Illinois

An Illinois resident has died after recently vaping and coming down with a severe respiratory illness.

UnityPoint Health - Pekin celebrated the completion of major renovations at the hospital with a ribbon cutting Friday. 

Musical acts from as far as France will be featured as part of this year’s Peoria Irish Fest. Learn more about the interactive exhibits, musical acts, and  the “Snug Pub” as Jenn Gordon talks with John Miller and Tom McConnaughay.

Sangamon County residents say they want to see more economic development and population growth. That’s according to a recent county-wide survey. 

Expect significant traffic delays around Bradley University tomorrow as students move back in ahead of the new semester. 

More than four billion private records were exposed by data breaches in the first half of 2019.

Illinois residents have seen their fair share of information compromises. In July, the state received a share of the Equifax settlement.

These information hacks continue to dominate the headlines. The business of ensuring online privacy is also booming. Right now, there are nearly 3 million unfilled positions in cybersecurity.

Twenty-seven-year-old Breon Jones has pleaded not guilty in the murder of 38-year-old Marshawn Tolliver.

Jones, of Peoria, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, and unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon. He's accused of shooting 38-year-old Tolliver multiple times on August 6. 

Tolliver died from his wounds Monday, marking the city's 17th homicide of the year. 

Fourteen-year-old Zaveon Marks has pleaded not guilty to the murder of 16-year-old Zarious Fair. 

The Illinois State Police arrested a Peoria woman for drug trafficking after more than 38 pounds of suspected cannabis was found in her vehicle. 

A State Police trooper near Pontiac pulled over Anita Williams, 45, in Livingston County for a traffic violation. The trooper smelled cannabis and arrested Williams on an outstanding warrant. 

She was arrested for cannabis trafficking, delivery of cannabis over 5,000 grams and possession of cannabis over 5,000 grams. 

She faces charges in Livingston County. 

The minimum salary a teacher can be paid in Illinois will soon increase. Governor J.B. Pritzker joined educators and activists to sign a wage increase plan into law Thursday.

Environmentalists are blasting Vistra Energy’s coal-burning power plant closure announcement as a cynical cost-cutting move. 

A project based at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library seeks out documents written by the 16th president.  Discovering the items is only part of the work being done.  The Papers of Abraham Lincoln is in the process of making all of the finds available online.  We talk with the director.

Also, a new gambling expansion law will allow horse tracks to look more like casinos, with slot machines and other games being offered.  Is it enough to boost the sagging industry? 

That and more on this episode of Statewide.

Illinois will soon require insurers to cover EpiPens and similar devices for children 18 and under. But questions remain about whether the law will really lower costs for consumers.

When students head back to school, most kids walk or ride the bus. But for some special education students whose families live in Illinois, school is a residential facility or boarding school in another state. 

How many kids are we talking about? You might be surprised. When we asked Melissa Taylor, past president of the Illinois Alliance of Administrators of Special Ed to take her best guess, she wasn’t even close.

“Okay, so I’m thinking the wealthier suburban schools probably do more than I think they do, so let’s say 200,” Taylor says.

Immigrants to Illinois are now able to sue their landlords if they are evicted because of their citizenship status.

The Peoria City Council will hold a special meeting on Saturday to determine the city's directon on recreational cannabis businesses. 

The new state law legalizing recreational cannabis usage goes into effect on Jan. 1. But the law also allows municipalities wide leeway on whether or not to allow the cultivation and sale of recreational cannabis within their communities. 

The City of Springfield has grown. City council members Tuesday approved bringing into the city 51 acres of unincorporated land that is surrounded by city limits on all sides.  

Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood is releasing preliminary autopsy results in two recent homicides in the city of Peoria.

Harwood said Theresa Simmons, 63, suffered blunt force trauma to her head, which caused fractures and severe brain bleeding. Simmons died on Aug. 17 after she was found in her home in the 700 block of W. Loucks Ave. on Aug. 12. 

Her son, Jeremy Simmons, is charged with her death. He's being held on $2 million bond in the Peoria County Jail. 

Vistra Energy announced Wednesday it is closing its coal burning power plants in Canton, Havana, Hennepin and Coffeen.

A Republican attorney from East Moline is challenging Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Moline) for the 17th Congressional District. 

In the wake of two high profile mass shootings this month, Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul's office is making gun violence prosecutions a priority. A leader of the Illinois House, meanwhile, said new gun legislation will be on the table during the next legislative session.

Power in Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan's office has been too centralized and its environment has fostered an atmosphere that condones bullying, intimidation, hazing and long work hours with inconsistent direction, according to an investigative report released Tuesday.

There is no dearth of opinions for East Peoria city commissioners to weigh as they decide whether to allow the sale of recreational cannabis next year.

The city council held a public forum on the issue on Tuesday evening. Residents fell on both sides of the issue. Some called for East Peoria to follow Morton and El Paso in banning recreational cannabis sales within its borders, while others said it presents an opportunity to create new jobs and tax revenue.

A 31-year-old Washington man was sentenced to 13 years in prison today by a federal judge in Peoria.

The president of the Peoria firefighters’ union says he hopes the recent Illinois Labor Relations Board ruling in their favor coaxes the city to head to the bargaining table. 

A 14-year-old Peorian faces first degree murder charges in adult court for the June shooting death of 16-year-old Zarious Fair. 

Zaveon Marks faces two counts of first-degree murder and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in connection with the murder in the 700 block of E. Frye in Peoria's East Bluff neighborhood.

With no discussion, the Peoria City Council recently approved spending more than $47,000 to buy the city's firefighters and police officers some heavy-duty protective gear.

Congressman Rodney Davis found both supporters and critics at his second Open Government Night, held Monday night at Parkland College in Champaign. But it was the critics who were the most vocal.