• A man is facing charges after a car crash early Saturday in DeKalb County that killed a young woman. 19-year-old Tyrus Taylor has been charged with aggravated DUI among other charges. According to police, Taylor was driving on Plank Road when he lost control of his car and hit a utility pole. His passenger, 20-year-old Tiffany Taylor was ejected from the car and was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
  • Roadwork on Route 173 is going to make it more difficult for some residents to get in and out of their neighborhood. Machesney Park officials announced that Mitchell Road will be closed until mid-July so crews can perform construction on the roadway. The closure is part of the widening project for 173 from I-90 to North Second Street. The village recommends that drivers use Anjali Way or Vaughndale Drive to access Mitchell Road.
  • Illinois Governor Pat Quinn is in Rockford today to highlight his program that's aimed at helping first-time homebuyers. The governor's office says the "Welcome Home Illinois" program is "new" in offering help with down payments and low interest rates. Republicans have criticized the initiative as a rehash of an old idea.
  • Illinois Governor Pat Quinn looks to be in for the toughest battle of his political life. A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of likely Illinois voters shows Republican businessman Bruce Rauner picking up 43 percent of the vote to Quinn’s 40 percent in the race for Illinois Governor. 10 percent are undecided, while another 6 percent would prefer someone else. The telephone poll has a margin of error of 4 percent. That means with Election Day a little less than seven months away, the race is a dead heat.
  • A new congressional report is pressing for e-cigarette rules. The report highlights several issues including an array of flavors and marketing that could appeal to young people, the lack of age restrictions and no uniform warning labels. It was written by the staff of Illinois Senator Dick Durbin among others. Electronic cigarettes are battery-powered devices that heat a nicotine solution and create vapor that’s inhaled.
  • Thousands of Illinois high school students are preparing to take this year's ACT. State lawmakers, however, are considering whether to continue paying for the college readiness exam. Officials say that schools feel "caught in the middle" of the debate. Illinois could save millions if test costs are passed along to students. State education officials are considering paying fees only for low-income students.
  • Chicago's warmest weekend of the year was also its most violent. Four people were shot and killed between Friday afternoon and Sunday night on the city's South and West sides, and more than 30 were wounded. Officials say the number of weekend shootings has steadily climbed during the last four weekends.

 

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