THE LOCALSDrunk teens? Yeah, not going anywhere.

This week in stunning revelations produced by courageous suburban reporting: Yes, the parents who let their teenage son throw a really rather boozy party in their basement were convicted of, like, several things. But, and this is quite a but!, teenage drinking will persist, students say.

First, a little perspective. The party, well attended by students of America's High School^®, resulted in two deaths. The parents, Jeffrey and Sara Hutsell, were from Deerfield; the article does not say where their son goes (went?) to high school.

And, our reporter? J.T. Morand. Well, initials aren't what they used to be. While usually relegated to the "Here comes Harry Potter" beat (sadly, a real headline), Morand has some experience tracing liquor-and-coke-laden stomachs back to the whereabouts of their intoxication. In fact, Morand reveals, the two cases are related!

Suzanne Savin, mother of Jessica Savin, the Glencoe teen who died when she fell through a skylight atop a building in Chicago in April, is praying for the Deerfield couple.

Jessica Savin was the former girlfriend of Jesse Trace, the twin brother of Ross Trace, 18, who died in the car crash that also killed Daniel Bell, 18, outside the Hutsell home the night of the party last October. They had been at the party and were returning to it. Three other teens in the car sustained injuries.

With all this alcohol-related death, you might think New Trier students would be reconsidering their weekend bacchanalia. Not really, Morand discovers when asking the young sun-worshippers at Gillson Beach in Wilmette:

"Kids don't care enough to stop," said Lynea Martin, 15.

"Kids will still do what it takes to get drinks," added Erin Guza, 16.

And Jesse Trace, who has now lost his twin brother and his ex-girlfriend to a combination of alcohol, a skylight and drunk drivers? Perhaps we will find out when the reporting takes place somewhere other than the lakeshore. [GlencoeNews]