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Vallas, Johnson notch key endorsements ahead of WGN-TV debate

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:50:59 GMT

CHICAGO — A little more than two weeks before Election Day, Chicago's mayoral candidates picked up some key endorsements. City and Cook County Black legislators, including the Chair of the City Council's Black Caucus, stand behind Brandon Johnson. "I think he has the energy, the exuberance, the vision to be a great leader for Chicago," said Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. How to watch WGN’s Chicago Mayoral Debate Johnson also picked up endorsements from the Polish community and retired Black firefighters and paramedics. "The failures of old that have left families behind and have created this tale of two cities, we’re going to disrupt, dismantle and destroy that tale of two cities and we're going to usher in one story for one Chicago," Johnson said. On Sunday, former mayoral candidate Willie Wilson and 150 faith leaders endorsed Paul Vallas. The mayoral candidate also got the nod from the Latino Leadership Council, a group of civic, business and elected off...

Can you still go to jail for weed in Illinois?

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:50:59 GMT

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) -- Recreational marijuana has been legal in Illinois for three years, and it has been an economical boon, soaring past $1.5 billion in 2022.While the drug might now be legal in the state, there are still limits on how much a person can possess at one time.With that being said, some residents might be wondering if they can still go to jail for marijuana in the state if they have too much. Can I buy weed off the street in Illinois? Illinois residents can own up to 30 grams of marijuana flower at a time, according to Norml. The penalties for owning more than this depends on the amount, as well as the number of offenses.Having between 30-100 grams for a first offense is considered a misdemeanor and can lead to a year of jail time. If a person is caught doing it again, it becomes a felony, which can result in up to three years of jail time. Having 100-500 grams results in the same penalty as a second offense of the amount mentioned above. Can I share weed in Ill...

Amazon's 'A League of Their Own' series gets final, abbreviated season

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:50:59 GMT

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Amazon's "A League of Their Own" series has been renewed for a second season, but it will only be four episodes and will be the series' last, according to The Hollywood Reporter.Amazon did not give details as to why the series is coming to an end and does not release viewership information.The story of the Rockford Peaches was adapted into a 1992 feature film starring Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, and Madonna, and directed by Penny Marshall. Pitchfork Music Festival announces 2023 full lineup and concert dates The modern updating of the story of the Rockford Peaches All-American Girls Professional Baseball League explored themes of “race and sexuality as it follows a new ensemble of women carving out their own paths in the league and outside of it,” with storylines following Black and lesbian players exploring queer romance.The new show received recognition from GLAAD, the Independent Spirit Awards, and the NAACP Image Awards.Amazon hosted a premiere event at Roc...

Cheap Trick to perform at 2023 Summerfest

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:50:59 GMT

MILWAUKEE, Wis. (WTVO) — A Rockford-based band will head up to Milwaukee this summer for a major festival.Cheap Trick will be at Summerfest on Thursday, June 22. They will be performing at the BMO Harris Pavilion at 7:30 p.m. The Offspring, Simple Plan and Sum 41 coming to Tinley Park The Rockford-based band started in 1973 and quickly became a widely known band with their hits "I Want You to Want Me," "Surrender," and "The Flame" among countless others.Cheap Trick was introducted to the Rock and Rock Hall of Fame in 2016.Original members Rick Nielsen, Robin Zander, and Tom Petersson continue to tour together after 50 years. The festival will take place June 22-24, June 29-July 1 and July 6-8. Headliners include Eric Church, Zac Brown Band, Dave Matthews Band and Imagine Dragons.

Cases of rare tick-borne disease on the rise in 8 states, CDC says

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:50:59 GMT

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) – Tick-borne illness cases in the United States are up 25% since 2011, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including a rare disease now spreading in the U.S. Northeast.The CDC says cases of babesiosis, which can cause illness ranging from asymptomatic to severe, have increased significantly in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont. The disease is already considered endemic in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Wisconsin.The tick-borne disease, which is growing in cases but still rare, is transmitted from the bites of black-legged ticks.  Why getting a COVID vaccine in the nose might work better Babesiosis infections can be asymptomatic or cause mild to severe illnesses that can be fatal. Symptoms, which can last for several weeks, typically show up between one and four weeks after a bite. The most common ...

