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DAILY DIRT: Most popular baby names in Illinois? Noah and Olivia lead the way – Muddy River News

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DAILY DIRT: Most popular baby names in Illinois? Noah and Olivia lead the way – Muddy River News


Daily Dirt for Sunday, May 5, 2024

Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 940 of The Daily Dirt.

1. There is arguably no better indicator of a cultural landscape than the first names that occupy it.

“(First) names have become more diverse and personalized over the years,” says Kushal Tantry — speaking of interesting first names — who is the CEO of ourpublicrecords.org.

Ourpublicrecords.org recently analyzed data involving 10,000 names given to U.S. babies, which Tantry said showed “fascinating insight in the attitudes of parents when it comes to naming babies,” plus how “traditional naming practices still hold significance for many families”.

The ourpublicrecords.org results revealed that Illinois’s most popular male name for a baby since 1992 is Noah, while Olivia is the most popular female name. The following are currently the most popular baby names in Illinois:

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Boys                    

  • 1. Noah                
  • 2. Liam                 
  • 3. Oliver               
  •  4. Mateo              
  • 5. Theodore          
  • 6. Benjamin         
  •  7. Henry               
  •  8. James              
  • 9. William              
  • 10. Sebastian

  Girls

  • 1. Olivia
  • 2. Sophia
  • 3. Emma
  • 4. Charlotte
  • 5. Amelia
  • 6. Mia
  • 7. Isabella
  • 8.Ava
  • 9. Camila
  • 10. Sofia

Tantry says it is no accident there is an interesting mix of newer-type names and those with more of a traditional feel.

“Zendaya is a great example of a unique name (that is becoming more popular, though it did not make the top 10), thanks to cultural inspiration,” Tantry said. “Georgina is an older, more traditional name (that also did make the top 10) that has also greatly increased in popularity, showing how names never really go extinct and how most names will see fluctuations in popularity over time.”

For the record, ourpublicrecords.org said that on a national level the most popular male baby name right now is Liam, with Noah ranking second. On the distaff side, Olivia is also the most popular female name nationally.

2. Did you know (Part 7) …

That in 1980 David Bowie was performing in “The Elephant Man” on Broadway, and in the front row there were three empty seats. Two of those seats belonged to Yoko Ono and John Lennon. Lennon had been shot and killed on the streets of New York the night before. The third empty seat belonged to Mark David Chapman, the man who shot John Lennon. 

That former “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson played bass guitar on the Divinyls’ 1990 song “I Touch Myself”.

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That the Monty Python movie “The Holy Grail” was funded by George Harrison, Led Zeppelin, Genesis and Pink Floyd.

3. More potential nicknames are surfacing for the NHL team that is relocating from Arizona to Utah. Here’s the latest:

Utah Latter-Day Skates: This one is gold, whether you may be Mormon or not.

Utah Jambalaya: Remember when Utah stole the New Orleans Jazz NBA team? Now it can steal something else from New Orleans for this nickname. Of course, neither nickname makes any sense in Utah, which is the beauty of it all.

Utah Jazz Hands: Jazz Hands! It’s been a while since this term has been mainstream. But it might just work, since the hockey team would be a partner to the Utah Jazz NBA club.

Utah Pyramids: OK, it seems Utah is the home to multi-level marketing firms (and pyramid schemes), so … maybe we don’t really need to celebrate that.

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Steve Thought O’ The Day – It’s comforting to know that Chuck Norris can speak every language, including dolphin.

Steve Eighigner writes daily for Muddy River News. What about the Utah Johnnies?

I am an FBI agent.



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Big Ten tournament preview: An Illinois-Michigan rematch Saturday at the UC would be huge

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Big Ten tournament preview: An Illinois-Michigan rematch Saturday at the UC would be huge


The 29th Big Ten men’s basketball tournament starts Tuesday and ends Sunday at the United Center, where the champion will snip down the nets while the NCAA Tournament bracket reveal furiously gets underway.

In keeping with tradition, the NCAA selection committee will claim to have factored the Big Ten final into its seeding even though it — how to put this? — did not.

Unlike last year, when 15 teams made the Big Ten field, this tourney will include all 18 teams and begin a day sooner, because clearly a five-day event just wasn’t long enough.

