Afternoon News Update: Thursday September 18
- Health officials have announced the state's first deaths this year from West Nile virus. Both victims were in Chicago -- a woman in her 70s and one in her 80s. There have been 15 human cases of West Nile statewide so far. It killed 11 people in the state last year.
- ComEd will pay about $46 million to settle lawsuits challenging the utility's rates. That means customers could be getting credits of about $8 on their November electric bills. The settlement resolves two lawsuits that Attorney General Lisa Madigan brought in 2008 and 2010.
- A Libertarian candidate for Illinois governor will stay on the November ballot. A judge in Sangamon County has rejected the arguments of Republican attorneys who say thousands of signatures on Chad Grimm's petitions are not valid. Grimm is a fiscal conservative who could draw votes from Bruce Rauner in the race to unseat Governor Pat Quinn.
- Winnebago County Sheriffs are investigating an armed robbery at a Machesney Park pharmacy. The incident happened early this morning and officials state that the suspect entered the CVS store near N. 2nd and Harlem. The Harlem School District has placed the Dennis Parker Early Education Center, which is near CVS, on soft lockdown.
- Ten men are in custody in connection with public indecency reports at several Stateline area forest preserves. The arrests come after a two week investigation. Winnebago County Sheriff's deputies conducted undercover investigations after receiving complaints from residents.
- A Janesville teen faces several charges after allegedly burglarizing a smoke shop. The incident happened just before 2 this morning at Smokers World II in the 1900 block Center Avenue. Officers arrived on scene and chased down the suspect on foot. He faces several charges; including burglary, criminal damage to property and resisting arrest.
- Janesville Police need the public's help to find a missing man. Police are trying to find 28 year-old Michael Ranum. Around 2:20am this morning, officers were dispatched to the 1100 block of N. Sumac St. after a caller reported a suspicious vehicle. Officers arrived to find the vehicle empty. It also suffered heavy damage and the airbags were deployed. Ranum is 5'6", 165 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. If you have any information, please call the Janesville Police Dept.
- Jeb Bush is in Chicago to help raise money for Republican governor candidate Bruce Rauner. He's headlining a $500-a-ticket luncheon at a downtown hotel. The former Florida governor has been mentioned as a possible GOP presidential candidate in 2016 but he's been vague about his plans.
- Selected Illinois waterways will open ahead of the regular trout season for catch-and-release fly fishing. The new catch-and-release season will open October 4th. The regular trout fishing season starts two weeks later. The department stocks about 50 Illinois lakes and rivers with approximately 80,000 trout before the season opens.
More From WROK 1440 AM / 96.1 FM
