are at odds over how to extend the payroll tax cut and for how long. A two-month extension bill passed in the Senate and foundered in the House, where representatives say temporary fixes won't fly and a full-year deal must be forged. Barack Obama has called Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker of the House John Boehner to push for a resolution. On top of the possible 2 percentage point rise in the payroll tax, unemployment aid will dry up unless Congress acts. The …

My good friend Donna Vickroy finds the most heartwarming stories. This one is so touching, I just had to share it with you. Every time you walk into a crowded store at Christmastime, you have to doubt the spirit of the season still exists. This Christmas tale from the Orland Park Toys R Us store reassures us, however, that yes, there is a Santa Claus. Anne Morgan, an Orland Park mother of two, shared the news with Donna, who turned it into another of her trademark Southtown columns: "I came home yesterday and found a message on my machine telling me to call the store, that they had excellent …

The SouthtownStar, Chicago Sun-Times and other Sun-Times Media websites will be requiring users to pay for access starting Thursday. The company announced its new "pay meter" system late Tuesday. This is how the pay meter will work, according to company officials. Users will get 20 free page views every 30 days If you want to view more, you'll need to purchase an online subscription. If you subscribe to the printed newspaper, online access will cost $1.99 every four weeks. Digital-only subscriptions will cost $77.87 annually or $6.99 every four weeks. The Sun-Times is the first downtown daily…

Thanksgiving Day turkey dinner just wouldn't be complete without a savory stuffing. And who doesn't have a homemade stuffing recipe to look forward to? But would it surprise you to learn that most Southland communities are more likely than the average American to use a stuffing mix than to make stuffing from scratch?Who's more likely than the average American to use a stuffing mix? Evergreen Park residents are far more likely than any other south suburban resident to use a stuffing mix, followed closely by those who hail from Oak Lawn, Matteson and Lemont, according to Crain's Chicago …

Seems like every time Jenny McCarthy talks about her high school days, someone in the south suburbs gets mad. October is National Anti-Bullying Awareness Month, and Southland native Jenny McCarthy joined Dr. Drew Pinsky on HLN last week to talk about bullying and her experience on the South Side of Chicago at Mother McAuley. "The girls were vicious in an all-girls Catholic school," says Jenny McCarthy, describing how she was beat up and had her hair set on fire by other girls at school and in her neighborhood. I watched about 20 minutes of the TV interview as the show broadcast photographs of…

Drifter Dennis Dodson — accused of attacking and raping an elderly Orland Park woman who was only trying to show the homeless man some kindness — has run afoul of the law more than 60 times in 15 states since leaving his native Iowa more than 15 years ago. What brought the vagrant to Orland Park? A bicycle. What would compel him to attack an 83-year-old woman so violently? Not even his mother knows. Teresa Dodson, who hasn't seen her 34-year-old son in years, assumed her son had been jailed for drugs. His drug-addled life took a turn for the worse after he and friends were arrested in Iowa …

The police officer charged with murder and jailed last year amidst a media circus following a string of shootings in Will County, later attributed to the "Honeybee Killer," is suing Will County officials, saying they conspired to falsely arrest and imprison him. Brian Dorian, the Lynwood cop who lived in rural southeast Will County and found himself caught up in the investigation because he resembled the Honeybee shooter, is suing Sheriff Paul Kaupas and State's Attorney James Glasgow, along with Dean Morelli, an investigator in Glasgow's office, for $10 million, reports Patch editor Joe …