A team-by-team glimpse, in order of seeding (odds via FanDuel):

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1. MICHIGAN (29-2, 19-1)

Next: TBD, 11 a.m. Friday, BTN.

Title odds: +105.

Snip? If the ginormous frontcourt of Yaxel Lendeborg, Aday Mara and Morez Johnson Jr. brutalizes foes like it did Illinois in Champaign, it’s over-and-out for everybody else.

Or slip? Point guard Elliot Cadeau might wear down with injured L.J. Cason unable to spell him.

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2. NEBRASKA (25-5, 15-5)

Next: TBD, 5:30 p.m. Friday, BTN.

Title odds: +1000.

Snip? No team plays harder at the defensive end, and the Huskers move the ball beautifully on offense. Is it shooter Pryce Sandfort’s time to shine?

Or slip? Is coach Fred Hoiberg allowed to win a championship at the UC? Asking for a few million friends.

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3. MICHIGAN STATE (25-6, 15-5)

Next: TBD, approximately 8 p.m. Friday, BTN.

Title odds: +650.

Snip? Jeremy Fears is one of the best playmakers around, and we are bound by law to say it’s hard to beat Tom Izzo in March.

Or slip? As tough as this team is, it lacks the kind of star power we’ve often seen in green.

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4. ILLINOIS (24-7, 15-5)

Next: TBD, approximately 1:30 p.m. Friday, BTN.

Title odds: +470.

Snip? If freshmen Keaton Wagler and David Mirkovic hold up to postseason competition, the shooters around them will give the Illini a shot to win it for the third time in the 2020s.

Or slip? The Illini likely would have to get past Michigan in the semis, and the first meeting was ugly.

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5. WISCONSIN (22-9, 14-6)

Next: Washington-USC winner, approximately 1:30 p.m. Thursday, BTN.

Title odds: +3500.

Snip? The team that popped Purdue for 97 points to ruin the Boilermakers’ Senior Day can beat anybody.

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Or slip? The team that ham-fisted its way through recent lopsided losses at Ohio State and Oregon isn’t going anywhere.

6. UCLA (21-10, 13-7)

Next: Minnesota-Rutgers winner, approximately 8 p.m. Thursday, BTN.

Title odds: +3500.

Snip? When point guard Donovan Dent is on his game, this offense — particularly shooter Tyler Bilodeau — is dangerous.

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Or slip? The Bruins are a different team, and not in a good way, away from home.

7. PURDUE (23-8, 13-7)

Next: TBD, 5:30 p.m. Thursday, BTN.

Title odds: +550.

Snip? Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn and Fletcher Loyer have been there so many times before.

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Or slip? Who would’ve believed the Boilers would tumble all the way to seventh? Something’s off with Matt Painter’s crew.

8. OHIO STATE (20-11, 12-8)

Next: TBD, 11 a.m. Thursday, BTN.

Title odds: +7500.

Snip? Bruce Thornton, the school’s career scoring leader, isn’t the only Buckeye who can fill it up.

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Or slip? Statistically, this team is right down the middle in the conference. That has “also-ran” written all over it.

9. IOWA (20-11, 10-10)

Next: Oregon-Maryland winner, 11 a.m. Wednesday, Peacock.

Title odds: +5000.

Snip? Guard Bennett Stirtz is terrific, and first-year coach Ben McCollum’s postseason record (most of it at Northwest Missouri State) is unreal.

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Or slip? Stirtz doesn’t have a whole lot in the way of sidekicks.

10. INDIANA (18-13, 9-11)

Next: Northwestern-Penn State winner, 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, BTN.

Title odds: +10000.

Snip? Guard Lamar Wilkerson led the Big Ten in scoring in league play and had multiple 40-plus-point games.

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Or slip? Look, it’s a football school and the whole world knows it.

11. MINNESOTA (15-16, 8-12)

Next: Rutgers, approximately 8 p.m. Wednesday, BTN.

Title odds: +30000.

Snip? The Gophers have beaten three higher seeds, one of them Michigan State.

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Or slip? Minnesota still hasn’t won this tournament. Why start now?

12. WASHINGTON (15-16, 7-13)

Next: USC, approximately 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Peacock.

