©2025 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 201716 min readChicago’s Overlooked Gem: FlossmoorAn in-depth profile of the H.J As the next-door neighbor to nationally-acclaimed golf paradise Olympia Fields Country Club, it’s easy to understand how Flossmoor Country Club gets forgotten when discussing Chicago’s best golf courses The 1899 Herbert Tweedie design was the first championship golf course south of the city and remains one of the finest championship courses in all of Chicagoland Tweedie was one of Chicago’s golf trailblazers. He grew up in England, at Royal Liverpool Golf Club (Hoylake), where he had strong amateur record as a junior before moving to Chicago in the 1880s. Upon arrival in America, he met C.B. Macdonald and served as an instrumental resource when Macdonald laid out the original site for Chicago Golf Club Tweedie became Chicago’s preeminent architect designing Glen View Club in 1897 and Midlothian Country Club in 1898 before his work at Flossmoor was completed in 1899 Flossmoor evolved a good deal over the years and had significant work done by Greenskeeper Harry Collis in the 1910s With Collis’s reworking of several greens and agronomic expertise Flossmoor joined an esteemed list championship golf courses in the U.S As noted by Golden Age great Robert Hunter Flossmoor was considered one of the country’s elite golf courses “I am printing below a table of American courses of the first class giving the yardage in each case.” Club – YardageThe National – 6,163Midwick – 6,300Brookline – 6,350Los Angeles – 6,390Engineers’ – 6,400Myopia – 6,400Essex County – 6,410Garden City – 6,417Mayfield – 6,440Pine Valley – 6,446San Francisco – 6,462Flossmoor – 6,475Detroit – 6,502Merion – 6,515Inverness – 6,569Ojai – 6,625Lido – 6,693Oakmont – 6,707 The Club was host to various championships in its early days including the Western Amateur and Western Open It entered the national spotlight when it hosted the 1920 PGA Championship and 1923 U.S The list of players who competed at Flossmoor is long and illustrious – Alex Smith But while Flossmoor was hosting major championships, its new neighbor Olympia Fields Country Club was building one of the country’s finest golf facilities boasting four courses by 1925, and becoming Chicago South Suburbs’ best golf club. It inevitably cast a shadow over Flossmoor, as well the other clubs in the crowded golf neighborhood – Ravisloe An early layout of Flossmoor - Photo Credit: Ian Gilley @igilley Flossmoor is a course that takes many plays to truly grasp With every round my appreciation for the golf course’s architecture and the strategy needed to score well grows while the back nine moves to the more dramatic piece of the property with almost every hole featuring a significant rise or drop Like its neighbor Olympia Fields’s North Course Flossmoor possesses world-class par-4s including the 3rd Flossmoor’s single strongest feature is its incredible green complexes – some of the most strategic and challenging that to be found anywhere The great variety in size and slope stand out and they require players to be on the correct side of the hole to make an aggressive stroke The challenging green complexes dictate the necessity for good ball-striking as approaching from the fairway is necessary in order to control distance and spin on the approach shot As was the case with many courses of the era the club hired Ray Hearn to work with Superintendent Bob Lively on polishing up their gem Hearn’s work is best described as a combination of restoration and renovation He did a remarkable job restoring the greens and removing thousands of trees (although a great many could still go) While the tee shots generally have wide corridors Hearn did a great job moving fairway bunkers to account for modern technology and shrink landing areas for longer players The updates won Flossmoor the 2009 award for Renovation of the Year and returned the course to its former status as one of the area’s finest championship tests “Coming up with this bunker style took a lot of thought and time…I paid tribute to Mr Tweedie’s routing and his wonderful green complexes but had a difficult time researching his bunker style…I got out a shovel and a soil probe and went on an archeological dig searching for both old bunkers and lost green edges…During the time the course was built (1899 and 1900) both construction and maintenance equipment were very limited I decided to elevate the strategic and aesthetic significance of the bunkers often lying awake at night thinking of all the options I finally decided on an irregular-edge bunker style My rationale was that Tweedie’s routing and green complexes were so well done that the course deserved great bunkers I believed these remodeled bunkers would emulate a more classical look and feel.” The Eleanor's Teeth bunker on Flossmoor's 16th the bunkers at Flossmoor are certainly distinctive especially in comparison to other courses in the area and the fantastic stretch of golf on the back nine Flossmoor is a must play for lovers of classic architecture The course kicks off with the short par-5 which offers up one of the few good birdie opportunities The tee shot is made difficult by fairway bunkers on the right and left that pinch the fairway at 290 yards A tee shot that finds the fairway will give a player a chance to go for the green while one that misses will likely lead to a layup The hole is made tricky by the large green that severely slopes away from the player and from left to right The slope makes it tough to hold the green on a long second shot and wreaks havoc on any third shots that come from the rough and lack spin The 2nd hole is the first of Flossmoor’s four par-3s each of which tests a different aspect of a player’s iron game The long 2nd favors a right to left shot shape The green slopes severely back-to-front and is angled slightly to the left making the best place to miss short of the green {{content-block-flossmoor-country-club-001}} Up next is the first of Flossmoor’s many great par-4s The fairway at the 3rd is bisected by a small creek that runs diagonally and sits at roughly 265 yards from the back tees Laying up short of the creek will leave a mid to long iron approach to a magnificent green complex The green viciously slopes from right to left with a subtle back to front slope Any putt or chip shot from right of the hole is extremely difficult making the ideal place to miss the green short and left {{content-block-flossmoor-country-club-002}} Few holes at Flossmoor present a player with more options than the short par-4 4th A 260-yard tee shot seems to be the play here but longer players will often give the green a run with their driver If a player’s tee shot finds a fairway bunker it will leave an awkward 40-70 yard sand shot to a difficult green The green is very narrow and slopes hard from back-to-front and left-to-right making any putt difficult except for one directly below the hole the 4th presents a