PEORIA - The Illinois Federation of Teachers, the union that represents the Peoria Public Schools teachers, is calling for the closing of the state’s schools during the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in Illinois."We call on every school district - as well as Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois State Board of Education - to do the right thing and take immediate action to protect students, ...

Mayor Lori Lightfoot takes questions following City Council meeting. Watch live here.

Here's where Illinois' 11 regions stand on the key metrics that would prompt the state to restrict activities to contain an outbreak.

Chicago and Cook County officials have issued 30-day advisories urging residents to stay home to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Here's what you need to know.

One of the state’s largest hospital systems, Advocate Aurora Health, plans to delay half of its elective surgeries as the number of COVID-19 patients across Illinois skyrockets.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot issued a stay-at-home advisory on Nov. 12, 2020, that went into effect on Nov. 16. The advisory is not mandatory.

A Portage man drowned Saturday after he may have fallen from a kayak, according to the Porter County Coroner’s Office.

Chicago police are searching for the parents of two young sisters who were found alone on the street in the South Shore neighborhood late Sunday night.

Delivery fees charged to Chicago restaurants by third-party delivery companies such as GrubHub and Uber Eats would get capped at 10% of the order’s cost while indoor dining capacity is set at below 40% during the coronavirus pandemic under a proposal introduced to the City Council Monday.

A bicyclist was killed in a hit-and-run crash in Aurora Saturday evening, and authorities are searching for a vehicle wanted in connection, police said.

PEORIA — Thanksgiving 2020 will be different because of COVID-19, with dine-in options shut down under mitigations from the state.You may not be able to go to a restaurant on Thanksgiving Day, but some area restaurants have a plan to come to you.There are a range of meal options, including turkey, ham, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, dressing, pumpkin pie, cheesecake, cinnamon rolls, ...

PEORIA -- Guitar Center intends to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. But the musical-instrument retailer, which has a store in Peoria, also intends to remain in business.Reports over the weekend suggested Guitar Center has negotiated with its investors a deal that reduces its debt.The California-based retailer has about 300 Guitar Center outlets, ...

Here are the latest updates on the coronavirus in the Chicago area and the rest of Illinois.

PEORIA -- A man was found dead on a sidewalk in an apartment complex just south of Downtown Peoria late Sunday night.Peoria police were called to the area of the 700 block of North Hillyer Place which is near the Landmark Apartments. A ShotSpotter alert indicated that five rounds were fired in that area at about 11:04 p.m.Additionally, a person called and reported hearing shots fired in the Landma...

Good morning, Chicago. Here are some of the top stories you need to know to start your day.

It’s laughable to hear Republicans complain about being disenfranchised, Dahleen Glanton writes.

An employee tax aimed at online giant Amazon and other big retailers is among the proposals progressive aldermen will bring forward Monday to balance Chicago’s 2021 budget. With Mayor Lori Lightfoot fighting behind the scenes to get the 26 votes she needs to pass her spending plan, different City Council groups will bring forward their own plans in coming weeks to try to put their imprint on the f...

MORTON – Jason and Amanda Parker wanted to open a tattoo parlor in their hometown.The Morton residents picked what they thought was the perfect spot, an empty lower-level space downtown at 142 S. Main St. that once was the home of Miller Bakery, an iconic village business.They picked the name American Traditional Tattoo for their parlor. American traditional is a style of tattoo."We felt the...

When Justice Robert Carter, who is slated to become the newest member of the Illinois Supreme Court in December, was a chief circuit judge, he would remind the nascent trial judges to be humble in their new role."I always told the new judges that everything you do should be done with the greatest amount of humility because you don't have all the answers. You're just trying to do the best based on ...

Chicago considers changes to emergency mental-health response as recent police cases highlight the issue

The restrictions will begin Wednesday and last three weeks. They are not as sweeping as when the Democratic governor issued a stay-at-home order last spring but are extensive.

Double lung transplant surgery has now been done successfully seven times at the Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

After backing losing candidate for state’s attorney, Chicago’s largest police union makes big plans for governor’s and mayor’s races

A 32-year-old man was critically injured during a Far South Side house fire, according to Chicago police.

Three people, including a 14-year-old girl, were injured during a shooting at a South Side dance studio Sunday night, according to Chicago police.

The Cook County sheriff’s office is cancelling all in-person visits to the county jail starting Monday because of the recent spike in coronavirus cases, the sheriff’s office said Sunday.

The latest numbers released by the Illinois Gaming Board show bettors in the state wagered more than $285 million on sports contests in September.

A rollover crash near the Gold Coast neighborhood sent one person to the hospital and slowed traffic Sunday night on Lake Shore Drive, officials said.

At-Large City Councilman Sid Ruckriegel on Sunday joined a growing field of candidates for Peoria mayor."I love Peoria and believe City Hall can do much better to improve the perception of opportunity and vision in our city," he said.Bringing together diverse perspectives will be a key theme in his campaign, he suggested – repeatedly returning to the theme that Peoria is a city in which, "wh...

The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 10,631 newly confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 in the state Sunday, including 72 additional deaths.It marked the 10th day in a row case totals have exceeded 10,000. The 7-day rolling positivity rate in the state is 12.8%.As of Saturday night, 5,474 people in Illinois were reported ...