Afternoon News Update: Friday February 27
- Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner says he's "staying out of" the Chicago mayor's race.Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Cook County Commissioner Jesus "Chuy" Garcia are facing off April 7. Emanuel and Rauner are friends and worked together in the past, but the Governor is promising he will stay out of this race. The new April election comes after Emanuel failed to win a majority of the vote in a five-candidate field on Tuesday.
- A Rockford Golf Course has received some positive rankings. Golfadvisor.com ranked the Aldeen Golf Club as one of the top 50 U.S. courses last year. The club was 34th in rank and the Rockford course itself is the top-rated golf course in the state.
- Governor Bruce Rauner has announced several appointments at three Illinois colleges. John Gilbert, Joel Sambursky and Amy Sholar will serve on the board of trustees at Southern Illinois University. Timothy Burke will join Eastern Illinois University's Board of Trustees, and the Rev. Marshall Hatch will serve on the board of trustees at Chicago State University.
- Unanimous approval has been given on the funding of a new jet repair facility at Rockford's airport. The AAR funding comes with some stipulations that will need to be followed, before work can start. The new jet repair facility to be built at Rockford's airport got support from every member of the Winnebago County Board.
- Rockford will mark a Black History Month celebration tonight. The 5th annual Black History Month Observance night takes place at City Hall. Performers and exhibits will showcase black history and organizers are hoping to teach young people more about the history of the celebration itself. Today marks the 50th anniversary of the voting rights act of 1996.
- Authorities say a 58-year-old Rockton woman was killed trying to save vehicles from a burning garage at her home. Anita Specht was found dead in a vehicle following Thursday's blaze. The Winnebago County Sheriff's Office says Specht was able to get one vehicle out of the garage and was trapped while trying to back out a second vehicle.
- A medical marijuana grower is giving up at least one of three Illinois permits after missing a deadline to pay state fees and submit proof of a surety bond. The Chicago Tribune reports that Green Thumb Industries LLC missed Wednesday's deadline to pay a $200,000 fee and secure a $2 million surety bond or escrow account for each permit. Officials have confirmed that the missed deadline informed the state it will not move forward with a permit for a cultivation center near the northwestern Illinois city of Dixon.
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