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Ralph Amasa Zahorik, 83, died in the early morning hours of May 23, 2022, from COVID-19. He was with his daughter Kristina Zahorik, and his son Tom Zahorik was on the phone.
His underlying health issues, a product of the tobacco industry, caused him to move in with Kristina and her vaccinated family in McHenry County as the pandemic hit in 2020. Previously, he lived in Waukegan, where he was a newspaperman for 40 years writing for weekly and daily newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune and the Lake County News-Sun.
Ralph was born in Chicago in 1939. His family moved from the Southside Woodlawn neighborhood to Lisbon, Iowa, in 1947.
Ralph made lifelong friends wherever he went. He had a healthy sense of humor, believed in uplifting working families, was intensely curious about life and people, loved his nine siblings, and was proud of his work life. In Iowa, he worked on farms as a teen, played basketball like his father, was valedictorian, and graduated from the University of Iowa in 1967 with a degree in cartography. He completed his degree due to the benefits of the GI Bill. While in college, he drove a cab where he met the mother of his children; he was also an attendant at the university's psychiatric hospital. His work at the hospital underscoring his sense of compassion. He also worked as a bartender, laborer, truck driver, furniture mover, iron worker, and an assembly line worker.
He served in the 1st Armored Division based at Fort Hood for two years in the early 1960s and in the Army Reserves for four years, 1964-1967. His division was in Florida during the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. As a veteran, Zahorik got vaccinated through The Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center.
Married in October 1964, Ralph moved with his wife, stepson, and daughter to Illinois in 1968. His family grew in 1969 with the birth of his son.
Ralph maintained an exceptional collection of books and strange objects, including tomes about the trolls of Scandinavia, peculiar statues, costume jewelry, ancient maps, and rotund birds. During his life in Illinois, he worked as a clerk and gas station attendant before serving within the newspaper world as a reporter, copy editor, associate editor, managing editor, city editor and columnist.
Like his father and many brothers, Ralph was a proud active union member. He was a 50-year member of the Chicago Newspaper Guild (AFLCIO), now the Chicago News Guild and a sector of the Communication Works of America (CWA). He served on the Executive Board of the Chicago Guild and chair of the local's Waukegan Unit for 18 years, and later as chair of the local's General Press Unit. He was an active member of the Northeastern Illinois Federation of Labor Council for 20 years, briefly serving on its Executive Board. He wrote for Chicago area labor publications and took active roles in supporting working people. He championed union organizing drives and striking workers throughout the state and country, joining the Chicago Solidarity Committee delivering food to striking workers and rallying at the Staley corn processing plant in Decatur. He also marched in the massive 1991 Washington, D.C., Union Solidarity Day Rally and the 1980s Hormel strike in Austin, Minnesota. He was proud to provide grassroots campaigning and organizing for Democratic candidates, especially former President Barack Obama.
Ralph is preceded in death by his parents, John Zahorik, Sr. and Sonya Holmboe Zahorik. He is also preceded in death by his siblings, Noel Zahorik Johnson and Charlie Zahorik. Ralph's father died in 1983 and was a member of the Industrial Workers of the World and a savvy business agent for Iron Workers Local 89 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Four generations of Zahoriks have worked in the trades in Illinois and Iowa. Ralph's mother died in 1993 and was an artist known for her Norwegian rosemaling and whimsical wall murals and paintings.
Ralph Zahorik is survived and much loved by his daughter, Kristina Zahorik (Paul Sindberg); his son, Thomas Zahorik (Val Newcomb); their mother and his former wife Bonnie Elliott Zahorik; his grandchildren Sonya, Paul, Peri, Ryan and Ali Sindberg, and Jane and Elliott Zahorik; his siblings Eileen Dighton, John, Frank, Robert, and Karin Zahorik; and his nieces and nephews Joe Zahorik, John Zahorik, Marey Stone, Jill Linder, Kathleen Castro, and Ralph Johnson.
Ralph also leaves behind his dear friends Judy Raibley Masterson and Robert Sanders, whom he treated like a son and who grew up in his house, and Robert's children Nick, Jessica, Stephanie, and Johnathon.
The family asks you get vaccinated and organize.
