Breaking News
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Chicago schools inspector general suggests charter schools are underreporting cases of sexual misconduct
Dozens of Chicago Public Schools workers are barred from classrooms, face criminal charges or termination for alleged sexual misconduct against students — but a top district investigator fears city charter schools might fall short on reporting allegations against adults on their campuses. CPS Inspector...
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Police: 1 arrested following 4 deaths and at least 17 overdoses from West Side heroin
Chicago police and the Drug Enforcement Administration were working together Wednesday to investigate a rash of at least 17 overdoses — including four deaths — from what’s believed to be a mixture of heroin and fentanyl distributed recently on the West Side, authorities said. Police are “questioning...
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Prosecutors play recording of grand jury testimony at perjury trial of Dorothy Brown's former top aide
Secret grand jury testimony involving a federal bribes-for-jobs probe of Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown’s office got a rare public airing Wednesday in the trial of a former high-ranking Brown aide accused of lying under oath to protect her boss. Jurors listened intently as an audio...
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Oswego student charged with disorderly conduct after concerns about list shared on social media
A 15-year-old student has been charged with disorderly conduct after allegedly creating a list of names of fellow Oswego East High School students that raised concerns after it was spread on social media. The list was made on Sunday and shared on social media, causing students and parents to be...
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Psychological report among dozens of long-sealed documents in Jason Van Dyke case made public
“Time froze” for Jason Van Dyke as he fired 16 shots at Laquan McDonald, the then-Chicago police officer told a psychologist in 2016 as he prepared for his murder trial. Van Dyke told Dr. Laurence Miller that he was “not that good a shot with the handgun” and thought the shots may have been missing...
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Parents of missing 5-year-old AJ Freund charged with murder after Crystal Lake boy's body found in shallow grave
The parents of 5-year-old Andrew “AJ” Freund were charged with murder Wednesday, hours after authorities say they found what they believe is the body of the Crystal Lake boy wrapped in plastic in a shallow grave near Woodstock. JoAnn Cunningham, 36, and Andrew Freund, 60, both face multiple charges...
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Family of woman killed by stolen van in Chicago police chase awarded $21 million
The family of a 37-year-old woman who was killed by a stolen van being pursued by Chicago police during a high-speed chase through Englewood in 2015 will receive more than $21 million from the city of Chicago, attorneys for the family announced Wednesday. Late Tuesday afternoon, a jury reached...
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R. Kelly fails to show up in court, loses lawsuit alleging underage sex abuse
Singer R. Kelly has lost a civil lawsuit by default after he failed to show up in Cook County Circuit Court to answer allegations he sexually abused an underage girl in the late 1990s. The alleged victim, now 36, alleged in the suit filed in February that Kelly had repeated sexual contact with...
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Gov. J.B. Pritzker says 'All the rules were followed' in wake of report that feds are looking into removal of toilets in Gold Coast mansion for property tax break
Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s removal of toilets from an Astor Street mansion to gain a property tax break, a move that gained notoriety during his recent election campaign, is under review by federal prosecutors, WBEZ-FM 91.5 reported Wednesday. The report, attributed to an unnamed “law enforcement...
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Following historic Chicago mayoral loss, Toni Preckwinkle returns to County Board, where it's like business as usual
By this time in April, Toni Preckwinkle had hoped to be bringing her brand of progressive politics to City Hall, where she would usher in a new era as Chicago mayor. But more than three weeks after losing the mayoral election to first-time candidate Lori Lightfoot, the Cook County Board President...
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Three arrested after shooting spree in North Chicago that included shots fired at cops, police say
Three men have been charged with attempted first-degree murder of a police officer and other felonies following an alleged shooting spree last weekend in North Chicago, authorities announced on Wednesday. According to a statement issued by the Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office and North Chicago...
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What we know about 5-year-old Andrew 'AJ' Freund's disappearance and death
Here’s what we know about the disappearance and death of 5-year-old Andrew “AJ” Freund of Crystal Lake, whose body police say was found Wednesday morning. — The boy’s parents, Andrew Freund and JoAnn Cunningham, have both been charged with murder, aggravated battery, aggravated domestic battery...
