Latest Illinois Headlines
All the headlines from our Illinois Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Lawsuit: Teens Sexually Assaulted in Illinois School Team Hazing
Aug 25 2021 // The parents of two teenage boys filed a federal lawsuit Monday alleging their sons were sexually assaulted in a hazing tradition by older players on their suburban Chicago, Ill., high school football team, and that three...
Illinois County Settles with Nurse Over COVID Request
Aug 24 2021 // A southern Illinois county agreed to pay a nurse $35,000 to settle her lawsuit alleging she was fired for refusing to tell local law enforcement which residents had tested positive for the coronavirus. The payment to nurse...
1 Mayor Sentenced, 1 Pleads Guilty in Illinois Town’s Insurance Procurement Case
Aug 18 2021 // On Aug. 13, the former mayor of a southwest Illinois town became the second area mayor to plead guilty to lying to federal agents investigating a case involving commission payments related to the placement of casualty loss...
Illinois Court Rules Hobby Lobby Broke Law in Transgender Employee Bathroom Case
Aug 16 2021 // Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. violated Illinois anti-bias law by denying a transgender woman employee access to the women’s bathroom, a state appellate court ruled in a case of first impression. Meggan Sommerville’s...
6 Tornadoes Confirmed in Northern Illinois
Aug 11 2021 // The National Weather Service confirmed that at least six tornadoes touched down in four northern Illinois counties. Based on video, photos and storm reports provided by storm spotters and storm chasers, the agency...
Berkley Program Specialists, Illinois’ CISA Partner on Condominium Insurance
Aug 11 2021 // Berkley Program Specialists, a Berkley Company, and Condominium Insurance Specialists of America (CISA) are partnering to provide insurance protection to condominiums and associations. Condominium Insurance Specialists of...
Illinois Cooperative Faces $303K in Fines, Cited for Grain-Handling Violations
Aug 11 2021 // A central Illinois grain-handling cooperative exposed workers to serious engulfment hazards when soybeans collapsed inside a Monticello bin and engulfed an employee up to their waist, the U.S. Department of Labor’s...
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Acquires R.J. Riordan & Co. in Illinois
Jul 30 2021 // Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. acquired Oakbrook, Illinois-based R.J. Riordan & Co. R.J. Riordan & Co. is a retail property/casualty broker offering a full range of insurance products and services to clients across...
People Moves: Bahn Joins RPS in Illinois; Keller Joins IFG Primary Casualty in Chicago; Omaha National Promotes Perry
Jul 29 2021 // Risk Placement Services Bruce Bahn joined Risk Placement Services (RPS) in Rolling Meadows, Ill., as the vice president of business and product development. In this new position, Bahn will be responsible for leading the...
Credit Ratings Assigned to Illinois’ Vantage Risk Specialty Insurance
Jul 14 2021 // AM Best has assigned a Financial Strength Rating of A- (Excellent) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of “a-” (Excellent) to Vantage Risk Specialty Insurance Co. (Vantage Risk) in Chicago. Vantage Risk is a...
State Officials Sue Owners of Illinois Chemical Plant that Burned
Jul 12 2021 // Illinois prosecutors on July 9 sued the owner of a chemical plant where a fire in June sent dark smoke and ash into the air for days and prompted evacuations, saying the company should be held accountable for air and water...
Company Defends Use of Toxic Chemicals to Fight Illinois Plant Fire
Jul 2 2021 // A company whose northern Illinois chemical plant was heavily damaged in a fire defended its use of firefighting foam containing toxic chemicals, saying crews had taken steps to contain the material. An industrial team...
Foodservice Distributor Settles Claims of Discriminatory Hiring at Illinois Facility
Jun 30 2021 // The U.S. Department of Labor said US Foods will pay $159,550 in back pay and interest to 114 female and Black job applicants as part of an to resolve alleged hiring discrimination found at its Bensenville, Ill.,...
Illinois Chemical Plant Fire Likely Accidental, Fire Chief Says
Jun 27 2021 // An explosion and massive fire at a chemical plant in northern Illinois that filled the sky with black smoke and forced the evacuation of hundreds of homes for days was started accidentally during maintenance work, a senior...
Illinois Casualty Gets AM Best Ratings Upgrade
Jun 22 2021 // AM Best has upgraded the Financial Strength Rating to A- (Excellent) from B++ (Good) and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating (Long-Term ICR) to “a-” (Excellent) from “bbb+” (Good) of Illinois...
Feds Inspected Illinois Chemical Plant Weeks Before Explosion, Fires
Jun 16 2021 // A northern Illinois chemical plant that was rocked by an explosion and massive fires that prompted evacuations was inspected by a federal agency less than a month before the blast sent debris raining down onto nearby...
Explosion, Fire at Illinois Chemical Plant Prompt Evacuations
Jun 15 2021 // An explosion at a chemical plant in northern Illinois sparked massive fires that sent flames and huge plumes of thick black smoke high into the air Monday morning, prompting evacuations. Emergency crews rushed to the scene...
Six Flags Park Settling Illinois Park Fingerprints Lawsuit for $36M
Jun 14 2021 // Six Flags Great America has settled a class-action lawsuit by agreeing to pay $36 million over the use of fingerprint scanners at its Illinois theme park. Pass holders and others who visited the Gurnee park between October...
Attorney Seeks Names of All Order Priests in Illinois Accused of Abuse
Jun 9 2021 // An attorney is calling on Catholic bishops across Illinois to end the “dangerous deceit” and release a full list of religious order priests who face credible sexual abuse accusations. Attorney Jeff Anderson has...
People Moves: Domek Joins HOAIC in Illinois; United Heartland Promotes Richeson in Kansas City; Liberty Mutual, Safeco Name Meuret Midwest Field Exec
Jun 4 2021 // HOAIC Homeowners of America Insurance Co. (HOAIC), an Irving, Texas-based property/casualty insurance provider, has added Paul Domek as a territory sales manager in Illinois. Domek brings over 20 years of insurance...