Memorial donations can be made in Ralph Zahorik's name to any of the following: ProPublica 211 W. Wacker Dr., Third Floor, Chicago, IL60606, https://www.propublica.org, Labor & Education Research Project 7435 Michigan Ave., Detroit MI 48210-2227, www.labornotes.org, Institute for Nonprofit News 8549 Wilshire Blvd #2294, Beverly Hills, CA 90211 https://inn.org/donate, The Environmental Defense Fund, www.edf.org, The American Civil Liberties Union, www.aclu.org.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 4, 2025 Contact Information: Media Contact: Garth Reynolds, executive director Illinois Pharmacists Association Phone: (217) 522-7300 Email: greynolds@ipha.org Website: ipha.org | @ILPharmacists
IPhA applauds historic passage of HB1697: The Prescription Drug Affordability Act
IPhA applauds historic passage of HB1697: The Prescription Drug Affordability Act comprehensive PBM reform law strengthens patient protections and supports community pharmacies statewide
SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Pharmacists Association (IPhA) celebrates the General Assembly’s passage of HB1697, the Prescription Drug Affordability Act, a landmark achievement in the fight to protect patients, enhance transparency, and preserve access to pharmacy care across Illinois. This legislation was a central focus of Governor JB Pritzker’s 2025 State of the State address, where he emphasized the need to confront harmful pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) practices that have driven up drug costs, jeopardized local pharmacies, and strained patient access to care. HB1697 now delivers on that call to action with sweeping, enforceable reforms. “I am thrilled that this legislation will finally reverse the alarming trend of pharmacy closures across our great state,” IPhA President Dave Bagot said. “HB1697 represents not just a policy victory, but a commitment to preserving access to essential health care services in communities throughout Illinois.” IPhA extends its sincere gratitude to Senator David Koehler and Representative Natalie Manley for championing this legislation. Their leadership has resulted in one of the most significant PBM reform packages in the country, built on transparency, accountability, and patient-centered care. HB1697 directly targets systemic failures in the prescription drug marketplace. The law eliminates spread pricing that has diverted millions away from patient care, ends PBM steering practices that restrict pharmacy choice, and mandates 100 percent rebate passthrough to ensure savings are returned to patients and health plans. It also institutes robust regulatory oversight through required annual transparency reports, plan audits, and market conduct examinations. The bill also provides vital financial relief to the state’s most vulnerable pharmacies. HB1697 allocates $45 million annually to sustain critical access pharmacies and invests an additional $25 million to enhance pharmacy access. These provisions are designed to stop the ongoing wave of pharmacy closures and restore access in both rural and urban areas. “This bill is a turning point. Illinois is making it clear that we will no longer allow corporate middlemen to undermine patient care and community health,” said Garth Reynolds, executive director of IPhA. “HB1697 restores transparency, puts patients first, and gives independent and community pharmacies a fair chance to survive and serve.” HB1697 would not have been possible without the relentless advocacy of pharmacists, student pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and patients across the state. As the legislation now heads to Governor Pritzker for signature, IPhA remains focused on supporting its full implementation and defending its critical protections. “We reached this moment because our profession stood united and refused to accept the status quo,” Reynolds added. “This law is a meaningful step forward in building a health care system that works for Illinois patients.” About the Illinois Pharmacists Association The Illinois Pharmacists Association (IPhA) is dedicated to enhancing the professional competency of pharmacists, advancing the standards of pharmacy practice, improving pharmacists’ effectiveness in assuring rational drug use in society, and leading in the resolution of public policy issues affecting pharmacists.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 21, 2025 Contact Information: Contact: Campaign Team Campaign Office - Long for Senate 2026 Phone: (618) 209-2261 Email: vote@longforsenate2026.com Website: www.LongForSenate2026.com
Dr. Pamela Denise Long announces bold 2026 U.S. Senate bid to reclaim Illinois' voice in Washington Madison County resident, conservative educator, and national policy advocate enters race to challenge political dysfunction and defend working families
EDWARDSVILLE, Illinois — [May 21, 2025] — Dr. Pamela Denise Long, a nationally recognized educator and principled conservative voice, today announced her candidacy for the United States Senate in Illinois. Running as a Republican, Dr. Long is positioning her campaign as a direct challenge to the entrenched political class and a call to restore integrity, public safety, and economic security for the people of Illinois. As Republicans pursue a permanent “big tent” majority in federal and state government, Long brings a rare crossover appeal to the Black American community. “I’m not a career politician, and I’m not for sale,” said Dr. Long. “I’m running because Illinois deserves more than finger pointing and lip service in Washington. We deserve a senator who will fight for families, pursue consistent criminal justice, and say what needs to be said — even when it’s not politically convenient.” Denise, who holds a Doctorate in Education and has served as a public health leader, trauma-informed consultant, and university instructor, brings a record of real-world problem solving to the race. A proud seventh-generation American and dedicated Illinoisan, she has spent her life helping working-class families, supporting parental rights, and framing common-sense reform at every level of government. Her campaign platform includes:
Born in Mississippi, Dr. Long is a first-generation college graduate, member of a 150-plus-years farming family in Illinois, and former homeschooling parent of a recent college graduate. She is known for her national commentary on outlets like Newsweek, The Hill, and Fox News, for her grassroots leadership about curbing mass immigration, her courageous debates on reining in divisive ideologies in education, and her push for accountability in use of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). “Illinois is a diverse state with shared values: faith, family, work, and a fighter’s spirit,” said Long. “Illinois Republicans are not looking for permission to be heard — we’re taking a seat at the table to deliver real results. It’s time to send someone to D.C. who owes nothing to the establishment and everything to the people.” Pamela Denise Long will begin her campaign with a statewide listening tour and weekly virtual town halls. The campaign is actively organizing in all 102 counties and plans to engage voters across every region — from Chicago to Cairo. For more information or to get involved, visit www.LongForSenate2026.com or follow the campaign @Long4Illinois on X. Paid for by Long for Senate 2026 – PO BOX 573 Edwardsville, IL 62025
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