Rising prices and historically high interest rates have made homeownership out of reach for a growing number of Americans. As a result, homes in some areas have been sitting on the market for months.

But that’s not the case everywhere.

Demand continues to be relatively high in many regions, including in Illinois.

Three Illinois metro areas were named among America’s 30 hottest housing markets based on data compiled from Realtor.com, according to the financial publication 24/7 Wall Street, which conducted the study.

Rockford landed at number four on the list, with a “hotness” score of 98.15 out of 100 and a median list price of $199,999.

“Hotness” is a term used by Realtor that accounts for how long homes are on the market and several measures of supply and demand logistics, according to 24/7 Wall Street.

Peoria ranked halfway down the list, securing the 15th spot. Its “hotness” score was 88.42 out of 100 and the median list price was $149,900. The third and final Illinois metro area to make the list was Springfield.

With a hotness score of 85.91 out of 100 and a median list price of $168,950, the state capital region took the 25th spot. According to 24/7 Wall Street, despite rising prices nationwide, homes remain relatively affordable in most of the 30 places on the list.

In all but six of the metro areas, the typical list price was below the comparable national median. You may have noticed that nearly all regions that made the rankings were in the Midwest and Northeast.

Among them were Racine and Milwaukee-Waukesha in Wisconsin and Lafayette-West Lafayette in Indiana.

Detailed information about the Rockford, Peoria and markets is below:

Rockford

• Hotness index score, Dec. 2023: 98.15 out of 100
• Time a house typically spends on the market: 40 days
• Year-over-year change in median days on market: -23.1%
• Median list price: $199,900
• Year-over-year change in median days on market: +17.7%

Peoria

• Hotness index score, Dec. 2023: 88.42 out of 100
• Time a house typically spends on the market: 48 days
• Year-over-year change in median days on market: -12.0%
• Median list price: $149,900
• Year-over-year change in median days on market: +7.2%

Springfield

• Hotness index score, Dec. 2023: 85.91 out of 100
• Time a house typically spends on the market: 49 days
• Year-over-year change in median days on market: +8.9%
• Median list price: $168,950
• Year-over-year change in median days on market: +2.4%

The Illinois Courts Commission removed Adams County Judge Robert Adrian from the bench Friday after it held a three-day hearing in Chicago in November on a compliant filed against Adrian.

Its decision says Adrian “engaged in multiple instances of misconduct” and “abused his position of power to indulge his own sense of justice while circumventing the law.”

The commission could have issued a reprimand, censure or suspension without pay, but its decision said it had “ample grounds” for immediately removing Adrian from the bench in western Illinois’ Adams County.

In October 2021, Adrian had found then 18-year-old Drew Clinton of Taylor, Michigan, guilty of sexual assaulting a 16-year-old girl during a May 2021 graduation party.

The state Judicial Inquiry Board filed a complaint against Adrian after the judge threw out Clinton’s conviction in January 2022, with the judge saying that the 148 days Clinton had spent in jail was punishment enough.

The complaint said Adrian had acknowledged he was supposed to impose the mandatory four-year sentence against Clinton, but that he would not send him to prison. “That is not just,” Adrian said at the sentencing hearing, according to court transcripts. “I will not do that.”

Clinton was accused of sexually assaulting Cameron Vaughan. The Associated Press does not typically name people who say they were sexually assaulted unless they come forward publicly.

Vaughan told The Associated Press in November, when she was 18, that Adrian’s reversal of Clinton’s verdict left her “completely shocked” but determined to oust the judge. She attended the November commission proceedings with family, friends and supporters.

After Adrian threw out Clinton’s conviction, Vaughan said that the judge told the court “this is what happens whenever parents allow teenagers to drink alcohol, to swim in pools with their undergarments on,” she recounted in an account supported by a court transcript of the January 2022 hearing.

Adrian’s move sparked outrage in Vaughn’s hometown of Quincy, Illinois, and beyond, with the prosecutor in the case saying that her “heart is bleeding for the victim.”

Vaughan told the Chicago Tribune following Friday’s decision removing Adrian that she was “very happy that the commission could see all the wrong and all the lies that he told the entire time. I’m so unbelievably happy right now. He can’t hurt anybody else. He can’t ruin anyone else’s life.”

When reached by phone Friday, Adrian told the Chicago Tribune that the commission’s decision to remove him is “totally a miscarriage of justice. I did what was right. I’ve always told the truth about it.”

Adams County court records show that Clinton’s guilty verdict was overturned because prosecutors had failed to meet the burden of proof to prove Clinton guilty.

But in Friday’s decision, the commission wrote that it found Adrian’s claim that “he reversed his guilty finding based on his reconsideration of the evidence and his conclusion that the State had failed to prove its case to be a subterfuge — respondent’s attempt to justify the reversal post hoc.”

Clinton cannot be tried again for the same crime under the Fifth Amendment. A motion to expunge Clinton’s record was denied in February 2023.

“We express ourselves through our hair,” stylist Tamekia Swint tells TODAY.com. “It is deeply entrenched in our culture and in our history. And it connects us to one and another. Our hair is a huge part of our identity.”

For some transracial adoptive parents, however, Black hair can be a source of anxiety.

That’s why in 2011, Swint founded Styles 4 Kidz, a non-profit salon in Illinois that focuses on textured hair education for transracial adoptive parents and their children. Swint offers a range of services including cornrows, braids and twists, as well as one-on-one training sessions, online courses and workshops.

Swint found her calling thanks to a chance introduction to a woman named Mary. 

“A Black mom in my local church knew I liked doing hair and she was like, ‘My friend Mary needs your help,’” Swint recalls. 

When Swint first met Mary, a white mom who had two adopted Black daughters, she says she nearly “burst into tears” at the state of the girls’ hair, which was dry and badly entangled.

“I didn’t want to cry because I didn’t want Mary to feel bad, but it was awful,” Swint says. “At that point, I had no idea this was a national problem.”

Mary and her daughters became Swint’s first clients.

“You should have seen their faces when they looked in the mirror after I was finished. It completely transformed not only how they looked, but how they felt about themselves,” Swint says. “And that’s how Styles 4 Kidz started. I realized this was a much bigger problem.”

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Swint says many parents come in while they’re in the process of adopting.

“By the time they have their child, they know all about the products and how to use them. They’re going into the situation fully prepared,” Swint explains. “What we’re doing is preventing experiences like the one Mary and her daughters had.”

Rosalinda Christmon and her daughter, Mia, now 18, are former Styles 4 Kidz clients. 

“My husband saw a Caucasian woman at our local pool. He came home and said, ‘She had African American daughters and their hair was braided so beautifully,’” Christmon tells TODAY.com “Then he goes, ‘I need to find out who she uses’.”

The woman at the pool was Mary. Mary happily connected the Christmons with Swint — and in the knick of time.

“Mia was 6 or 7, and I had been struggling a lot with her hair,” Christmon says. “She’d cry when we would try to comb it.”

Christmon notes that she is “forever grateful” for the education she received in Swint’s salon. She believes hair training should be mandatory for adoptive parents. 

“It’s just as important as finding the right pediatrician,” Christmon says.

Tamiah Bridgett-Alexander couldn’t agree more. Bridgett-Alexander, who specializes in natural hair, hosts Black hair classes for foster parents and families in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. One of the organizations she works with is the Foster the Love Project.

“I caution all parents, but especially transracial adoptive parents, from putting in extensions too early. Same with straightening, because it’s teaching the child that their natural texture is inherently unacceptable,” Bridgett-Alexander tells TODAY.com. “Having white hair was the standard of beauty for too long.”

Using positive language is just as important as choosing the right style products, according to Bridgett-Alexander.

“Black hair can be seen as a burden. You want to avoid sighing and saying things like, ‘This is going to take hours,’” she explains. “You want these kids to have a good experience when they’re getting their hair done. Make it bonding time. Let’s disrupt the generational trauma of our hair being a burden.”

Transracial adoptee Angela Tucker previously told TODAY she she believes all adoptive parents should outsource when they can.

“Understand that there are some things as a white person that you cannot teach your Black kid,” Tucker said. “Think of it like piano lessons. If your mom doesn’t play piano, then she’ll find a piano teacher for you. And there’s no shame in that.” 

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

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Respiratory infections across Illinois could climb in the coming weeks, state health officials said Friday — while noting that such illnesses have trended downward in recent weeks.

In a news release, the Illinois Department of Public Health explained that the state’s overall respiratory illness level is “low” and Illinois remains “low” for COVID hospitalizations, according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Despite the positive news, you won’t want to let your guard down just yet.

As respiratory virus season usually lasts into the spring, IDPH officials said it’s possible that illness rates could tick upwards in the coming weeks.

“…IDPH continues to closely monitor the latest data as we near the end of the respiratory virus season,” IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in a news release, in part. “And we remind Illinoisians at risk for severe outcomes to use the highly effective tools available to protect themselves from COVID-19, flu, and RSV.”

People who develop symptoms of a respiratory illness, such as coughing, sneezing, sore throat, a runny nose or fever — should remain home and stay away from others to avoid spreading illness. If seeking medical care is necessary, wearing a mask is recommended.

While respiratory virus season isn’t over yet, RSV season is winding down across the state. As a result, RSV vaccines are no longer necessary during pregnancy, IDPH said. However, shots that provide infants and young children protective immunity will be available through the end of the season.

Older adults will be able to get their vaccine even once the season ends.

As the Illinois Tollway phases out plastic transponders in favor of sticker tags for vehicles, the agency is distributing sticker tags during the Chicago Auto Show. Any interested drivers can receive free sticker tags by visiting the Illinois Tollway booth, which is located just north of the Buick and GMC display.

The new tags, which use radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to send signals to I-PASS sensors, can be purchased in a number of ways. You can place an online order or Illinois Tollway Customer Service Centers at the Belvedere, DeKalb, Lake Forest and Chicago Southland oases.

Residents can also visit Jewel-Osco locations in the Chicago area to pick up tags, or RoadRanger gas stations, according to the Tollway.

Those obtaining the sticker tags at those locations will be required to pay a retail service fee, officials said.

Once obtained, motorists can activate their sticker tags for each vehicle on their accounts. This process should be completed within 15 days of recieving the new tags, according to Tollway officials.

Each vehicle will need its own sticker, unlike transponders which could be moved between vehicles. Stickers will be available at the Chicago Auto Show through its final day, Feb. 19.

For more information about sticker tags, how to obtain a return for your transponder and transponder disposal, head here.

The sticker tags were released in January and can be purchased online or at Illinois Tollway Customer Service Centers, Jewel-Osco and Road Ranger locations.

If you’re thinking about making the switch, you might be unsure of a few things, including where you can dispose of your transponder and if the sticker tags are free.

Here are a number of common questions, with the answers provided by the Illinois Tollway.

How can drivers get their $10 deposit back?

If a customer is proactively swapping their I-PASS transponder, then the customer will have to go online to register the new I-PASS Sticker Tag and deactivate the old transponder in order to have the $10 transferred into their account.

Where can drivers dispose of their transponders? 

I-PASS customers can dispose of old I-PASS transponders in an environmentally sound way, either by returning them to an Illinois Tollway Customer Service Center or by going to the Earth911 website where they can search by “lithium-ion batteries” and enter their zip code to find many convenient recycling locations.  

Can transponders be disposed of when picking a new I-PASS sticker up at Jewel? 

Customers should only dispose of their old I-PASS transponder after the new I-PASS Sticker Tag is registered to their account. Customers who pick up I-PASS Sticker Tags at Jewel will need to go online or call Tollway Customer Service to register the new I-PASS Stickers Tag and deactivate their old I-PASS transponders. The customer service desk at Jewel cannot assist customers with I-PASS Sticker Tag activation, so customer should not drop off transponders at Jewel.

Is there an option to mail transponders back? 

 There is no need for customers to mail old transponders back to the Tollway.

What happens if the transponders are put in the garbage?

The Illinois Tollway is asking that customers dispose of the lithium-ion batteries in an environmentally responsible way.

How many transponders are already expired?

Customers will be notified by U.S. Mail letter when their I-PASS transponders expire and the letter will include a replacement I-PASS Sticker Tag.

How much do the sticker tags cost?

I-PASS Sticker Tags can be obtained at an Illinois Tollway Customer Service Center or odered online at no charge. You can also get a Sticker Tag at Jewel-Osco and RoadRanger stores, but will need to pay a retail service fee.

University of Illinois police have released an update on their investigation in the death of an 18-year-old student, who was found dead on the university’s campus nearly 10 hours after authorities were contacted regarding concerns over his whereabouts.

Police said that there was no foul play believed to be involved in Akul Dhawan’s death and that the death appears to be accidental at this stage of the investigation.

