Lemont High School freshman Diana Vera ranks among the top 10 in the nation during the Le Grand Concours, an annual French competition.

Brian Pepich grew up learning the value and importance of volunteering through his parents.

The final installment of our Costly Commute series follow Erica Urteaga of Bolingbrook, a busy 33-year-old mom who totes her four children around to various activities on the weekends, then visits family and friends in Chicago on the weekends. The cost of gas is something always on Urteaga's mind, so she relies on advance planning and car smarts to keep a tight budget.

Our complete series of stories and multimedia on the "Costly Commute," a multi-part series about the effects of rising gas prices on suburban residents.

The U.S. Department of Energy provides the following tips and suggestions for drivers so they can get as far as possible per gallon of gas.

Lemont resident Amy Beth Cresap has received the Phyllis Perrin Wilcox Endowment scholarship for her study in sign language at the University of New Mexico.

Lemont resident Laura Fairclough’s “Pink Chicks” will be taking their fifth annual walk for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer event next weekend.

Although the primary protest against NATO occurred early Sunday afternoon and evening, traffic restrictions will still be in effect Monday.

When Patricia Withers left home Sunday morning, she also left her dependent 29-year-old autistic son behind with her husband, who had to fly back from his home in England. "Just in the event I get arrested," Withers said, "someone has to be here for him."

Adler Planeterium, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Shedd Aquarium are some of the many museums closing their doors for the NATO summit.

Although NATO has dampened many people's plans, children at Montrose Harbor flew kites without fear during the somewhat controversial weekend.

The Riverside Arts Weekend — also known as RAW — will return this weekend for its fifth year of showcasing local artists, musicians, designers and architects. RAW will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday in downtown Riverside in front of the train station, on Bloomingbank Road and in Guthrie Park.

When Jacqueline Vasan bakes, she tries to use all-organic, locally grown ingredients in her products — but not because that’s the trend right now. The Western Springs resident is owner of Bread from the Heart, a small company incorporated just two years ago that sells various types of breads, flour and other baked treats.

The Lemont Park District Board Commission announced Brian Pepich will be appointed to the commission’s vacant seat on May 22.

Last year, Charmaine Balisalisa took one look at the Lemont High School’s newspaper, “Tom-Tom,”  and knew she wanted to add her personal designing pizzazz to improve its look.

Dave Hubinek spent several years driving a truck for FedEx, worked as a driver for contractors for two years and owned five trucks of his own for eight. But the difficult schedule left the 33-year-old Carol Stream resident wanting to spend more time with his family, so he sold his routes. His “entrepreneurial spirit” led him to start a taxi service, he said, which he currently still owns — but it didn’t turn out as well as he expected.

As of April 1, Illinois ranked as the fifth-highest state in the country for gasoline motor fuel taxes. A spokeswoman with the Illinois Policy Institute said customers are taking the hit from these taxes when they pay at the pump, and that business owners are not — the same way if you were purchasing clothing and a tax on the clothing increased, the customer’s bill would reflect that and it would come out of their pocket.

Lemont resident David Schury was honored the “Energy for the Community Volunteer Award” from Exelon for his volunteer service and his creation of the Tragedy to Triumph Foundation.

If you haven’t been to Oklahoma recently, you probably haven’t heard Lemont’s new music sensation Conor Matthews on the radio.

On Aug. 20, Hinsdale’s Nurturing Wisdom Academy will open its inaugural doors to 36 fifth- through eighth-grade students at Zion Lutheran Church. The year-round school will feature exceptionally small class sizes, curriculum customized to student needs, time-independent projects and, one unique catch — no homework.