Perryville, MO (KTRS) An investigation is underway after a medical helicopter crashed in southeastern Missouri over the weekend. Authorities say a St. Louis Children’s Hospital helicopter was transporting a 5-year-old patient when it crashed Saturday night near Perryville. The child and at least three crew members sustained non-life threatening injuries. Sheriff Gary Schaff says the helicopter…
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – Illinois lawmakers are back to work after a dramatic vote in the House Sunday to increase income taxes by 32 percent. Attention turns to the Senate Monday as the budget measures the House endorsed move to that chamber for approval. The tax legislation increases the personal income tax rate from 3.75…
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The Illinois House has begun debating a $5 billion income tax increase to help end a two-year budget stalemate. Democratic Rep. Greg Harris of Chicago is the sponsor of the measure presented Sunday. The plan would increase the personal income tax rate by 32 percent. It would go from 3.75 percent…
CHICAGO (AP) — A website that hosted an “Abduction 101” forum linked to a 28-year-old suspect in the kidnapping of a Chinese scholar at the University of Illinois bills itself as the most popular sexual fetish networking site on the internet — and it has faced pressure in recent months to be clearer about not…
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — The speaker of the Illinois House on Saturday scheduled a key vote on a multibillion-dollar revenue package that would finance an end to the longest state budget crisis since at least the Great Depression, ending a day that turned acrimonious at times. Democratic Speaker Michael Madigan of Chicago issued a statement…
BELLEVILLE, Ill. (AP) — The widow of a man who wounded a congressman and four others in a shooting at a Republican congressional baseball practice said she is tormented by thoughts that she could have done more to help her increasingly angry husband. Suzanne Hodgkinson said her husband James was once a fun-loving man who…
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) — Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan says negotiations on a budget deal are ongoing, but that no votes will be taken over the weekend. The Chicago Democrat appeared briefly on the House floor Saturday to say legislative leaders would meet again. The state is starting its third straight fiscal year without a budget. Republicans…
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens has signed legislation to make it tougher to prove workplace and housing discrimination in court. Greitens signed the measure late Friday. The legislation has been blasted by Democrats and groups such as the state NAACP. The Missouri NAACP last week cited the measure in issuing an advisory…
Champaign, IL (AP) A man was charged Friday with kidnapping a visiting University of Illinois scholar from China who authorities believe to be dead after she disappeared three weeks ago. A federal criminal complaint alleges the suspect’s phone was used to visit an online forum in April called “Abduction 101.” Yingying Zhang, the 26-year-old daughter…