They also released a detailed timeline of how the search for Dhawan unfolded as an investigation into his death — and a subsequent complaint into the police response — remain ongoing.

The situation began when a student called University of Illinois police at around 1:23 a.m. on Jan. 20 and said his roommate, who he hadn’t seen for about an hour, was missing. That’s when officers began a search of the area where the student was last seen, the student’s residence hall and nearby locations.

In an update issued Wednesday, police said that at around 1:30 a.m., officers called the reporting person back and learned that he last had contact with Dhawan around an hour earlier at Busey-Evans Residence Hall, noting that Dhawan possibly left with another group of friends.

Police said the reporting person told the officer that Dhawan was possibly intoxicated, but was “not sure.”

Authorities said that officers updated the original dispatch ticket with a physical description of Dhawan just before 1:55 a.m., noting the clothes he was wearing in addition to his approximate height and hair color.

Around 15 minutes later, authorities said an officer documented a search he had conducted up until that point, searching areas near Busey-Evans Residence Hall and Presby Hall, where Dhawan lived, along with the likely path in between.

From there, officials said the officer drove “at a walking pace” along a sidewalk near Bevier Hall and cultural houses on Nevada Street, past Foellinger Auditorium and north across the campus’ Main Quad, where authorities said the officer spoke with several people asking if they saw anyone.

The officer continued to search along a sidewalk past Henry Administration Building and Altgeld Hall before driving south on Wright Street to check bus shelters, officials said. From there, the officer drove west on Chalmers Street and north on Fifth Street before looking at exterior areas around Presby Hall.

A UIPD telecommunications search to determine if Dhawan had swiped his student ID at any campus locations turned up negative. Officials said the officer then called the reporting person to update him on his search.

According to police, the reporting person called police again shortly before 3 a.m., saying he had still not heard from Dhawan.

The updated timeline provided by police shows the next update at 4:40 a.m., when a UIPD officer called both Carle Hospital and OSF Heart of Mary Medical Center over the following 10 minutes to inquire whether Dhawan was there, with both hospitals saying he was not.

The officer left a message for Dhawan’s roommate just after 4:50 a.m., with no further action from police until 8 a.m., when a UIPD sergeant called and spoke with the reporting person, authorities said.

Shortly after 9:35 a.m., Dhawan’s roommate returned the UIPD officer’s message and informed him that Dhawan had not returned home.

At approximately 11:08 a.m., Dhawan was discovered unresponsive on concrete steps near a campus building in the 1200 block of West Nevada Street in Urbana by a university employee.

Multiple first responders arrived at the scene in minutes, and Dhawan was pronounced dead shortly after, officials said.

In their subsequent investigation, police said they determined that Dhawan met with friends around 9 p.m. on Jan. 19 at Busey-Evans Residence Hall, when he drank alcohol.

Around an hour later, Dhawan and his friends attended an event at the Canopy Club, located in the 700 block of South Goodwin Avenue in Urbana. At around 10:45 p.m., Dhawan and his friends left and headed toward Green Street, with security video obtained later showing him consuming more alcohol before returning to the Canopy Club.

Police said Dhawan’s friends re-entered Canopy Club at around 11:25 p.m. while Dhawan remained outside. Dhawan was denied re-entry by the venue’s staff just after 11:30 p.m.,

Authorities said that two different rideshare vehicles were called to pick up Dhawan at around midnight outside Canopy Club. Officials said Dhawan denied both rides, despite venue staff and another bystander attempting to convince him otherwise. Phone calls and text messages sent to Dhawan’s phone after this were not returned.

Police said they continue to collect information and security camera footage in their investigation.

Authorities also announced that a civilian complaint into the initial police response is being reviewed and will run concurrent with the death investigation.

There is currently no further information available.

An Oak Park man received the surprise delivery of a lifetime earlier this month when a police officer delivered his food following the arrest of the man’s delivery driver.

On Jan. 6, Da’Mon Wardlow was ending a two-day health fast and anxiously awaiting a food delivery.

“I was hungry so I just decided to order some DoorDash,” Wardlow told NBC Chicago.

Wardlow said his DoorDash app showed that his driver wasn’t moving, stopped just about a block away from his house, where he was awaiting his order.

He added that he contacted DoorDash trying to figure out what happened to his order, and received his money back for the food he wasn’t going to receive.

Or so he thought.

About five minutes later, Wardlow heard a knock at the door and opened it up to find officer Joshua Mysliwiec with his food.

“Your driver ran into some trouble, so we’re delivering it for him. He’s in the back of one of our squad cars right now,” the officer said on video that captured the encounter.

Wardlow was thankful for the customer service from an unlikely source.

“This is an extra step that they didn’t have to do, so I’m very appreciative,” Wardlow said.

Mysliwiec’s actions were praised by village officials.

“The men and women of the Oak Park Police Department understand what it means to serve the community in every sense. Customer service and community policing are more important than ever and we are grateful that one of our officers immediately jumped into action when he identified a need from a resident. There are countless examples of similar actions every day in Oak Park and it’s special that this one has been captured and shared,” Oak Park Chief Communications Officer Dan Yopchick said in a statement.

The news of Mysliwiec’s delivery comes less than a week after a police officer in Kane County made headlines for also delivering food to a customer after arresting a delivery driver.

Wardlow learned his driver was stopped on a warrant, but even the arrested driver helped in getting his order of wings to him.

“He said he opened up his phone, we figured out your address. We wanted to make sure you got your food,” Wardlow said.

Wardlow didn’t get a chance to say it to Mysliwiec then, but he lets him know his appreciation now.

“Thank you!”

A student called University of Illinois police at around 1:23 a.m. and said his roommate, who he hadn’t seen for about an hour, was missing. Officers searched the area where the student was last seen, the student’s residence hall and nearby locations.

At around 11:08 a.m on Saturday, police and EMS personnel were called to the back porch of a building where a university employee discovered the student deceased. The Champaign County Coroner’s Office has identified the student as 18-year-old Akul Dhawan, according to WAND-TV, the NBC affiliate in Decatur.

Preliminary information suggests foul play wasn’t involved, and the person’s death was believed to be accidental.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the University of Illinois Police Department at 217-333-1216.

At around 7 a.m., Effingham police officers were called to a hotel in the 1300 block of Avenue of Mid-America for the report of an attempted kidnapping. Law enforcement explained that officers engaged the suspect, who had been involved in an altercation with hotel staff and patrons before they arrived.

Police deployed non-lethal tasers and subsequently apprehended the suspect. Matthew Kelledes, 37, of Flora, was taken into custody on a warrant as well as charges related to the incident, authorities said. Effingham Police Chief Jason McFarland, in a news release, praised hotel staff and bystanders for assisting officers who “defused the situation in a timely manner.”

The child wasn’t injured and was placed in the care of her parents. An investigation by police and the Effingham County State’s Attorney’s Office remained underway on Friday.

Several Chicago-area schools will be closed on Tuesday as a winter storm is expected to pummel the region with winds, heavy rain and up to 10 inches of snow in some spots.

At least seven schools, as well as four local colleges, had announced closures as of Monday evening.

Are you looking to see if your child’s school is closed?

There’s an easy way to track school closings across the state from public schools to private schools to daycares and more. The Emergency Closing Center lists closures of Chicago-area schools, businesses, daycare centers and other organizations.

Simply go to the NBC Chicago homepage menu and under the “weather” section, click on “school closings.”

You can also click here for more.

Winter weather alerts have gone into effect across the region, with the first round of snow expected to begin Monday night. Up to 11 inches of snow are possible in some locations, though snowfall totals will likely differ depending on where you live.

In preparation of the heavy snowfall, the Illinois Department of Transportation has prepared its more than 1,800 trucks and equipment to treat roads, spread salt and plow snow statewide, according to a news release from Illinois officials. Plow crews began pretreating roads and bridges on Monday and will be out on the roads even after the snow has stopped falling.

IDOT is urging drivers to give plows and trucks plenty of room to operate as they work to treat the roads.

• Track snow as it falls using our live interactive radar

While state officials recommend that you stay home if at all possible, if going out is necessary, it’s advised that you build extra time into your schedule.

“If you must travel, be advised your destination could have significantly higher amounts of snow than where your trip originated,” state officials said. “Slow down, anticipate much longer travel times, increase braking distances and expect conditions to deteriorate.”

Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly urged residents to be cautious and watch for emergency vehicles on the side of the road.

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“Simple things like making sure to clear any snow and ice from your vehicle before you get on the road, planning extra time for your drive so you can take it slow, and moving over for emergency vehicles who are handling crashes because of the weather can mean the difference between a safe trip and a deadly one,” he said.

IDOT has issued the following reminders and suggestions for drivers:

• Ask yourself first: Is this trip really necessary or can it be postponed?
• Check current road conditions 24/7 at GettingAroundIllinois.com. You also can follow IDOT on Facebook and X.
• Check the forecast and make sure someone is aware of your travel route and schedule.
• Fill up your tank or fully charge your vehicle and pack winter weather essentials, such as a cell phone charger, warm clothes, blankets, food, water, first aid kit, washer fluid and ice scraper.
• Use extra caution in areas susceptible to icing, including ramps, bridges, curves and shaded areas.Watch for black ice. A road may appear clear but can be extremely slippery.
• Give snowplows plenty of room – don’t crowd the plow! And do not attempt to pass. Conditions in front of the plow are going to be worse than behind it.
• Give them distance. Obey the Move Over law by slowing down and changing lanes when approaching ANY stopped vehicle.
• Always wear a seat belt. It’s the law and your best protection in the event of a crash.
• Drop it and drive. Put down the mobile devices. This, too, is the law.
• If you are involved in a crash, remain inside your vehicle. Exiting your vehicle near a busy road can have fatal consequences.

Keep in mind that appointments are required at for the majority of tasks at most Chicago-area locations.

The Skip-the-Line program instituted by the Illinois Secretary of State’s office last year removed walk-in accommodations for most services at driver’s facilities in densely-populated areas.

The change, which took effect on Sept. 1, was an effort to shorten wait times at dozens of the agency’s busiest facilities. Appointments are required for certain services, including for obtaining a REAL ID, driver’s license or ID card as well as in-car driving tests.

If you’re looking to make an appointment, you can schedule one at the Secretary of State’s website here or call 844-817-4649.

Just weeks after the Skip-the-Line program began on Sept. 1, the Secretary of State’s office announced an expansion, explaining that 150,000 appointments had been booked in a three-week span.

“The Skip-the-Line program has been functioning at a high level in the few weeks since its official launch,” Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said in a news release at the time. “But we can still make improvements with targeted adjustments, and I am focused on implementing these to benefit all of our customers, especially our seniors.”

Giannoulias’ office opened two “senior only” centers in the Chicago area – at the Evanston Civic Center, located at 2100 Ridge Road in Evanston, and Seat Geek Stadium, located at 7000 South Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview. Appointments are not required at those facilities for residents age 65 and older.

Call centers are also available for residents age 70 and older who need a road exam. Those residents can call 800-252-8980. Walk-ins for drivers of all ages are only permitted at one Chicago-area facility, the location at State and Randolph in the Loop.

Since the program began, residents have complained over difficulties with the system to schedule appointments. Some have said they were redirected to locations hundreds of miles away.

While certain tasks can be completed in-person if you make an appointment, many actually can be performed without going anywhere at all.

Drivers are urged to take advantage of the Secretary of State’s office’s online services, which include renewing a driver’s license or ID card and license plate sticker without leaving home. It’s important to note, though, that if motorists are trying to obtain a REAL ID, they won’t be able to complete the process online and will have to schedule an appointment.

In several north, northwest and far western counties in the Chicago area, officials said reported receiving an influx of 911 calls related to a natural gas smell.

The Lake County Sheriff’s office said it was “fielding numerous 911 calls regarding a natural gas leak in the area.”

Officials in Crystal Lake, Marengo, Belvidere and Lakemoor acknowledged that residents had reported the smell of natural gas or “rotten egg.”

“We have had multiple reports of the smell of natural gas in the area. This appears to be a widespread issue across all of Belvidere and Nicor is investigating,” the Belvidere Fire Department wrote on Facebook. “If you smell natural gas outside there is no need to call it in at this time. If you have a natural gas smell INSIDE your home or building please call 911.”

According to the Ogle County Sheriff’s Office, officers also received numerous calls from throughout the county reporting the odor of natural gas Tuesday evening.

Officials later determined that the odor was believed to have come from “maintenance of equipment located in Cedar County, Iowa,” which later drifted into the Chicago area.

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A spokesperson for Nicor Gas told NBC Chicago that a “spillage” occurred in Iowa, with eastern winds carrying the odor over to the far western suburbs.

“The odor that is being smelled is called Mercaptan, which gives a ‘rotten egg’ odor. Mercaptan is not a hazardous chemical and doesn’t pose a risk to public safety,” the city of Marengo wrote on social media.

