Tinley Park Patch: A Thank You To Readers, Our Unsung Heroes

TINLEY PARK, IL — On Sept. 14, 2010, Tinley Park Patch launched, and the hyperlocal news site has been covering the village for eight years. Of course, we didn't do it alone. One of the biggest heroes behind Patch's success rarely gets mentioned: the readers.

So this is a thank you to everyone who has stuck with Tinley Park Patch, especially the 5,215 subscribers to our daily newsletter. In August, 47,118 visitors landed on the site, according to Google Analytics, and the calendar had 4,431 views.

Here's a look at some of the most popular stories published this past summer.

1. Longtime Andrew High School Biology Teacher Dies Over Weekend: Lloyd Eichwald "was beloved by students and respected by colleagues," said Principal Bob Nolting. (May 7)
2. Tinley Teacher Accused Of Attempted Murder Kept Working At School: The man, 39, worked as a substitute teacher at a Cicero middle school following a 2017 shooting. (May 9)
3. Andrew Students Not Sick From Shedd Prom Food: Health Dept.: Initial investigation findings show some students began suffering stomach flu-like symptoms before last month's event. (May 11)
4. Intimo Lounge Owner Defends Bar After Brawl, Gunshots: "My track record will show that my bar is one of the least problematic bars in Tinley," the nightclub owner said. (May 23)
5. Tularemia Disease Found In Wild Rabbit In Tinley Park: Tularemia, known as "rabbit fever," is highly contagious and can be spread to humans and pets if they come into contact with sick rabbits. (June 16)
6. Tinley Water Park Will Dive In To World's Largest Swimming Lesson: Find out how you can participate in the worldwide event this week at White Water Canyon Water Park. (June 17)
7. St. Stephen Pastor Retires After 46 Years With Archdiocese: Father James Finno will say his final mass on Sunday after more than 18 years at St. Stephen Deacon and Martyr. (June 22)
8. KKK Fliers Left On Tinley Park Lawns Over Weekend: The leaflets had been placed in plastic baggies that were weighted down by aquarium gravel. (June 23)
9. Help Needed After L-W North Grad Has Overseas Brain Hemorrhage: A GoFundMe campaign was started for Anthony Brattoli, of Tinley Park, after he had a medical emergency last month in Prague. (July 13)
10. New Police Chief Hired In Tinley Park: Matthew Walsh, who has 25 years of law enforcement experience, was approved by the Village Board earlier this week. (Aug. 24)

Although I started at Patch around the same time that Tinley Park Patch debuted, I wasn't the editor until a couple years later. One of the first stories I remember covering was a Chicago jail break and manhunt in 2012 that led police to a home in Tinley Park.

Obviously, much of the story centered around the fugitives who continued to elude authorities.¹ But another story became apparent that December as I stood with other reporters in a cold church parking lot.

A funeral had been going on inside St. George Church at the same time as the police situation. Mourners were forced to enter through a back entrance to avoid SWAT team members carrying rifles and wearing helmets and bulletproof vests.

"I feel sorry for the family," said Tom Gill, the director at Brady-Gill Funeral Home and Cremation Services who was overseeing the service. "This is what they're going to remember about this funeral."

Those are the human stories we strive to tell at Patch. The tales that can get lost between the big news headlines.

Not all of them, though, are so somber. Many times, the stories can be heartwarming, such as the one involving a Tinley Park homeowner whose forgiving nature was rewarded by a "secret Santa" who replaced a stolen Christmas lawn decoration. Other times, they can be electrifying, like when they capture a woman flying through the air while suspended by six hooks on her back.²

Occasionally, those stories are educational and require a willing editor's participation. And yes, that might mean the aforementioned editor needs to kick off his shoes and learn how to pole dance³ at the Midwest Pole Dancing Convention.

Now, let us never speak of this again.

The Editor

Got a news tip or a story idea? Contact Tinley Park Patch editor Joe Vince at joe.vince@patch.com or at tinleypark@patch.com. Find out more about Joe by reading his career bio.

Contributing

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• No abusive content
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• Keep it local
• Be awesome

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Patch Facts

Here's a fun fact about Patch: Did you know that Patch is among the 100 most trafficked websites in the United States? Patch ranks 91st on the most viewed websites in the country, according to Alexa.

Tinley Park Patch is part of a broad network, with more than six dozen Patches in Illinois and more than 1,200 across the United States. That's a lot of local news!

FOOTNOTES:

¹The men — Joseph "Jose" Banks and Kenneth Conley — were eventually apprehended. Banks was captured days after the escape, and Conley was picked up in early January 2013 in Palos Hills.

²BE WARNED! The video from this story is graphic if you're not a fan of blood and pierced skin.

³Yes, that's a younger me. No fancy editing or computer graphics could re-create such clunky moves.

Photo by Joe Vince | Patch