Illinois News

Illinois becomes 11th state to legalize recreational marijuana By Karen Graham Springfield - A recreational marijuana legalization bill will soon land on Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk after the Illinois House on Friday voted to pass the comprehensive measure. The governor has pledged to sign it.

Illinois is set to become the Midwest's solar power leader By Karen Graham Chicago - Illinois is experiencing a boom in solar energy projects stemming from the state's Future Energy Jobs Act, a 2016 law that sets a target of getting 25 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2025.

U.S. scientists hope prehistoric fish can solve modern problem By Nathan Salant Chicago - A giant prehistoric fish once thought to be extinct could be the solution to the worsening invasion of non-native Asian carp that is choking U.S. rivers and crowding out local species.

Report: McDonald's Corp. planning to move HQ to downtown Chicago By Nathan Salant Chicago - McDonald's plans to move its corporate headquarters from the Chicago suburbs to the downtown Fulton-Randolph Market District, a local business publication has reported.

Actor Don Shanks and his second wind Special By Adrian Peel Known primarily for his role as Nakoma in the 1974 film and subsequent TV series, 'The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams,' this 65-year-old actor of Native American descent is enjoying a new lease of life making movies with actor and writer, John Schneider.

U.S. House bans microbeads in personal care products by 2019 By Megan Hamilton Washington - Several states have passed legislation to put and end to the use of tiny microbeads in beauty products, but now the rest of the nation is catching up. It's all part of an effort to keep the tiny plastic beads out of the ocean and our seafood.

Police: Man bombs Miss. Walmart for not selling Confederate flag By Megan Hamilton Tupelo - A Mississippi man, upset that Walmart no longer sells Confederate flags, allegedly tossed a bomb inside one of the big box stores in Tupelo, early Sunday. Marshall W. Leonard, 61, was charged on Tuesday afternoon with planting an explosive device.

Brett Eldredge: King of country charts with new 'Illinois' album By Markos Papadatos Country sensation Brett Eldredge has a major milestone to celebrate thanks to the success of his newest studio album "Illinois."

Review: Brett Eldredge soars on new studio album 'Illinois' Special By Markos Papadatos Country singer Brett Eldredge will release his new studio album, "Illinois," on Friday, September 11, and it is a solid collection of music.

Kraft Heinz cuts 2,500 jobs in Canada, U.S. after recent merger By Megan Hamilton Chicago - Saying that it intends to cut costs, Kraft Heinz Co. is slashing about 2,500 jobs now that the two companies have merged. Employees affected by this are in the U.S. and Canada and will be notified in person, said spokesman Michael Mullen.

A mysterious fungus is killing snakes in the Eastern U.S. By Megan Hamilton It started in Florida with the pygmy rattlesnakes, killing 42 of them. Then, another 59 wound up dead. When it happened in the earlier part of this century, mystified scientists couldn't identify the culprit.

Police officer delivers pizza after arresting delivery driver By James Walker The Illinois Oswego Police Department has recounted details of an event earlier this week where an officer who had arrested a pizza delivery driver proceeded to complete the delivery to the customer.

Real-life Cookie Monster almost asphyxiates roommate By Mike Rossi Decatur - In a story so bizarre it's hard to believe, a 23-year-old Illinois man — Allen Hall — has been charged with attempted murder as well as assault and battery after attacking his female roommate.

170-foot catsup bottle for sale in Belleville, Illinois By Mike White Belleville - Do you just love ketchup? Do you have an extra $200,000 you could spend? If so, the "World's Largest Bottle of Catsup" is for sale in Belleville, Illinois.

Driver turns tables on trooper, stopping him for speeding (Video) By Greta McClain A truck driver travelling through Illinois honked his horn in an effort to "stop" an Illinois State trooper for speeding, capturing the entire exchange on tape.

Why did Illinois ban microbeads? By Walter McDaniel Illinois legislators recently banned microbeads in soap and not without reason. These tiny structures have a tendency to soak up toxins and fish love to eat them.

Interview with Brett Eldredge: 'Beat of the Music' Special By Markos Papadatos Atlantic Nashville recording country artist Brett Eldredge revealed that he has never been better. "It has been an awesome week," he said.

Illinois hospital triggers superbug outbreak By Tim Sandle An investigation into a pathogenic outbreak in Chicago has been traced to a single hospital. The hospital was at the epicenter of an outbreak of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

'Nightmare bacteria' has health officials on edge By Karen Graham Chicago - In 2013, the CDC issued a report on the catastrophic consequences of ignoring the threat from the growing number of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections. These infections kill an estimated 23,000 Americans every year.

Evicted Illinois woman sets lethal booby traps for ex-boyfriend By Eileen Kersey Pekin - "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," or so the saying goes, and one man in Illinois found that for him that was true when he kicked his woman out of the family home.

Dog discovered under rubble 9 days after a tornado hit Illinois By Owen Weldon A six-month-old pit bull was buried under a pile of rubble for nine days after a tornado hit a city in central Illinois, but was coaxed to freedom with food.

Illinois legalizes gay marriage By Brett Wilkins Chicago - Illinois has become the 16th US state to achieve LGBT marriage equality after the state's Democrat governor signed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage on Wednesday.

Heartbreaking photos from tornado-ravaged Washington, Illinois By David Silverberg Washington - Illinois took the brunt of the tornado fury Sunday, as shown in five stunning photos taken in Washington, Illinois. Eight people are dead as a result of the tornadoes, and hundreds of buildings and homes were destroyed.

This house's Halloween light show syncs to Awolnation's 'Sail' By David Silverberg A homeowner in Naperville, Illinois, might have created the best Halloween light show of 2013 already. The carefully designed lights sync to the popular song Sail by Awolnation, as well as songs by Fallout Boy, LMFAO, Rammstein and The Band Perry.

Hometown of Roger Ebert to raise money for statue By Andrew Ellis Champaign - Organizers from late film critic Roger Ebert's hometown of Champaign, Ill., revealed plans on Tuesday September 11 to try and raise $125,000 to build a life-size bronze statue him.

Illinois becomes 20th state to OK medical marijuana By Yukio Strachan Springfield - Governor Pat Quinn signed legislation on Thursday to make Illinois the 20th state nationwide to legalize marijuana for medical use.

Illinois governor changes concealed carry bill By Alex Allen Springfield - Illinois Governor Pat Quinn has made some drastic changes to the state's new concealed carry laws which would allow some citizens to have a concealed loaded firearm on their person in a public place.

5 videos of the Oklahoma tornado you need to see now By David Silverberg Spreading fast across the Web are these five videos showing stunning footage of the deadly Oklahoma tornado, which has killed nine and injured at least 75 people. In one video, a meteorologist's car is flung 200 yards by a surging tornado.

Tilda Swinton in 1,500 people dance-along to honor Roger Ebert By Anne Sewell Champaign - To the tune of Barry White's “You’re the First, the Last, My Everything”, Tilda Swinton jumped into the audience in Virginia Theater, Champaign, Il and inspired them to get up and dance in honor of the late Roger Ebert. Includes video of the event.

Illinois municipalities sues Travelocity, Expedia and Priceline By Owen Weldon Seven Illinois municipalities are suing some online travel companies, including Expedia, Priceline and Travelocity, saying that the companies owe unpaid taxes.

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