Illinois Quick Hits: Tornado kills 2 in Jefferson County

June 22, 2026/

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By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Two people are dead and at least five are injured after a tornado touched down in the northeastern part of Jefferson County on Sunday night.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s office said in a news release that the two fatalities occurred in separate single wide trailers that were destroyed.

More than 20 tornadoes have been reported in Illinois over the last two weeks.

TRUMP CALLS OUT PRITZKER FOR CHICAGO SHOOTINGS

President Donald Trump is again questioning why Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker is not asking for help after a violent weekend in Chicago, where shootings left at least six people dead and more than 30 injured.

On Friday night, at least 12 people suffered injuries in a drive-by shooting on 95th Street, a few blocks west of the Dan Ryan Expressway.

The president said in a social media post on Sunday he could make Chicago a safe city in one month.

LAYOFFS ILLINOIS COMPANIES, HAWTHORNE RACE COURSE

The latest Illinois Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act notices include Eklind Tool of Franklin Park laying off 112 workers and Saddle Creek corp. of Edwardsville laying off 78 due to plant closures.

Hyster-Yale Materials Handling of Danville revised its layoff number from 28 to 76 in a planned relocation.

On June 3, Hawthorne Race Course warned that it could layoff 290 workers in Stickney due to bankruptcy.

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