DeKalb hired a consultant to study whether Metra service can be extended from Elburn into the city. The work is funded by a $400K IDOT grant plus a $100K local match.

A new Illinois bill would bar fines and criminal penalties for people sleeping or storing belongings on public land, but counties and neighbors warn it could hamstring local enforcement.

Trustees heard a revived plan to expand Nichols Library’s 130‑space lot to about 500 spaces. Costs, funding and community feedback are now being reviewed.

A Lincoln Park family and their nanny were held for five days and forced to transfer $15 million in cryptocurrency; a defendant has now agreed to plead guilty in federal court.

A Riverdale man faces attempted murder and aggravated battery charges after an alleged workplace stabbing in Stickney Township.

A Watseka father faces first-degree murder and aggravated battery charges after his three-week-old son, Jace, was found unresponsive and later died at Lurie Children's Hospital.

Oberweis will open its first scoop shop inside Giordano’s in downtown Naperville on April 28, with high-school-themed flavors and a 99¢ opening-scoop promotion.

The Cancer Center at Illinois earned a rare National Cancer Institute designation in April 2026, joining a small group of lab-focused centers. The status could unlock federal infrastructure support and translational partnerships for Illinois.

Celebrity chef Aanal Kotak opens The Secret Kitchen in Schaumburg on April 19, bringing royal‑inspired Indian fine dining to the suburbs and signaling plans for Chicago.

A Cook County judge will hear Thornton Township's motion for sanctions after plaintiffs in a sexual-assault suit missed court-ordered depositions. The outcome could decide whether the case proceeds.

Billy Bricks signed a lease for a 1,800-square-foot storefront at 5 S. Madison St. and plans to bring wood-fired pies — and Moo Joe’s ice cream — to downtown Oswego later this year.

The Illinois House approved HB5011 to bar departments from counting stops and arrests in officer reviews, closing what supporters call an "indirect quota" loophole. The measure now moves to the Senate.

A Cook County judge allowed a class-action alleging chronic understaffing at six Alden-run nursing homes to proceed, exposing the operator to potential damages and discovery. Plaintiffs say staffing was often far below legal minimums.