Local Headlines

OTTAWA – The 60th annual LaSalle, Marshall, Putnam Regional Spelling is this weekend at Ottawa High School. Thirty-three school district winners will be competing for the county championship on Saturday at 9 a.m. The winner of the regional bee will then compete in the Grand Finals to be

TONICA – The Tonica Volunteer Fire Department was given a monitor and defibrillator pack that will allow their ambulance to be upgraded to a paramedic level. The department announced that they were recently donated a Lifepak 15 with assistance from the Illinois Department of Natural

  CHICAGO (AP) — A 24-year-old Chicago man has been charged with first-degree murder in the beating death of his cellmate at the Cook County Jail. Christian Gonzalez was expected to appear Thursday in bond court. Authorities say 19-year-old Pedro Ruiz was found unresponsive early Saturday

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The Illinois Department of Revenue says it collected more than $237 million in back taxes during a six-week tax amnesty period last fall. That revenue from more than 63,000 delinquent taxpayers exceeded the $175 million that Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration was

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Red-light enforcement cameras would be banned in some suburban Chicago communities under legislation that won House committee approval Wednesday. The measure is sponsored by Rep. David McSweeney, a Republican from Barrington Hills. It would ban photo enforcement of

CHICAGO (AP) — A suburban Chicago man who portrayed himself as a heavyweight in the Las Vegas sports gambling scene has pleaded guilty to defrauding an investor out of about $9.6 million. Twenty-seven-year-old Robert Gorodetsky, of Northbrook, pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal counts of wire

CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois officials say at least one non-U.S. citizen voted after an error in the state’s automatic vote registration system mistakenly registered over 500 people who said they weren’t citizens. Secretary of State Jesse White’s office released the information

OTTAWA – The city of Ottawa is gearing up for a potential project north of town. Mayor Dan Aussem and commissioners approved grant contracts with North Central Illinois Council of Governments on Tuesday night, in the event that the city is the successful bidder of a warehouse project. The

  STREATOR – Businesses in Streator are displaying hearts in their storefronts that you can buy as part of a fundraiser for Streator Unlimited. In cooperation with Shaw Appliance’s Valentine’s Day Dance, several businesses will have hearts on sale that you can give to your