A press release from the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office in Iowa confirmed that authorities responded to calls of a natural gas odor in DeWitt, Iowa, shortly after 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday and began investigating.

Following an investigation, Clinton County officials believe the smell originated from maintenance of equipment in Cedar County, Iowa, located just west of Clinton County.

Officials said there is no threat to the public as the smell dissipated Tuesday evening.

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Eleven small cities in Illinois and Iowa are the only municipalities so far to have signed agreements with the U.S. Census Bureau for a second count of their residents in 2024, the first year the special censuses can be conducted, in a repeat of what happened during the 2020 census.

With one exception, city officials don’t think the numbers from the original count were inaccurate. It’s just that their populations have grown so fast in three years that officials believe they are leaving state funding for roads and other items on the table by not adding the extra growth to their population totals. Some also believe that new results from a second count will open up their community to new businesses by showing they have crossed a population threshold.

“We anticipate a significant increase in population from the special census, particularly given that we have had a record building-permit year,” said Marketa Oliver, city administrator for Bondurant, Iowa, a city of more than 8,700 residents in mid-2022, the last year figures are available, which is an 18% increase over the count in 2020.

Officials in Norwalk, Iowa, hope the second count shows the city has surpassed 15,000 people, since that is the threshold typically used as a rule of thumb in commercial real estate for when a community can support a business like a supermarket.

“Once a city hits 15,000, the market opens up tremendously,” said Luke Nelson, Norwalk’s city manager.

Unlike the 2020 census, the second counts won’t be used for redrawing political districts or determining how many congressional seats each state gets. Instead, they will be used to determine how much the communities will get in state funding that often is calculated by population size. Communities losing population in the past three years have nothing to worry about — their declining numbers won’t catch up with them until after the 2030 census.

Local, state and tribal governments across the U.S. have until May 2027 to ask for a special census from the Census Bureau. While the tab for the 2020 head count was picked up by the federal government, the local municipalities have to foot the bill for their special censuses. The cost isn’t cheap, ranging from just over $370,000 to almost $500,000 for the communities.

Some communities have already forged ahead with their own do-it-yourself recounts, unwilling to pay the price tag for a bureau-organized special census. Others have challenged their numbers with the Census Bureau and gotten small wins.

The cities in Iowa paying for a Census Bureau-run second count in 2024 — Altoona, Bondurant, Grimes, Johnston, Norwalk, Pleasant Hill and Waukee — are fast-growing suburbs of Des Moines. The reason special censuses are so popular in Iowa is because the state uses the once-a-decade head count as the official population when it comes to funding based on population size, said Gary Krob, coordinator for the State Data Center at the State Library of Iowa.

Other states between censuses use annual population estimates for calculating how much funding local governments should get each year.

“That means the 2020 census population is currently the official count for every city and county in Iowa,” Krob said. “The only way to adjust your population count between now and 2030 is to conduct a special census with the Census Bureau and then have this new count certified by the Iowa Secretary of State.”

The geography of the Illinois cities and their reasons for seeking a second count — McDonough, Pingree Grove, Urbana and Warrenville — are a little more scattershot than in Iowa.

Officials in Warrenville, a suburb of Chicago with more than 13,500 residents in 2020, believe they can get an extra $1.2 million annually in federal and state funding, based on the calculation that they have added almost 1,000 new residents from several new housing developments.

The Village of Pingree Grove outside Chicago has experienced rapid growth, doubling from more than 4,500 residents in 2010 to more than 10,300 residents in 2020. Village officials believe there will be 12,300 residents in 2024, so the special census is needed to bring in an increased share of state revenues, “versus waiting another six years for the 2030 Census,” said Laura Ortega, the village clerk.

University of Illinois students make up about half the population of the college town of Urbana and city officials maintain the 2020 census missed a lot of them.

During the 2020 census, places with large numbers of students emptied out as campuses shut down in-person classes because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Urbana’s expected modest population gain for the 2020 census ended up being a 7% decrease from the 2010 head count, with the largest decreases in student neighborhoods near campus, Mayor Diane Marlin said in an email.

The uncounted students are costing the city at least $500,000 to $750,000 annually in missing state and federal funding, the mayor said. The 2024 count in Urbana will be limited to neighborhoods that saw the biggest decreases.

“If we recapture our population through a more accurate count, we recapture lost revenue,” Marlin said.

___

Follow Mike Schneider on X, formerly known as Twitter: @MikeSchneiderAP.

Andie Coston, of Normal, Ill., said her parents had planned to take their 16 family members on a Disney vacation, and they bought a series of gift cards to help offset the costs.

But when they went to book the trip, they encountered a problem: the cards weren’t working.

“That’s when my dad came out of his office, and he was just half laughing, half dejected, and he was like you’re never going to believe this,” Coston recounted.

The family realized the gift cards were not for Disney parks, but for Disney+ streaming services. Enough for what Coston said is 70 years of streaming.

“We just kind of sat dumbfounded for a minute or two or 10,” Coston said.

The error was an “honest mistake” made by her 78-year-old parents, who don’t use streaming platforms.

The Illinois mother said the family didn’t know what to do. They were on the phone with Sam’s Club and Disney customer service, trying to figure out how to exchange them, when Coston had the idea to make a TikTok.

The video went viral, and through personal and online connections, the family’s dilemma got fixed.

“Everybody, you know, that we’ve been contacting has been really kind and patient and helpful,” the mother said.

Through TikTok, Coston said she received hundreds of comments and messages from people who admitted to making the same mistake.

“It was a total honest mistake, and it’s been so validating to have so many other people be like nope we did it too,” Coston said.

It’s something the family said they will never forget.

“Our great grandchildren will hear about this story,” she added.

Video posted to TikTok in November shows Lewis overcome with emotion as she delivered a sign-off to fellow employees at the Morris Walmart. Lewis’ farewell has been seen more than 33 million times since it was uploaded Nov. 16.

Since then, Lewis has had shirts created in her honor and is even at the center of a Christmas display.

A TikTok content creator known as “Justin the Light Guy” paid homage to Lewis with one of his dazzling Christmas light creations. The display shows Lewis’ sign-off video projected onto the front of a home as smaller bright lights sparkle for all to see.

As the video plays, a lighted tree decoration in the foreground shows a photo of Lewis then key phrases, like “10 year” and “844.” Lewis was a 10-year employee at the Morris location, which is store number 844.

After that, the words “goodbye” appear on the tree. But that isn’t all. The display concludes with “Taps” on bagpipes — as red, white and blue lights illuminate on the home.

Those who’ve grown fond of Lewis couldn’t get enough of her newfound stardom and the display, too.

“Imagine this being the first time you’ve ever been introduced to Gail Lewis,” one TikTok user said. “This was my experience.”

“Just when I thought I’ve seen all the Gail Lewis content,” another commented.

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According to the USGS, the earthquake occurred at approximately 4:10 a.m.

The USGS reports impact felt as far north as Mount Vernon, and as far south as Carbondale.

Waltonville is part of the Illinois basin – Ozark dome region, which borders the New Madrid seismic zone, a zone that typically sees more seismic activity, the USGS said.

According to the USGS, the Illinois-basin Ozark dome region covers parts of Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas, and stretches from Indianapolis, to St. Louis to Memphis.

“Moderately frequent earthquakes occur at irregular intervals throughout the region,” the USGS said. The largest historical earthquake in the region — a 5.4 magnitude earthquake — hit in 1968, the USGS added.

A 3.2 magnitude earthquake ranks as a “light” earthquake on the USGS intensity scale, which means residents in the area may have felt a “light” shaking. According to the USGS, an earthquake with “light” perceived shaking is not expected to create damage. “Light” ranks as level three on the nine-level USGS scale.

Last month, a 3.6 magnitude earthquake was recorded in Standard, Illinois, with impacts felt as far north as Ottawa.

Police were called to a home in rural Ashland, about 10 miles west of Springfield, in response to a report of a man being shot late Thursday, The Springfield State Journal-Register reported. They discovered a man with a gunshot wound and a woman who was dead.

The wounded man told police about a related attack at another Ashland home. Authorities found two women dead there.

Police identified a suspect and officers located his vehicle in Jacksonville, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) southwest of Ashland. The man was found dead of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound inside the vehicle, the Jacksonville Journal Courier reported.

The surviving man was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries.

Cass County Sheriff Devron Ohrn said in an email that he plans to release the victims and suspect’s names later Friday. The Illinois State Police, who are assisting the sheriff’s office in the case, said no further information would be released due to the pending investigation.

Mary Neulinger, executive assistant to Jacksonville Police Chief Adam Mefford, referred questions to the sheriff’s office and state police.

NOTE: The original version of this story indicated that license applications would be available Jan. 1. The law, HB 3882, goes into effect July 1, 2024.

Undocumented immigrants in Illinois will be able to obtain a driver’s license starting July 1, under legislation signed by Gov. J.B. Pritzker earlier this year.

Undocumented residents will be issued a standard four-year drivers license, which will serve as a valid form of identification and be issued instead of the current Temporary Visitor Driver’s License, according to a previous news release from Pritzker’s office.

“This legislation is a significant step in eliminating the barriers to opportunity that many undocumented immigrants face,” Pritzker said in a news release in June, when he signed the measure into law. “We’re ensuring every eligible individual can obtain a driver’s license, making our roads safer, decreasing stigma, and creating more equitable systems for all.”

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias previously said that Temporary Visitor Driver’s Licenses had become the ‘”Scarlet Letter’ of an individual’s immigration status and exposed them to discrimination or immigration enforcement.”

 “This legislation allows immigrants to obtain standard driver licenses that will serve as authentic identification in Illinois,” he said in a news release. “It will help prevent the stigma, instances of discrimination, and problems that TVDLs have been known to cause while making roads safer and enabling immigrants to use a standard license as identification for basic necessities like filling prescriptions or renting an apartment.”

Applicants must still pass a driving test, have valid insurance, present identification documents, and prove Illinois residency for at least one year.

And while some of the biggest (and smallest) winning tickets have already been cashed, many haven’t yet — in fact, thousands remain unclaimed. Among them are jackpots with prizes in the hundreds of thousands and one $1.2 million prize.

So if you have any old lottery tickets around, you might want to check the numbers, to see if you’ve hit it big.

The unclaimed jackpot and daily game prizes are below:

• Nov. 23 – Express Lane – 2225 N. Main St. – Princeton – $200,000 – Lucky Day Lotto
• Nov. 18 – Torrence BP – 17002 Torrence Ave. – Lansing – $325,000 – Lucky Day Lotto
• Nov. 8 – Jewel – 6014 S. Cottage Grove Ave. – Chicago – $600,000 – Lucky Day Lotto
• Oct. 29 – Fairplay Finer Foods – 2200 S. Western Ave. – Chicago – $250,000 – Lucky Day Lotto
• Oct. 27 – Jewel – 2940 N. Ashland Ave. – Chicago – $1,200,000 – Lucky Day Lotto
• Sept. 10 – Road Ranger – 7500 E. Riverside – Loves Park – $100,000 – Powerball
• Aug. 15 – OM Chicago Heights Oil – 605 Dixie Hwy. – Chicago Heights – $1,000,000 – Powerball
• June 26 – Kostner Korner – 4356 W. Howard – Skokie – $450,000 – Lucky Day Lotto
• April 20 – Bellwood Mobil – 2418 St. Charles Rd. – Bellwood – $225,000 – Lucky Day Lotto

Those aren’t the only winnings that have yet to be claimed.

Information on unclaimed Fast Play prizes can be found here. Meanwhile, the Illinois Lottery also keeps an extensive list of instant ticket prizes that remain unclaimed.

Smollett, who appeared in the TV show “Empire,” challenged the role of a special prosecutor, jury selection, evidence and many other aspects of the case. But all were turned aside in a 2-1 opinion from the Illinois Appellate Court.

Smollett had reported to police that he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack by two men wearing ski masks. The manhunt for the attackers soon turned into an investigation of Smollett himself, leading to his arrest on charges he had orchestrated the attack.

Authorities said he paid two men whom he knew from work on “Empire.”

A jury convicted Smollett in 2021 on five felony counts of disorderly conduct, a charge that can be filed in Illinois when a person lies to police.

He now will have to finish a 150-day stint in jail that was part of his sentence. Smollett spent just six days in jail while his appeal was pending.

Lawyers for Smollett, who is Black and gay, have publicly claimed he was the target of a racist justice system and people playing politics.

Appellate Judge Freddrenna Lyle said she would have thrown out Smollett’s convictions. Lyle said it was “fundamentally unfair” to appoint a special prosecutor and charge Smollett when he had already performed community service as part of a 2019 deal with Cook County prosecutors to drop the initial charges.

