By Rob Gillies Associated Press TORONTO (AP) — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Friday that Canada is banning the use and trade of assault-style weapons immediately.  Trudeau cited numerous mass shootings in the country, including…

By Jim Hagerty Reporter LENA, Ill. - An attorney from the Thomas More Society, the law firm representing the Lena church that filed a lawsuit against Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, responded Friday to a change in the stay-at-home order…

By Jim Hagerty Reporter MACHESNEY PARK - Rock Cut State Park has made the list of states parks that opened Friday, May 1. Officials have confirmed that the park is now open for fishing, hiking, biking and boating with no more than…

By Alexandra Jaffe and Bill Barrow Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Friday categorically denied allegations from a former Senate staffer that he sexually assaulted her in the early 1990s,…

Staff Report WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger (Illinois-16), along with four other Illinois Republicans, has sent a letter to Gov. J.B. Pritzker, urging a him to consider a regional, phased re-opening of the economy. The…

By Jim Hagerty Reporter CHICAGO - Winnebago County is considered a COVID-19 hotspot, Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Thursday. "Rockford is a hotspot in the state," Pritzker said. "Winnebago County has quite a number of infections." As of…

By Jim Hagerty Reporter ROCKFORD - A Lena, Illinois, church filed a lawsuit in federal court Thursday, seeking relief from Gov. J.B. Pritzker's statewide stay-at-home order. Pastor Stephen Cassell filed the complaint in the Northern…

Staff Report ROCKFORD - While people may be thinking of growing vegetables this season, they might want to consider fruit trees as an addition to the backyard. “Fruit trees can be great for the backyard in Northern Illinois,"…

By Jim Hagerty Reporter ROCKFORD - A Rockford man is charged with weapons offenses after a woman suffered a gunshot wound on the city's southeast side Tuesday. Police say the incident unfolded around 8 p.m, in the 1900 block of South…

By Jim Hagerty Reporter CHICAGO - There were 92 COVID-19-related deaths in Illinois Tuesday, 63 of which occurred in Cook County. To date, 2,215 people in 96 Illinois counties have died from complications of the coronavirus disease.…

By Marilyn Marchione AP Chief Medical Writer For the first time, a major study has found that an experimental drug works against the new coronavirus, and U.S. government officials said Wednesday that they would work to make it available…

Staff Report ROCKFORD - Rockford Public Library will launch "Virtual Lunch and Learn" this week, a six-part Webex series inspired by its live adult programs. The series begins at 12:30 p.m., Thursday, April 30, with “From Bootleggers…

Staff Report ROCKFORD - Demolition of the former Magna grocery store, 3915 E. State St., will begin at 7 a.m., Thursday, April 30, the city announced Wednesday. The building has been vacant for more than 20 years. The city recently…

By Jim Hagerty Report ROCKFORD - State Rep. John Cabello, R-Machesney Park, on Wednesday, officially filed a lawsuit against Gov. J.B. Pritzker, challenging the governor's stay-at-home edict meant to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.…

Staff Report CHICAGO - Cook County accounted for nearly 80% of the state's daily COVID-19 fatalities, the Illinois Department of Public Health reported Tuesday. Cook County deaths include a woman in her 20s, a man in his 20s, two men…