Emergency rules for FOID card filed
Illinois State Police submitted an emergency rule to allow for broader use of “clear and present danger” reports in an attempt to bar applicants from receiving a Firearm Owner’s Identification card or revoking a current card for those who exhibit violent or suicidal behavior.
It’s an effort by Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Illinois State Police to close a loophole two weeks after Robert Crimo was charged with killing seven people and injuring dozens of others at a Highland Park parade. Emergency rules go into effect within 10 days of filing but remain in effect for no more than 150 days.
Monkeypox cases increase
Chicago public health officials reported 173 monkeypox cases Monday, up from 105 last week.
Health officials are asking the city to address the spread by instituting contact tracing and increased public awareness and education. The virus is mostly affecting the gay community but health officials warn there is nothing to stop the virus from spreading to the entire population.
Fertilizer store fire prompts shelter in place order
Authorities in Shorewood asked area residents to “shelter in place” as they responded to a large fire that broke out early Tuesday at a fertilizer and landscaping supply store.
According to authorities, calls for smoke and flames at the Tri County Stockdale store came in about 4:30 a.m. Police say the shelter in place instructions were for those who lived and worked within a two-mile radius of the semi-rural area, and was the result of toxic fumes from burning fertilizer inside the store.
Carjacking indictment issued
A federal grand jury has indicted a man on carjacking and firearm charges for allegedly carjacking a rideshare driver’s vehicle at gunpoint.
Police said 18-year-old Noah Ransom of Chicago stole a Lexus from a Lyft driver in April. The Lyft driver picked up Ransom and four other men at a Chicago hotel. The driver said Ransom pointed a gun at him and ordered him out of the vehicle. After a short chase, Illinois State Police forced the vehicle to stop and arrested Ransom and the others after a foot chase.
Dangerous heat this week
Dangerous temperatures lie ahead in the latest heatwave to hit Illinois. The worst of the heat and humidity will move in Tuesday and last until Saturday.
Daytime highs will reach the mid to upper 90s in some areas, with the heat index reaching up to 105 degrees. The Midwest isn’t the only region dealing with hot temperatures. Parts of Texas and Oklahoma saw high temperatures reach 107 degrees.
One vote difference
A proposed tax referendum on Illinois primary election ballots, which would have benefited the Oswego Fire Protection District, may have been extinguished by a single vote.
According to the Beacon-News, election officials said final results have not yet been certified. If they stand, there will be one vote that tipped the scales to defeat the effort to raise property taxes for fire station upkeep. Fire officials say the community has grown over the past 20 years from 27,000 residents to over 70,000 now.