Fireworks, Football Stars and Farewells: July Monthly Roundup

It's pretty safe to say the month of July began and ended with fireworks. 

The month started with a great , which Patch had the honor of participating in. We got to toss candy to kids and hand off Patch bags to residents.

The Chicago Heights city and park district governments experienced some pretty big shake-ups. Former alderperson and former executive assistant , a position last held by the late Mayor Alex Lopez. 

Later in the month, He received well wishes from many of our readers and Facebook fans. 

Over in Olympia Fields, residents saw plenty of news they didn't like in July. The , leading government officials and even . 

Also in Olympia Fields news, . The district incurred years of debt with the purchase and some community leaders spoke out against the move.

As the month continued we saw plenty of positive stories about young and successful Heights natives, including a feature on , as well as . 

On the more tragic end of things, hundreds were surprised and saddened by the . 

Patch readers also expressed their outrage and disappointment in the way . 

Speaking of rescuing, . They need $150,000 and have no idea where they'll get it all.

Finally, we had a couple of interesting police stories (aside from the always-captivating blotter). Patch captured video and photos of a stripped-down Chicago Heights Police Department building

We also started quite a conversation about a . Is John D. Williams harmless or dangerous? That was the discussion among Patch readers.

Yes, it was another eventful month in the Heights, and August is shaping up to be equally busy. Thanks for reading, watching, discussing and liking Chicago Heights Patch. We couldn't provide the information and coverage we provide without your help.