'Ted Lasso' cast joins White House briefing to discuss mental health

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:50:59 GMT

Actor Jason Sudeikis and the cast of “Ted Lasso” joined the White House daily press briefing on Monday ahead of a meeting with President Biden to discuss efforts to address mental health.Sudeikis — who plays the title character on the Apple TV+ show, which has included multiple episodes touching on mental health — called on Americans to not be afraid to ask for help.“While it's easier said than done, we also have to know that we shouldn't be afraid to ask for help ourselves,” Sudeikis said. “And that does take a lot, especially when it's something that has such a negative stigma to it such as mental health, and that doesn’t need to be that way.”“I know in this town a lot of folks don’t always agree … but I truly believe we should all do our best to take care of each other,” he added.Alongside press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, Sudeikis was joined at the podium by actors Brett Goldstein, who plays Roy Kent; Hannah Waddingham, who plays Rebecca Welton; Brendan Hunt, who plays Coach B...

Dean of Mitchell Hamline law school to step down in 2024

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:50:59 GMT

The dean of the Mitchell Hamline School of Law plans to step down when his contract expires in June 2024.Anthony Niedwiecki, who has helmed the St. Paul law school since July 2020, said in a note to alumni on Monday that his decision was driven by the need to focus on his own well-being.“My husband Waymon and I took stock recently when we celebrated our 20th anniversary, looking at the health issues we’ve both had in recent years as well as our quality of life,” Niedwiecki wrote. “I realized I love serving as president and dean but feel like the all-consuming focus it demands is no longer what’s best for my family and me.”Niedwiecki, who informed the school’s faculty and staff of his decision last week, said he plans to return to Mitchell Hamline as a full-time professor after a sabbatical.Reflecting on his tenure as dean thus far, Niedwiecki pointed to several notable accomplishments: doubling alumni giving, notching the best first-time bar passage rat...

Former paraprofessional sentenced in child sextortion scheme

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:50:59 GMT

A former paraprofessional in the Anoka-Hennepin School District who admitted to a child sextortion scheme has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison and 12 years of supervised release.Glen Robert Anderson, 24, of Coon Rapids, pleaded guilty in June to two counts of production of child pornography and one count each of enticement of a minor and interstate communications with intent to extort. He was sentenced Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis.Anderson worked as a substitute paraprofessional for Anoka-Hennepin schools between May 2019 and March 2022, when the district learned he was under investigation by the FBI, a district spokesman said.According to the charges, between April 2016 and August 2021, Anderson used his position as administrator of an online gaming forum to groom minors to produce child pornography and engage in sexual acts with him, and that he provided the children with in-game perks, privileges and other gifts.When one of his victims — who w...

New York authorities prepare for unprecedented arrest of an ex-president

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:50:59 GMT

NEW YORK — He would be fingerprinted. He would be photographed. He could even be handcuffed.And if Donald Trump is indicted by a Manhattan grand jury in the days ahead for his role in a hush money payment to a porn star, the former president of the United States of America will be read the standard Miranda warning: He will be told that he has the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney.These are among the routine steps for felony arrests in New York. But the unprecedented arrest of a former commander in chief — one whose devoted supporters once staged a violent attack on the Capitol — will be anything but routine.Last week, senior officials from the district attorney’s office and the state agency that runs the courts had preliminary discussions to plan for a possible indictment and arraignment. So did officials from the Police Department, which patrols the streets outside the lower Manhattan courthouse, and the court officers, who handle security inside the Criminal Cour...

Hastings strangling charge upped to 1st-degree murder. Pattern of domestic abuse, premeditation alleged.

Published Wed, 12 Feb 2025 12:50:59 GMT

A grand jury has indicted a man for first-degree murder, alleging a pattern of domestic abuse and premeditation in the killing of his 36-year-old girlfriend in Hastings.The Dakota County attorney’s office previously charged Kyle Steven Williams, 34, with second-degree murder in the death of Kelly Jo Marie Kocurek. She was found unresponsive, bloody and bruised May 18, 2021, in a room at Coratel Inn and Suites on Vermillion and 25th streets. She was taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul and was in a coma before dying May 23, 2021, according to a criminal complaint filed against Williams.Kyle Steven Williams (Courtesy of Dakota County Sheriff’s Office)Williams told Hastings police officers that Kocurek strangled herself with a cord, but an autopsy determined her manner of death was homicide. She was also found with numerous traumatic head injuries attributed to physical assault, including bruises on her face, head and ear, in addition to fractures on both sides of her jaw....