PERU – The city of Peru approved a waiver to allow the redevelopment of an old travel plaza Tuesday. The Tiki Inn travel plaza North of Interstate 80, as well as a closed truck stop along May Road will see redevelopment by its owners IBI Ventures LLC. The approval of the petition sought by ...Read more
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — A central Illinois city has approved settling two lawsuits accusing police of wrongdoing for a combined $3.7 million. The Champaign City Council approved the settlement Tuesday, with the bulk of the funds going to Teshome Campbell. Campbell sued the city and six officers, ...Read more
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (AP) — A Peoria man has pleaded guilty to murder charges in the death of a man during a kidnapping that authorities say stemmed from trying to steal money from recent lottery winnings. Thirty-year-old Danny Smith Jr. of Peoria pleaded guilty during a Tuesday court hearing. He ...Read more
CHICAGO (AP) — Prospective jurors in the murder trial of the white Chicago police officer who killed black teenager Laquan McDonald are to be given questionnaires as the first phase of jury selection starts Wednesday. The judge has sealed the questionnaires, but potential jury members will most ...Read more
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (AP) — Insurance giant State Farm on Tuesday reached a $250 million preliminary settlement in a federal class-action lawsuit claiming the company funneled money to the campaign of an Illinois Supreme Court candidate. The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in East St. ...Read more
OTTAWA – Crows from Ottawa and Peru tested positive for West Nile Virus, according to the LaSalle County Health Department. The Ottawa bird was collected and tested on Friday, August 31st and the Peru bird collected and tested on Tuesday. Last week the first human case and death of ...Read more
CHICAGO (AP) — Rahm Emanuel, whose tumultuous tenure as Chicago mayor included an infamous police shooting and a surge in violent crime, said in a surprise announcement Tuesday that he would abandon his plan to seek a third term next year but gave no reason for the sudden change of ...Read more
GRANVILLE- The “soft lock down for the Putnam County School District has been lifted as of this afternoon. The High School and Primary School in the Putnam County School District were on a lock down as precautionary means requested by the Sheriff’s department. The information ...Read more
LASALLE – Corn crops aren’t faring as well as anticipated, according to the LaSalle County Farm Bureau. The corn crops took the biggest hit, due to the dry spell the county experienced this past month according to David Isermann, President of the Lasalle County Farm Bureau. ...Read more
KANKAKEE, Ill. (AP) — Kankakee county has approved a memorial honoring three former governors from Kankakee, including convicted ex-Gov. George Ryan. The Kankakee County board endorsed it in a 10-to-2 vote last week. It’ll be on the Kankakee courthouse lawn. It’ll also be dedicated ...Read more
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