13 Illinois ‘Bomb Squad’ Gang Members Sentenced To Prison PEORIA, Ill. (AP) — Thirteen members of a Peoria street gang known as the “Bomb Squad” have been sentenced to prison terms for a racketeering conspiracy that included murder, attempted murder, arson and drug trafficking. Federal prosecutors said one defendant was sentenced to life in prison,…
Illinois Seeking New Poet Laureate, State’s First Since 2017 CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois is looking for a new poet laureate. Gov. J.B. Pritzker has launched a search committee to fill the post, which has been vacant since 2017. He said Illinois has been home to talented poets including Carl Sandburg, Gwendolyn Brooks and Sandra Cisneros,…
From Tight Hallways To Packed Elevators, Urban Campuses Are Grappling With Social Distancing Colleges and universities in downtown Chicago often use their urban location as a selling point when attracting students. Now, those campuses — located in the densest part of the city — are turning into a potential liability as schools plan to reopen…
Wage Hike, Driving Privileges, Civics Address In New Laws SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — New Illinois state laws dictating minimum wage, certain driving offenses and LGBTQ history education in public schools will take effect Wednesday. Low-wage workers statewide will see a salary increase for the second time this year as required by a law signed last…
‘We Are Burying Our Future’: Chicago Mayor Mourns Kids’ Deaths From Weekend Shootings Mayor Lori Lightfoot says the last two Mondays she’s woken up with an “incredible sense of dread” after reading emails, text messages and media reports about the number of Chicagoans shot and killed over the weekend. On Monday morning, Lightfoot took a…
Illinois Reports 646 New Confirmed COVID-19 Cases, 15 Deaths CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois public health officials reported 646 additional confirmed COVID-19 cases on Sunday and 15 deaths. The latest Illinois Department of Public Health figures show nearly 24,000 tests were administered in the past 24 hours. Overall, there have been 141,723 total confirmed cases in…
Pritzker Touts Illinois Reopening As Other States Backtrack Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Thursday that the state is progressing much more quickly than expected into the fourth phase of his five-part Restore Illinois program in response to the coronavirus, a vaccination for which is still at least several months away. Pritzker and his state public health…
Illinois Man Freed After 2008 Murder Conviction Gets Vacated SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — An Illinois man is free after getting his 2008 murder conviction vacated following new evidence that revealed he was not responsible for the death of his infant son, partly because of efforts from a group in the state that’s cleared more than…
Champaign Firefighter Tests Positive For COVID-19 A firefighter for the City of Champaign tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a press release released by the city. The name of the firefighter that tested positive is not being released, however, the city was in contact with the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District for protocol instruction. As…
Chicago To Join State In Reopening Museums, Zoos On Friday CHICAGO (AP) — Chicago will join the rest of Illinois in the next reopening phase starting Friday, allowing museums, gyms and zoos to open for business with restrictions in place. Public health officials said Monday that COVID-19 metrics required for reopening under state and city…
At Some CPS Schools, Conversations And Peace Circles Will Replace Traditional Punishment When Iysha Jones and her team took over Doolittle Elementary School last year, it was a place where students had trouble talking about how they felt because they expected bad behavior to result in harsh discipline, like suspensions. So Jones was elated when…
Pritzker Announces Rent Support And Business Relief Fund CHICAGO (AP) — Illinoisans struggling to pay mortgages and rent and small businesses, all impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, will have access to $900 million in grants, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Wednesday. According to state officials, $150 million of the funds, to be administered by the Illinois…
ComEd Quadruples Payments To Powerhouse Law Firm Amidst Corruption Probe Amid a sprawling federal corruption probe, Commonwealth Edison quadrupled its payments last year to a powerhouse Chicago-based law firm that’s representing the utility giant in the investigation of its Springfield lobbying practices. Federal regulatory documents show ComEd paid Jenner & Block nearly $2.4 million in…
GOP Sues Pritzker Seeking Exemption From 10-Person Limit CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois’ Democratic governor was sued Monday by the state’s Republican Party, which is seeking exemption from the 10-person limit on public gatherings. The Chicago Tribune reports the GOP contends in the lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago that Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s limit on…
NTSB: Plane Spiraled Before Fatal Crash In Illinois Field CARLINVILLE, Ill. (AP) — A small plane that crashed last month while heading from Missouri to Michigan, killing four men aboard, entered into a “right descending spiral” before it went down in a southwestern Illinois farm field, authorities said. Investigators will examine the wreckage to determine…