that is likely to fuel conflict for years to come.

Organization had long lobbied for products with toxic chemicalsThe world's major manufacturers of flame retardants officially cut ties Friday with an industry-funded front group that waged a deceptive campaign to fuel demand for the chemicals in household furniture, electronics, baby products and other goods.

State looking into options to improve decades-old bottleneck that connects 3 expressways.A roomful of highway engineers along with commuters frustrated over wasting time and fuel in traffic doodled with colored markers Thursday on maps of the Circle Interchange to highlight scary and dangerous

Illinois 83 near spill site may reopen Thursday, officials sayCrews continue to clean up and repair a pipeline break in the southwest suburbs estimated to have leaked nearly 44,000 gallons of jet fuel near Illinois Highway 83 and into the Cal-Sag Channel.

group that waged a deceptive campaign to fuel demand for the chemicals.

Contractor built roads, led drive for federal transportation fundingVincent Bongiovanni led a Chicago-area road-building company and helped pave the way for an increase in the federal motor fuel tax to pay for the nation's transportation infrastructure.

As energy companies snap up leasing rights in Wayne County, some residents are optimistic, but environmentalists are worriedBMWs, Lincolns and other cars with Louisiana, Texas and Colorado license plates fill so many parking spaces around the Wayne County Courthouse that it's tough for residents to find spots for their pickups.

Agency hopes diesel-electric test will lead to more fuel-efficient vehiclesTwo new diesel-electric hybrid buses designed to reduce emissions and improve fuel economy are now operating on Pace routes in the Highland Park area, the suburban bus agency said Tuesday.

Funds help pay for street resurfacing, official says Although gas prices are at record highs, Skokie village trustees this week unanimously decided to extend for three more years the 3-cents-per-gallon local fuel tax, which had been set to expire in May.

Fair or not, presidents get blamed for anguish at the pumpsMitt Romney has won the Illinois primary, and with it a sizable advantage in the Republican presidential race. If he can close the deal — or even if Rick Santorum somehow finds a way to come back — one thing seems certain.

Authorities must make plans without knowing the number of demonstrators or the potential for troublemakingIn Wisconsin, a group of environmentalists plans to bicycle to Chicago's G-8 and NATO summits to protest an economy that relies too heavily on fossil fuel.

Revised package makes $1 fuel charge permanent Mayor Rahm Emanuel's administration compromised on a taxi industry regulation plan Tuesday, putting forward a package officials said would improve the safety of Chicago's cab fleet while easing the burden on taxi companies to comply with new standards.

As the cleanup of last week's diesel fuel spill in Aurora continues, officials reaffirmed Wednesday that the city's water supply was never at risk.

Officials say fuel unlikely to have reached city's intakeAurora officials on Thursday said the city's drinking water was unharmed after about 1,500 gallons of diesel fuel spilled into a storm sewer that feeds into the Fox River.

Before his small plane dropped from the sky, the pilot transporting a medical patient to the Chicago area radioed that he was low on fuel.

New efforts to ID victims revives memories of 1980 trialEdward Pavlik's work on the John Wayne Gacy case more than 30 years ago helped fuel a lengthy career and sealed his reputation. The forensic dentist lectures across the country on identifying victims of the notorious serial killer

City to unveil facility that converts waste into energy Some Naperville yard waste will soon be the city's treasure.

Cain, Michelle Obama and Romney making stops to fuel campaignsChicago's status as a hub for presidential campaign cash takes center stage this week with fundraising visits ranging from a short homecoming by first lady Michelle Obama to quick stops by Republicans Herman Cain and Mitt Romney.

United, Boeing spotlight ways to clean up the friendly skies Working to tidy up the dirty reputation associated with jet emissions, United Airlines and Boeing Co. teamed up Tuesday to highlight the cleaner future of passenger flight.

Students can take classes instead of going to lunch, but the school board again has wondered if that's the right way to goWilliam Sheppard had a choice as he began his sophomore year at New Trier High School, where graduates consistently contend for admission to some of the nation's top universities: Drop a music class or skip lunch.

Rush-hour drivers in the greater Chicago area paid the highest congestion penalty in the U.S. again last year, averaging $1,568 in lost time and wasted fuel for each motorist stuck in heavy traffic, according to a new study released Tuesday.

Cost and fuel efficiency drive purchases of smaller cars. Many districts say they didn't think of safety when buying the cars.A west suburban school district puts its driver's education students in a fleet of Chevy Cobalts, small cars that earn poor side-crash ratings. A Will County district

List of proposals puts CEO under fireSome of the controversial initiatives or proposals that have led Jean-Claude Brizard to come under fire in his first 100 days in office:

Cleric stole nearly $300,000 from church to support gambling habitA former parish priest who had a gambling habit that his attorney described as akin to demonic possession was sentenced Tuesday to 60 days in jail for stealing at least $295,000 from his church to fuel that habit.

Taste vendors' leftover oil being converted to biodiesel fuel All those oily calories fueling the Taste of Chicago revelers who gobble churros, vegetable tempura and other fried delicacies also are powering Chicago Park District trucks, tractors and lawn mowers.

Diesel prices threaten to cause $19 million overrunFearing Metra will face a $19million diesel fuel cost overrun by the end of the year if oil prices remain at record high levels, officials of the commuter rail agency acknowledged Friday they are looking at options, including a fare increase

Pace could follow example of Los Angeles, other cities in growing use of compressed natural gasWith diesel fuel prices spiking, Pace is thinking about buying new buses powered by compressed natural gas and putting the suburban bus agency on a growing list of "green" transit agencies

But some have concerns about backup power supply, spent fuelIllinois has 11 working nuclear reactors at six sites, more than any other state, and gets about half of its electricity from nuclear power. Here's a look at some questions raised by Japan's struggles to limit damage at facilities affected by the earthquake and tsunami:

Some who live near Illinois' nuclear sites have faith in the plants, while others are fearful as they track the crisis abroadJapan's partial nuclear meltdown may be playing out thousands of miles away, but given that Illinois has more nuclear sites and a larger stockpile of spent fuel

The CTA is controlling climbing energy costs by locking in the price for three-fourths of the diesel fuel it expects to use this year to power the agency's approximately 1,800 buses, officials said Wednesday.