“It was common sense that Smollett was bargaining for a complete resolution of the matter, not simply a temporary one,” Lyle said.

Instead, in-person services were switched to appointment only at many locations.

The change, which took effect on Sept. 1, was an effort to shorten wait times at dozens of the agency’s busiest facilities. Appointments are required for certain services, including for obtaining a REAL ID, driver’s license or ID card as well as in-car driving tests.

If you’re looking to make an appointment, you can schedule one at the Secretary of State’s website here or call 844-817-4649.

Just weeks after the Skip-the-Line program began on Sept. 1, the Secretary of State’s office announced an expansion, explaining that 150,000 appointments had been booked in a three-week span.

“The Skip-the-Line program has been functioning at a high level in the few weeks since its official launch,” Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said in a news release at the time. “But we can still make improvements with targeted adjustments, and I am focused on implementing these to benefit all of our customers, especially our seniors.”

Giannoulias’ office opened two “senior only” centers in the Chicago area – at the Evanston Civic Center, located at 2100 Ridge Road in Evanston, and Seat Geek Stadium, located at 7000 South Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview. Appointments are not required at those facilities for residents age 65 and older.

Call centers are also available for residents age 70 and older who need a road exam. Those residents can call 800-252-8980. Walk-ins for drivers of all ages are only permitted at one Chicago-area facility, the location at State and Randolph in the Loop.

Since the program began, residents have complained over difficulties with the system to schedule appointments. Some have said they were redirected to locations hundreds of miles away.

While certain tasks can be completed in-person if you make an appointment, many actually can be performed without going anywhere at all.

Drivers are urged to take advantage of the Secretary of State’s office’s online services, which include renewing a driver’s license or ID card and license plate sticker without leaving home. It’s important to note, though, that if motorists are trying to obtain a REAL ID, they won’t be able to complete the process online and will have to schedule an appointment.

There are a few caveats, however.

Certain eligibility criteria must be met, and the window to submit an application is only open through the end of Jan. 2024. If you’re set on purchasing an electric vehicle – or recently bought one – and are planning to apply, you’ll want to do so sooner than later.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, which oversees the state’s Electric Vehicle Rebate Program, said it anticipates available funds will be depleted before the application window closes, citing substantial interest in the program. Applications for the most recent cycle opened on Nov. 1 and can be submitted through the deadline of Jan. 31, 2024.

While anyone interested is encourage to submit their application as soon as possible to increase their chances of receiving a rebate, applications from low-income individuals will be given priority, according to the agency’s website.

Potential recipients must meet the following requirements:

• The purchaser must reside in Illinois at time of vehicle purchase and at the time the rebate is issued.
• The vehicle must be purchased from a dealer located in Illinois and licensed by the Illinois Secretary of State. Rented or leased vehicles do not qualify for the rebate.
• The vehicle cannot have been the subject of a previous EV rebate under this program in Illinois.
• Only individuals can receive a rebate and can only receive one rebate. Businesses, government units, organizations, and other entities that are not individuals will be denied a rebate. 
• The rebate amount cannot exceed the purchase price of the vehicle.
• The purchaser must retain ownership of the vehicle for a minimum of 12 consecutive months immediately after the vehicle purchase date.
• The purchaser must apply for the rebate within 90 days after the vehicle purchase date.

A $4,000 rebate will be given to selected Illinois residents who have purchased a new or used all-electric vehicle from a licensed dealership in the state. Selected applicants who purchased an all-electric motorcycle will receive a $1,500 rebate.

The Illinois General Assembly appropriated $12 million dollars for the program during the current fiscal year, which runs through June 30. Applications can be submitted on the Illinois EPA website.

A three-judge panel of the 7th District U.S. Court of Appeals voted 2-1 on the issue. The majority recognized a difference between firearms for personal use and those the state law reserves for “trained professionals,” semiautomatic weapons, including the popular AR-15.

“There is a long tradition, unchanged from the time when the Second Amendment was added to the Constitution, supporting a distinction between weapons and accessories designed for military or law-enforcement use and weapons designed for personal use,” Judge Diane Wood said in the opinion. “The legislation now before us respects and relies on that distinction.”

Ed Sullivan, a lobbyist for the Illinois State Rifle Association, said gun-rights advocates were not surprised by the decision, given the court’s political makeup, though only one of the three judges was appointed by a Democratic president. Sullivan said it’s likely that plaintiffs in one or more of the multiple cases consolidated in Friday’s opinion would seek a U.S. Supreme Court review, where he predicted victory.

At least eight other states and the District of Columbia have some sort of prohibition on semiautomatic weapons.

The law, adopted by a lame-duck session of the Legislature in January, prohibits the possession, manufacture or sale of semiautomatic rifles and high-capacity magazines. It takes effect Jan. 1, 2024.

Known as the Protect Illinois Communities Act, it bans dozens of specific brands or types of rifles and handguns, .50-caliber guns, attachments and rapid-firing devices. No rifle will be allowed to accommodate more than 10 rounds, with a 15-round limit for handguns.

Those who own such guns and accessories when the law was enacted have to register them, including serial numbers, with the Illinois State Police. That process began Oct. 1.

The Illinois Supreme Court upheld the law on a 4-3 decision in August.

“The Protect Illinois Communities Act is a commonsense law that will keep Illinoisans safe,” Gov. J.B. Pritzker said in a statement. “Despite constant attacks by the gun lobby that puts ideology over people’s lives, here in Illinois we have stood up and said ‘no more’ to weapons of war on our streets.”

Gun-rights advocates have argued that it’s illogical to define semiautomatic guns as only suitable for the military. They say there are myriad reasons a homeowner would choose to protect family and property with an AR-15 as opposed to a handgun. And such semiautomatic weapons are the choice of many gun owners for sport shooting and hunting, they say.

Further, they note protections the U.S. Supreme Court issued in its June 2022 decision in a case known as Bruen for guns in “common use.” The AR-15 is one, they say, given the millions in U.S. households today. But the court noted that the gun’s popularity rocketed when the 10-year federal assault-weapon ban expired in 2004.

“Most of the AR-15s now in use were manufactured in the past two decades,” Wood wrote. “Thus, if we looked to numbers alone, the federal ban would have been constitutional before 2004 but unconstitutional thereafter.”

The House sponsor of the legislation, Rep. Bob Morgan, a Democrat from the Chicago suburb of Deerfield who attended the Highland Park 4th of July parade where the deadly shooting occurred, praised the decision and joined Pritzker in calling for congressional action.

“This law has already prevented the sales of thousands of assault weapons and high capacity magazines in Illinois, making our state safer,” Morgan said. “We must renew our calls for a nationwide ban on assault weapons and high capacity magazines in order to make mass shootings a thing of the past.”

Illinois residents who purchase a new or used all-electric vehicle from a licensed dealership within the state can receive a $4,000 rebate. Those who purchase an all-electric motorcycle, meanwhile, may be eligible for a $1,500 rebate.

Applications for the most recent cycle opened on Nov. 1 and will be accepted until the final submission date of Jan. 31, 2024.

Anyone interested is encouraged to submit their application as soon as they can, as the Illinois EPA estimates available funds will be depleted before the application window closes.

“We encourage interested purchasers to submit applications as soon as possible to increase your chances of receiving a rebate,” the program’s website read, in part. Vehicle owners must submit applications within 90 days of purchasing a vehicle

The following requirements must be met to qualify:

• The purchaser must reside in Illinois at time of vehicle purchase and at the time the rebate is issued.
• The vehicle must be purchased from a dealer located in Illinois and licensed by the Illinois Secretary of State. Rented or leased vehicles do not qualify for the rebate.
• The vehicle cannot have been the subject of a previous EV rebate under this program in Illinois.
• Only individuals can receive a rebate and can only receive one rebate. Businesses, government units, organizations, and other entities that are not individuals will be denied a rebate. 
• The rebate amount cannot exceed the purchase price of the vehicle.
• The purchaser must retain ownership of the vehicle for a minimum of 12 consecutive months immediately after the vehicle purchase date.
• The purchaser must apply for the rebate within 90 days after the vehicle purchase date.

State legislators appropriated $12 million dollars for the program during the current fiscal year, which runs through June 30.

The winning ticket matched all five numbers in the midday Friday drawing to take home the jackpot of $1.2 million. The winning numbers were 14-15-24-25-34, according to officials.

According to the Illinois Lottery, the ticket was sold at the Jewel Osco, 2940 N. Ashland Ave.

Lucky Day Lotto has twice-daily drawings at 12:40 p.m. and 9:22 p.m., according to officials. Tickets can be purchased wherever lottery tickets are sold and on the Illinois Lottery’s website.

So far in 2023, more than 10 million Lucky Day Lotto tickets have been sold, with total prize amounts coming in at just under $60 million.

But if you want an arguably spookier experience, one that might just make the hairs on your arms stand up, we have a suggestion for a road trip.

Alton, Illinois, a city of around 26,000 residents along the Mississippi River in southern Illinois, has made The Travel’s list of ghostly towns to tour this October. Situated 18 miles or so north of St. Louis, Alton is home to McPike Mansion, one of the most notoriously haunted houses in the Midwest, according to the website.

Built in 1869 by Henry Guest McPike, the mansion was a “regal addition” to Alton and served as the family’s home for decades before being vacated in the 1950s, according to the mansion’s website. People have reported seeing orbs, balls of light and figures appearing in windows when looking at photos taken inside the home.

“This Grand Ole House is thought to still house many of the spirits that once lived here,” a description on the website stated. “Many Psychics and Mediums have felt the presence of what they believe to be McPike family, servants, as well as some of those who resided in and owned the house since 1936.”

Now owned by a couple that is trying to restore the mansion to its “regal state,” McPike Mansion remains closed to the public, though visitors are allowed on its grounds.

The home is far from the only place in Alton rumored to be haunted.

At the city’s First Unitarian Church, doors sometimes open and close without explanation, and the piano even plays itself at times, according to the local Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau.

The church was once home to Rev. Phillip Mercer, a well-respected preacher from England “who had a way of speaking in his sermons that made people from all over come to hear him preach,” according to the website. On one night, the preacher became ill – he was shaking and unable to speak properly – and decided to visit a friend.

After not seeing Mercer for days, the friend went to the church to check on him. There, the pastor was found hanging in the doorway of the minister’s study. According to the tourism bureau, there have been reports of voices and shadowy figures coming from the basement of the church since the reverend’s death.

Odd sights and sounds have surfaced at another building in town, the former Milton School House, which was in operation from 1904 to 1986. One day after school, a little girl named Mary was finishing up a seasonal bulletin in her classroom while everyone else in the building had left for the day, according to the tourism bureau.

As the sun started to go down, she realized that she needed to get home, so her mom didn’t worry. As the story goes, while skipping down the stairs toward the gymnasium doors, Mary heard a noise behind her.

The following morning, Mary was found in the girl’s locker room, battered with blood all over her, and her torn up clothes, according to the story. Decades later, employees of a design company that took over the building reported hearing footsteps.

Then, things started missing at the office and then later reappeared. One man even reported seeing the figure of a young girl, the tourism bureau stated.

If you’re wanting to visit the spooky town, but don’t want to venture out on your own, multiple haunted tours are offered. You can find information on tour companies and other potentially haunted locations throughout the city at the Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau’s website.

In a news release, the agency explained it was coordinating law enforcement activity in response to an elevated level of violence and hate crimes connected to the war. As of late Sunday, there was “no actionable intelligence” regarding any credible mass threats in Illinois.

ISP’s advisory was issued one day after a landlord in suburban Plainfield Township targeted a 6-year-old boy and his mother in a stabbing because of their Islamic faith, according to police. The boy died from his injuries, and his mother remained in critical condition as of Sunday night.

The Illinois State Police said it continues to reach out to Muslim and Jewish communities to communicate and support those “being impacted by the current threat environment.”

“Everyone in Illinois- both law enforcement and community members alike- must remain on guard against both terrorism and hate crimes during this period of volatility,” ISP Director Brendan Kelly stated in the release. “If you see something, say something, before it’s too late.”

If you notice any suspicious behavior, you’re encouraged to report it to your local law enforcement agency or call 911 — depending on the level of the threat.

Wadea Al-Fayoume and his mother were allegedly stabbed by their landlord on Saturday at their home along South Lincoln Highway near Lily Cache Road, according to authorities. Wadea was stabbed 26 times and died from his injuries at the hospital. His mother sustained more than a dozen stab wounds and remained in critical condition as of late Sunday.

Gov. Pritzker issued a statement on the stabbing, saying “to take a six year old child’s life in the name of bigotry is nothing short of evil.”

“Wadea should be heading to school in the morning. Instead his parents will wake up without their son,” he said, in part.