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Man set for May trial in 1999 double homicide at Hammond auto shop
A reported Latin Kings member is scheduled to go to trial next month from a 1999 double homicide of two men at a Hammond auto shop. U.S. Attorney Thomas Kirsch announced charges last year against Jeremiah Shane Farmer in connection with the “brutal slayings” on June 25, 1999, of Marion Lowry, 74,...
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The Spin: Pritzker can't flush toilet controversy | Kim Foxx tries to move beyond Smollett | Lightfoot wants to get along with Trump
Remember last year when ex-Gov. Bruce Rauner’s campaign put up an ad calling J.B. Pritzker the “porcelain prince” over the toilets being pulled out of the family’s downtown Chicago mansion in order to get a property tax break? Well, the issue is still swirling. On Wednesday, Pritzker — who’s just...
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Accused gunman in killing of Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer exploring self-defense claim
An attorney for a four-time felon charged in the killing of Chicago police Cmdr. Paul Bauer said in court Wednesday that he is exploring an argument that Bauer was shot in self-defense — a tactic that would surely prove controversial in the high-profile case. Attorney Scott Kamin, representing...
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Judge grants delay in misdemeanor case after Kim Foxx clears way for special prosecutor to be appointed
A Cook County judge ordered a delay in the misdemeanor battery case against activist Jedidiah Brown to allow a special prosecutor to get involved. The move by Judge Clarence Burch came a day after another judge allowed State’s Attorney Kim Foxx to recuse herself from Brown’s prosecution. Eight...
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Northbrook under boil order after IDOT contractor damages water main, causing loss of pressure
Some businesses were closed and there were other inconveniences in Northbrook Wednesday as the north suburb was under what officials called a precautionary water boil order, instituted after the village experienced a loss of water pressure. At approximately 10 a.m. Tuesday, the village experienced...
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After nearly a decade, United is giving its planes a makeover. Here's the new look.
United Airlines is giving its aircraft a makeover for the first time in nearly a decade. Chicago-based United teased the announcement with a video on Twitter Tuesday night, showing workers stripping the paint from an aircraft before applying the new design, which was unveiled at an event at O’Hare...
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Jailhouse informants can testify that suspect in 1992 murder of Skokie boy confessed the crime to them
Two jailhouse informants will be allowed to testify that a fellow inmate confessed to them that he killed a Skokie teenager 27 years ago. Robert Serritella, 76, formerly of Park Ridge, is charged with first-degree murder in the 1992 killing of 15-year-old David Chereck, whose strangled body was...
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Why James Holzhauer is bad for 'Jeopardy!'
James Holzhauer, who is closing in on a million dollars of game-show winnings, is on track to become the most successful "Jeopardy!" contestant of all time. And he's become such a dominant force that a historic run has come to seem, as television, boring. Over the course of thirteen episodes and...
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Third person pleads guilty in 2017 Munster robbery that resulted in fatal shooting of teen
A third man pleaded guilty to a Munster cellphone store robbery in 2017 that resulted in a 15-year-old being fatally shot by police. Markquise Harris, 19, took a plea agreement in his case stemming from the Aug. 1, 20017, robbery of the Cellular Connection Verizon Wireless store at Ridge Road and...
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Ceremony to honor Aurora police involved during mass shooting response
The Aurora Police Department will host the Celebration of Courage Recognition Ceremony to honor personnel involved during the Henry Pratt mass shooting. The special ceremony will be held at 10 a.m. April 29 at the Paramount Theatre, 23 E. Galena Blvd. More than 40 Aurora Police Department personnel...
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Rents rise, supply drops — Chicago’s affordable housing woes mount
Along Milwaukee Avenue around Logan Square, the change is easy to spot: Taquerias and two-flats are giving way to sleek apartment high-rises, ramen bars and boulangeries that serve the urban gentry. Unease over gentrification, which has driven up rents and driven out longtime working-class residents,...
