Judge bars East St. Louis school takeover

Jul. 3, 2012
The East St. Louis School District 189 board has obtained a restraining order barring the Illinois State Board of Education from taking over the district.In issuing the order Monday, St. Clair County Associate Judge Stephen Rice said it was unconstitutional to remove an elected board.

Century-old Galesburg building burns

Jun. 13, 2012
A century-old Galesburg building has been reduced to a pile of debris by a massive fire.WGIL Radio reports that Galesburg firefighters took about two hours to get the fire under control at the former Hawkinson Manufacturing facility Tuesday.Fire Chief Tom Simkins says it was obvious within a few min

Plane crash in suburban Riverwoods kills three

Nov. 29, 2011
A medical transport plane has crashed in suburban Chicago, killing a patient being brought to Illinois, the patient's wife and a third person aboard the plane.Authorities have identified two of the victims as 80-year-old John Bialek and 75-year-old Ilomae Bialek.

Freight train derailment sparks fire, forces evacuation

Oct. 7, 2011
A fiery freight train derailment in north-central Illinois sent up bright orange flames and plumes of smoke that could be seen miles away, and has forced authorities to evacuate residents of the small community of Tiskilwa.The Bureau County sheriff's office says the train derailed early Friday.

Hemingway lingers in Oak Park poetry

Sep. 30, 2011
The work of poet Al DeGenova touches the fabric of history.

Maywood's architectural magic

Sep. 8, 2011
The photo above is of a 102-year-old former fire station in the western suburb of Maywood, Ill., a leafy but rough-around-the-edges town just west of River Forest--Oak Park's more affluent neighbor--along the bank of the Des Plaines River.It's Maywood's first fire station, located at St.