Pritzker wrote that every single Illinois resident – including those who are Muslim, Jewish and Palestinian – “deserves to live free from the threat of such evil.”

“Today, MK and I join our Muslim and Palestinian brothers and sisters in mourning this tragic loss and praying for the recovery of Wadea’s mother,” he added. “May Wadea Al-Fayoume’s memory be a blessing.”

According to the Council on American Islamic Relations, the boy’s mother sent his father a text while in the hospital, saying that the landlord “had been angry with what he was seeing in the news.” The landlord knocked on her door, at which point he allegedly tried to choke her and attack her with a knife, according to CAIR, citing the text message.

The landlord, identified as Joseph Czuba, was taken in for questioning late Sunday and later charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon and two counts of a hate crime, according to authorities.

While Czuba didn’t make any statements regarding his involvement in the attack, deputies were able to gather evidence, which led prosecutors to file numerous criminal charges. Detectives determined that both victims were targeted due to their Islamic faith and the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, police stated.

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The town of Galena in far northwestern Illinois’ Jo Daviess County was named the 30th most romantic small town in the U.S., according to a list unveiled this month by New York Travel Guides. The community of around 3,000 residents, about 160 miles from Chicago, is a “beautiful small town” with plenty of lodging options, like a luxury resort, a historic hotel and a bed and breakfast.

There are plenty of activities to do with your significant other, too, like a spoon carving workshop and an interactive coffee experience.

Galena, however, wasn’t the only community within a few hours’ drive to make the top 50.

Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, came in at 43rd on the list. According to the website’s description, the things to do in the resort town are “incredible,” including relaxing at one of the town’s spas or having food with gorgeous lake views at 240° West.

To compile its list of America’s 140 most romantic towns, New York Travel Guides analyzed 600 small towns and compared them across four areas: romantic places to stay, romantic activities, historic architecture and scenery and cozy coffee shops and restaurants, according to the website.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker, along with Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth, released statements condemning the violence, with Duckworth saying “the world must unequivocally condemn all terrorism.”

Israel has since declared war with Hamas, responding with airstrikes vowing to inflict an “unprecedented price.”

Below are statements released by more than 20 government leaders, including Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and the majority of Congress members from Illinois.

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The tanker truck was carrying caustic anhydrous ammonia when it jackknifed Friday night, and hit a utility trailer parked just off U.S. 40 in Teutopolis, according to Tom Chapman, a member of the National Transportation Safety Board. The tank carrying anhydrous ammonia hit the trailer hitch of the other vehicle, which punched a six-inch ole in the chemical container, Chapman said during news conference Sunday.

“It happened in a relatively short period of time,” Chapman said. “This was a rapid sequence of events.”

The NTSB officials explained the crash may have started when another vehicle tried to pass the chemical-laden truck.

The accident occurred about 8:40 p.m. local time, Chapman said, revising the 9:25 p.m. time authorities originally gave. The crash spilled roughly half the truck’s 7,500 gallon (28,390-liter) load. The rest was drained and moved to a “secure location” for the NTSB’s investigation, authorities said late Saturday, as area residents were allowed to return to their homes after being evacuated.

Effingham County Coroner Kim Rhodes identified the five people who died as:

• Danny J. Smith, 67, from New Haven, Missouri
• Vasile Cricovan, 31, from Twinsburg, Ohio
• Kenneth Bryan, 34, from Teutopolis and his two children:
• Rosie Bryan, 7, from Beecher City
• Walker Bryan, 7, from Beecher City

Additionally, seven people were hospitalized due to ammonia exposure.

About 500 residents within a 1-mile (1.6-kilometer) radius of the crash site were evacuated after the accident, including northeastern parts of Teutopolis.

Emergency crews worked overnight after the accident on Friday trying to control the plume from the leak and struggled to get near the crash site. Private and federal environmental contractors were summoned to recommend a cleanup procedure in Teutopolis, a town of 1,600 people.

The accident caused “a large plume, cloud of anhydrous ammonia on the roadway that caused terribly dangerous air conditions in the northeast area of Teutopolis,” Effiningham County Sheriff Paul Kuhns said. “Because of these conditions, the emergency responders had to wait. They had to mitigate the conditions before they could really get to work on it, and it was a fairly large area.”

Although not strong, crews working overnight struggled against shifting wind.

“The wind changed three or four different times on us,” said Tim McMahon, chief of the Teutopolis Fire Protection District. “That’s another reason we got crews out in different places, reporting back on which way the wind’s going.”

Traffic, including the tanker, was pushed onto U.S. 40, which bisects Teutopolis, earlier Friday because of another truck crash on Interstate 70.

Phillip Hartke, 75, who lives in Teutopolis but farms with his son outside of town, said U.S. 40 was jammed after the I-70 closure. Hartke finished harvesting corn about 9:30 p.m. Driving home, as he neared the center of town, he could smell anhydrous ammonia. When he reached U.S. 40, emergency vehicles swarmed the area.

“Firefighters advised us right there: ‘Evacuate to the west,’” Hartke said.

Hartke estimated 85% of Teutopolis was subject to the evacuation. He and his wife were staying with his son. Such familial ties should serve most evacuees well.

“‘T-Town’ is a tight-knit community,” Hartke said. “Many people have sons and daughters, aunts and uncles within five or six miles of town.”

Anhydrous ammonia is used by farmers to add nitrogen fertilizer to the soil and as a refrigerant in the cooling systems of large buildings such as warehouses and factories. According to the American Chemical Society, it is carried around the United States by pipeline, trucks and trains.

In 2019, dozens of people were sickened in suburban Chicago after the valves were left open on tanks of anhydrous ammonia being transported from a farm in Wisconsin to one in Illinois, creating a toxic gas cloud. Seven people were initially hospitalized in critical condition after a leaking anhydrous ammonia tank pulled by a tractor released the plume over Beach Park.

And in 2002, a train derailment released anhydrous ammonia in Minot, North Dakota, killing one man, and hundreds of other people reported injuries including burns and breathing problems.

“It’s terrible. It’s bad stuff if you are involved in breathing it, especially because it gets in your airways, in your lungs, and it burns,” Kuhns said.

In addition to having a commercial driver’s license, the person behind the wheel of a toxic-substance tanker must study further and successfully complete a test for a hazardous material endorsement, said Don Schaefer, CEO of the Mid-West Truckers Association.

“Once you get that endorsement, there are no restrictions — unless otherwise posted — on hauling hazardous materials on a public highway,” Schaefer said. “But you’re subject to higher scrutiny.”

“The Skip-the-Line program has been functioning at a high level in the few weeks since its official launch,” Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said. “But we can still make improvements with targeted adjustments, and I am focused on implementing these to benefit all of our customers, especially our seniors.”

The program, which began Sept. 1, required appointments for many tasks completed at DMV facilities in Illinois, a change spearheaded by efforts to improve wait times.

The change applies to 44 of the state’s busiest DMVs for those seeking certain services, such as taking an in-car driving test or obtaining a REAL ID.

New additions to that program were announced this week by Giannoulias’ office, including the opening of two “senior only” centers in the Chicago metro area.

Those sites will be used to provide additional driver’s license services to senior citizens, a move designed to clear additional appointment times for motorists around the city.

The Evanston Civic Center, located at 2100 Ridge Road in Evanston, and Seat Geek Stadium, located at 7000 South Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview, will offer services for senior citizens, according to a press release.

Appointments will not be required at those facilities for residents age 65 and older, according to the release.

Available appointments will also increase at other facilities that offer such services. According to officials with the Secretary of State’s Office, more than 1,300 additional appointments will be available for in-car and road-tests due to the success of the program thus far.

Finally, call center features will be available for residents age 70 and older who need a road exam. Those residents can call 800-252-8980.

Only one Chicago-area facility, the location at State and Randolph in the Loop, has allowed walk-in services since the program was implemented.

While motorists are able to complete certain tasks in-person if you make an appointment, many actually can be performed without going anywhere at all.

Drivers are urged to take advantage of the Secretary of State’s office’s online services, which include renewing a driver’s license or ID card and license plate sticker without leaving home. It’s important to note, though, that if motorists are trying to obtain a REAL ID, they won’t be able to complete the process online and will have to schedule an appointment.

To schedule an appointment, residents may visit ilsos.gov or call 844-817-4649.

The Skip-the-Line program also extends hours of operation at all DMVs. Facilities will be open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. A total of 16 DMVs will also serve drivers from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays.

The following DMVs are appointment-only, with their days of operation visible in the right-hand column:

Facility                                    Address                                                          Days of Operation      

Chicago:

Chicago North                         5401 N. Elston Ave.                                         Mon-Sat

Chicago South                         9901 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive         Mon-Sat

Chicago West                          5301 W. Lexington St.                                     Mon-Fri

Diversey Express                    4642 W. Diversey Ave.                                    Mon-Fri

Suburbs:

Aurora                                     339 E. Indian Trail                                           Mon-Fri

Bridgeview                              7358 W. 87th St.                                              Mon-Fri

Chicago Heights                      570 W. 209th St.                                             Mon-Fri

Deerfield                                  405 Lake Cook Road                                      Mon-Sat

Des Plaines                             1470 Lee St.                                                    Mon-Fri

Elgin                                        595 S. State                                                     Mon-Fri

Joliet                                        201 S. Joyce Road                                          Mon-Fri

Lake Zurich                             951 S. Rand Road                                            Mon-Fri

Lockport                                  1029 – 31 East 9th St.                                       Mon-Fri

Lombard                                  837 S. Westmore B27                                      Mon-Sat

Melrose Park                           1903 N. Mannheim Road                                 Mon-Fri

Midlothian                                14434 S. Pulaski                                              Mon-Sat

Naperville                                931 W. 75th St., Ste. 161                                 Mon-Sat

Orland Township                     14807 S. Ravinia Ave.                                      Mon-Fri (4:30p close)

Plano                                       236 Mitchell Drive                                            Mon-Fri

Schaumburg                            1227 E. Golf Road                                           Mon-Sat

St. Charles                              3851 E. Main St.                                               Mon-Fri

Waukegan                               617 S. Green Bay Road                                   Mon-Fri

*West Chicago (CDL only)       721 Kress Road                                               Mon-Sat

Woodstock                              428 S. Eastwood Drive                                     Mon-Fri

Central/Downstate:

Belleville                                  400 W. Main St.                                               Mon-Fri

Belvidere                                 425 W. Southtowne Drive                                Mon-Fri

Bethalto                                   20 Terminal Drive, Ste. 103, East Alton           Mon-Fri

Bloomington                            1510 W. Market St.                                          Mon-Sat

*Bradley                                   111 Village Square Shopping Plaza                Mon-Fri

Champaign                              2012 Round Barn Road                                  Mon-Sat

Decatur                                   3149 N. Woodford St.                                      Mon-Fri

DeKalb                                    1360 Oakwood St.                                           Mon-Fri

Edwardsville                            1502A Troy Road                                            Mon-Fri

Galesburg                               1066 E. Losey St.                                            Mon-Fri

Granite City                             1810 Edison Ave.                                            Mon-Sat

*Marion                                    1905 Rendleman St.                                       Mon-Sat

*Moline/Silvis                           2001 Fifth St., Ste. 10                                     Mon-Sat

Morris                                      425 E. Route 6                                                Mon-Fri

Pekin                                       200 S. Second St.                                           Mon-Fri

*Peoria                                    3311 N. Sterling Ave.                                       Mon-Sat

*Quincy                                    2512 Locust St.                                               Mon-Fri

Rockford Central                      3720 E. State St.                                            Mon-Sat

*Springfield Wabash                1650 Wabash Ave.                                          Mon-Sat

Tilton                                       #5 Southgate Drive                                          Mon-Fri

Roberto Mazo, 29, and Pedro Arreola, 33, of Lancaster, California, were arrested for cannabis trafficking, unlawful possession of cannabis of more than 5,000 grams with intent to deliver and unlawful posession of cannabis more than 5,000 grams, according to ISP.

At around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, a state police trooper conducted a traffic stop on the suspects’ vehicle, a 2000 Provost Bus, along Interstate 80 in Henry County. Police said “numerous indicators” of criminal activity were observed during the traffic stop.

An ISP K-9 was called to the scene and alerted to the odor of narcotics, prompting troopers to search the bus, authorities said. Numerous packages of illegal cannabis were subsequently found inside. In all, police confiscated 5,231 pounds of cannabis, which had an estimated street value of between $6.3 and $14.7 million.

Both suspects were taken to the Henry County Jail and released on pre-trial conditions following a hearing on Thursday. Additional charges were pending Friday afternoon as the investigation remained underway.

Union Pacific railroad says the boy was struck by one of its trains in the village of Royal, Illinois, at about 7:45 a.m. CDT. It says the train crew was not injured.

