Illinois

Gov. J.B. Pritzker vetoed a bill Monday to exempt private aviation repair companies from paying sales taxes on parts through 2024.

The Illinois Supreme Court heard arguments in a case that could determine whether a person convicted of battery can still own a gun.

It appears the popular Peoria bar spot Crusens is opening a location across the river. 

Crusen's signs have popped up along Route 29 in Creve Coeur, just across the East Peoria line. The bar and restaurant currently runs two locations in Peoria on Farmington Road and War Memorial Drive. 

It's unclear when the business is opening, but signage along Route 29 is advertising a New Year's Eve show with local punk band The Pimps. 

The Pekin City Council approved zoning provisions for recreational cannabis businesses at its meeting Monday.

U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis dug in Monday night as he again attacked the impeachment inquiry and called on Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to bring a free trade agreement to a vote.

A woman is dead after a four-vehicle crash in Peoria Monday evening.

Peoria police, firefighters, and AMT responded to War Memorial and Brandywine just before 5 p.m. Two people were taken to the hospital with serious injuries. The woman was pronounced dead a short time later.

As of 8 p.m. Monday, access to War Memorial from westbound Interstate 74 is blocked off. Traffic on eastbound lanes is being diverted onto Meadowbrook.

Two other people in separate vehicles were treated on scene and released.

Monday is the first day for candidates to file their petitions with election authorities. Central Illinois is set to see competitive races on the national, state, and local levels. 

Two non-profit organizations serving Peoria's South Side are combining to ensure services remain available to residents.

The second suspect in the slaying of a Princeville couple pleaded guilty but mentally ill Monday.

The business and economic indicators for 2019's third quarter are looking good. 

Demand for new homes in the Peoria metropolitan area remains sluggish. 

Illinois is still two centuries away from hitting towards its goal of planting enough cover crops to make a significant dent in its nutrient pollution problem in waterways. 

Peoria County's proposed $133 million 2020 budget makes a full payment to employee pensions without raising property taxes.

That's according to county administrator Scott Sorrel. He said new revenue from cannabis, online sales taxes and increased motor fuel taxes may help the county's bottom line, but they're also planning for pension costs, upcoming collective bargaining with 10 employee unions, and increasing health insurance costs.

"I think for us, it's a status quo budget. It's not expansive growth," said Sorrel. 

The Illinois State Board of Education is encouraging anyone with information about abusive time-out rooms or restraints in any school setting to share that information directly with the agency. The request comes in the wake of a report by the Chicago Tribune and ProPublica documenting thousands of instances of children, usually with special needs, placed in seclusion in their schools.

One of the individuals injured in a shooting in northwest Peoria Saturday night has been arrested in connection with the crime.

This week ProPublica Illinois and the Chicago Tribune collaborated on a story that revealed the extent to which Illinois schools are using "seclusion rooms" — essentially solitary confinement — to handle children who cause trouble, mostly in special education classes.

State law bans registered sex offenders from social media websites during their probation period, which for some, can last for decades.

The Illinois State Board of Education is encouraging anyone with information about abusive time-out rooms or restraints in any school setting to share that information directly with the agency. The request comes in the wake of a report earlier this week by the Chicago Tribune and ProPublica documenting thousands of instances of children, usually with special needs, placed in seclusion in their schools.

Kevin Rubenstein, president of a statewide group of special education administrators, told the board to expect to hear even more stories.

The Peoria Riverfront Museum is displaying a collection of the works of the ultimate Renaissance Man: Leonardo da Vinci.

This week Collin Krause of the Way Down Wanderers joins Jenn Gordon in the studio to talk about recording, touring, and the band’s unique Peoria roots. Listen in as Collin gives an impromptu performance of PRINCIPLES OF SALT, the first track on the Album. 

Five Illinois residents have died so far this year after vaping. Two of those people have died within the last week, while public health investigators have struggled to find what’s behind the spike in illnesses.

Medical students from the University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria paid tribute to the people who donated their bodies so they could learn.

As recreational marijuana is set to become legal in Illinois January 1, some parents are worried it sends the wrong message to kids.   We'll hear from experts and young people about ways for parents to have a dialogue on the subject.

Not that long ago, southern Illinois was known as a place where geese would spend the winter during colder weather.  But recently, that trek to the area has stopped.   We'll hear some of the reasons why.

And, a reporter shares her personal account of adoption and the risk she took to reach out to her biological family.

That and more on this episode of Statewide.

Would you say that most people can be trusted, or that you can’t be too careful? An NPR Illinois survey shows Illinoisans are divided on the question — though not in the usual ways of politics. This week, we look at the issue of trust, and why it matters for democracy.

Speedy drivers have been a particular problem for the Illinois State Police so far this year. Troopers across the state have issued nearly 2,500 tickets for drivers going 100 miles per hour or faster on Illinois roadways.

Extra police are on the Bradley University campus after a threatening note was found in Olin Hall this afternoon.

Police said the note threatened violence in that building tonight. The Bradley University Police Department said it hasn't been determined to be a credible threat, but BU and Peoria police are taking it seriously. 

Police officers are posted at each entrance of Olin Hall to check bags and personal belongings. Classes around campus will otherwise continue as normal. 

Recreational marijuana businesses have been a hot-button topic for many municipalities around the state. But it appears everyone is on the same page in Woodford County. 

There may be no more famous man in Illinois history than Abraham Lincoln. More than 150 years after his death, the 16th president continues to inspire writers of all kinds. But before 2018, few books had been written about Lincoln as a boy, and even fewer had been written from the young Abe’s point of view.

That changed when retired teacher and author Jan Jacobi wrote the novel “Young Lincoln,” in which the famous Illinoisan himself narrates his journey from young boy to young man, painting a rarely-seen portrait of Lincoln’s formative years.

The Illinois Department of Agriculture has approved Revolution Global's Delavan cultivation center to grow recreational cannabis.

Springfield City Council members Tuesday approved where pot shops can operate once it’s legal to buy and sell recreational cannabis January 1.  

Cannabis businesses would not be allowed to operate within 1,500 feet of churches, schools and parks. The zoning changes also expand where those shops could go and now includes S-3 zoning that would normally include retail shops and other areas of entertainment; B-1 zoning that includes businesses by highways; as well as B-2, I-1, and I-2 zoning.