great birdie opportunity but a poor shot can lead to a double or worse {{content-block-flossmoor-country-club-003}} While the driving corridor at the dogleg left 5th is very wide fairway bunkers on either side of the fairway pinch the landing area at 280 yards The 5th has an extremely small green for a 400+ yard par-4 and to make matters tougher the putting surface has a spine that runs through the middle The small green puts a premium on finding the fairway in order to control spin and distance for the approach {{content-block-flossmoor-country-club-004}} The 6th hole has been known to give regular visitors to Flossmoor nightmares As a player who likes to move the ball from right to left Bobby Jones called it “The Difficult Sixth” after playing it in the 1923 U.S The hole doglegs hard to the right and has out of bounds running down the left side A miss left can lead to a stroke and distance penalty and right isn’t much better as there are an abundance of mature oak trees Players hit everything from driver to 4-iron on this relatively long par-4 A tree overhangs the right side of the fairway {{content-block-flossmoor-country-club-005}} The second par-3 is the beautiful 7th which plays over water to a plateau-style green The tee box is set back in a heavily wooded area making judging the wind extremely difficult Misses left and long will find a runoff area leaving a delicate pitch shot to a green that slopes from front to back and left to right {{content-block-flossmoor-country-club-006}} When Ray Hearn remodeled Flossmoor in the mid-2000s and the resultant hole feels out of place and awkward Membership refused to allow him to take out mature trees on the right which led to an incredibly awkward tee shot Fail to slice it and the ball will end up in fairway bunkers down the left side or in deep rough creating a difficult long-iron approach to a green protected by a lake A good drive will leave a mid-iron approach to a wide but shallow green that slopes from back-to-front and left to right {{content-block-flossmoor-country-club-007}} The back tee at the 9th makes this a stout three-shot par-5 this hole is played from a forward tee which makes it reachable in two for a long hitter but hitting the fairway is key to getting the second shot over the hill which obstructs the view of the green The putting surface at the 9th is one of the most deceptive to be found anywhere it looks as though the green has considerable back-to-front slope It takes players multiple rounds to understand this green {{content-block-flossmoor-country-club-008}} The 10th is the second of consecutive par-5s and can yield disaster with out of bounds running down the entire left side A good drive that finds the fairway and avoids the bunker on the right side will give a player a chance at getting home in two This hole is where players begin to experience Flossmoor’s great topography The green is situated in a valley and is extremely sloped from back to front anything long is almost impossible to keep on the green {{content-block-flossmoor-country-club-009}} The 11th is a beautiful but befuddling uphill par-3 The tee shot is semi-blind and plays about a club longer than usual because of the big hill The real challenge is the green which slopes hard from front-to-back making it difficult to get a mid-iron shot to stop Any miss short will leave a delicate downhill chip shot {{content-block-flossmoor-country-club-010}} The 12th hole is one of our favorite par-4s in Chicago The tee shot comes from the same plateau that the 11th green is situated on and plays right into the bank of another hill Only the longest hitters can carry the hill and get a clear look at the green for their second shots Most players are left with a blind second shot to a punchbowl green that once again slopes away The significant front to back slope makes distance control very difficult {{content-block-flossmoor-country-club-011}} Another hole significantly altered by Hearn who moved both the tee box and green to have the hole play in a different direction as the green has significant slope making distance-control a must {{content-block-flossmoor-country-club-012}} The tee on this short par-4 is made both awkward and memorable by a large oak tree in the middle of the fairway While the tree is only 175 yards from the tee it forces a player to decide whether to thread the needle on the right or left side A subtle challenge to the 14th is the considerable fairway undulation that yields uneven lies The green is also very difficult; it slopes hard from back-to-front and a wedge shot with too much juice can spin right off the front {{content-block-flossmoor-country-club-013}} The course begins a dramatic close one of its best tee shots at the 15th The ideal tee ball moves right-to-left but avoids the large oak tree on the left side A long drive will leave a short-iron approach over a creek which bisects the fairway to a small this approach is particularly difficult as the green seemingly shrinks to a miniscule size As is the case with many of Flossmoor’s putting surfaces being in the right spot on the 15th green is key as it slopes from back-to-front {{content-block-flossmoor-country-club-014}} the 16th’s second shot presents quite the challenge The double fairway it shares with the 17th gives players plenty of room to the left and no reason to go anywhere near the fairway bunker on the right side A tee shot into good position sets up an uphill approach to the plateau green guarded by a memorable fingered bunker The green is very shallow and has a false front that rejects any shots slightly short or that have too much spin A miss long is dead as the green slopes hard from the back-to-front {{content-block-flossmoor-country-club-015}} The uphill approach makes finding the fairway from the tee a must about a club longer than the yardage suggests is played to a green perched on a ridgeline It forces most players to scramble for par the 17th is a birdie four/bogey six two-shotter {{content-block-flossmoor-country-club-016}} A round at Flossmoor comes to a close with a gettable par-5 that runs back uphill to the massive clubhouse A long hitter’s line is over the fairway bunkers on the right side leaving a fairway wood or long-iron approach to the perched green A poor drive will force a layup which isn’t easy because of fairway bunkers on the left and right The approach is deceptive as it looks like the slope of the green will funnel shots from right to left The green is actually full of subtle breaks leaving most players confounded walking off {{content-block-flossmoor-country-club-017}} I see something new at Flossmoor every round I play The course has a spectacular blend of playability and challenge – it’s a quintessential “hard par The majority of its driving corridors are extremely wide but scoring well requires smart and strategic play Flossmoor has a nice variety of differing length par-3s and short and long par-4s that test all of the clubs in a player’s bag the club is a victim of the economic downturn and a changing neighborhood demographic These factors have turned what was once one of Chicago’s most prestigious clubs into one that’s offering discounted memberships in order to stay afloat We think it the perfect candidate to fully adopt to U.K allowing guest play for those who politely ask and comport themselves appropriately While Flossmoor might get lost among the many great private golf courses in Chicagoland Our hope is that the club finds a way to thrive and continue to fine tune the presentation The Fried Egg Newsletter is the best way to stay up to date on all things golf In looking at an entire golf course holistically Fried Egg Golf brings another dimension to the game and fills a gap in golf coverage Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet 24ReplyCancelSUBMIT COMMENTSUBMIT COMMENTThank you! Your submission has been received!Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.Author NameJan 13, 2025DeleteLorem ipsum dolor sit amet FooterA deeper level of golfSign up to our newsletter for fresh takes Mondays Fried Egg Course RatingWe rate golf courses using a three-"Egg" scale a course must be very good; to receive three Most courses will not get any Eggs at all — and this is not meant as an insult Click here to learn more about our rating system and our criteria of Land 2025 at 10:34 am CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Flossmoor Hills preschool and early childhood students enjoyed a Disney-themed prom (Courtesy Flossmoor District 161)FLOSSMOOR IL — It was a night full of magic and music as Flossmoor School District 161’s littlest learners took center stage at their very own Pre-School and Early Childhood Prom and the school staff went all out to create an unforgettable evening Teachers arrived dressed as beloved Disney characters adding a little extra sparkle and surprise for their young students The adults brought the event to life from Cinderella to Prince Charming Students enjoyed dancing to Disney-themed music and playing games like bean bag toss and “Pin the Nose on Mickey.” There were also hands-on craft stations where children could decorate their crowns and picture frames to take home as keepsakes and other sweet treats rounded out the festive experience “This event is such a fun way for our youngest learners to have the opportunity to interact with their peers Family engagement and building collaborative relationships with our families is a large focus of our program; it’s important for us to give our families the opportunity to have that interaction,” said Crystal Briney and I wanted to choose a theme that the entire family would enjoy; dressing up in costumes makes everything more fun!” The event was a joyful celebration of growth and community for the youngest members of the Flossmoor School District 161 family With proud parents and guardians snapping photos and staff joining in on the fun it was a night the students and their grown-ups won’t soon forget Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. 2025 at 12:10 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Flossmoor Veterans' Memorial Time Machine has won an award from the Illinois State Historical Society (Courtesy of Flossmoor Veterans' Memorial (FVM) has won a 2024 “Best of Illinois History” award in Public and Educational Programming from the Illinois State Historical Society for its eighth-grade “Flossmoor Veterans’ Time Machine” local history program Launched in partnership with Flossmoor School District 161’s Parker Junior High School the Time Machine provided seven days of local history coursework focusing on the role of Flossmoor veterans in service to the United States Armed Forces Special emphasis was placed on the service of five World War II servicemen who perished and one World War II prisoner of war The curriculum also recognized Vietnam Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Lemon whose plane was shot down over Laos in 1971 and whose body has never been recovered; Fireman Apprentice Darryl Dushon Edwards H-F High School’s first Black serviceman who perished in a peacetime accident in the South China Sea; and Lieutenant Commander Patrick Jude Murphy who perished in the Pentagon on September 11 FVM developed teacher and student workbooks and Americans with Disabilities-accessible videos on these servicemen The Time Machine was designed in conjunction with District 161’s shift to standards-based learning and grading which is a new approach to assessing the knowledge and abilities that students should be able to demonstrate after learning new material met with District 161 faculty during this past fall’s teacher inservice to introduce the curriculum and to provide assistance and Wally Burns VFW Commander John Beele returned to Parker in October 2024 to launch the program to 300 eighth-grade and seventh-grade humanities students FVM also provided on-site support to teachers and students as they worked through the curriculum At the conclusion of the Veterans’ Time Machine unit or other artifact demonstrating their newly developed knowledge each classroom received a 3D printed replica of the proposed Flossmoor Veterans’ Wall of Honor Students then designed and decorated their own custom Walls of Honor focusing on the symbolism of their choices Seven submitted 3D replicas were put on display at the Flossmoor Public Library during November 2024 with the community participating in online “fan favorite” voting The winning replica earned a classroom pizza party courtesy of Aurelio’s in Homewood The second-place classroom earned Rainbow Cone Kids Kash from Buona Beef/Rainbow Cone in Flossmoor “FVM’s mission statement focuses on community engagement and civic awareness of this effort,” said Braun “We are thrilled with the level of interest and commitment our School District 161 scholars demonstrated to become more engaged citizens.” District 161 Superintendent Dr “The Flossmoor Veterans’ Time Machine helped to prepare our students to enter high school with an appreciation for the service of our local veterans and an emphasis on preserving their important stories We’re proud to have collaborated with FVM on such a meaningful project.” Student feedback at the end of the unit will be used to improve the content for the next school year Nearly one-third of students participating completed the survey with data being shared with District 161 for assessment purposes “I was so impressed by how seriously our students accepted the challenge of researching and preserving our history Our students are the next generation of community leaders FVM and Flossmoor School District 161 will receive their “Best of Illinois History” award at an April 26 luncheon hosted by the Illinois State Historical Society in Springfield Construction of the Flossmoor Veterans’ Wall of Honor is scheduled to begin soon The Wall of Honor will be a tribute to all current and former Flossmoor residents who are serving