Drugs laced with fentanyl, officials warn
A community safety alert has been issued in a northern Illinois county after eight probable overdose deaths were reported in less than 24 hours.
The Will County Coroner’s Office says the deaths were reported on Monday and Tuesday of this week. A warning from Will County officials to first responders and hospitals this week advised that street drugs are being laced with lethal doses of fentanyl.
Man with machete arrested
Police have nabbed a robber who used a machete and terrorized a Chicago neighborhood for days.
Chicago police say 35-year-old Andre Gonzalez has been charged with four felony counts of armed robbery with a dangerous weapon. Police say he allegedly robbed several victims after exiting from a car while holding a machete. Gonzalez reportedly has five previous felony convictions.
County pushes back against planned wind farm
There is some pushback against new wind farm development in central Illinois.
Wind energy farms are looking to build more turbines in Tazewell County, but some people oppose the idea unless several changes are made to the county’s wind energy ordinance. A group claims wind turbines, if not installed and maintained the way they suggest, will negatively impact the well-being of the county and its residents, including a drop in property values.
Illinois has high rate of postal carrier dog bites
The U.S. Postal Service reports Illinois was 7th in the country in postal carrier dog bites in 2021.
According to statistics, 226 mail carriers were bitten by dogs last year, down from the year before. The top three states for mail carrier dog bites are California, Texas and Ohio. The top city for dog bites in 2021 was Cleveland with 58.
Festival ticket scam warnings
As people plan to attend summer music festivals scheduled across Illinois, the Better Business Bureau is warning consumers to be aware of phony tickets sold to festivals that don’t exist.
According to a news release, counterfeit tickets sold for fake events aren’t anything new, but as pent-up enthusiasm for summer events grows, scams could be worse this year. According to the BBB, the scams often begin on social media. After clicking, consumers are taken to a legitimate looking website with what looks like photographs of the event, but are pics from another event.
Former Chicago mayor hospitalized
Former Chicago Mayor Richard Daley remains in a hospital after after not feeling well Wednesday.
Daley was hospitalized eight years ago after becoming disoriented on a flight. He was in intensive care for more than a week. Former Mayor Daley is 80 years old.