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Column: Will legal pot mark the end of the neighborhood weed man?
Once upon a time in Chicago, marijuana was so hard to find in the neighborhoods that regular smokers needed to know someone, usually a guy with connections to the right people. As my dad tells it, pot was so tightly controlled in those misty-colored Polaroid days of the 1970s that South Siders...
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A casual Kim Foxx talks about all the criticism over the Jussie Smollett fallout — 'This thing is crazy'
Moments into a talk show billed as “Kim Foxx Fights Back,” co-host and Block Club Chicago journalist Jen Sabella brought up the issue that recently put Foxx in the crosshairs of countless critics: her office’s handling of the Jussie Smollett prosecution. Foxx jokingly took a long sip of her drink...
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Man killed in Englewood double shooting
A man muttered a curse word as he walked toward the railing in front of the emergency room. Tears were streaming down his face. Another man joined, and the two huddled in front of the University of Chicago Medical Center, discussing a shooting that police said killed one man and wounded another...
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Construction worker injured in Kennedy Expressway crash, police say
A construction worker was expected to survive getting struck by a vehicle Wednesday morning on the Kennedy Expressway, Illinois State Police said. The man was injured following a two-vehicle crash around 12:50 a.m. on the inbound I-90 near the Cumberland exit, according to a state police spokesman....
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Suspect in shooting tied to social media arrested in Virginia Beach
Fugitive trackers in Virginia Beach, Va., arrested a young Chicago man sought in connection with a fatal 2017 shooting over an angry message posted on Facebook. Officials with several Virginia law enforcement agencies, including the U.S. Marshals Service, assisted in arresting Queon Smith near...
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2 children, 4 adults hurt in crash after driver tries to flee CPD on West Side
Six people were hospitalized, including two children, after a driver tried to escape police Tuesday night in the Fifth City neighborhood on the West Side, authorities said. Around 8:45 p.m., officers attempted to pull over a silver sedan in the 3400 block of West Congress Parkway for a traffic...
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911 call, previous police reports released as Crystal Lake 5-year-old Andrew 'AJ' Freund remains missing
Parents Andrew Freund and JoAnn Cunningham sat inside a McHenry County courtroom on Tuesday — and at one point hugged — surrounded by much concern over the fates of their two sons. One remains missing. The other remains for now in the care of the state’s child welfare agency. The older son, 5-year-old...
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Victims' friends and families voice their concerns as Ripper killer controversy continues in Aurora
At a special meeting Monday night, Wayside Cross Ministries board members decided unanimously to continue providing housing and Christian counseling in Aurora to Ripper Crew killer Thomas Kokoraleis, despite the controversy that has swirled around the 58-year-old man since his release last month...
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A Facebook post of Waukegan mayor, his mother and crudely drawn devil horns results in federal lawsuit
A Waukegan man alleges in a federal civil rights lawsuit that he was threatened with the loss of his public housing and being jailed after he forwarded a political posting on Facebook with crudely drawn devil horns added to photos of Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham and his mother, Mary Ross Cunningham,...
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Naperville native James Holzhauer becomes second person in 'Jeopardy' history to earn more than $1 million
James Holzhauer topped the $1 million mark on “Jeopardy!” Tuesday when he added $118,816 to his winnings, making him only the second person in the quiz show’s history to do so. The Naperville native’s exact 14-day total to $1,061,554. “Despite what ‘The Social Network’ says, $1 million felt really...
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Trial opens in earnest for ex-top aide to Dorothy Brown on perjury charges
The FBI had been investigating bribes-for-jobs allegations in Cook County Circuit Court Clerk Dorothy Brown's office for more than a year when one of Brown’s top aides was subpoenaed in the fall of 2015 to testify before a federal grand jury. Beena Patel, who at the time supervised about 500 employees,...
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Wisconsin man, 24, unveiled as $768 million Powerball jackpot winner
A 24-year-old Wisconsin man stepped forward Tuesday to claim a $768 million Powerball prize, the nation's third-largest lottery jackpot, saying he "pretty much felt lucky" the day he bought his tickets and has been worried that people want to steal his ticket. Manuel Franco, of West Allis, said...