The boy was near other people who were not injured, said Lt. Curt Apperson of the Champaign County Sheriff’s Office.

Apperson called it a “tragic accident.” The railroad said its thoughts were with the family of the boy.

The child was struck along tracks about two blocks from Prairieview-Ogden North Elementary, The News-Gazette of Champaign reported.

No additional information about the boy was immediately released Friday by authorities.

Prairieview-Ogden Superintendent Jeff Isenhower said grief counselors would be present at all three district schools Friday in Royal, Flatville and Ogden.

The village of Royal is located about 10 miles northeast of Champaign.

The business magazine in late August released its fifth annual list of America’s Best Employers By State, providing readers a look at which companies are nearby options for those seeking employment, whether out of work or looking for a change. Through a partnership with the market research firm Statista, Forbes surveyed 70,000 workers at companies in all 50 states and the District Columbia regarding working conditions, diversity, compensation packages, company image, the potential for development and much more, according to the company.

A total of 1,392 organizations made at least one state’s list, with more than 250, including Google, Costco and others, being ranked in multiple states, including Illinois.

According to the rankings, here are the top 30 employers in Illinois:

1. Google
2. Apple
3. Salesforce
4. John Deere
5. Northwestern University
6. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
7. Thermo Fisher Scientific
8. Aisin World Corp. of America
9. Costco Wholesale
10. Northrop Grumman
11. Northwestern Medicine
12. Microsoft
13. Rush University
14. Rush University Medical Center
15. Boeing
16. SAP
17. World Wide Technology
18. Centene
19. Zurich North America
20. Illinois Institute of Technology
21. U.S. Federal Reserve
22. Northwest Community Healthcare
23. IBM
24. Discover Financial Services
25. Raytheon Technologies
26. Harper College
27. Accenture
28. Ford Motor Company
29. BJC Healthcare
30. University of Illinois Chicago

For the full list of 97 employers that made the list, click here.

John Wesley “Wes” Anderson, 78, of rural Kenney was fatally shot Sunday, officials said. A second victim, identified as Kigan Antonio Munoz, of Clinton, was shot multiple times and was last listed in stable condition.

According to authorities, both victims are related to the shooting suspect, Jose De Jesus Gomez Munoz, who remains at large. Anderson is the suspect’s father-in-law, and Kigan Munoz is the suspect’s son, police said.

In a press release Monday, the Dewitt County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a press release that Munoz, who goes by Jesus, is wanted for murder and “several other charges pertaining to this incident.” Munoz stands 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 165 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes, police said.

The incident began at around 3:23 p.m. Sunday when a 911 call reported an active shooter at 635 Kenney Road in Kenney, a central Illinois village approximately 30 minutes south of Bloomington.

Responding deputies found a person with multiple gunshot wounds in a vehicle on Route 54 and Jordan Street, police said. The person was transferred to two hospitals and was listed in stable condition.

According to the sheriff’s office, “four other occupants had remained at the scene hiding from the suspect.”

“While speaking with the other victims,” police said in the press release, “it was confirmed that a fifth person still at the scene had been fatally wounded. Law enforcement was successful in safely getting the four hidden victims to safety.”

Munoz is believed to have left the scene in a white 2019 Honda Accord with the Illinois registration DT 50632.

In a Facebook post Sunday evening, the Dewitt County Sheriff’s Office asked residents living within a two-mile radius to shelter in place or safely evacuate. Monday morning, police lifted the order and told residents they are “free to return” to their homes.

In a 1:20 p.m. update Monday, police said Munoz remains at large. Anyone who sees Munoz is asked to contact their local law enforcement.

“This is an ongoing investigation all suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law,” the update posted to Facebook read.

Police said they haven’t ruled out that Munoz may be en route to Mexico because he has family there, but because Munoz’s location is uncertain, residents are asked to be diligent. His phone has not been used since the incident.

The Dewitt County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a press release overnight that Jose De Jesus Gomez Munoz is wanted for murder and “several other charges pertaining to this incident.” Munoz stands 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 165 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes, police said. The photo of Munoz, who goes by Jesus, is below.

While details surrounding the incident continue to be released, the sheriff’s office said in the press release the incident began at around 3:23 p.m. Sunday when a 911 call reported an active shooter at 635 Kenney Road in the village of Kenney. Kenney is approximately 30 minutes south of Bloomington.

Responding deputies found a person with multiple gunshot wounds in a vehicle on Route 54 and Jordan Street, police said. The person was transferred to two hospitals and was listed in stable condition.

According to the sheriff’s office, “four other occupants had remained at the scene hiding from the suspect.”

“While speaking with the other victims,” police said in the press release, “it was confirmed that a fifth person still at the scene had been fatally wounded. Law enforcement was successful in safely getting the four hidden victims to safety.”

Police are actively looking for Munoz. According to the sheriff’s office, Munoz is believed to have left the scene in a white 2019 Honda Accord with the Illinois registration DT 50632.

In a Facebook post on Sunday evening, the Dewitt County Sheriff’s Office asked residents living within a two-mile radius to shelter in place or safely evacuate, if they’re able to do so. People were advised to locks their doors and report any suspicious activity by calling 911.

Anyone who sees Munoz is asked to contact their local law enforcement.

Police said they haven’t ruled out that Munoz may be en route to Mexico because he has family there, but because Munoz’s location is uncertain, residents are asked to be diligent. His phone has not been used since the incident.

Multiple police agencies were in the area to assist with the shooting incident and the search.

Authorities have advised residents in one Central Illinois town to shelter in place as law enforcement search for a shooting suspect who is believed to be armed and dangerous.

In a Facebook post on Sunday evening, the Dewitt County Sheriff’s Office said residents living within a two-mile radius should shelter in place or safely evacuate, if they’re able to do so. People were advised to locks their doors and report any suspicious activity by calling 911.

Sheriff’s deputies had yet to release extensive details on the shooting late Sunday, but confirmed the incident occurred south of Kenney, along Kenney Road, at around 3:23 p.m. Kenney is approximately 30 minutes south of Bloomington.

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Precast concrete company Terrell Materials Corporation – or TMC – is suing its supplier, Ozinga, accusing the major supplier of concrete of removing a key ingredient from the concrete mix it sold to them.

TMC further alleges in its 2019 lawsuit that the move was done without telling them or the Illinois Department of Transportation, which must approve design changes to concrete mixes that are used on public infrastructure.

TMC’s founder, Pat Terrell, says the net result of this change cost him contracts, forced him to lay-off employees – and ultimately – cost him his pre-cast business.

“For a 95-year-old company to make a design change, it surprises me, it disappoints me and it certainly hurt our firm,” Pat Terrell told NBC 5 Investigates.

In his lawsuit filed in Cook County, Terrell alleges the company removed the chemical additive – AEA – from the concrete mix 4391 that was sold to his firm. The additive, Terrell says, helps ensure tiny air bubbles are evenly dispersed:

“That prevents cracking and prolongs the life of the concrete. So removing that is a very, very big deal,” Terrell said.

Attorneys representing Ozinga declined to comment – citing the upcoming trial.

But the company itself did release a statement in response to NBC 5 Investigates’ questions. The Ozinga statement read:

“For over 95 years, our purpose has been to make positive impact on individuals, families and the community. Our mixes meet or exceed rigid internal quality standards before they are delivered, tested again, and ultimately accepted by end users, including the Illinois Tollway Authority and IDOT, at the job site.

Regarding this matter, it is Ozinga’s position that it did not change the mix design, but rather made permissible adjustments to meet the specifications of the contract, of which Terrell Materials Corporation was made aware.”

Emails and other documents included in the court file show that upon discovering the change in the mix being delivered by Ozinga to TMC, the Illinois Department of Transportation stopped Ozinga’s production temporarily in order to further investigate.

In a May 7, 2019 email from an IDOT engineer to a TMC representative, the engineer wrote: “IDOT mixture control engineer is shutting down Ozinga today until this get(s) straightened out. They are collecting component samples and contacted the Admix Rep for guidance at Ozinga to investigate. We are finding out that there is no (air entrainment) in most delivery batch tickets.”

Court documents show Ozinga was having trouble with its concrete – blaming the mix of fly ash and other components with causing “high air results.”

In one particular email between Ozinga and TMC on May 14, 2019 an Ozinga representative writes: “…So unfortunately without consulting anyone the (quality control) tech took all the air Admix out of the mix to get an in spec reading on the job.”

Terrell says the concrete mixes without the chemical additive were delivered to his company between April and May of 2019 and that when it was discovered by officials at the Illinois Department of Transportation, it led to a domino effect:

“There were structures at (O’Hare) airport that had to be destroyed on site. Structures in our inventory hundreds of structures…”

An IDOT spokeswoman declined to comment. She did not respond to follow-up questions from NBC 5 Investigates about why the structures were destroyed.

While Terrell’s lawsuit seeks damages, a judge rejected his legal team’s assertion that Ozinga committed fraud – adding that Terrell’s employees possibly could have discovered the design change on their own, if they had taken a closer look at the batch tickets coming in with each load.

The judge wrote:

“While it may have been reasonable for TMC personnel to rely upon the designation of mix 4391 upon delivery given the time constraints that require prompt use of the mix, there is no evidence that TMC personnel ever reviewed the batch tickets during the time in question. Ozinga fully disclosed the mix ingredients, and TMC failed or neglected to review the batch tickets. Again, while it may be reasonable to miss reviewing a batch ticket for a day or two, it is not reasonable to fail to do so throughout the period in question.  From this, the Court can conclude that Ozinga’s full disclosure of the mix ingredients on the batch tickets belies an intent to deceive. Also, TMC’s reliance merely upon the 4391 designation, while ignoring the batch tickets, confirms that TMC’s reliance was not reasonable under the circumstances.”

When we asked Pat Terrell if there is anything he could’ve done to prevent this? He paused then said:

“…Is there anything we could’ve done? We are not out there to police, we are out there to test and to produce.”

In a May 2019 letter written to Ozinga, a consultant’s report found the quality of the concrete was likely not compromised by the lack of additional air entrainment additive. But Terrell alleges the products still did not meet specifications, which is why Terrell says the state forced the pre-cast concrete structures to be destroyed.

With only the one Ozinga mix approved for his use by the state, Terrell says he was forced to shut down his pre-cast business.

The trial is set to begin Sept. 11 and last through the end of the month.

Appointments will now be required for many tasks completed at dozens of driver facilities in Illinois as the Secretary of State’s office looks to shorten lines and wait times.

“Customers will save time by skipping the line,” Giannoulias said in a previous news release. “Our goal is to eliminate the Time Tax that has plagued Illinoisans for years, forcing them to stand in long lines wasting time – just to conduct basic services.

The Skip-the-Line program took effect on Friday at 44 DMV locations in the state.

Here’s what to know:

What will you need an appointment for at Illinois driver facilities?

The change applies to the state’s busiest DMVs for those seeking certain services, such as taking an in-car driving test or obtaining a REAL ID or driver’s license.

However, those seeking vehicle-related services, such as title, registration and license plate sticker renewal do not need to make an appointment.

Where will you need an appointment?

Only one Chicago-area facility, the location at State and Randolph in the Loop, will continue to permit walk-ins.

