Latest Illinois Headlines

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

U.S. Agriculture Chief Cites Obstacles to Aid to Farmers Hurt by Flooding

Jul 2 2008 // The U.S. agriculture secretary says he is concerned that legal hurdles prevented much immediate federal help for Midwestern farmers faced with serious setbacks because of flooding. “I think everybody is frustrated...

Hostage Killed in Illinois Insurance Office Incident

Jun 27 2008 // Authorities have identified the woman shot to death in a suburban Chicago insurance office. The Cook County medical examiner’s office says she’s 42-year-old Jeniel Morgan of South Holland, Ill. Police responded...

Flood Insurance, Public Aid Leave Gaps for Midwest Disaster Victims Looking to Rebuild

Jun 27 2008 // With federal aid limited and most homes damaged or destroyed by Midwest flooding lacking the proper insurance, states along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers will soon have to help homeowners recover, according to the...

Illinois, Missouri Residents Prepare for Floods with Sandbags, Sweat

Jun 19 2008 // Hundreds of volunteers stacked sandbags atop a levee in small Missouri towns on the evening of June 18, hoping the extra few feet of protection would save the town from record-level flood crests expected to hit this week....

Illinois, Iowa Join Indiana in Moratorium on Policy Cancellations

Jun 18 2008 // The Illinois and Iowa Insurance Departments have implemented a 60-day moratorium on the cancellation and nonrenewal of insurance policies for people who live in counties affected by the recent storms and flooding. Indiana...

$120 Million Judgement Against a Refinery Reinstated by Illinois Court

Jun 18 2008 // An Illinois appellate court has reinstated a $120 million judgment against owners of the former Clark Oil refinery, reversing a Cook County judge’s decision to dissolve the class-action suit after a verdict was...

American Family Says Losses in Midwest $143 Million Since May 1

Jun 10 2008 // One insurance company based in the Midwest says weather-related losses are adding up quickly. Madison, Wis.-based American Family Insurance Company says that claims are mounting in the Midwest since tornados, windstorms,...

Storms Cause Flooding in Indiana, Damage in Wisconsin and Illinois

Jun 9 2008 // The death toll now stands at eight in the Midwest as tornadoes, severe thunder storms and flooding hit Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin over the last five days. The forecast for all three states call for more of the...

Tornado Warning Sirens Send Illinois Lawmakers Running for Cover

Jun 2 2008 // Tornado warning sirens chased lawmakers to the statehouse basement, a semitrailer was blown from a roadway and homes and an airport building were damaged as severe storms battered parts of Illinois and Indiana on late on...

Illinois Fire Marshal Investigates Multiple House Fires

May 28 2008 // Residents in the Parkside neighborhood in the St. Clair County town of Centreville are more uneasy than ever after someone attempted to set another house on fire over the weekend. Since January, residents have reported...

Illinois Mother Settles Malpractice Lawsuit for $15.35 Million

May 28 2008 // An Aurora, Ill. mother has settled a malpractice lawsuit for $15.35 million with a hospital and doctor after her son suffered brain damage at birth six years ago. Vanessa Jenkins gave birth to her son, Cody Smithey, at...

Court: Spaniards Can Sue in N.J. for Overseas Asbestos Exposure

May 28 2008 // A group of Spanish workers injured by asbestos-containing insulation while working on Navy ships docked in Spain can sue the manufacturer of the insulation in New Jersey — where the products were produced — a...

Illinois Department of Transportation Safety Offices to Move South

May 7 2008 // The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) announced recently that it will move its 148-worker traffic safety division to somewhere in southern Ilinois. A state lawmaker says discussion about the decision to move the...

Illinois Creates Seismic Safety Task Force to Prepare for Earthquakes

May 6 2008 // Illinois has decided to create a panel aimed at improving earthquake preparedness. The Illinois Seismic Safety Task Force will assess how high-risk portions of the state have prepared to minimize earthquake damage. The...

Illinois School Damaged by Earthquake

May 5 2008 // The 5.2 magnitude earthquake that struck the Midwest last month has caused damage to a gym at an elementary school in East Alton,. Ill. Officials at Eastwood elementary School have roped off the gym with yellow caution...

Earthquake Raises Questions About Coverage, Construction Codes

May 5 2008 // Weeks after a 5.2 level earthquake rocked the Midwest from Cairo, Ill., to Atlanta, Ga., geologists and the insurance industry are still discussing the impact of the quake — such as increases in the purchase of...

Ratings Recap: CRM Holdings, Harleysville, Missouri Employers, Illinois State Bar

Apr 29 2008 // A.M. Best Co. has placed the financial strength ratings (FSR) of ‘A-‘ (Excellent) and issuer credit ratings (ICR) of “a-” of San Francisco-based Majestic Insurance Company and Bermuda-based Twin...

Aftershocks of Midwest Earthquake Expected for Weeks to Come

Apr 28 2008 // Geologists who gathered a week after a 5.2-magnitude earthquake shook the Midwest said they expect mild aftershocks to rattle the region for several weeks. The latest aftershock, a 3.7 magnitude temblor, was felt in...

Earthquake Raises Questions about Coverage, Construction Codes

Apr 25 2008 // Two weeks after a 5.2 level earthquake rocked the Midwest from Cairo to Atlanta, geologists and the industry are still discussing the impact of the quake–such as increases in the purchase of earthquake...

Ratings Roundup: Centene, Illinois Casualty, States Self-Insurers

Apr 23 2008 // Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services has lowered its counterparty credit rating on Centene Corp .to ‘BB-‘ from ‘BB’ and removed it from CreditWatch, where it was placed on March 19, 2008,...