Wheeling’s village board signed off on site plans for a new roughly $30 million aquatic center at Heritage Park, with construction underway and a spring/summer 2027 target. Funding, renderings and permitting steps are now moving forward.

Big Boy No. 4014 heads to West Chicago for a free public display June 3; expect crowds, shuttles and safety rules.

Frankfort Community High School Principal Aaron Hill resigned Monday amid an investigation and felony aggravated-battery charges related to an off-campus incident.

Elgin police found evidence of gunfire in the 3000 block of Friendship Street early Sunday; no injuries were reported and detectives are seeking tips.

Anwar Nasir, the Louisiana Philharmonic's executive director, will take over leadership of the Grant Park Music Festival. The appointment follows Paul Winberg's announced retirement.

House Bill 5387 would let regulators immediately revoke massage-therapy licenses after certain sex-offense convictions; the measure has passed the legislature and heads to Gov. Pritzker.

St. Charles pulled the liquor and video‑gaming licenses for Global Brew after alleging unpaid alcohol taxes and unpermitted kitchen work.

Australian chain Guzman y Gomez closed all eight Chicagoland restaurants on May 22, citing weak U.S. sales; the abrupt exit has prompted a worker lawsuit.

El Grito Chicago returns to Grant Park Sept. 12–13 after a 2025 pause amid enforcement fears. The two‑day festival will bring music, food vendors and family programming to Butler Field.

After a narrow village-board vote, a local nonprofit and more than 50 downtown businesses put Pride clings in windows and lawn signs across Arlington Heights. The displays are meant to show the suburbs can be visibly welcoming.

Sen. Graciela Guzmán’s HB 4990 passed the Illinois Senate this week, adding definitions for digital harassment, clarifying confidentiality, and creating a civil enforcement option for survivors.

A man and woman were shot in Bellwood early Monday and later died at Loyola University Medical Center. A regional major‑crimes task force is investigating.

Police searched woods near 163rd St and Ridgeland after a suspect fled a stolen vehicle; residents were urged to avoid the scene and report tips.