Illinois Public Media News

The officer says he was doing a routine patrol through Crystal Lake Park, when he ran a license plate of a vehicle belonging to 55-year old Duane Eric Edwards, who is a registered sex offender. 

Senator Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) says president Barack Obama’s executive actions to expand background checks on gun sales has popular support, and was something he and 23 other senators had asked the president to do back in November. But Illinois Republicans say the actions violate the 2nd Amendment and will not survive a court challenge.

In two weeks, the Daily Illini will only be printed on Mondays and Thursdays. Publisher Lil Levant says this move is intended to let the DI focus more on web-based material and distribution through social media. Its weekend Buzz Magazine will end production in March.

Governor Bruce Rauner visited the Iroquois County seat of Watseka Tuesday morning, where about 50 had to leave their homes last week.  Mayor Bob Harwood says given all the severe flooding problems in Southern Illinois, he feels good about the state's chances of a federal declaration. The bulk of damage in Vermilion County was to rural roads, and a sanitary sewer line in Danville.

The Flash Index to the Illinois economy fell to 105.5 in December, from its November level of 106.1. Any reading above 100 reflects economic growth. But the December reading was the lowest in 2015 --- in fact the lowest reading since March, 2013.