Winter storm leads to accidents, road closures
As the snow continues to fall in parts of Illinois, it will be a day for digging out for many in the aftermath of a winter storm.
Some areas of the state received over a foot of snow. Southern Illinois is expected to see snow for most of Thursday.
Accidents and road closures were reported all around Illinois. Semi-truck crashes shut down two interstates in Central Illinois on Wednesday.
Health department prepares to vaccinate children as young as 6 months old
The Illinois Department of Public Health is preparing to make the COVID-19 vaccine available to those ages 6 months through 4 years old.
Pfizer-BioNTech submitted data to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration asking to amend its emergency use authorization to allow children younger than 5 years old to receive the vaccine.
The request for authorization of the first two doses of a planned three-dose series will still need to be reviewed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Illinois-based COVID-19 testing company sued by Washington state
The state of Washington has filed a lawsuit against an Illinois-based COVID-19 testing company, accusing it of improperly handling tests and providing fake results.
The lawsuit claims the Center for COVID Control failed to deliver prompt, valid and accurate results and instructed employees to lie to patients on a daily basis.
Firefighters battle Waukegan boat storage fire
More than 100 firefighters battled a massive blaze overnight at a boat storage warehouse in Waukegan.
Fire officials said the boats on fire were difficult to extinguish due to their size and accessibility. The warehouse, located near Lake Michigan, housed approximately 70 large boats.
Historic places recognized nationally
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has added 15 sites to the National Register of Historic Places. They include the Ramova Theatre in Chicago, the Pope Brace company building in Kankakee, and the Fairview Sanatorium in Normal.
Places are added to the register by the National Park Service based on recommendations from the State Historic Preservation Office.
Groundhog foreshadows early spring
Punxsutawney Phil may grab the headlines, but Illinois has its own groundhog prognosticator.
Hundreds of people gathered in Woodstock’s historic town square Wednesday for the annual Groundhog Days festival.
Woodstock Wille’s prediction of an early spring was met with cheers from the crowd. The annual event celebrates the Bill Murray movie that was filmed in the town square in 1992.