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Man charged with taking Bolingbrook cops on a chase into Naperville won't see $1M bail reduced
A Bolingbrook man accused of running into a police officer with a car and then leading police on a chase that ended in Naperville will remain in the Will County jail on $1 million bail. Jonathan Mosley, 27, appeared before a Will County judge Monday via video from the Will County jail. Mosley,...
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Police: Female suspect sought in Portage bank robbery
Portage police said a woman robbed a bank at a busy intersection Tuesday afternoon and they are asking the public for assistance. Portage Police Chief Troy Williams said around 2:30 p.m., the woman entered BMO Harris at U.S. 6 and Willowcreek Road and robbed the bank, handing the teller a note...
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Bartlett man pleads guilty to second-degree murder in strangulation death of his wife in 2017
A Bartlett man who strangled his wife when a fight turned violent pleaded guilty Monday to second-degree murder. Carlo Madonia, 60, had been charged with five counts of first-degree murder in connection with May 31, 2017, death of his wife, Nancy, 58, at their 224 Lido Trail home. Those charges...
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Citing IG review, Kim Foxx won't testify before Cook County Board about Jussie Smollett case
Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx will not be testifying about her office’s handling of the Jussie Smollett case when the County Board meets later this week, according to a letter she sent to commissioners on the matter. Foxx told Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison that testifying before...
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The Spin: Pete Buttigieg is in Chicago for fundraisers | Mayor Rahm Emanuel fires back at Bill Wirtz | Another chapter added to Jussie Smollett case
The Obama factor looms large as South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg hits the Chicago area today for a pair of fundraisers. Plenty of big donors from President Barack Obama’s 2008 and 2012 campaigns are now opening up their wallets for Buttigieg, the small-town Indiana mayor who’s part of a growing...
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Chicago man who drove car toward Elmhurst officer sentenced to three years in prison
A Chicago man a prosecutor described as desperate to avoid time behind bars is returning to prison after he was sentenced Tuesday for driving his car at an Elmhurst police officer during a traffic stop. Byron Auterberry, 44, was sentenced to three years in prison for aggravated assault by a DuPage...
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As Supreme Court signals it might allow citizenship question on U.S. census, Illinois groups fear undercount
Some Illinois groups and elected officials are worried that a citizenship question on the 2020 U.S. census will result in an inaccurate head count and have a negative impact on the state. Those worries deepened Tuesday when the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on the issue and signaled that...
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Another Republican enters primary race to challenge first-term Democrat Lauren Underwood in west and northwest suburbs
The ranks of Republicans lining up to challenge first-term Democratic U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood next year grew Tuesday with the entry of Ted Gradel of Naperville. Gradel’s announcement video was narrated by former University of Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz. It includes scenes of Gradel...
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Ex-watchdog says state ethics panel buried report of misconduct by fellow legislator in process she calls 'broken'
The former Illinois legislative inspector general says the ethics commission that oversaw her work buried a report of alleged misconduct by one of their fellow legislators, just one sign of a system she describes as “broken.” In an op-ed published online Tuesday by the Tribune, ex-watchdog Julie...
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Lake County judge again rules against use of texts in Gliniewicz trial
A Lake County judge upheld his own previous ruling Tuesday afternoon by denying a state motion to reconsider a ban on certain texts that prosecutors claim prove their case against Melodie Gliniewicz, charged with theft from the former Fox Lake Police Explorer unit. The ruling could set up an appeal...
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Jussie Smollett's attorneys ridicule as 'comical' a lawsuit by brothers allegedly paid to stage attack
Two brothers who allege Jussie Smollett paid them to stage an attack on the “Empire” actor filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against Smollett’s attorneys, saying the high-profile legal team has continued to smear them after Cook County prosecutors dropped all charges against Smollett. The defamation...
