Latest Illinois Headlines

All the headlines from our Illinois Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Trump’s Infrastructure Plan Could Pave Way for Self-Driving Cars, Smart Roads

Mar 20 2017 // What does the Trump Administration have in store for the development of autonomous vehicles and smart roads?With the administration’s ambitious infrastructure plan still far from finalized, Hilary Rowen, a partner in...

Northern Illinois Insurance Agency Owner Indicted, Charged with Defrauding Clients

Mar 20 2017 // The owner of a Rockford, Illinois-based managing general agency that last year had its license revoked or non-renewed by at least three separate state insurance departments has been indicted by a federal grand jury for...

After Fiery Iowa Derailment, Safety Official Calls for Faster Rail Car Upgrades

Mar 13 2017 // A federal safety official called on the rail industry to move faster to upgrade aging rail tankers following a fiery train derailment in rural Iowa that spilled ethanol into a creek and was still burning nearly two days...

Trump’s Infrastructure Plan Could Pave Way for Self-Driving Cars, Smart Roads

Mar 8 2017 // What does the Trump Administration have in store for the development of autonomous vehicles and smart roads?With the administration’s ambitious infrastructure plan still far from finalized, Hilary Rowen, a partner in...

Tornado-Spawning Storm System Killed 3 in Midwest, Moved Eastward

Mar 2 2017 // A spring-like storm system that killed at least three people as it spawned tornadoes and damaged dozens of homes in the central U.S. rumbled eastward on March 1, putting about 95 million people in its path, forecasters...

Owner of Northern Illinois Insurance Agency Charged with Defrauding Clients

Mar 2 2017 // The owner of a Rockford, Illinois-based managing general agency that last year had its license revoked or non-renewed by two separate state insurance departments has been indicted by a federal grand jury for mail and...

Chicago Bears Seeking to Limit Players’ Workers’ Comp Benefits

Feb 22 2017 // Should injured pro athletes be allowed to earn workers’ compensation benefits until they are 67 years old, like other workers, even if their athletic careers normally would have ended more than 30 years earlier?That...

Driver Course in Illinois Offers Help for Teens With Attention Disorder

Feb 15 2017 // Chicago, Ill.-area students with attention deficit disorder are getting special attention when they learn to drive.The (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald reported a Chicago-based group called Behind the Wheel with ADHD is...

Volunteer Firefighters Scarce in Small Illinois Communities

Feb 10 2017 // Small communities throughout Illinois are having trouble recruiting and retaining volunteer firefighters.Seventy percent of the state’s fire departments are volunteer, The State Journal-Register reported. Springfield...

Illinois Insurance Department Settles with Human Resources Startup, Zenefits

Feb 3 2017 // Illinois has become the 17th state to reach a settlement with a California-based human resources software startup for alleged insurance code violations. Illinois Department of Insurance investigators found the startup...

Illinois Agency Joins Valley Insurance Agency Alliance

Jan 31 2017 // Bailey Family Insurance in Springfield, Ill., recently joined Valley Insurance Agency Alliance (VIAA), a network of 100 independent insurance agencies in Missouri and Illinois. Owned by Mark and Christine Bailey, Bailey...

Illinois Mining Companies to Pay $4.25M to Settle Sex Discrimination Suits

Jan 30 2017 // A group of affiliated coal mining companies will pay $4.25 million to settle two lawsuits that allege women were denied jobs at the firms because of their gender, federal officials said.The U.S. Equal Employment...

Illinois Treasurer Wants to Ensure Life Insurance Payouts

Jan 25 2017 // A measure backed by Illinois’ treasurer could help ensure that insurance companies have paid out money properly to beneficiaries of life insurance policies.The proposed legislation would require companies to examine...

Illinois to Congress: Don’t Be ‘Hasty’ with Health Law Repeal

Jan 24 2017 // Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration has sent a letter to GOP congressional leaders asking them to avoid “hasty” or “incomplete” action as they proceed with a planned repeal of the...

Midwest Insurance Commissioners on the Move

Jan 23 2017 // Several Midwest states, including Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and North Dakota, experienced transitions among insurance commissioners as 2016 folded into 2017.Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner named Jennifer Hammer to head of the...

Illinois Workers’ Comp Reform Proposal the Wrong Approach: Insurer Groups

Jan 23 2017 // Insurance industry lobbying groups have spoken out against a proposed amendment to an Illinois statute that would give insurance regulators in that state more control over workers’ compensation rates.Illinois House...

Trade Group: Workers’ Comp Reform Among Key Issues for Illinois Insurers

Jan 19 2017 // Workers’ compensation, commercial insurance purchasing rules and auto insurance verification are among key challenges for insurers in Illinois legislative session, a national insurance trade organization...

Grain Facility Closures Bring 1st Claims in Years to Illinois Insurance Fund

Jan 16 2017 // Two grain storage facilities in Illinois have shut down in less than three months, and a state insurance fund has seen its first claims in years.Illinois Department of Agriculture spokeswoman Rebecca Clark said the...

Valley Insurance Agency Alliance Adds Illinois agency

Jan 16 2017 // Palestine Insurance Agency in Palestine, Ill. has joined Valley Insurance Agency Alliance (VIAA), a network of more than 100 independent insurance agencies in Missouri and Illinois. Palestine Insurance Agency is a full...

Insurers Object to Workers’ Comp Reform Proposal in Illinois

Jan 11 2017 // Insurance industry lobbying groups are speaking out against a proposed amendment to an Illinois statute that would give insurance regulators in that state more control over workers’ compensation rates.Illinois House...