Latest Illinois Headlines

All the headlines from our Illinois Topic Page, ordered by recency.

12K Illinois Patients Approved for Medical Marijuana in Program’s 1st Year

Nov 4 2016 // Next week brings the anniversary of legal medical marijuana sales in Illinois and the program is growing steadily. Patients with state approval to buy marijuana now number about 12,000. The state released new monthly...

Tennessee Man Gets 4-Year Sentence in Illinois for Cyberattacks

Nov 4 2016 // A Tennessee man has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison for a series of cyberattacks on businesses, universities and governments. Federal prosecutors in Chicago say 22-year-old Timothy Justen French of...

Facebook, Google Amassing of ‘Faceprints’ Facing Legal Challenges

Oct 26 2016 // Facebook Inc.’s software knows your face almost as well as your mother does. And like mom, it isn’t asking your permission to do what it wants with old photos. While millions of internet users embrace the...

Illinois School Sued in Connection to Teen’s Suicide

Oct 24 2016 // The family of a 14-year-old Illinois high school student who killed herself last year is suing the local school district, arguing that it neglected to follow protocols that could have prevented the teenager’s...

Arsons Increase in Rockford, Illinois; Some Occurring Simultaneously

Oct 17 2016 // Firefighters in Rockford, Illinois, are alarmed by a rise in arsons this year and urging city residents to be wary and report any suspicious activity. According to the Rockford Register Star, 35 fires in the city were set...

Illinois Plumbing Contractor Fined $275.7K for Trenching Hazards

Oct 14 2016 // Federal safety officials say that less than three weeks after being cited for exposing workers to unsafe trenches, investigators saw a Chicago plumbing contractor exposing the same four-man crew to trenching hazards as...

OSHA: 36 Workers Have Died on the Job in Illinois This Year

Oct 7 2016 // Federal safety regulators say 36 Illinois workers have died on the job since Jan. 1, 2016. That number represents an average of one life lost each week in the state. Since 2013, Illinois worker deaths have increased 28...

Illinois’ Ingensa Insurance Services Acquired by Plexus Groupe

Oct 6 2016 // The Plexus Groupe LLC, a privately held national insurance brokerage and risk management consultancy headquartered in Deer Park, Illinois, has acquired Carol Stream, Ill.-based Ingensa Insurance Services, a diversified...

Report: Some Illinois Insurance Companies Forcing Roof Replacements

Sep 26 2016 // When Dennis Roberts’ car insurance started getting a bit too expensive, he did what a lot of consumers do and shopped around. Then he picked a new company and switched both his home and auto coverage, never expecting...

U.S. Judge Allows Class Action Alleging State Farm Bankrolled Judge

Sep 20 2016 // Some customers of State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. claim the company conspired to help elect an Illinois Supreme Court candidate so he could vote to throw out a $1 billion award against the company. Now they will...

Midwest States See Gains in Health Insurance Coverage

Sep 15 2016 // Several Midwest states report significant drops in the number of residents without health insurance. New data shows nearly 200,000 Wisconsin residents gained some form of health insurance between 2013 and 2015. In...

4 Tornadoes Sweep Through Central Illinois, Damage Reported

Sep 12 2016 // The National Weather Service is confirming that at least four tornadoes swept through east-central Illinois. Personnel from the weather service’s Lincoln office are surveying damage Saturday in Champaign and...

California-Based Confie Acquires Illinois Insurance Agency

Sep 12 2016 // Confie, a national provider of personal and commercial lines insurance, has acquired the BMR Agency LLC dba First Stop Insurance in Washington Park, Ill. First Stop Insurance specializes in non-standard auto insurance. The...

Illinois, Missouri Handle Problem of Uninsured Drivers Differently

Sep 6 2016 // Dan McMullen is an insurance agent in Ferguson, Mo. His Solo Insurance office is on West Florissant Avenue, the epicenter of the trouble two years ago. The building next to his office burned into ruins. There aren’t...

Missouri Again Non-Renews License of Northern Illinois Agency Owner

Sep 6 2016 // Missouri insurance regulators have once again refused to renew the non-resident producer license of the owner of an Illinois managing general agency that has been able to continue operations despite having his license...

Bell Insurance Solutions in Illinois Joins Valley Insurance Agency Alliance

Sep 1 2016 // Bell Insurance Solutions in Illinois recently joined Valley Insurance Agency Alliance. Bell Insurance Solutions specializes in business, life, home and auto insurance. The firm was founded this year by owner J.R....

New Illinois Law Makes Insurance Companies Find, Pay Beneficiaries

Aug 29 2016 // Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner has signed legislation requiring insurance companies to locate beneficiaries of unclaimed life insurance policies and pay them money they’re owed. The Republican said Friday the state also...

Illinois, Missouri Handle Problem of Uninsured Drivers Differently

Aug 26 2016 // Dan McMullen is an insurance agent in Ferguson, Mo. His Solo Insurance office is on West Florissant Avenue, the epicenter of the trouble two years ago. The building next to his office burned into ruins. There aren’t...

Missouri Non-Renews Insurance License of Northern Illinois Agency Owner, Again

Aug 24 2016 // The Missouri Department of Insurance has once again refused to renew the non-resident producer license of the owner of an Illinois managing general agency that has been able to continue operations despite having his...

Business-Backed Group Pushes for Workers’ Comp Alternative in Illinois

Aug 22 2016 // An Illinois think tank has published a report expressing support for a workers’ compensation opt-out system in that state, saying that it would give employers the ability to lower costs and allow for a more flexible...