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Shooting near Mundelein that injured man was related to gang activity, police say
Investigators believe the recent shooting near Mundelein that seriously injured a 22-year-old man was an isolated incident related to gang activity, the Lake County Sheriff’s office said Tuesday. Authorities have been investigating the shooting since sheriff deputies responded around 2:15 a.m....
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10-story, 248-unit Northwest Side senior development stalls despite local alderman's support
A big senior housing project set for the Northwest Side may have been derailed Tuesday when an outgoing alderman stopped the project from coming to a vote. Ald. John Arena, 45th, has been working for years to get a project greenlighted for an enormous vacant lot at the Six Corners shopping district....
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Kim Foxx's office agrees to special prosecutor in case of man accused of fighting with cops
The case of a man accused of scuffling with Chicago cops will be handled by a special prosecutor after officers involved in the incident cited links between State’s Attorney Kim Foxx and the defendant. Eight Chicago police officers filed a petition last week asking for the special prosecutor in...
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Trying to navigate neighborhood construction projects? New interactive tool makes it easier to chart your route.
It’s spring at last, which means Chicago-area residents will be seeing more orange construction cones, along with robins and daffodils. A city data tool, which became public Tuesday, allows residents to see the location of current and proposed road repair and utility projects in every neighborhood....
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Cops search for dealers on West Side after 2 dead among 14 hospitalized in drug overdoses
At least 14 people suffered overdoses after ingesting drugs Tuesday morning on the West Side, according to police, who were investigating two deaths in connection with the overdoses, which appeared to have involved opioids. Anthony Shanks, 50, was found dead at the 600 block of North Homan Avenue...
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Code violation lawsuits mount as tenants bolt from troubled housing nonprofit that owns 81 Chicago buildings
After buying 81 apartment buildings on Chicago’s South Side, a housing charity was running short on cash, losing tenants and racking up code violations when a new group of leaders came in around Thanksgiving to make things right. Nearly five months later, however, city code lawsuits against the...
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After new video released, Indiana police see huge spike in tips about two girls killed in 2017
Indiana authorities say they received about 1,000 tips in 24 hours after a news conference updating their investigation into the 2017 killings of two teenage girls. Indiana State Police said Tuesday the tips came to a task force via email, tip line and directly to participating law enforcement...
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Doctors induce labor after pregnant woman's vehicle is struck by driver who officials say was drunk and going wrong way on I-355
Doctors had to induce labor for a pregnant woman who was struck head-on by an alleged drunken driver going the wrong way on Interstate 355 on Sunday, DuPage County prosecutors said Monday. After delivery, the infant was placed in the neo-natal intensive care unit at an area hospital, prosecutors...
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Bob Butler, Illinois' longest-serving mayor, dies at age 92
The man who was the longest-serving mayor in Illinois has died at age 92. According to Hughes Funeral Home former Marion Mayor Bob Butler died Monday at age 92 at an assisted living center in Herrin. Butler served as the southern Illinois city's mayor for nearly 55 years. He took office in 1963...
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South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg in Chicago for fundraisers with help from Obama's backers
South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, whose momentum among the expansive field of Democratic presidential hopefuls has caught some political observers by surprise, will be in Chicago and a nearby suburb on Tuesday for two campaign fundraisers. And the Obama factor looms large. John Atkinson, a Chicago...
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Popular produce market Stanley's abruptly closes; real estate remains for sale
Stanley’s Fresh Fruits & Vegetables, a popular produce market on Chicago’s North Side, has closed after 52 years in business. The market at 1558 N. Elston Ave. was open for business on Sunday, but did not open Monday morning, said Peter Panagiotaros. He is the son of Stanley’s founder Stelios Panagiotaros,...
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Garrett Popcorn alleges former employee stole secret recipes. 'Once it has been shared, there is no way to "undo" the disclosure,' lawsuit says.
Garrett Popcorn Shops says it guards its recipes so closely that only three employees have access to the information, by verifying their identity via thumbprint. On Monday, the company, whose formal name is CaramelCrisp, filed a federal lawsuit against one of those three people who it says was...