or have served in our nation’s Armed Forces For more information, visit @honoringflossmoorvets on Facebook/Instagram, @FlossmoorVWH on Twitter/X, https://flossmoorvets.square.s... on the Web 2025 at 5:56 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Flossmoor has again been named a Tree City USA the Village of Flossmoor was named a 2024 Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation to honor its commitment to plant grow and maintain trees to benefit its community the Village also received a Tree City USA Growth Award for going above and beyond the four standards required for the award Flossmoor achieved Tree City USA recognition by upholding the program’s four core standards: “We all have a role to play in shaping our future and tree champions such as Flossmoor are leading the way,” said Michelle Saulnier Vice President of Programs at the Arbor Day Foundation building resiliency and fostering good health in our nation’s cities We’re proud Flossmoor is among the Arbor Day Foundation’s growing network of communities that are dedicated to creating positive impact through trees.” trees are proven to help mitigate the urban heat island effect When the right trees are planted in the right places Saulnier says they can also reduce traffic noise increase property values and lower energy costs for homeowners the Village’s Forestry Maintenance Technician Flossmoor has been promoting the growth and care of trees plus it has actively encouraged tree plantings the Flossmoor Public Works Department and Green Commission worked together with community volunteers to plant 100 trees in parkways and parks to celebrate Flossmoor’s 100th birthday the Village distributed free tree saplings at many events throughout the year The first OAKtoberfest event was held in September 2024 an event that included a guided tree walk to explore Flossmoor’s diverse tree canopy as well as educational demonstrations and exhibitors in support of the environment “The trees added each year to our Village will provide many decades of environmental benefits and health benefits for the greater community,” said Becker The Tree City USA program is sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in partnership with the National Association of State Foresters and the USDA Forest Service. The Arbor Day Foundation is a global non-profit organization with a mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. More information about the program is available at arborday.org For more information about Flossmoor, please visit www.Flossmoor.org Homewood-Flossmoor 13 (8 inn.): Charlie Cosich’s solo homer in the top of the eighth ended up being the game winner Monday Tyler Hudik and Danny Mackey also had home runs for the Griffins Lincoln-Way West 2: Conor Essenburg struck out nine and hit a solo home run for Lincoln-Way West in a loss Coal City 13: The Coalers scored six runs in the seventh to nearly complete the comeback but came up short Connor Henline and Lance Cuddy all hit home runs for Coal City Joliet Central 6: Drew Janowiak (three hits) Jeremiah Schmidt (three RBIs) and Scott Nessinger (four RBIs) hit home runs for Plainfield East Michael Stokes had two RBIs for Joliet Central Plainfield South 5 (6 inn.): Sean Hogan (4 for 4 Cameron Kelliher went 4 for 4 with three RBIs and a home run for Plainfield South Lisle 1 (5 inn.): Lucas Rink struck out nine batters while Declan Moran went 3 for 3 with two runs and four RBIs with a home run Lockport 6: Shawn Mowry hit a home run with three RBIs and Peyton Ablin went 2 for 3 with three RBIs for Lincoln-Way Central Nazareth 0 (6 inn.): Lucas Grant struck out 15 while allowing just two hits and no walks for JCA Keegan Farnaus and Ryan Yurisich each had two hits Pharrell Weekley and Thomas McDermott hit home runs for Bolingbrook Romeoville 3: Jeffrey Maliska struck out eight batters for Plainfield Central while Johnny Lee had the same number for Romeoville Peotone 1 (5 inn.): Landen Robinson had three hits and two RBIs for the Comets in a victory Rochelle 1 (5 inn.): Jack Wheeler went 2 for 3 with five RBIs and two home runs to lead Morris Seneca 0: Luke Gallet struck out 10 while allowing two hits and Joey Starks went 3 for 4 with two runs for Dwight DePaul Prep 2 (6 inn.): Enzo Infelise (3 for 4 three RBIs) had standout days for the Celtics Bolingbrook 2 (6 inn.): Kaleigh Cawthon hit a three-run homer to lead Plainfield East Herscher 15: It was 11-10 Coal City entering the seventh with Coal City scoring 11 and Herscher scoring five in the final frame Coal City’s Addison Hodgen went 4 for 5 with five RBIs and a home run Beecher 0: Cassidy Jagielski went 3 for 4 with two RBIs and Mackenzie Balta struck out eight batters while allowing four hits for East Lisle 0 (4 inn.): Molly Southall hit a grand slam Taryn Gilbert and Madisyn Rossow each had three RBIs Marian Catholic 2: Addie Fanter and Addy Rizzatto each hit home runs while Nina Sebahar struck out nine for JCA Romeoville 0 (5 inn.): Olivia Boyd (3 for 3 Addie Stehlik (three RBIs) and Marina Hristov (12 Ks Halie Olson and Alyssa Jepson had three hits apiece for Morris Joliet Central 1 (4 inn.): The Steelmen managed just two hits on the day Plainfield South 3: Ava Forsberg and Sydney Unyi each hit home runs for Plainfield South three RBIs) and Addison Conrad (4 for 4) led Plainfield North Reed-Custer 0: Sophie Klawitter struck out 15 batters while allowing just three hits for Peotone Dwight 0-0 (6 inn.): Tessa Krull struck out 12 in the first game while Hayden Pfeifer went 2 for 3 with three RBIs and two runs while Emma Mino went 3 for 3 with three RBIs and three runs two RBIs) led the way for Plainfield Central Plainfield North wins Joliet West quad: The Tigers scored 76.5 points Plainfield South’s Logan Capalbo won the 3,200 with a time of 11:05.58 Romeoville dominates Oswego East quad: The Spartans scored 91 points to take first while Joliet Central finished third with 39 points The Spartans had first-place finishers in eight events while the Steelmen’s Georgianna Majerus finished first in the shot put (10.44 meters) and discus (25.36) Martin Ramirez defeated Niko Martinez and Aidan Meister defeated Keaton Kapellas for Coal City Minooka’s Eli Chavez and Evan Lundeen beat Sam Sterba and Devon McVey while George Grey and Dale Larson bested Will Thompson and Dominick Chellino Coal City’s Tanner Shain and Kaleb Reinart won over Wesley 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fearless and much-needed conversations about race—and Life Kit offers practical advice on things in life no one prepared you for Created by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX Reveal is public radio’s first one-hour radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative reporting A weekly program presented by the New Yorker magazine’s editor killer beats and the edgiest new talent in storytelling come together for a weekly show that straps audiences into an audio rollercoaster Radiolab is known for its