Illinois Quick Hits: At least 7 tornadoes hit Illinois last week

Illinois Quick Hits: At least 7 tornadoes hit Illinois last week

Spread the love

(The Center Square) – The National Weather Service says at least seven tornadoes impacted Illinois last Friday afternoon and evening.

The Stephenson County Sheriff’s office said the village of Lena suffered widespread damage, but there were no deaths or serious injuries reported.

The National Weather Service reported three tornadoes in Winnebago County as well as twisters in LaSalle, Livingston, Ford and Iroquois counties.

FIRM’S SPACE REDUCED BY CHICAGO LEASE EXTENSION

A Chicago consulting firm says its workforce is not affected by the company’s reduced square footage in downtown Chicago.

A spokesperson for Huron Consulting Group told The Center Square that the firm modified and extended its lease through 2037 to formalize adjustments made during the pandemic.

The spokesperson said the current agreement reflects a reduction in square footage, but the company has not occupied that square footage since 2020.

PENSION BUYOUT PROGRAM EXTENDED

A two-year extension of Illinois’ COLA pension buyout program is headed to the state Senate.

The voluntary program allows retirees in Illinois’ four statewide retirement systems to receive a lump-sum payment in exchange for forgoing future 3% compounded cost-of-living adjustments.

The House passed HB 5196 unanimously on Friday. Supporters say the buyouts have reduced Illinois’ pension liabilities by an estimated $2.6 billion.

MAN GETS 25 YEARS IN PRISON FOR PROVIDING MATERIAL SUPPORT TO ISIS

A Chicago man has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for conspiring to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham by using social media to encourage attacks on ISIS enemies and to recruit ISIS members.

Prosecutors said Ashraf Al Safoo, 41, was a leader of Khattab Media Foundation, an online organization that created and disseminated threats and ISIS propaganda on social media and other online platforms.

Al Safoo, 41, has been in custody since his 2018 arrest in Chicago.

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

Reported bomb threat halts flights at Washington Reagan National Airport

Reported bomb threat halts flights at Washington Reagan National Airport

By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square Flights in and out of Washington Reagan National Airport were momentarily halted due to a reported bomb threat on an incoming flight. The app Flight...
22 candidates vying for Illinois’ Democrat, Republican U.S. Senate primaries

22 candidates vying for Illinois’ Democrat, Republican U.S. Senate primaries

By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Some of the 22 candidates vying for their party’s nomination for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated...
Trump says SNAP benefits on hold until government reopens

Trump says SNAP benefits on hold until government reopens

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square President Donald Trump said Tuesday that federal food benefits won't go out until the government reopens, a statement at odds with what his administration has...
Number of measles cases grows along Arizona-Utah border

Number of measles cases grows along Arizona-Utah border

By Chris WoodwardThe Center Square Measles cases have increased on the Arizona-Utah border. An online dashboard operated by the Arizona Department of Health Services shows 111 total cases. Three people...

WATCH: Illinois tax amnesty program closes Nov. 17, brings in $82.5 million

By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The Illinois Department of Revenue is confident it will meet, if not exceed, its goal of bringing...
Median age for a first-time home buyer hits 40, a record high

Median age for a first-time home buyer hits 40, a record high

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square The median age for a first-time home buyer just hit 40, a record high, according to a new report from the National Association of Realtors....
Illinois biz leader: Diversity computer snafu so bad it 'has to be intentional'

Illinois biz leader: Diversity computer snafu so bad it ‘has to be intentional’

By Jared Strong | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – An Illinois computer problem that has led to the diversity decertifications of numerous businesses owned by minorities...
WATCH: GOP U.S. Sen. candidate Tracy on shutdown, tariffs; state expands sanctuary

WATCH: GOP U.S. Sen. candidate Tracy on shutdown, tariffs; state expands sanctuary

By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – In today's edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square Editor Greg Bishop talks live with...
Former Vice President Dick Cheney dies

Former Vice President Dick Cheney dies

By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square Dick Cheney, vice president to former President George W. Bush, has died. He was 84. His family was with him Monday evening and said the...
Illinois quick hits: Ceremonies planned for new lawyers; energy efficiency grants announced

Illinois quick hits: Ceremonies planned for new lawyers; energy efficiency grants announced

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Ceremonies planned for new lawyers Bar admission ceremonies are scheduled across the state Wednesday for the 1,637 people who passed the...
26 states participate in federal SAVE program to ensure only US citizens are voting

26 states participate in federal SAVE program to ensure only US citizens are voting

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square In less than a few months, 26 states have begun working with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to ensure only U.S. citizens are voting...
Key races across U.S., redistricting at stake as voters head to polls Tuesday

Key races across U.S., redistricting at stake as voters head to polls Tuesday

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square Governor’s races, city mayoral campaigns and redistricting initiatives will bring voters to the polls on Tuesday for a consequential off-year Election Day. Elections in California,...
Nigeria leaders deny Christian genocide, UN attributes violence to 'climate change'

Nigeria leaders deny Christian genocide, UN attributes violence to ‘climate change’

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Nigerian leaders continue to deny that Christian genocide has been occurring for years as the United Nation has attributed the violence to “climate change.” Over...
LWSRA-Blue-Logo-transparent

LWSRA Wheelchair Softball Team Takes Second at Nationals; Agency Expands Services

Meeting Summary and Briefs: New Lenox Community Park District Meeting | September 2025 Article Summary: The Lincoln-Way Special Recreation Association (LWSRA) is celebrating a highly successful summer, highlighted by its...
WATCH: Coalition sues to protect student loan forgiveness

WATCH: Coalition sues to protect student loan forgiveness

By Dave Mason | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Democratic attorney generals from 22 jurisdictions sued the U.S. Department of Education Monday over its new rule...