Olympic Gold Medalist Gabby Douglas Coming to Skokie

Meet Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas at Old Orchard Mall on May 2.

Gabby Douglas will be at Barnes & Noble in Old Orchard Mall from 6:30 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. on May 2. Douglas will be promoting and signing her new book, “Raising the Bar,” which gives an inside view into her life as an average teenage girl as well as her experiences in the spotlight, according to a press release issued on Thursday. Line tickets will be distributed to customers presenting a copy of Douglas’ new book with proof of purchase from Barnes & Noble starting at 9 a.m. on May 2. Douglas won the gold in gymanstics during the 2012 Summer Olympics. She was the first American to win gold in both the individual all-around and team competitions. See other Stars in Skokie -- Patch on Facebook

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Best Buy to Close Old Orchard Location

Minnesota-based Best Buy will be closing their Old Orchard location in Skokie, Ill., on Feb. 3. The company has been downsizing due to a volatile stock price, scandal and online competitors such as Amazon.com.

Best Buy Old Orchard, which first opened its doors in 2001, will be closing for good come Feb. 3, according to the Minneapolis St. Paul Business Journal. Some locals may describe the 9625 Skokie Blvd. location as prestigious solely on its location. Just across the street from the electronics giant is Westfield Old Orchard Mall, which alone accounts for about 40 percent of all sales tax revenue generated in Skokie. An employee at Best Buy Old Orchard acknowledged the closing, but asked her name be withheld due to corporate policy. "They just decided to shut us down," the employee told Patch. "Most of the items we have are already marked 10 percent off; we're gearing up to clear inventory, yes." When asked whether the closing meant lost jobs…

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Stars in Skokie

'Glee' Star Jane Lynch has a 'Happy Accident'

The actress was at Westfield Old Orchard on Saturday to promote her new memoir "Happy Accidents."

Jane Lynch, who plays Sue Sylvester of FOX's "Glee," signed copies of her new memoir Saturday afternoon at the Barnes and Nobles in Skokie. The book details aspects from Lynch's life and career, including her struggles with her sexuality, alcoholism and the string of happy accidents that led her to where she is today. The visit was a homecoming for Lynch, who was born and raised in Dolton on Chicago's South Side. Lynch spent the first two decades of her career in Chicago theaters. The actress even had her mother, Elaine, and several of her friends attend the event. Stars in Skokie: Rick Bayless Personally Serves Hundreds in Skokie Like us on Facebook

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Gallery: Roger Ebert Takes 'Life Itself' on the Road

Author, movie critic signs copies of his new autobiography for hometown fans.

A long line of fans gathered at the Barnes & Noble bookstore in Old Orchard Mall last Thursday night to meet their favorite hometown film critic and author, Roger Ebert. The book signing was held to promote his new autobiography, Life Itself, which hit shelves earlier this month. "Life Itself" tells the story of the 69-year-old's life from his time as a child in Urbana, IL, to the start of his career at the Chicago Sun-Times to his current battle with thyroid cancer, which has required surgery to move his jaw bone. Many fans who greeted the writer thanked him for the enjoyment he has given them and for the effect his writing had on their lives. Earlier: Betty White Live in Skokie "It's wonderful," said Chaz, Ebert's wife, in regards to how…

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