deep-dive journalism and innovative sound design Created in 2002 by former host Jad Abumrad the program began as an exploration of scientific inquiry Over the years it has evolved to become a platform for long-form journalism and storytelling Radiolab is hosted by Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser speaks at a news conference hosted by her attorney Blair reported being raped inside a practice room during theater class in October 2022 at Homewood-Flossmoor High School A lawsuit alleging a south suburban school district failed to protect a student from sexual assault will be settled for $3.5 million attorneys and the district announced Tuesday reported being raped inside a practice room during theater class at Homewood-Flossmoor High School in October 2022 when students were paired off to practice lines the police and the Department of Children and Family Services but Blair and Johnson say the school didn’t do enough watched her graduation date come and go without walking across the stage struggled to keep a job and changed from a bright bubbly person to someone who is followed by a dark cloud nervous around new people and constantly on edge she had an energy about her,” Johnson said wanted to go to college and all of that halted after this.” Jessica Johnson speaks at a news conference Tuesday about the settlement reached between her and her daughter and the Homewood-Flossmoor school district Blair and Johnson filed a lawsuit against the district naming Principal Clinton Alexander and Theater Director Deena Cassady They alleged the school and its staff failed to protect Blair from a student who had a lengthy disciplinary history and reports of sexual harassment Staff shouldn’t have let students alone in the room without supervision The Homewood-Flossmoor school board voted to approve the settlement which was encouraged and will be paid for by the district’s insurance company But the settlement doesn’t mean the school admits wrongdoing in the case and “only the two students involved know what actually occurred,” the school said in a message to the Homewood-Flossmoor community posted on the district’s website “The lawsuit here was not about whether the female student was sexually assaulted,” the message read the lawsuit involved the legal questions of whether the district could have anticipated and/or prevented the situation as well as whether it acted reasonably and appropriately based on the information it had at the time.” Johnson said in the complaint and at a news conference Tuesday announcing the settlement that the school didn’t respond accordingly because no one called an ambulance and offered Blair food and coffee that could have compromised a rape kit Blair was later given a rape kit at a nearby hospital The school’s response to the settlement was another “slap in the face,” Blair said but to any future students who try to report sexual misconduct at school “There would be a level of slight relief if they at least would have stated that that everyone going forward from her would be protected,” Johnson said No amount of money could take away Blair’s pain The dollar amount doesn’t compare to the time and innocence lost in a place she was supposed to feel safe "[We were] thinking that they realized how they handled it was wrong or they felt some type of remorse or anything For them to release that saying no wrongdoings or anything of that nature just shows that it’s still nothing to them.” Criminal charges haven’t been filed in the case speak during a press conference regarding the settlement of a lawsuit involving a sexual assault “We would like to know more answers why,” Blair’s attorney Stephanie White said about the lack of prosecution “A majority of sexual assault cases go unprosecuted It’s not surprising given the numbers of cases that are not prosecuted.” Homewood-Flossmoor had already been dealing with a reckoning regarding student sexual assault students staged a walkout to protest how reports of sexual harassment and assault were handled at the school At least six students identified themselves as victims of sexual misconduct but student organizer Titilayo Anoma said students knew of more than that “There were students that went to teachers or administrators and they were waved off or given some sort of runaround,” Anoma said Anoma looked into the policy regarding a sexual assault investigation at Homewood-Flossmoor and said administrators didn’t know what the protocol was when asked testified in a 2023 deposition that he couldn’t give an example of the types or signs of sexual assault Students walked out again a few days after Blair reported her assault White said “several” families from the district have contacted her office in hopes of pursuing litigation in similar cases who attended the news conference Tuesday in the Loop passing each other tissues to wipe their eyes and holding each other’s hands during the news conference They have both received extreme backlash for reporting the assault including threats and people saying it didn’t happen Terms of Use • Privacy Notice • Cookie Policy • Terms of Sale 2024 at 1:44 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}There were no injuries but 10 shell casings and multiple gunshot holes were found at a Flossmoor home IL — Authorities are investigating a driveby shooting in Flossmoor late on Christmas Eve that left behind multiple shell casings but did not cause any injuries Police were called to a home on the 3100 block of Polly Lane about 11:50 p.m Tuesday and found multiple holes in the windows and garage door of the home The residents told police none of those in the home had been injured Police then talked to neighbors to confirm the safety of residents and gather information for the investigation Anyone who has information about the shooting is asked to call the Flossmoor Police Department at 708-957-4500 2025 at 3:52 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Flossmoor's 18th Annual St Patrick's Day parade is set for Saturday IL — The Village of Flossmoor invites area residents to join in its 18th Annual St The parade throughout the Flossmoor Park neighborhood begins and ends at the Flossmoor Community Church’s Community House and the parade will kick off promptly at 1 p.m Participants are invited to watch — or march — in this special event which has grown from a small gathering started by a few neighbors into a community-wide celebration supported by the Flossmoor Community Relations Commission Strollers, bicycles and leashed pets are all welcome. For more information, please visit www.Flossmoor.org or email Info@Flossmoor.org 2025 at 11:15 am CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Carl Estelle has been appointed as Flossmoor Chief of Police IL — Flossmoor trustees on Monday appointed the Village's new police chief the Flossmoor Board of Trustees approved the appointment of Carl Estelle as the Village’s Police Chief Estelle has been serving Flossmoor as its