Local Headlines

CHICAGO (AP) — Motorists caught using cellphones while driving will face harsher penalties under a new Illinois law taking effect Monday. Instead of just a warning ticket, those caught texting will be issued a moving violation that will go on their driving record. Those convicted of three

ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP) — Officials in the Illinois city home to the women’s baseball team that inspired the 1992 film “A League of Their Own” want to help fund a $7 million museum honoring the role of women in the sport’s history. The city of Rockford’s planning

CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has created a task force to study the rights of transgender students. The Democrat signed an executive order Sunday, the day of Pride Parades nationwide including in Chicago. The order also directs the State Board of Education on related issues,

MACOMB, Ill. (AP) — A Western Illinois University professor is harvesting wild hemp across Illinois for a research project that will evaluate THC levels in the plants. The Illinois Department of Agriculture has issued Agriculture Professor Win Phippen the department’s only permit to

OGLESBY – Officials at Starved Rock State Park are advising visitors not to bring dogs with them on days when it will be over 85F.   Saturday they say a dog died in the hot weather from heat stroke.   They do encourage visitors to bring pets when the weather is appropriate.   Starved

  CHICAGO – This month’s Seasonal Intensive Monitoring (SIM) survey, designed to leave nothing to chance and investigate each nook and cranny of selected Illinois waterways for Asian carp, came up with plenty of fish, but no bighead or silver carp. “It certainly is good news to be able

  CHICAGO – This month’s Seasonal Intensive Monitoring (SIM) survey, designed to leave nothing to chance and investigate each nook and cranny of selected Illinois waterways for Asian carp, came up with plenty of fish, but no bighead or silver carp. “It certainly is good news to be able

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White is alerting the public of motor vehicle title fee changes, effective July 1, 2019, due to action by the Illinois General Assembly. These fee changes were a part of a capital bill that was recently signed into law and will fund statewide

MENDOTA – Mendota police are looking for help in finding out who damaged several vehicles this week. Friday afternoon, officers were called to an auto repair business on Sandra Avenue and were shown several vehicles that had been scratched. Police say the incident occurred sometime in the

    FULTON COUNTY – “The Family of Deputy Troy Chisum mourns the loss of their husband, father, son and friend. We could never begin to thank law enforcement or the thousands from our community who have reached out to us to express their love and support. To the public, he