Pritzker calls for two lawmakers’ resignations
Gov. J.B. Pritzker is calling on two Democratic lawmakers embroiled in controversies to step down. In a statement issued Thursday, Pritzker said Sen. Emil Jones III and Sen. Michael Hastings should both resign from office. Jones was charged this week with bribery in connection to a red-light camera probe by federal investigators. Hastings is dealing with domestic violence allegations from his wife, accusations he has denied.
State police releases firearm enforcement grants
The Illinois State Police is awarding $1 million in grants to 32 local law enforcement agencies across the state to conduct firearm enforcement efforts to help keep firearms out of the hands of people who pose a significant threat to themselves or others. Funding for the enforcement grants comes from the State Police Revocation Enforcement Fund. ISP recently wrapped up a statewide firearms enforcement blitz. As a result, 1,027 people were placed into compliance by surrendering their FOID Cards and transferring all firearms out of their possession.
Public health officials issue fentanyl warning
The Illinois Department of Public Health is warning about brightly colored fentanyl appearing on the streets, sometimes resembling sidewalk chalk. The drug has been found by law enforcement agencies in over a dozen states, with the multicolored opioid appearing in the form of pills, blocks and powder. Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids contributed to two-thirds of the country’s more than 107,000 drug overdose deaths last year.
Woman charged with pushing child into Lake Michigan
A Des Plaines woman is facing charges after police said she pushed her 3-year-old nephew into Lake Michigan. 34-year-old Victoria Moreno is charged with felony attempted first degree murder after she was arrested Monday. Police said Navy Pier surveillance video captured the incident. First responders rescued the boy, who is in critical condition at a Chicago hospital.
Rusty water tower to get paint job
Thanks to fundraising efforts, a Southern Illinois water tower is going to get a fresh coat of paint. The 92-year-old water tower in Millstadt has been rusty for years and the city threatened to tear it down. A group called “Friends of the Old Water Tower” has raised $250,000 for the project. A spokesperson said it is one of only seven of the tin man-style towers left in Illinois, and they are hoping to get it on the National Register of Historic Places.
Park Ridge declines paying for Harrison Ford statue
It appears there won’t be a statue of Harrison Ford in Park Ridge anytime soon. The city council has rejected a proposal to erect a statue honoring Ford who went to high school in the city in the 1950s. The sculptor who proposed the idea told the council that installing a statue of Ford would boost civic pride and tourism, but city officials soured on the monument after the estimated cost was as much as a quarter million dollars.