Director of Police Services since August 2024 the position of Police Chief is a mayoral appointment with a confirming vote by the Board of Trustees Estelle adds years of leadership and policing experience to our Village,” said Flossmoor Mayor Michelle Nelson “I have the utmost faith in his ability to move the Police Department forward and working with residents so that Flossmoor may continue to be one of the safest and most desirable communities in Chicagoland.” took the oath of office at Monday’s meeting He has more than 30 years of leadership in law enforcement and management Before joining the Flossmoor Police Department he served as the City Administrator of Country Club Hills and the Director of Security Operations and Compliance for the City Colleges of Chicago Safety and Security Department Estelle has decades of progressive experience in law enforcement His experience includes several years as an investigator and as the supervisor of investigations he served six years as Captain of Police for the city of East Palo Alto he had served 11 years as the Special Agent Supervisor for the California Department of Justice where he was commander of the security detail for the state’s Attorney General as well as the task force commander responsible for directing criminal investigations His law-enforcement career began as a police officer for the city of Oakland where he spent more than a decade patrolling neighborhoods and working in the Special Duty Unit and with the Drug Enforcement Agency Task Force Since joining Flossmoor in August as its Director of Police Services Estelle has been focused on completing many department goals in addition to community outreach with neighborhoods and schools special operational planning for Village events and the recruitment for and evaluation of the Police Department he completed an out-of-state reciprocity program through the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board This training consisted of a 118-hour Law for Police online module Estelle’s credentials from California were verified Meeting these conditions of reciprocity allows for Estelle to hold a sworn police position in the State of Illinois Estelle is a positive addition to our team and after having successfully completed the conditions to receive reciprocity from the Illinois Law Enforcement Training and Standards Board I was pleased to recommend that the Mayor appoint him Police Chief," says Bridget Wachtel Estelle said his current priorities for the Flossmoor Police Department as Chief include: “I am truly honored to serve as your new Police Chief,” he says “I want to express my sincere gratitude to the Board who entrust me with this responsibility to the dedicated men and women of the Flossmoor Police Department for their service and commitment and to the residents for the trust you place in us every day proactive crime prevention and officer well-being as a strong Police Department is built upon the support of its officers and the community it serves.” Estelle served six years as Captain of Police for the city of East Palo Alto where he helped to dramatically reduce crime and acts of violence while effectively addressing risk-management issues and enhancing the Police Department’s use of technology he has supervised anywhere from 15 to 200 local His law-enforcement career began as a Police Officer for the city of Oakland Estelle moved with his family to Flossmoor He served as the Assistant Director of Security at Kennedy King College in Chicago supervising 130 employees from 2017-19 until he was promoted to the position of Director of Security Operations and Compliance for the City Colleges of Chicago Safety and Security Department Estelle managed security for seven campuses and five satellite locations he accepted the position of City Administrator for Country Club Hills where he managed city services for 16,000+ residents Estelle was known as a community builder: he was able to create trusted partnerships with members of the community as he developed and outlined new strategies improving the quality of life for those he served and restorative justice training for different organizations and has led sessions at the International Association of Chiefs of Police Annual Conference Estelle is a graduate of the FBI National Academy in Quantico This prestigious program included advanced leadership and communications training as well as fitness challenges for participants Estelle received numerous awards from the FBI the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force the International Narcotics Officers Association the Western States Information Network and the United States Attorney's Office ExpandBradley-Bourbonnais' Kason Bynum, left, reaches to apply a late tag on Homewood-Flossmoor's Mateo Morales during a game at Bradley-Bourbonnais Friday, April 11, 2025. (Mason Schweizer) BRADLEY ‐ In each of the first three innings of Friday’s home game against Homewood-Flossmoor, the Bradley-Bourbonnais baseball team was able to push a run across, but also left eight runners on base, including loaded bags in both the second and third innings. With their lead narrow through the start, the visiting Vikings were able to take advantage when they had opportunities as the game went on, including on four uncharacteristic Boilermaker errors. After not taking their first lead until the fifth inning, Homewood-Flossmoor broke loose with a five-run sixth to score a 10-3 SouthWest Suburban Conference win in a game called after six innings due to darkness. ExpandAutoplayImage 1 of 8Bradley-Bourbonnais' Cody Freitas, left, fields a ground ball in front of Homewood-Flossmoor's Derrick Holmes Jr. during a game at Bradley-Bourbonnais Friday, April 11, 2025. (Mason Schweizer) "Momentum is everything, especially in high school baseball," Boilers head coach Brad Schweigert said. “We let the momentum go to their side and didn’t respond. We had two chances with the bases loaded to get a big hit and break it open a little bit. “We didn’t do that, they hung around and you saw what happened,” he added. “We’ve gotta take advantage of those opportunities, especially early in the game.” Things looked promising early for the Boilers (7-4, 1-2), who saw Jace Boudreau reach on an error and eventually score on a double steal in the first and Sam Frey score on an error in the second to give starting pitcher Mason Shaul a 2-0 lead through a pair. Bradley-Bourbonnais' Sam Frey touches third base and heads home during a home game agaisnt Homewood-Flossmoor Friday, April 11, 2025. (Mason Schweizer) The Vikings tied it with one swing in the third, a two-run double off the bat of Demir Heidelberg, before Byron Sumrall scored on the third Homewood-Flossmoor error of the game to put the Boilers back up 3-2 through three. But with two outs in the top of the fourth, back-to-back errors allowed Derrick Holmes Jr. to score and once again tie the game 3-3 through four, ending Shaul’s day on the mound. The senior