Illinois Quick Hits: Chicago mayor, delegation meet pope

Illinois Quick Hits: Chicago mayor, delegation meet pope

May 29, 2026/
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By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says joining the city’s faith community and Pope Leo XIV for multi-faith prayer at the Vatican was one of the most awe-inspiring and humbling experiences of his life.

Johnson made the statement in a social media post after he and a delegation of more than 40 people met the Chicago-born Holy Father on Thursday.

Before leaving Chicago on Tuesday, the mayor said the trip was paid for by World Business Chicago, a public-private economic development agency.

DRIVER CHARGED IN CRASH THAT KILLED EX-POLICE CHIEF

A driver has been charged with reckless homicide in connection with a collision that killed former Tilton Police Chief Steve Cornett in Champaign early Wednesday.

Quamaine J. Fletcher, 29, of Tennessee was scheduled to appear in court on Friday morning.

Cornett, 65, was working in a construction zone on I-74 near the I-57 interchange in Champaign when he was struck.

IL MEDAL OF HONOR

Nineteen law enforcement officers have received the Law Enforcement Medal of Honor for acts of heroism and sacrificial service to the people of Illinois.

The officers from six different agencies were honored at a ceremony in Springfield on Thursday.

The medal is awarded to officers who have been killed or seriously injured in the line of duty, or who have displayed exceptional bravery or heroism while performing their duties as a law enforcement officer.

AURORA MAN CHARGED WITH POSSESSION OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE MATERIALS

State police say an online tip led to the arrest of an Aurora man for allegedly possessing child sexual abuse material. Andrew Dunlop III, 32, was taken into custody Thursday.

Anonymous tips of child sexual abuse materials can also be reported through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s CyberTipline.

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