Title odds: +20000.

Snip? The Huskies went 3-3 down the stretch and had late leads in two of the losses.

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Or slip? One NCAA win in the last 14 years kind of says it all.

13. USC (18-13, 7-13)

Next: Washington, approximately 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Peacock.

Title odds: +30000.

Snip? A 4-1 stretch that began at Wisconsin looked really good.

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Or slip? There have been seven straight losses since then, and star Chad Baker-Mazara was just booted from the program.

14. RUTGERS (13-18, 6-14)

Next: Minnesota, approximately 8 p.m. Wednesday, BTN.

Title odds: N/A.

Snip? A lot of steals and not many turnovers from this squad.

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Or slip? Every league win came against Penn State, Maryland, Oregon or Northwestern.

Nick Martinelli

Northwestern forward Nick Martinelli (2) celebrates with teammates after scoring the winning basket during overtime of an NCAA college basketball game against Maryland in Evanston, Ill., Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh) ORG XMIT: ILNH117

15. NORTHWESTERN (13-18, 5-15)

Next: Penn State, approximately 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Peacock.

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Title odds: +30000.

Snip? The name’s Nick Martinelli. Perhaps you’ve heard of him.

Or slip? And then there are the rest of the Wildcats.

16. OREGON (12-19, 5-15)

Next: Maryland, 4 p.m. Tuesday, Peacock.

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Title odds: +30000.

Snip? The Ducks won four of seven down the stretch. They aren’t total pushovers.

Or slip? Injured Jackson Shelstad isn’t entering the building. At least not in shorts.

17. MARYLAND (11-20, 4-16)

Next: Oregon, 4 p.m. Tuesday, Peacock.

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Title odds: N/A.

Snip? Freshman guard Andre Mills has been going off and scored 39 at Northwestern.

Or slip? Uh, the Terrapins still lost in Evanston.

18. PENN STATE (12-19, 3-17)

Next: Northwestern, approximately 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Peacock.

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Title odds: N/A.

Snip? Aside from being utterly terrible at defense, rebounding and three-point shooting, the Nittany Lions are merely subpar.

Or slip? Gee, you think?



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1 injured in Orland Park, Illinois, townhouse fire; firefighters hampered by hoarding

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1 injured in Orland Park, Illinois, townhouse fire; firefighters hampered by hoarding



One person was injured this weekend in a townhome fire in the southwest Chicago suburb of Orland Park, which officials said may have been exacerbated by hoarding.

The Orland Fire Protection District was called Saturday afternoon for the fire in a two-story, four-unit townhome complex the 9100 block of Greencastle Lane in Orland Park. Firefighters arrived at 1:43 p.m.

There was no obvious evidence that the townhouse complex was on fire when firefighters arrived, but they later found a basement fire involving the end unit of the complex, the district said.

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Orland Fire Protection District


All occupants were evacuated from the attached townhouses as firefighters went in. They entered the front door with a hose, but found “mounds of obstacles” in the way, the district said.

Fire crews found what were believed to be heavy hoarding conditions obstructing the path to the basement, the district said. Multiple crews had to come in to clear everything out of the way to get to the fire.

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Orland Fire Protection District


One homeowner was treated for a minor head injury, but declined to go to the hospital, the district said.

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Orland Fire Protection District

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The cause of the fire was under investigation Sunday.



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Illinois Attorney General Office suing Lockport McDonald’s for violating child labor laws

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Illinois Attorney General Office suing Lockport McDonald’s for violating child labor laws



The Illinois Attorney General is suing a suburban McDonald’s restaurant, accusing the operator of overworking teens, some for 17 hours straight.

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The lawsuit alleges the Lockport location owned by Nicholas J. Kory and Lockor LLC violated 568 Illinois Child Labor Laws in 2023.

The restaurant allegedly worked children aged 14 and 15 years old for longer than 8 hours without rest and meal breaks. One minor worked until 1:30 a.m.

The Illinois Department of Labor is seeking over $2.1 million for victims, which the company has not paid.

In a statement, the local owner said, “We are committed to ensuring that all our employees feel safe, respected, and valued. We have taken steps to address concerns that have been raised.”

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