right-hander was largely effective in his bid to provide the Boilers pitching depth in their third game in as many days, allowing three runs (two earned) on two hits, a walk and three strikeouts. “I thought he did a phenomenal job,” Schweigert said. “He’s just a competitor, someone where you can put him in a position and he’s gonna compete and do it to the best of his ability. I thought he did a great job.” Bradley-Bourbonnais' Mason Shaul throws a pitch during a home game against Homewood-Flossmoor Friday, April 11, 2025. (Mason Schweizer) The Vikings took their first lead in their two-run top of the fifth, when Heidelberg scored on an error and Jamir Scott scored on a wild pitch. They broke it open with a five-run sixth that included three doubles and a triple, as well as another Boiler error. “It’s one of those things where we’ve gotta learn from it, for sure, so we’ll talk about it,” Schweigert said of the game slipping away. “But we’ve gotta flush it and move on. We’ve got two more games [Saturday].” After splitting their SWSC series with Sandburg Wednesday and Thursday, the Boilers started a two-game set with the Vikings that concludes Monday, as well as a doubleheader against Joliet West Saturday. With six games in as many days, Schweigert said the Boilers are going to start to learn how they can piece along their depth as the season reaches the middle portion, especially on the mound. “It’s still early April,” Schweigert said, “You’ve gotta give guys opportunities and figure out what you’ve got. That’s basically what it was today, and that’s what it will be tomorrow. We’ll have a lot of guys throwing, and we’ll give them opportunities and see what we’ve got.” Freitas and Cayden Arbour each had hits for the Boilers as Vikings pitchers Chris Hicks and Cormac Saunders each pitched three innings of one-hit ball. Copyright © 2023 Shaw Local News Network 2024Jerel Jones has joined the Richton Park Police Department after being fired from his position in Flossmoor (WLS) -- The former chief of the Flossmoor Police Department was sworn in as the new deputy police chief in south suburban Richton Park on Monday night Jerel Jones was fired from Flossmoor earlier this year The Flossmoor mayor told residents there were operational and administrative lapses under his watch, but Jones filed a lawsuit claiming racial discrimination Jones on Monday night said he is very grateful for this new position and plans to finish out his career in Richton Park SEE ALSO | Residents demand transparency from Flossmoor leaders after firing of police chief READ MORE | Former Flossmoor police chief speaks out after firing draws outcry from community 2025 at 1:26 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Homewood-Flossmoor High School District 233 has agreed to settle a lawsuit around a 2022 sexual assault at the school paying the student and her mother $3.5 million IL — A former Homewood-Flossmoor High School student will receive $3.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed after she was sexually assaulted on campus and the circumstances surrounding the incident Amayah Blair was 17 and a junior at the school in October 2022, when she alleged that a male student sexually assaulted her during their theater class, an act that followed previous harassment and threats made by the teen boy, Patch previously reported The lawsuit—which directly named Principal Dr Clinton Alexander and Theatre Director Deena Cassady—said the school neglected and failed the victim by not stopping the alleged harassment and allowing the students in a room alone together the male student threatened the female student with a knife before sexually assaulting her according to the lawsuit filed in December 2022 The lawsuit specifically references the circumstances leading up to and including the sexual assault and the staff's responsibilities surrounding it the male student had "demonstrated an unwanted and inappropriate sexual interest in and attraction toward" Blair expressed through moving his seat to be near her in classes and/or 'pat down' the female student in a sexually inappropriately way; and attempting to kiss her," the lawsuit alleged Following Blair's allegation in October 2022, her mother Jessica Johnson publicly criticized the school's response saying they had mischaracterized the incident "The District publicly characterized this as an allegation of assault," she said my daughter was sexually assaulted and raped during her theater class." Flossmoor police at the time told Patch that a male student was taken into custody The suit alleges that prior to the incident the male student brought two knives into the school reportedly flashing one the day of the incident while in the presence of other students and school staff The male student used the same knife when alone with the victim in the moments leading up to the sexual assault Police reportedly found two knives in the student's possession following a search After Blair's allegation surfaced, students staged a walk-out, protesting against the school's response to the allegation Hundreds of students took to Kedzie Avenue to express their frustration with the school's response decrying a lack of transparency and accountability on the district's part school administrators "intentionally failed to enforce its policies and procedures regarding student safety and sexual violence," creating a "code of silence among the student body where students were afraid to come forward and report the sexual violence being perpetrated against them out of fear of retribution by their perpetrators due to the [District's] refusal to act for the victim’s protection." The lawsuit also rebuked the administration's handling of the situation saying that Johnson had been notified of the assault but then administrators kept the mother and daughter in separate rooms at the school once Johnson arrived the culture of sexual and physical violence at the School including several highly publicized student walk-outs was exposed and the code of silence within the District has been broken," attorney Stephanie White said in a release Monday Homewood-Flossmoor District 233 said that the settlement was reached "in the best interest of the district to preserve district resources for student initiatives and programming "Homewood-Flossmoor Community High School’s insurance carrier entered into a settlement agreement on behalf of the district to resolve a lawsuit brought by a former female student," the statement issued by Director of Communications & Community Engagement Carla Erdey reads "The case involved claims by the student that the school district should have anticipated and/or prevented an alleged sexual assault of the student by another male student in October of 2022 does not admit any wrongdoing or fault by the school district or its staff We continue to believe that our administration teachers and staff responded swiftly and appropriately and in the best interests of the students