The following DMVs will be appointment-only, with their days of operation visible in the right-hand column:

Facility                                    Address                                                          Days of Operation      

Chicago:

Chicago North                         5401 N. Elston Ave.                                         Mon-Sat

Chicago South                         9901 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive         Mon-Sat

Chicago West                          5301 W. Lexington St.                                     Mon-Fri

Diversey Express                    4642 W. Diversey Ave.                                    Mon-Fri

Suburbs:

Aurora                                     339 E. Indian Trail                                           Mon-Fri

Bridgeview                              7358 W. 87th St.                                              Mon-Fri

Chicago Heights                      570 W. 209th St.                                             Mon-Fri

Deerfield                                  405 Lake Cook Road                                      Mon-Sat

Des Plaines                             1470 Lee St.                                                    Mon-Fri

Elgin                                        595 S. State                                                     Mon-Fri

Joliet                                        201 S. Joyce Road                                          Mon-Fri

Lake Zurich                             951 S. Rand Road                                            Mon-Fri

Lockport                                  1029 – 31 East 9th St.                                       Mon-Fri

Lombard                                  837 S. Westmore B27                                      Mon-Sat

Melrose Park                           1903 N. Mannheim Road                                 Mon-Fri

Midlothian                                14434 S. Pulaski                                              Mon-Sat

Naperville                                931 W. 75th St., Ste. 161                                 Mon-Sat

Orland Township                     14807 S. Ravinia Ave.                                      Mon-Fri (4:30p close)

Plano                                       236 Mitchell Drive                                            Mon-Fri

Schaumburg                            1227 E. Golf Road                                           Mon-Sat

St. Charles                              3851 E. Main St.                                               Mon-Fri

Waukegan                               617 S. Green Bay Road                                   Mon-Fri

*West Chicago (CDL only)       721 Kress Road                                               Mon-Sat

Woodstock                              428 S. Eastwood Drive                                     Mon-Fri

Central/Downstate:

Belleville                                  400 W. Main St.                                               Mon-Fri

Belvidere                                 425 W. Southtowne Drive                                Mon-Fri

Bethalto                                   20 Terminal Drive, Ste. 103, East Alton           Mon-Fri

Bloomington                            1510 W. Market St.                                          Mon-Sat

*Bradley                                   111 Village Square Shopping Plaza                Mon-Fri

Champaign                              2012 Round Barn Road                                  Mon-Sat

Decatur                                   3149 N. Woodford St.                                      Mon-Fri

DeKalb                                    1360 Oakwood St.                                           Mon-Fri

Edwardsville                            1502A Troy Road                                            Mon-Fri

Galesburg                               1066 E. Losey St.                                            Mon-Fri

Granite City                             1810 Edison Ave.                                            Mon-Sat

*Marion                                    1905 Rendleman St.                                       Mon-Sat

*Moline/Silvis                           2001 Fifth St., Ste. 10                                     Mon-Sat

Morris                                      425 E. Route 6                                                Mon-Fri

Pekin                                       200 S. Second St.                                           Mon-Fri

*Peoria                                    3311 N. Sterling Ave.                                       Mon-Sat

*Quincy                                    2512 Locust St.                                               Mon-Fri

Rockford Central                      3720 E. State St.                                            Mon-Sat

*Springfield Wabash                1650 Wabash Ave.                                          Mon-Sat

Tilton                                       #5 Southgate Drive                                          Mon-Fri

What don’t you need an appointment for?

While you’ll be able to complete certain tasks in-person if you make an appointment, many actually can be performed without going anywhere at all.

Drivers are urged to take advantage of the Secretary of State’s office’s online services, which include renewing your driver’s license or ID card and your license plate sticker without leaving home. It’s important to note, though, that if you’re trying to obtain a REAL ID, you won’t be able to complete the process online and will have to schedule an appointment.

How can you schedule an appointment?

To schedule an appointment, residents may visit ilsos.gov or call 844-817-4649.

What other changes should you know?

The Skip-the-Line program also extends hours of operation at all DMVs. Starting Sept. 1, facilities will be open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. A total of 16 DMVs will also serve drivers from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays.

The Skip-the-Line program, an initiative started by Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, will go into effect on Friday at dozens DMV locations in the state.

The change applies to 44 of the state’s busiest DMVs for those seeking certain services, such as taking an in-car driving test or obtaining a REAL ID.

“Customers will save time by skipping the line,” Giannoulias said in a previous news release. “Our goal is to eliminate the Time Tax that has plagued Illinoisans for years, forcing them to stand in long lines wasting time – just to conduct basic services.

Only one Chicago-area facility, the location at State and Randolph in the Loop, will continue to permit walk-ins.

While you’ll be able to complete certain tasks in-person if you make an appointment, many actually can be performed without going anywhere at all.

Drivers are urged to take advantage of the Secretary of State’s office’s online services, which include renewing your driver’s license or ID card and your license plate sticker without leaving home. It’s important to note, though, that if you’re trying to obtain a REAL ID, you won’t be able to complete the process online and will have to schedule an appointment.

To schedule an appointment, residents may visit ilsos.gov or call 844-817-4649.

The Skip-the-Line program also extends hours of operation at all DMVs. Starting Sept. 1, facilities will be open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. A total of 16 DMVs will also serve drivers from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays.

The following DMVs will be appointment-only, with their days of operation visible in the right-hand column:

Facility                                    Address                                                          Days of Operation      

Chicago:

Chicago North                         5401 N. Elston Ave.                                         Mon-Sat

Chicago South                         9901 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive         Mon-Sat

Chicago West                          5301 W. Lexington St.                                     Mon-Fri

Diversey Express                    4642 W. Diversey Ave.                                    Mon-Fri

Suburbs:

Aurora                                     339 E. Indian Trail                                           Mon-Fri

Bridgeview                              7358 W. 87th St.                                              Mon-Fri

Chicago Heights                      570 W. 209th St.                                             Mon-Fri

Deerfield                                  405 Lake Cook Road                                      Mon-Sat

Des Plaines                             1470 Lee St.                                                    Mon-Fri

Elgin                                        595 S. State                                                     Mon-Fri

Joliet                                        201 S. Joyce Road                                          Mon-Fri

Lake Zurich                             951 S. Rand Road                                            Mon-Fri

Lockport                                  1029 – 31 East 9th St.                                       Mon-Fri

Lombard                                  837 S. Westmore B27                                      Mon-Sat

Melrose Park                           1903 N. Mannheim Road                                 Mon-Fri

Midlothian                                14434 S. Pulaski                                              Mon-Sat

Naperville                                931 W. 75th St., Ste. 161                                 Mon-Sat

Orland Township                     14807 S. Ravinia Ave.                                      Mon-Fri (4:30p close)

Plano                                       236 Mitchell Drive                                            Mon-Fri

Schaumburg                            1227 E. Golf Road                                           Mon-Sat

St. Charles                              3851 E. Main St.                                               Mon-Fri

Waukegan                               617 S. Green Bay Road                                   Mon-Fri

*West Chicago (CDL only)       721 Kress Road                                               Mon-Sat

Woodstock                              428 S. Eastwood Drive                                     Mon-Fri

Central/Downstate:

Belleville                                  400 W. Main St.                                               Mon-Fri

Belvidere                                 425 W. Southtowne Drive                                Mon-Fri

Bethalto                                   20 Terminal Drive, Ste. 103, East Alton           Mon-Fri

Bloomington                            1510 W. Market St.                                          Mon-Sat

*Bradley                                   111 Village Square Shopping Plaza                Mon-Fri

Champaign                              2012 Round Barn Road                                  Mon-Sat

Decatur                                   3149 N. Woodford St.                                      Mon-Fri

DeKalb                                    1360 Oakwood St.                                           Mon-Fri

Edwardsville                            1502A Troy Road                                            Mon-Fri

Galesburg                               1066 E. Losey St.                                            Mon-Fri

Granite City                             1810 Edison Ave.                                            Mon-Sat

*Marion                                    1905 Rendleman St.                                       Mon-Sat

*Moline/Silvis                           2001 Fifth St., Ste. 10                                     Mon-Sat

Morris                                      425 E. Route 6                                                Mon-Fri

Pekin                                       200 S. Second St.                                           Mon-Fri

*Peoria                                    3311 N. Sterling Ave.                                       Mon-Sat

*Quincy                                    2512 Locust St.                                               Mon-Fri

Rockford Central                      3720 E. State St.                                            Mon-Sat

*Springfield Wabash                1650 Wabash Ave.                                          Mon-Sat

Tilton                                       #5 Southgate Drive                                          Mon-Fri

Wednesday’s incident is believed to be one of the latest examples of “swatting,” which is affecting schools across the country.

In a message posted to the school district’s website Wednesday, District 300 Superintendent Dr. Susan Harkin wrote:

“Dundee-Crown High School is believed to be the victim of a malicious act known as “swatting.” As I understand that this term might be unfamiliar to some in our community, I’d like to take a moment to explain what swatting is.

According to Education Week, swatting is “a term that refers to filing a false report with the aim of stoking chaos and proving a large law enforcement response.” These false reports often include threats of violence that require an immediate emergency response. Unfortunately, swatting has impacted many school districts in Illinois and nationwide. Swatting is illegal. It strains valuable law enforcement resources. It creates unnecessary panic within communities. And it has significant consequences for the responsible parties. 

In today’s incident at Dundee-Crown, an individual placed a false call, making a serious threat against the school. As a result, law enforcement responded immediately and enacted their safety protocols. After a thorough investigation, it was determined that the threat was unsubstantiated, and our students and staff were never in danger. 

District 300 takes these incidents seriously and is working closely with law enforcement to identify the responsible party…”

NBC 5 Investigates found Wednesday’s swatting incident is just one of the scores involving Illinois schools this year.

By our count, least 36 different schools across Illinois have been impacted by a swatting incident since January – that includes 17 schools in the Chicago area and 19 more across the state.

“Honestly, it’s really scary. I don’t know how to feel my voice is shaking right now,” Jocelyn Oliveras, a senior at Dundee-Crown High School told NBC 5 News.

Josepha Gomez, the parent of the freshman at the high school, said her daughter was upset by this morning’s events.

“The school year just started and we already we are dealing with this,” Gomez said.

On a single day in April, 21 schools across Illinois were hit with bogus calls claiming there was an active shooter. They included Whitney Young Magnet here in Chicago; East High School in Rockford; and downstate schools in Carbondale, Bloomington, Decatur, Champaign and elsewhere, according to an NBC 5 Investigates’ analysis of news reports.

Earlier this year, the Chicago office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation said that they field approximately ten reports of school-swatting, every month, in the Chicago area.  That rate would mark a 42-percent increase in school-swatting calls here, just in the past year.

NBC 5 Investigates has found scores of reports of swatting incidents throughout Illinois and the Chicago area, just since the beginning of this year:

• Thursday, January 26, 2023 – Several schools in northwest Indiana’s Porter County – including schools in Hobart and Portage — received what police later called “non-credible” threats – or swatting calls.  Students were put on lockdown, followed by a lockout (where all exterior doors were locked), and then early dismissal.  A similar threat had been made to nearby Valparaiso High earlier in the month.

• Friday, February 10, 2023 – An apparent swatter called in a threat to Carl Sandburg High School in southwest-suburban Orland Park, where students were put on “hard lockdown.”

• Monday, February 20, 2023 – Someone called far-west-suburban Wheaton North High School and threatened to “kill everyone.”  Classes were not in session because of the Presidents Day holiday. 

That same day, someone also called in threats to North Shore Country Day School in Winnetka, as well as Wilmette Junior High School, both in the northern suburbs.  And someone also called far-downstate Vandalia Junior High School, where all staff was evacuated (students were off for the holiday there, as well).

• Monday, February 27, 2023 – School officials evacuated Chicago Bulls College Prep high school on the near west side, after someone called in a bomb threat in the morning.  The school had received a similar call back on May 3^rd, 2022 – less than a year before.

• Tuesday, February 28, 2023 – Northwest-suburban Elgin public schools received what was later described as an “unsubstantiated threat.”  Officials kept all schools open, with no lockdown.

• Friday, March 10, 2023 – Classes at near-west-suburban Elmwood Park High School were cancelled after officials there said they received word that someone might threaten students during an organized walkout.

• Thursday, March 23, 2023 – Police were called to all schools in Bloomington School District 87 in central Illinois, after a dispatcher received a report of a threat, which police later determined was a swatting attempt.  Police said the caller said a friend was going to shoot up a local school. 

• Wednesday, April 12, 2023 – Twenty-one schools – including Whitney Young Magnet School in Chicago and East High School in Rockford — were all hit in one morning with calls reporting an active shooter.  This included downstate schools, including Carbondale Community High School, Marion High School, Granite City High School, and Mount Vernon Township High School.   Threats were also called in to schools in Murphysboro, Freeport, Vienna, Eldorado, Centralia, Collinsville, Champaign, Springfield, Aurora, Dixon, Decatur, Bloomington, Jacksonville, Peoria and Pittsfield.  Many schools described a caller with a foreign accent who said a student had been shot.

• Monday, April 17, 2023 – Students at northwest-suburban Barrington High School were sent home early, after the school received several bomb threats.  Police later said all the threats were all swatting calls.

• Thursday, April 28, 2023 – Glenbard West High School in west-suburban Glen Ellyn received a bomb threat.  The schools sent students home early, but the call was later determined to be a swatting incident. 

• Thursday, May 4, 2023 – A week later, another phony bomb-threat was called into the same school – Glenbard West — causing the entire campus to evacuate.  A 17-year-old student at the school was arrested for the call, later that day.

• Monday, August 28, 2023 – Several schools in Chicago’s north and west suburbs received calls and bomb threats, including Central Intermediate School in west-suburban Ottawa, Daniel Wright Junior High School in Lincolnshire, and South Elgin High School in the northwest suburbs.

Those figures could be an undercount because swatting historically has not been closely tracked.

The FBI is looking to change that.

NBC News reported earlier this summer that the agency announced the launch of a national database to track these incidents and improve communication and information sharing between law enforcement agencies.

But so far, as we’ve seen today, these incidents continue unabated.

NBC 5 Investigates reached out to the FBI Chicago field office but have not heard back.

