Latest Illinois Headlines
All the headlines from our Illinois Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Eyeing Affluent Market, Crestbrook Ready to Launch in Illinois
Oct 24 2013 // Well-to-do Illinois residents and their insurance agents can soon look forward to another option when it comes to protecting their assets. Crestbrook Insurance has selected Illinois for the launch of what is essentially a...
Illinois Bills Call for Stiffer Penalties for Boating DUI
Oct 22 2013 // Illinois lawmakers are considering a series of measures aimed at making the state’s waterways safer, including a bill that would impose stiffer penalties on people caught operating a boat while intoxicated. The...
Lack of Fire Protection Closes Illinois Haunted Houses
Oct 17 2013 // Two Halloween haunted houses in west central Illinois won’t be operating this year because organizers aren’t able to meet state fire safety rules. The Register-Mail in Galesburg reports that Gilson Haunted...
20 Tornadoes Recorded in Illinois so Far This Year
Oct 11 2013 // Illinois has received only a third of the number of tornadoes typically recorded over the course of a year, weather officials said. The (Springfield) State Journal-Register reports there have been 20 reports of tornadoes...
Analysis: Health Insurance Prices for 3 Illinois Households
Oct 10 2013 // How much will an Illinois fast food cook pay for insurance under President Barack Obama’s health care law? How about a preschool teacher? Or a freelance writer? Price information has been difficult to come by because...
Illinois State Police Catch Shaving, Texting Drivers
Oct 4 2013 // Illinois State Police say a man who was shaving was one of dozens of people stopped by officers patrolling a Chicago expressway for distracted drivers. While state troopers only issued the shaver a warning, spokeswoman...
Illinois Farm Deaths at Lowest Level in 35 Years
Sep 23 2013 // The number of laborers and others killed in accidents on Illinois farms is falling. The (Champaign) News-Gazette reports that the number of fatalities in the 12 months ending June 30 was the lowest in 35 years. According...
New Rules for Civil Settlement in Illinois: What Defendants and Insurers Need to Know
Sep 20 2013 // On August 26, 2013, Gov. Quinn signed into law Public Act 098-0548, which amends the Illinois Code of Civil Procedure, and creates a new statutory section addressing settlements and liens in civil cases. The new statute,...
Illinois Man Gets 12-Year Sentence For Fatal Huffing Crash
Sep 11 2013 // A north-central Illinois man was sentenced to 12 years in prison after Henry County prosecutors say he was huffing chemicals before a high-speed rollover crash that killed three teenagers. Morgan Blakey was convicted of...
Illinois Based Company Fined $185K for Injury at Wisconsin Plant
Sep 11 2013 // Federal safety officials fined an Illinois-based company more than $185,000 after a worker suffered severe burns at the same northern Wisconsin plant where five people have been killed since 2008. Packaging Corp. of...
Proof of Insurance Law Puzzling Some Illinois Police
Sep 3 2013 // A new Illinois law that allows motorists to provide proof of insurance using their smartphones is puzzling some police departments. The Springfield bureau of Lee Enterprises reports some law enforcement agencies are still...
Major Insurance Exchange Company Expanding in Illinois
Aug 30 2013 // A major Illinois health insurance exchange has announced plans to double its workforce to serve those shopping for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. GoHealth LLC announced it plans to create 450 additional...
Illinois Workers’ Comp Insurance Rate Down 4.5 Percent
Aug 21 2013 // The rate used to calculate workers’ compensation insurance premiums has dropped again, a direct result of reforms Gov. Pat Quinn signed into law in 2011, his aides said. The National Council on Compensation...
Illinois Governor Signs Gun Law on Background Checks, Thefts
Aug 20 2013 // Illinois gun owners who fail to report the theft or loss of a weapon will face tougher restrictions under a new law signed by Gov. Pat Quinn. The law closes a background check loophole for the sale or transfer of a firearm...
New Illinois Law Aims to Help Prevent Flooding by ‘Going Green’
Aug 15 2013 // Gov. Pat Quinn has signed legislation to help Illinois communities prevent flooding by “going green.” Quinn signed the bill in the Chicago suburb of Orland Park, one of the communities hit hard by flooding this...
NCCI Files for 4.5% Decrease in Illinois Work Comp Advisory Rates
Aug 9 2013 // The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) has filed for an 4.5 percent decrease in voluntary advisory insurance rates in Illinois, effective Jan. 1, 2014. The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission...
First Felony Conviction Won Against Uninsured Employer in Illinois
Aug 8 2013 // For the first time, an uninsured employer has been convicted of a Class 4 felony for failing to obtain workers’ compensation insurance in Illinois, the state workers’ compensation commission announced. Ahmed...
Illinois Governor Signs Bill Mandating Insurance For Athletes
Aug 6 2013 // Starting next year, Illinois high schools must offer catastrophic insurance coverage for student athletes, under a bill Gov. Pat Quinn signed into law on Sunday. The law was inspired by the late Rasul “Rocky”...
Illinois Cites Belleville For Flawed Emergency Plan
Aug 5 2013 // When a tornado siren went off during a meeting at Belleville’s City Hall and nobody took charge to move people to safety, it got the attention of Alderwoman Lillian Schneider. Her formal complaint to the Illinois...
Lawsuit Filed in Illinois Over Canadian Train Explosion
Aug 5 2013 // The family of one of 50 people who died in a fiery Canadian oil-train explosion is suing the train’s Illinois owners. The wrongful death case was filed in Cook County Circuit Court on behalf of relatives of Jean-Guy...