We also cooperated fully with the authorities investigating the matter." Officials also stressed that the settlement is through the district's insurance carrier and costs associated with the district’s legal defense and settlement will be paid by the carrier In a letter to district families released Monday and signed by the District 233 Board of Education administrators said "the lawsuit here was not about whether the female student was sexually assaulted," and "only the two students involved know what actually occurred." The Cook County State's Attorney's Office ultimately declined to prosecute the male student White said that followed a lack of cooperation on his part and that of his father The statement went on to defend the District's handling of the incident as well as whether it acted reasonably and appropriately based on the information it had at the time," the letter reads the district handled this very delicate and challenging situation with the utmost care Immediately upon learning of the allegation our administration contacted the Flossmoor Police Department the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and the parents involved — within just 11 minutes of being made aware of the allegation Law enforcement quickly responded and then took over the investigation and in accordance with its legal responsibilities policies and technology to ensure the safety of every student within our school The District went on to disclose how the mother and daughter would use the settlement funds The District had agreed to the pre-trial settlement because "if the school district had chosen to go against the insurance carrier’s decision to settle and had chosen to continue the litigation district funds would have been required to pay legal fees and any judgment." highly questionable and unfavorable pre-trial rulings that adversely impacted our counsel’s ability to present a robust defense at trial," the Board said "Cook County juries are very unpredictable and are known for giving out very large financial judgments at trial "The Board’s fiduciary responsibility is to protect the district and its resources and avoid prolonged litigation that could take away from the school’s ability to pursue its core mission the Board determined that under the circumstances a settlement was in the best interests of the school and its students and staff The Board continues to believe that our administrators and staff responded swiftly and appropriately in the best interests of all the students involved in this situation...." Johnson and Blair found the letter insensitive saying it shows a continued lack of accountability on the District's part but at the same time it doesn’t too much feel like it when accountability still isn’t being taken." Johnson said she shares her daughter's sentiment but is disappointed in the District's messaging to parents earlier this week "Part of me feels relieved that we are not forced to continue to relive this day in front of people who refuse to take accountability over and over again," Johnson said and feels like—the fight still continues," she said Blair said she hopes to be able to move forward after enduring the impact on her mental health and social anxiety "Everything was very frustrating," she said She's hoping now to not be "scared of every person in the room." said she is concerned about her family's safety after the letter from the District disclosed previously private details Now having to zone in our safety," she said "I feel like it’s being played with at this point not taking accountability—it makes a little difficult to look at future-forward." White said she hopes the District will make more effort to educate and train its staff "Either you become part of the solution," she said who unabashedly advocated for her daughter from the start said the school's letter again stirred something in her is walking away from a continuous problem," Johnson said 2024 at 2:21 pm CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Flossmoor Police Chief Jerel Jones has agreed to settle his discrimination lawsuit against the village IL — Legal action brought by former Flossmoor Police Chief Jerel Jones will end after he and the Village agreed to a settlement Jones have come to an understanding regarding their respective viewpoints about the case," Steve DiNolfo attorney with Ottosen DiNolfo Hasenbalg & Castaldo "Plaintiff Jones has agreed to enter into an agreed settlement to resolve the case and to end the litigation in its entirety and allow both sides to move forward." Attorneys for Jones fired back at the time alleging Jones' firing was a violation of his civil rights and that Jones received "disparate treatment" from Wachtel In the federal lawsuit filed by the Disparti Law Group Wachtel is accused of issuing "self-contradictory and hyperbolic performance memos to Jerel that criticize seemingly every aspect of his performance The lawsuit alleged that Wachtel created an environment in which "Jerel must do exactly as Wachtel or other white administrators say he must do The lawsuit claimed Wachtel "imposed a master-slave dynamic between her and Jerel and if he did not fit himself into that expected dynamic Chief Jerel Jones was hired in March 2023, following the departure of former chief Tod Kamleiter, who retired in December 2022 after nearly three decades with the department Jones was the department's first Black police chief "I worked hard to build relationships with members of the community and the law enforcement community in both Flossmoor and the Southland," Jones said at a press conference announcing the lawsuit Wachtel fought back against accusations of racism and retaliation made in the lawsuit and called for some of the language within it to be removed decrying some of the allegations as a "deeply personal and defamatory evisceration" of Wachtel depicting her as a racist << READ ALSO: Village Manager Wants 'Shocking Verbal Bombs' Stricken From Lawsuit >> Attorneys for Wachtel asked for some of the language to be removed from the lawsuit saying it "a "not appropriately included as part of a short and plain statement of the claim," according to the filing the filing claims Jones' lawsuit included the "tremendously offensive and personally damaging paragraphs" without any factual basis and that "in a transparent attempt to drum up political they were advanced solely and specifically as part of a defamatory scheme." The settlement was announced Thursday afternoon Jones has since gone on to become deputy police chief in Richton Park 2024 at 10:27 am CT.css-79elbk{position:relative;}Flossmoor police on Tuesday warned residents of a rash of car break-ins and multiple stolen vehicles in a 24-hour span IL — Flossmoor police warned residents Tuesday night of an uptick in stolen cars and car break-ins the Village had over a dozen reported burglaries from motor vehicles and multiple stolen vehicles Additional incidents have been reported in surrounding communities