The announcement this week by CPS comes after years of falling short – where students and staff alike have been hurt during the use of restraints.

A months-long investigation by NBC 5 Investigates found that problems with restraints have persisted even after state laws were changed to address concerns.

Staff have blamed students’ unruly and aggressive behavior with prompting physical restraints to protect others, but advocates against the use of restraints say more attention needs to be paid on addressing students’ individual needs ahead of when restraints might occur.

As part of our reporting, NBC 5 Investigates reviewed more than 400 restraint and time out reports from the past two school years in Chicago Public Schools.

What we found:

• There were at least 12 reported injuries involving the use of restraints.
• There were at least two instances of prone restraint since January – a facedown hold that is now illegal and banned in the state of Illinois.
• 61 of the restraints involved at least one staff member who had not been trained – a violation of state law.
• In 83 of the restraints, we found data missing that would’ve explained who was involved, if they were trained, why the restraint happened in the first place and if anyone was hurt.

An April 18 letter from State Superintendent Dr. Tony Sanders spelled out the district’s non-compliance and noted that the continued use of restraints and time outs by untrained staff “demonstrates that CPS is jeopardizing the health and safety of CPS students and staff.”

The district was up against a Monday deadline to train at least two staff members at each of the district’s 517 schools.

While the district and state board of education says CPS has met that requirement, CPS still faces state-led investigations into other concerns about restraints, NBC 5 Investigates has learned.

Sanders’ April 18 letter did not address concerns with improper restraints at the Juvenile Temporary Detention Centers, charter schools or the use of unlawful restraint at another elementary school in the district, among others.

The Illinois State Board of Education declined a request for an interview, but in an emailed response, a spokesperson wrote:

“CPS meeting the staff training requirements is the first step. ISBE will continue to work with CPS to come into compliance with other requirements as outlined in the district wide improvement plan. Other individual complaints are ongoing. As we would do for any school district, ISBE will work with CPS to address the complaints and provide additional support to those schools as necessary once the investigations are concluded.”

After weeks of pressing for an interview, Chicago Public Schools initially agreed last week to do an interview Monday, but only after a reporter suggested showing up a back-to-school event to ask questions.

On Monday, the spokesperson said someone with the district would be made available at a later date.

In district news release issued late Monday afternoon, CPS CEO Pedro Martinez was quoted as saying:

“CPS aims to create a safe learning environment for all students and the use of physical restraint in our schools should always be a last resort. We thank our principals and staff for prioritizing this important training. We are proud to start the new school year with staff appropriately trained at every school and will continue to prioritize this important training for our school staff.”

NBC 5 Investigates did find records where students were restrained after reportedly making threats or exhibiting violence, but in dozens of other cases, the forms the state requires to be completed were left blank, or were missing key details on who was involved, if they were trained, or even why the restraints happened in the first place.  

The district’s improvement plan to address concerns with restraints notes that staff haven’t been clear on how to fill out the forms.

Fairfield Elementary reported placing students in restraint holds 82 times over the past two school years. Many lasted just a few minutes – but records show at least 23 restraints appeared to last 45 minutes or longer.

In the April 18 letter, the state superintendent expressed concerns to CPS about the restraints at Fairfield and others – noting the records don’t show if the restraints “were periodically halted to evaluate if imminent danger still existed.”

The letter also accused CPS of failing to keep accurate records and falling short when it comes to informing parents.

In response, CPS staff said they were confused by how to fill out the documents and that intermittent breaks did occur.

“What I have seen in reviewing some of the paperwork that CPS submits is students are restrained when there isn’t imminent harm,  ” said Miriam Bhimani, a former educator and CPS parent.

Bhimani became concerned after her daughter witnessed another student being placed in time out.

She’s since filed numerous Freedom of Information Act requests with the district. She’s received dozens of invoices from the company QBS, which the district hired to train teachers and staff in de-escalation and proper restraints.

Training videos posted online show various techniques CPS teachers are taught. The district’s contract allows those trained teachers and staff to then train others.

Invoices show since March of last year, the district has paid QBS more than $763,000 for these trainings.

The latest federal data from the Office of Civil Rights from 2017-2018 shows 70,833 students across the United States were subject to a physical restraint – 80% of those were students with disabilities and were more likely to be Black or Brown students.

Because of that, child advocates say the focus should be on de-escalating behaviors before restraints occur.

Starting Sept. 1, the Skip-the-Line program, an initiative spearheaded by Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, will go into effect at dozens of DMV facilities throughout Illinois. Under the program, appointments will be required at 44 of the state’s busiest DMVs for those seeking certain services — like obtaining a REAL ID or driver’s license or taking an in-car driving test.

“Customers will save time by skipping the line,” Giannoulias said in a previous news release. “Our goal is to eliminate the Time Tax that has plagued Illinoisans for years, forcing them to stand in long lines wasting time – just to conduct basic services.

Only one Chicago-area facility, the location at State and Randolph in the Loop, will continue to permit walk-ins.

While you’ll be able to complete certain tasks in-person if you make an appointment, many actually can be performed without going anywhere at all.

Drivers are urged to take advantage of the Secretary of State’s office’s online services, which include renewing your driver’s license or ID card and your license plate sticker without leaving home. It’s important to note, though, that if you’re trying to obtain a REAL ID, you won’t be able to complete the process online and will have to schedule an appointment.

To schedule an appointment, residents may visit ilsos.gov or call 844-817-4649.

The Skip-the-Line program also extends hours of operation at all DMVs. Starting Sept. 1, facilities will be open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. A total of 16 DMVs will also serve drivers from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays.

The following DMVs will be appointment-only, with their days of operation visible in the right-hand column:

Facility                                    Address                                                          Days of Operation      

Chicago:

Chicago North                         5401 N. Elston Ave.                                         Mon-Sat

Chicago South                         9901 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive         Mon-Sat

Chicago West                          5301 W. Lexington St.                                     Mon-Fri

Diversey Express                    4642 W. Diversey Ave.                                    Mon-Fri

Suburbs:

Aurora                                     339 E. Indian Trail                                           Mon-Fri

Bridgeview                              7358 W. 87th St.                                              Mon-Fri

Chicago Heights                      570 W. 209th St.                                             Mon-Fri

Deerfield                                  405 Lake Cook Road                                      Mon-Sat

Des Plaines                             1470 Lee St.                                                    Mon-Fri

Elgin                                        595 S. State                                                     Mon-Fri

Joliet                                        201 S. Joyce Road                                          Mon-Fri

Lake Zurich                             951 S. Rand Road                                            Mon-Fri

Lockport                                  1029 – 31 East 9th St.                                       Mon-Fri

Lombard                                  837 S. Westmore B27                                      Mon-Sat

Melrose Park                           1903 N. Mannheim Road                                 Mon-Fri

Midlothian                                14434 S. Pulaski                                              Mon-Sat

Naperville                                931 W. 75th St., Ste. 161                                 Mon-Sat

Orland Township                     14807 S. Ravinia Ave.                                      Mon-Fri (4:30p close)

Plano                                       236 Mitchell Drive                                            Mon-Fri

Schaumburg                            1227 E. Golf Road                                           Mon-Sat

St. Charles                              3851 E. Main St.                                               Mon-Fri

Waukegan                               617 S. Green Bay Road                                   Mon-Fri

*West Chicago (CDL only)       721 Kress Road                                               Mon-Sat

Woodstock                              428 S. Eastwood Drive                                     Mon-Fri

Central/Downstate:

Belleville                                  400 W. Main St.                                               Mon-Fri

Belvidere                                 425 W. Southtowne Drive                                Mon-Fri

Bethalto                                   20 Terminal Drive, Ste. 103, East Alton           Mon-Fri

Bloomington                            1510 W. Market St.                                          Mon-Sat

*Bradley                                   111 Village Square Shopping Plaza                Mon-Fri

Champaign                              2012 Round Barn Road                                  Mon-Sat

Decatur                                   3149 N. Woodford St.                                      Mon-Fri

DeKalb                                    1360 Oakwood St.                                           Mon-Fri

Edwardsville                            1502A Troy Road                                            Mon-Fri

Galesburg                               1066 E. Losey St.                                            Mon-Fri

Granite City                             1810 Edison Ave.                                            Mon-Sat

*Marion                                    1905 Rendleman St.                                       Mon-Sat

*Moline/Silvis                           2001 Fifth St., Ste. 10                                     Mon-Sat

Morris                                      425 E. Route 6                                                Mon-Fri

Pekin                                       200 S. Second St.                                           Mon-Fri

*Peoria                                    3311 N. Sterling Ave.                                       Mon-Sat

*Quincy                                    2512 Locust St.                                               Mon-Fri

Rockford Central                      3720 E. State St.                                            Mon-Sat

*Springfield Wabash                1650 Wabash Ave.                                          Mon-Sat

Tilton                                       #5 Southgate Drive                                          Mon-Fri

A former contestant on the long-running television game show “Family Feud” has been sentenced to life in prison after he was convicted of first-degree murder and home invasion in the slaying of his estranged wife in western Illinois.

Timothy Bliefnick, 39, was sentenced Friday to three consecutive life sentences during a hearing in Adams County Circuit Court in Quincy, according to court records.

“You researched this murder, you planned this murder, you practiced this murder, you broke into her house and you shot her,” Adams County Judge Robert Adrian said, according to NBC affiliate WGEM. “Some of those shots were fired while she was laying on the ground and you did all of that while your children were upstairs at your house, laying snug in their beds.”

The body of Rebecca Bliefnick, 41, was found by a family member inside her Quincy home after she failed to pick up her children from school. She had been shot multiple times.

Timothy Bliefnick was arrested March 13. His Quincy home was searched March 1.

The couple was separated and going through divorce proceedings. A restraining order had been filed against Timothy Bliefnick, who also filed one against his estranged wife.

In 2020, Timothy Bliefnick and some of his family members appeared on ABC’s “Family Feud.”

One of the questions asked by host Steve Harvey was, “What was the biggest mistake you made at your wedding?” Bliefnick answered “I do.” He immediately told Harvey “not mine to say, not mine to say. I love my wife.” He also said, “I’m going to get in trouble for that, aren’t I?” Harvey responded, “It’s going to be a lot of hell to pay at your house.”

Bliefnick’s answer was second on the board with 20 out of 100 people polled giving the same answer. Getting “sloshed” was No. 1 with 30 answers.

Considered one of Elgin’s “most prestigious historical homes,” according to its listing , the Pelton Mansion at 214 S. State St. is now on the market for $650,000.

The “Victorian gem” has been owned by just two families since it was built in 1889 and is registered with the National Historic Society, which has led to a number of features in Elgin’s National Historic Walk-throughs.

“The mansion features stunning architectural details, including stick style, clapboard siding, projecting gables, and sculptured chimneys in East Lake style,” the listing from Naomi Campbell and Kristine Speed with Coldwell Banker reads. “The interior boasts a beautiful array of woods, including carved oak, light birch, sycamore, knotty pine, birds-eye maple, yellow leaf pine, and gum wood.”

The home continues to hold its original footprint, with only “minor alterations,” including the removal of a wall separating the “reception parlors” and the renovation of a solarium, now transformed into a family room.

“Inside, you’ll find 10-foot ceilings, a grand rounded staircase with exquisitely carved Victorian newel posts, and numerous original lighting fixtures, pocket doors, and casement windows,” the listing reads.

The home features eight bedrooms, three full bathrooms, two half bathrooms and three fireplaces. There’s even a two-story carriage house, which offers parking for up to six cars.

Take a look inside.

The home at 3 Saville Row was listed last week for $1.9 million.

With more than 7,500 square feet of space, the five-bedroom, five-bathroom home is known for its unique exterior, which mirrors that of a castle.

“Architectural elements of Medieval to modern day castle blend in creating an experience that lets your imagination run wild,” the listing states.

According to real estate agent Robbie Morrison, the home was designed for the owner’s the-4-year-old daughter.

“She wanted legitimately to be a princess so he designed this house around her being in a castle,” Morrison told NBC Chicago.

An indoor pool, a terrace, a wrap-around deck and more highlight the unique listing.

“Full new steel roof inside the confines of the battlement with Davinci caps on the turrets and arrow loops inside the climbing tower,” the listing adds.

See inside in the images below:

The firework was one of many commercial-grade fireworks possessed by the 58-year-old man at a Sunday night gathering in Cary, the Lake County sheriff’s office said.

“He lit a firework, which did not detonate as expected,” the sheriff’s office said. “The man looked into the tube housing the firework and it discharged, striking his face and then exploding.”

The man, whose name was not released, was in critical condition at a hospital.

Other fireworks were given to a bomb squad for destruction. They typically require a permit to possess and detonate, the sheriff’s office said.

The sheriff’s office said criminal charges are possible.