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Illinois poised to require car makers to create 24/7 carjacking hotline

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:52 GMT

COOK COUNTY, Ill. — A bill headed to the governor's desk will assist law enforcement in finding stolen vehicles by requiring automakers to provide location information.HB2245 passed unanimously in both the Illinois House and Senate and, if signed by Gov. JB Pritzker, will force any car manufacturer which sells its vehicles in the state to create a 24/7 hotline. This hotline would be used by law enforcement, to include 9-1-1 center operators, to obtain a stolen car's location to the best of a manufacturer's technical abilities. Chicago Public School teacher removed after allegedly threatening student with gun Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart helped to craft the bill and he wants to see similar legislation at the federal level.Dart held a news conference Tuesday morning to discuss the state legislation and what he sees as its impacts on his own fight against carjacking in Cook County. View the full press conference in the video above.

Man, 21, charged in shooting that injured 17-year-old girl on DuSable Lake Shore Drive

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:52 GMT

CHICAGO — A 21-year-old man has been charged in a shooting that injured a 17-year-old girl on DuSable Lake Shore Drive.Carlos Ocampo, 21, faces one felony count of reckless discharge of a firearm.According to police, the girl was traveling in a vehicle in the 2700 block of North DuSable Lake Shore Drive around 7 p.m. Sunday, when she was shot in the lower back by Ocampo. Girl, 17, injured in drive-by shooting in Lakeview He was arrested a short time later after been identified as the offender who discharged the gun, striking the teen.Ocampo is due in bond court Tuesday.

From Tom Ricketts to Heidi Klum, a Chicago pro pickleball team gets plenty of support

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:52 GMT

CHICAGO — Building a franchise from scratch takes enthusiasm, attention to detail, and a lot of support. It's safe to say that a new pro team in Chicago had plenty of it as they've begun their inaugural season in 2023. "We not only wanted to have fun people that we enjoyed being with but ones that had strategic values," said Ron Saslow, who began the process of building the Chicago Slice franchise in Major League Pickleball in October 2022. "At the end of the day, we want the Slice to be more successful so Major League Pickleball could be more successful."Did the founder of Thirty-5 Capital ever succeed in doing so over the past few months. In building the Slice, Saslow was able to get a few big names in sports along with others in the entertainment industry to help get the team going for the 2023 MLP season. Included in that group of owners are model, host, and producer Heidi Klum, Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts, former MLB All-Star David Justice, screenwriter and director Doug Ellin, ...

LeBron James hints at possible retirement in postgame remarks

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:52 GMT

LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James began the final game of his 20th NBA season with the highest-scoring postseason half of his matchless NBA career.He ended the night by questioning retirement after his Los Angeles Lakers were swept out of the Western Conference finals.James set a personal record with 31 points in the first half of Game 4 on Monday night, but he missed two potential tying shots in the final minute as the Denver Nuggets ended the Lakers' season with a 113-111 victory.The 38-year-old James finished with 40 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and immense frustration after Los Angeles' remarkable late-season surge ended with four consecutive defeats. Although the top scorer in NBA history spoke about himself as part of the Lakers next season, James also said he hasn't made up his mind.“We’ll see what happens going forward,” James said in the final answer of his postgame news conference. “I don’t know. I don’t know. I’ve got a lot to think about, to be honest. Just for me per...

Courtesy Desk: WGN's new popcorn machine

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:52 GMT

The WGN Morning News celebrates a recent upgrade to the newsroom.Love the WGN Morning News? We love you, too. And you can have all the hijinks delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign up and subscribe to our WGN Morning News newsletter.

NOAA releases summer weather predictions for all 50 states

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:52 GMT

(NEXSTAR) – This summer is shaping up to be a scorcher. In its long-range weather outlook for June, July and August, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts most U.S. states are leaning toward a hotter-than-average summer. The temperature map (below) is lit up in shades of orange and red. The darker the color, the higher the probability of above-normal temperatures. El Niño’s arrival is imminent and there’s a 90% chance it lasts all year, forecasters say The bullseye of the map, where an extra-hot summer is most likely, is centered around the southwest — an area where even "normal" August temperatures are in the 90s. The only area not expected to see a hot summer is the Midwest. The outlook for those states is more of a toss-up, with equal chances of above-normal and below-normal temperatures. Hawaii, which isn't pictured on the map, is also expected to see above-normal temperatures between June and August, according to NOAA's Climate Prediction C...

Bill that would eliminate vehicle inspections passes Senate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:52 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) – A bill that would eliminate vehicle safety inspections for some vehicles in Texas has now passed both chambers in the legislature after clearing the Texas Senate on Sunday. House Bill 3297 would eliminate regular mandatory vehicle safety inspections for noncommercial vehicles in Texas. IN-DEPTH: What you need to pass vehicle safety inspection However, emissions inspections would still be required in the state's largest counties, including Travis County, to re-register vehicles.The money for the safety inspection fee would be converted into a charge car owners would pay when they register their vehicles.

Pflugerville police investigating after man found dead over the weekend

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:52 GMT

PFLUGERVILLE, Texas (KXAN) -- The Pflugerville Police Department is investigating after a man was found dead inside a home on Saturday. Officers responded to a welfare check call around 12:30 p.m. Saturday in the 700 block of Campfire Trail. When they entered the house, officers found a man dead.Pflugerville PD said it was an isolated incident, and there is no known threat to the public. Police are actively investigating, and no other details are available. Anyone with information about this incident should contact Pflugerville PD at (512) 990-6700, [email protected] or by visiting its website.

Worker dies in ATV accident in Maplewood park

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:52 GMT

A 26-year-old working on a controlled burn in a park in Maplewood died Monday in an ATV accident, according to the Ramsey County sheriff’s office.Deputies responded about 3:45 p.m. to the Fish Creek Natural Area trailhead just off Interstate 494 and near Henry Lane. They’d received a report of a man trapped under an all-terrain vehicle. Samuel H. Sylvester, of Lino Lakes, was pronounced dead.Sylvester was apparently an employee of Native Resource Preservation, which Ramsey County Parks and Recreation contracted with for a controlled burn in the park, said Steve Linders, a sheriff’s office spokesman.The sheriff’s office is investigating what caused the ATV to roll. Preliminary information indicated it was an accident, Linders said. Related ArticlesCrime & Public Safety | St. Paul man sentenced to 30 years in prison for killing former Central High basketball star Crime & Public Safety | White Bear Lake police chief to retire a...

St. Paul man sentenced to 30 years in prison for killing former Central High basketball star

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:53:52 GMT

The man who fatally shot Dion Ford Jr., a former high school and college basketball star, during a robbery outside a St. Paul convenience store last year was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Monday.When Xavion Bell tried to rob Ford in the city’s North End, a deadly gunfight broke out between the two 21-year-olds from St. Paul. Ford, who had a permit to carry a gun, pulled out his handgun and shot Bell, wounding him. Bell fell to the ground, but fired back, hitting Ford several times, including once in the head.Xavion Tyrece Bell.(Courtesy of the Minnesota Department of Corrections)Last month, Bell pleaded guilty to second-degree intentional murder after reaching an agreement with prosecutors that included the 30-year sentence. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors agreed to seek concurrent sentences for two robberies from 2020.In February, Bell’s brother, D’Angelo Dampier was sentenced to 25 years in prison in connection with Ford’s killing. Dampier, 20, admitted to firing severa...