Illinois Quick Hits: At least 7 tornadoes hit Illinois last week

Illinois Quick Hits: At least 7 tornadoes hit Illinois last week

Spread the love

(The Center Square) – The National Weather Service says at least seven tornadoes impacted Illinois last Friday afternoon and evening.

The Stephenson County Sheriff’s office said the village of Lena suffered widespread damage, but there were no deaths or serious injuries reported.

The National Weather Service reported three tornadoes in Winnebago County as well as twisters in LaSalle, Livingston, Ford and Iroquois counties.

FIRM’S SPACE REDUCED BY CHICAGO LEASE EXTENSION

A Chicago consulting firm says its workforce is not affected by the company’s reduced square footage in downtown Chicago.

A spokesperson for Huron Consulting Group told The Center Square that the firm modified and extended its lease through 2037 to formalize adjustments made during the pandemic.

The spokesperson said the current agreement reflects a reduction in square footage, but the company has not occupied that square footage since 2020.

PENSION BUYOUT PROGRAM EXTENDED

A two-year extension of Illinois’ COLA pension buyout program is headed to the state Senate.

The voluntary program allows retirees in Illinois’ four statewide retirement systems to receive a lump-sum payment in exchange for forgoing future 3% compounded cost-of-living adjustments.

The House passed HB 5196 unanimously on Friday. Supporters say the buyouts have reduced Illinois’ pension liabilities by an estimated $2.6 billion.

MAN GETS 25 YEARS IN PRISON FOR PROVIDING MATERIAL SUPPORT TO ISIS

A Chicago man has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham by using social media to encourage attacks on ISIS enemies and to recruit ISIS members.

Prosecutors said Ashraf Al Safoo, 41, was a leader of Khattab Media Foundation, an online organization that created and disseminated threats and ISIS propaganda on social media and other online platforms.

Al Safoo, 41, has been in custody since his 2018 arrest in Chicago.

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

Jail Fight

Three Charged After Pitcher Attack Sparks Fight at Will County Jail

Article Summary: A fight involving six inmates broke out at the Will County Adult Detention Facility on Sunday afternoon, requiring intervention by the Emergency Response Team. Authorities have charged three...
summit-hill-junior-high-school-frankfort-161

Deniz Aslan Named Director of Curriculum and Instruction

Summit Hill School District 161 Meeting | Jan. 21, 2026 Article Summary: After serving as the interim director, Deniz Aslan was officially hired as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction...
Palatine teacher fired over anti-BLM posts turns to SCOTUS

Palatine teacher fired over anti-BLM posts turns to SCOTUS

By Jonathan Bilyk | Legal NewslineThe Center Square A former Palatine High School teacher who was fired for posting anti-Black Lives Matter content to her personal Facebook page has asked...
Attorneys seek to remove prosecutors in Tyler Robinson trial

Attorneys seek to remove prosecutors in Tyler Robinson trial

By Dave MasonThe Center Square Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray stressed his decisions on defendant Tyler Robinson – including his intention to seek the death penalty if Robinson is convicted...
Plastic surgeons recommend delaying gender surgery until 19

Plastic surgeons recommend delaying gender surgery until 19

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square The American Society of Plastic Surgeons on Tuesday recommended delaying gender-related surgery for those 19 and younger, given low-quality data and emerging concerns about surgical...
Congress begins two-week battle over DHS funding bill

Congress begins two-week battle over DHS funding bill

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square U.S. lawmakers face a rocky path forward as they begin negotiations over the last remaining appropriations bill for fiscal year 2026. During the next two...
Chicago mayor defends ICE order, calls for progressive revenue from state taxpayers

Chicago mayor defends ICE order, calls for progressive revenue from state taxpayers

By Jim TalamontiThe Center Square Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has clarified his stance about the Cook County State’s Attorney’s support for his executive order directing police to refer federal immigration...
Unrealized Education Department cuts cost taxpayers up to $38 million

Unrealized Education Department cuts cost taxpayers up to $38 million

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square A watchdog report found that an unrealized plan to cut U.S. Department of Education staff cost taxpayers up to $38 million, as many workers were...
Illinois Quick Hits: Illinois to join WHO's alert network

Illinois Quick Hits: Illinois to join WHO’s alert network

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker says Illinois is joining the World Health Organization’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network....
GOP candidates for Illinois governor challenge Pritzker on state finances

GOP candidates for Illinois governor challenge Pritzker on state finances

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker has proposed ways for Illinois to better fund pensions, but one of the governor’s...
Date set for Clintons to appear before House committee

Date set for Clintons to appear before House committee

By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will appear before the House Oversight Committee later this month, after being threatened with...
Lawmaker says adopting federal ‘no tax on tips’ would help workers

Lawmaker says adopting federal ‘no tax on tips’ would help workers

By Catrina BarkerThe Center Square A growing debate over how tipped income is taxed in Illinois has resurfaced as state Rep. Regan Deering, R-Decatur, introduced legislation aiming to align Illinois...
AGs request probe into climate activists’ influence on Federal Judicial Center

AGs request probe into climate activists’ influence on Federal Judicial Center

By Tate MillerThe Center Square Twenty-two state attorneys general sent a letter to chairmen of the House and Senate Judiciary Committee, requesting that an investigation concerning improper influence on judges...
Detroit judge among four charged with exploiting vulnerable adults

Detroit judge among four charged with exploiting vulnerable adults

By Elyse ApelThe Center Square Four Michiganders, including a sitting judge, have been charged by the U.S. Department of Justice with embezzlement-related charges. All four are residents of Detroit and...
Govt. funding bills pass House on razor-thin margins, head to Trump's desk

Govt. funding bills pass House on razor-thin margins, head to Trump’s desk

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square The U.S. House passed a critical government funding package along bipartisan lines in a nail-biter Tuesday vote, sending it to the president’s desk. Once President...