QCOnline Illinois News

Man accused of killing 5 in Illinois takes stand

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:20:04 -0500

PEORIA, Ill. (AP) A man accused of killing five members of a central Illinois family with a tire iron has taken the witness stand to speak directly to jurors.

Christopher Harris is charged with first-degree murder in

Paralyzed man can ride motorcycle

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:09:29 -0500

This is an Illinois Spotlight story shared by the (Decatur) Herald and Review.

SULLIVAN, Ill. (AP) Travis Mundy hops aboard a Gold Wing to talk to God or shout at him, depending on Mundy's mood.

And his

Rockford man gets 375 years in sexual assault case

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:08:56 -0500

ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP) — A Rockford man convicted of robbing and sexually assaulting two women in 2010 has been sentenced to 375 years in prison.

The sentence imposed on Thursday comes several months after 32-year-old Jamie Dock was convicted by

Federal grant for lead cleanup in Winnebago County

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:08:33 -0500

ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP) Winnebago County will be able to double its lead abatement efforts in the area thanks to a $2.9 million grant from the federal government.

The Rockford Register Star reports that the new federal grant

Judge to hear school closings case

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:08:04 -0500

CHICAGO (AP) Opponents of the Chicago Board of Education's decision to close 50 schools and programs will get their day in court.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that on Thursday a federal judge announced he would start hearing

Video shows student-school employee altercation

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:07:45 -0500

CHICAGO (AP) Chicago Public Schools officials have suspended an employee of a high school on the city's South Side after seeing a video that appears to show the employee shoving a 16-year-old student down a flight of stairs.

Some construction suspended over holiday weekend

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:07:21 -0500

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) Illinois transportation officials say they're gearing up for busy roadways this Memorial Day weekend and have a plan to reduce congestion.

The Illinois Department of Transportation announced Thursday that non-emergency roadwork will be suspended

Lake Forest man gets 6 years for investment fraud

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:07:00 -0500

CHICAGO (AP) A former Lake County man has been sentenced to more than six years in federal prison for a $1.6 million investment fraud scheme.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in Chicago says 54-year-old William Block was sentenced

Couple implicated in boy's death enter plea

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:06:17 -0500

MAYWOOD, Ill. (AP) A suburban Chicago couple accused in the death of their 1-year-old son has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges.

Cook County prosecutors say Lakesha Baker and her boyfriend, Michael Scott, both of Maywood,

AG warns of charity scams after Oklahoma tornado

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:05:57 -0500

CHICAGO (AP) Attorney General Lisa Madigan says people should use caution when donating money to help victims of the Oklahoma tornado.

Madigan says scam artists often try to take advantage of people who want to help after

Illinois House debating concealed carry law

Fri, 24 May 2013 12:19:36 -0500

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The Illinois House has begun debating a compromise plan on concealed weapons that has generated the opposition of Gov. Pat Quinn.

CHICAGO (AP) — Illinois officials agreed Thursday to temporarily halt the movement of residents out of an institution for the developmentally disabled in the southern Illinois city of

Quinn skeptical of House concealed-carry plan

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:04:35 -0500

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — A compromise plan on concealed weapons heading for a House floor vote drew swift opposition Thursday from Gov. Pat Quinn, whose office called it

Illinois Senate approves health-coverage exchange plan

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:02:51 -0500

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The Illinois Senate agreed Thursday to create a state-governed "health insurance exchange" where individuals and small businesses could shop for coverage as required by

Illinois unemployment by metro area

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:14:50 -0500

CHICAGO (AP) — The state Department of Employment Security said Thursday that unemployment rates decreased in nine of 12 of Illinois' metro areas in April.

Metropolitan Area -- April 2013 -- April 2012

Bloomington-Normal -- 5.8 -- 6.2

Champaign-Urbana --

April jobless rates fall in most Illinois metro areas

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:13:22 -0500

CHICAGO (AP) Officials say unemployment decreased during April in nine of Illinois' 12 metro areas.

The state Department of Employment Security said Thursday that unemployment rates fell in the Illinois suburbs of St. Louis, Rockford, and Kankakee-Bradley

Prosecutor: Feds probe southwestern Illinois judge

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:30:07 -0500

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A southwestern Illinois judge was booted Thursday from his docket of hundreds of cases because he's under an unspecified federal investigation apparently aided by the county's top prosecutor.

