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Also: Gun records' secret,NPR challenge, 'Star Trek' revival and unrelated developments.

Derek Douglas, Vice President for Civic Engagement; and OTTO Engineering President Tom Roeser compare and contrast how their unique housing reinvestment strategies support the local economy.

Congress appears unlikely to strike deal that would avoid $85 billion in mandatory spending cuts scheduled to take effect starting Friday, which would limit Illinois' ability to police air and water quality.

While you may think of the snow as a big hassle, farmers across the state are cheering.

Local birders contributed to the largest worldwide bird count ever taken. The citizen science initiative saw record participation overall, and in Illinois.

Blinding snow, at times accompanied by thunder and lightning, bombarded much of the nation's midsection Thursday, causing whiteout conditions, making major roadways all but impassable and shutting down schools and state legislatures.

Illinois officials have purchased 547 acres of wildlife land, including a huge tract in one of the nation's most popular places to hunt deer and the first portion of a new refuge northwest of Chicago.