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Illinois State Police seeks to rebuild dwindling force after 'years and years of neglect'
The number of state troopers in Illinois has fallen by nearly 20 percent over the past two decades, leaving fewer officers to patrol the roadways, investigate shootings on highways and oversee the concealed carry program. The decline has been long and steady, with spending cuts, a wave of retirements,...
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Illinois Department of Transportation is giving 5,000 trees to schools across the state
Schools statewide are receiving 5,000 tree seedlings from the Illinois Department of Transportation. IDOT officials say the "Trees to Schools" initiative honors Earth Day, which was Monday. Trees are provided by the East Moline-based nature-preservation group Living Lands and Waters. The program...
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Police: Focus remains on AJ Freund's Crystal Lake home and people who had last contact with him
The investigation into the disappearance of 5-year-old Andrew “AJ” Freund of Crystal Lake continues to focus “on the residence and the individuals that may have seen or had contact with AJ last,” police said Monday. The boy was reported missing by his parents Thursday morning after he was last...
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University of Illinois at Chicago avoids 2nd strike this spring as faculty reach tentative contract deal
University of Illinois at Chicago narrowly avoided a second workers’ strike in one month after administration and faculty members settled on new contract terms the day before professors planned to walk off the job. School leaders announced a tentative contract agreement Monday afternoon with UIC...
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Naperville's 'Jeopardy!' record-breaker wins 13th in a row, approaches $1 million in winnings
Thirteen was lucky for Naperville native James Holzhauer, who Monday inched closer to winning $1 million on “Jeopardy!” Once again Holzhauer dominated on the quiz show, winning $90,812 and bringing his 13-day total to $942,738. In Final Jeopardy, Holzhauer provided the correct response “Who is...
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Police release video, new sketch of suspect in killings of 2 Indiana teens: 'Only a coward would do such a thing'
Authorities on Monday released video of a man suspected of killing two Indiana teenagers two years ago and urged the public to scrutinize the footage, which shows him walking on an abandoned railroad bridge the girls visited while out hiking the day they were slain. The Indiana State Police also...
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Coin flip to determine winner of election in Chicago suburb
A county clerk plans a coin flip to decide the winner of the tied vote for a trustee seat in the Chicago suburb of Sauk Village. Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough's office says the coin flip is Tuesday at her office in downtown Chicago. Yarbrough will be there along with candidates Gary T. Bell...
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Man found dead after North Mayfair fire was 'the sweetest guy'
Just Easter Sunday, Antonio Zepeda was laughing over lunch in the backyard, enjoying the sunshine with his family while children hunted for hidden eggs. Zepeda, 39, was found dead after a fire early Tuesday morning in the North Mayfair neighborhood, according to Chicago police and fire officials....
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Wisconsin woman pleads guilty to trying to plan terror attacks on behalf of Islamic State
A Wisconsin mother of seven pleaded guilty Monday to trying to plan terrorist attacks on behalf of the Islamic State group by distributing information online on how to make explosives and biological weapons. Waheba Issa Dais initially pleaded not guilty to two counts of providing material support...
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Body found in Zion retention pond
The Lake County Coroner’s office is working to identify a body found in a retention pond near the Walmart Supercenter in Zion Monday. Coroner Dr. Howard Cooper said dental records will be used to make a positive identification. Zion police late Monday said in a news release that they recovered...
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Gathering on Bangs Lake beach in Wauconda planned in memory of drowning victim
The family of Geraldo Rodriguez will be celebrating the 9-year-old’s birthday on Wednesday at the beach at Bangs Lake where his body was found Saturday after he fell into the water off a paddleboat in Wauconda. On Monday morning, his aunt, Angi Rodriguez, said there will be a wake in Wauconda,...
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Dixmoor woman facing neglect charges threatened police chief at court hearing, police say
A Dixmoor woman charged earlier this month with elderly and child neglect now stands accused of assault after allegedly threatening the police chief during a municipal court appearance last week, police said. Chiquita King, 32, allegedly hurled verbal threats at Police Chief Ron Burge after being...