State News

CHICAGO – An 87-year-old grandmother took on billionaire Donald Trump. And on Thursday, she lost.

STERLING – Members of a multistate check-forging and burglary ring who investigators say are responsible for hundreds of thousands of dollars in bank fraud also broke into several Sterling businesses and stole payroll and other checks, Mendota police said Thursday in a news release.

SPRINGFIELD – A compromise plan on concealed weapons heading for a House floor vote drew swift opposition Thursday from Gov. Pat Quinn, whose office called it a "massive overreach" because of the way it would curb local firearms regulations.

SPRINGFIELD – Buckle up, take your time and don't get behind the wheel if you've been drinking alcohol.

URBANA – The University of Illinois' Senate Executive Committee has approved a resolution supporting the end of use of Chief Illiniwek.

CHICAGO – The Obama administration has picked a private attorney and former federal prosecutor who helped send former Illinois Gov. George Ryan to prison for corruption to head the U.S. attorney's office in Chicago, Illinois' senators announced Thursday.

BELLEVILLE – The suburban St. Louis-based supermarket chain Schnucks Markets wants a federal court to handle an Illinois lawsuit related to a security breach of customer credit and debit cards.

SPRINGFIELD – A groundbreaking deal to regulate high-volume oil and gas drilling in Illinois cleared a top House committee Tuesday, setting up a floor vote on a measure that supporters say would bring tens of thousands of jobs to struggling areas in the southern part of the state.

CHICAGO – Members of Illinois' tea party movement say they'll protest outside IRS offices in four cities over revelations that the agency targeted conservative groups for extra scrutiny.

NORMAL – School officials and some students say a ban on smoking in high traffic areas at Illinois State University is going smoothly so far.

CHICAGO – A manager of Chicago’s Navy Pier rode the tourist spot’s Ferris wheel for more than two days – 384 times, up and around – bringing the world record for the longest ride to the birthplace of the amusement park favorite.

ST. LOUIS – A coroner said the five people killed and six hospitalized after a van careened off of a southern Illinois freeway were men returning from a California religious event.

CHICAGO – Gov. Pat Quinn said Illinois lawmakers have a chance to make history on two fronts this month by approving a plan to fix the state’s decades-old pension crisis and legalizing same-sex marriage.

SPRINGFIELD – An Illinois agency manager might have to delay retirement. A former university secretary wonders whether she’ll have to cancel vacations. A state office assistant fears he won’t be able to afford the medical care his wife needs.