St. Clair County State's Attorney Brendan Kelley said

Bill banning cell phones while driving in Illinois must go back to House

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:16:49 -0500

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The Senate has approved a plan that would ban the use of cell phones while driving.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A New Jersey ex-convict behind the wheel of a van that overturned on an Illinois freeway, killing five passengers returning from a California

Bodies of 2 men found in car in Chicago

Thu, 23 May 2013 12:08:18 -0500

CHICAGO (AP) Autopsies are planned on the bodies of two men who were found inside a car in Chicago's South Side.

Police officers found the bodies Wednesday in the West Englewood neighborhood. One was in the vehicle's

House guns bill passes committee

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:11:39 -0500

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois legislation allowing public possession of concealed guns has passed the House Judiciary Committee. It was a compromise backed by Speaker Michael Madigan.

The measure was endorsed Thursday 13-3 and goes to the full House Friday.

Illinois gun bill would overrule local gun laws

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:02:34 -0500

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois legislation allowing public possession of concealed guns would wipe out local firearms ordinances.

Some opponents following debate Thursday before the House Judiciary Committee are raising objections to a concealed carry measure sponsored by southern Illinois

87-year-old woman loses to Trump in civil case

Thu, 23 May 2013 17:04:58 -0500

CHICAGO (AP) — An 87-year-old grandmother took on billionaire Donald Trump. And on Thursday — she lost.

Jurors sided with the real estate mogul-turned-TV showman in a weeklong civil trial focused on Jacqueline Goldberg's claim that Trump cheated her in

Substitute teacher admits making threatening call

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:53:43 -0500

WAUKEGAN, Ill. (AP) A substitute teacher accused of making a threatening telephone call to a school board member during a teachers' strike has pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct.

Christopher Culp of Round Lake

Motorists urged to drive safely on holiday weekend

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:53:18 -0500

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

That is the advice and the warning from the Illinois State Police for the Memorial Day

Western Illinois drug court supervisor facing drug charge

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:52:44 -0500

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) Federal prosecutors have charged the supervisor of a western Illinois drug-court program with allowing his home to be used to make methamphetamine and to grow marijuana.

The U.S. Attorney's Office in central Illinois announced

Man sentenced for killing man lured for sex

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:52:01 -0500

WOODSTOCK, Ill. (AP) — A 50-year prison sentence was handed a man convicted of killing an unarmed man lured to a McHenry County home for sex.

Timothy Smith apologized Wednesday for offering his pregnant wife to Kurt Milliman. Despite his

New Illinois House gun bill has more restrictions

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:51:12 -0500

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) A compromise allowing the carrying of concealed weapons backed by House Speaker Michael Madigan and agreed to by the General Assembly's leading gun-rights advocate materialized Wednesday, adding to the list of gun-free locales but making

Boy achieves family dream with geography bee win

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:06:32 -0500

WASHINGTON (AP) Passion for geography runs deep in Sathwik Karnik's family.

When he was about 6, his mother began challenging Sathwik and his older brother, Karthik, to her own version of hide-and-seek using an atlas. The boys

Expert: Wounded person left blood trail in home

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:06:05 -0500

PEORIA, Ill. (AP) A blood-stain expert says one person left a trail of blood throughout a home where five members of a central Illinois family were beaten to death in 2009.

Illinois State Police expert Dwayne Morris testified

Springfield man gets 65 years in killing

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:05:32 -0500

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) A central Illinois judge has sentenced a Springfield man to 65 years in prison for armed robbery and murder.

The State Journal-Register reports (http://bit.ly/10lK64x) Wednesday that 23-year-old Antonio Phillips received the sentence. He was convicted

Speaker: House guns vote on Friday

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:05:05 -0500

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan says legislation allowing the carrying of concealed guns will get a vote Friday.

The Chicago Democrat emerged from a private meeting of his caucus late Wednesday afternoon saying he believes

Marion official pleads guilty to theft

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:04:42 -0500

BENTON, Ill. (AP) The former manager of Marion's water department pleaded guilty to federal charges she stole more than $500,000 from the southern Illinois city.

U.S. Attorney Stephen R. Wigginton says Linda Heyde pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S.