Afternoon News Update: Tuesday March 3
- Illinois will be getting a new prisons director. Governor Bruce Rauner has withdrawn his temporary appointment of Tony Godinez as head of the Department of Corrections without explaining why. Godinez retired in December but stayed on during Rauner's transition. He has run Illinois prisons for almost four years.
- A building important in Chicago television history is closing later this year. Oprah Winfrey says she will close Harpo Studios in the city's West Loop in December. Winfrey taped her television show at Harpo for more than 20 years but is moving all her production to a new studio in California.
- The Chicago Cubs say they want to expand the work hours on the renovations to Wrigley Field but won't ask permission for crews to work around-the-clock. Mayor Rahm Emanuel said earlier today that city ordinances won't allow construction to continue 24/7. The Cubs say the project is behind schedule and they need to speed the work in the weeks ahead.
- 6 people were arrested in Dixon with three of them on drug dealing charges. Officers with the Dixon Police Department, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, along others executed a search warrant at an apartment in the 1600 block of Sauk Rd on Friday night. Investigators seized 20 grams of cocaine, 300 grams of marijuana, and $6,000 in cash.
- Illinois’ new Lieutenant Governor made a stop yesterday afternoon in Belvidere. Evelyn Sanguinetti spoke to Hispanic Business owners and said the Rauner administration is working hard to relive the regulatory burden on small businesses. She said the state is in a fiscal mess that needs to be cleaned.
- A new bill introduced to the Illinois Legislature is forcing Rockford Aldermen to put their video gaming proposal on hold. Local state representative Joe Sosnowski recently introduced a gaming bill. The city was set to vote on an ordinance that only allows new businesses to get their liquor license only if 50% of the establishment's revenue came from food and drinks. The City of Rockford wants to put a stop to businesses getting liquor licenses just so they can have video gaming.
- Portillo's is beginning their hiring process in Rockford. The company took out an ad in Sunday's Rockford Register Star that stated it is now hiring for all restaurant positions. It stated people are encouraged to apply in person March 10 through 12 between the hours of 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. The address to go to is 6234 Mulford Village Drive in Rockford.
- The City of Freeport has declared a snow emergency. According to their Public Works Director, this means residents must park on the even-numbered side of the street on even days of the month. On odd days, residents mist park on odd-numbered side of street. The winter parking regulations will be in effect over the next 48 hours.
- The former suburban Chicago police officer convicted of killing his third wife and suspected in his fourth spouse's disappearance was back in court today on charges of trying to hire someone to kill the prosecutor who helped put him in state prison. Drew Peterson was charged in February with soliciting an unidentified person to find someone he could pay to kill Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow. The 61-year-old appeared older and more pale at this mornings appearance, where he joked and smiled at the courtroom sketch artists and the media. Peterson has been incarcerated at Menard since being convicted in 2012 in the death of Kathleen Savio.
- More than one million students are scheduled to take new standardized tests next week. Illinois State Board of Education officials announced Monday that third- to eighth-graders and some high school students will take the Partnership for Assessment for Readiness for College and Careers assessment. The Chicago Teachers Union and parent groups object to the exams over concerns of too much emphasis on tests.
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