1+ day, 14+ hour ago (726+ words) Jayden Lockhart proposed to his girlfriend on Thursday in front of the family he helped. AURORA, Ill. -- An Aurora family celebrated their second Thanksgiving dinner this week with a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier who came to their father's aid last year after he fell while walking the family's dog. The celebration was even sweeter this year, with a surprise proposal capping off the festivities. Guy and Marcia Miller of Aurora said they were more than happy to host mail carrier Jaylen Lockhart and his family for a second year and were pleasantly surprised when they learned the mail carrier wanted to propose to girlfriend Sydney Rehm in front of them. "They had the champagne bottles waiting," Lockhart said of the Miller family in an interview with "Good Morning America" on Thursday. "They greeted us with a great smile. And so it…...

1+ week, 1+ day ago (378+ words) CHICAGO (WLS) -- There are new details Friday about some of the costs associated with the controversial immigration enforcement effort in Chicago. According to Sen. Dick Durbin's office, the National Guard deployment cost taxpayers nearly $20 million. There has been significant political and community pushback since the immigration enforcement operation began. Now that it has wrapped up, Durbin says it was a waste of taxpayer dollars, while the Trump administration is defending every dollar spent. President Donald Trump federalized 500 members of the Texas and Illinois National Guard to help with "Operation Midway Blitz." But a federal judge blocked their actual deployment, and they never played any role in the immigration crackdown that targeted Chicago and surrounding cities for two months. Now, according to Durbin's office, the Army is reporting that 60-day deployment cost $19.4 million. That breaks down to more than $323,000 per day…...

1+ week, 2+ day ago (523+ words) Democratic Congresswoman Robin Kelly, Lt. Govenor Juliana Stratton also vying for Senate seat CHICAGO (WLS) -- Dozens of Black clergy gathered Thursday on Chicago's West Side to send a message about the race for the U.S. Senate in Illinois. The seat is being vacated by Senator Dick Durbin next year. The faith leaders endorsed Illinois Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi in the race, hoping it will hold some sway beyond their church walls. Krishnamoorthi hopes their endorsement will give him a boost at the ballot box. The three major Democratic candidates, Krishnamoorthi, Congresswoman Robin Kelly and Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton, have been raising money and stockpiling endorsements for months. As these faith leaders have been evaluating the race, they felt it was important to come together for Krishnamoorthi now. "So we need to trust Raja, trust him with our vote, trust him with our…...

3+ week, 2+ day ago (325+ words) CHICAGO (WLS) -- Starting Friday, some of the nearly two million people in Illinois who rely on SNAP will begin receiving partial payments. This comes after a judge ordered the Trump Administration to fully fund the SNAP program by Friday. The government is appealing that ruling, however, leaving the nearly 42 million Americans who receive food stamps in limbo. The Illinois Department of Public Health said, "Illinois SNAP customers will begin receiving partial November benefits Nov. 7 through Nov. 20. Those who are regularly scheduled to receive benefits Nov.1 through Nov. 6 will receive partial benefits over the next six days, with Nov. 1 benefits loading on Nov. 7, Nov. 2 benefits loading on Nov. 8, etc." The Trump Administration has decided to provide significantly reduced November SNAP benefits. But some people will still end up with no benefit at all this month. The vice president argued a judge…...

1+ mon, 18+ hour ago (83+ words) CHICAGO (WLS) -- Governor Pritzker announced he would sign an executive order to support Illinois farmers on Wednesday. No immediate details regarding the executive order were released. Before the scheduled signing, Pritzker visited the Curtin Family Farm in Taylorville, Illinois. His office said he joined farmers to discuss how Trump tariffs are impacting the Illinois farming community. The executive order signing was expected to gin at 10:30 a.m. READ ALSO | Pritzker creates 'Illinois Accountability Commission' in executive order amid federal deployments...

1+ mon, 2+ day ago (128+ words) NORTH AURORA, Ill. (WLS) -- Two people killed in a crash in the west suburbs Saturday night have been identified. The Kane County Coroner's Office said Monday that Diego Nava Torres, 32, of Chicago and Samantha Ortiz, 33, of Chicago were killed in the crash. The crash happened at about 8:10 p.m. in the westbound lanes of Interstate 88 near Mitchell Road in North Aurora, police said. The coroner's office said only one vehicle was involved, but police previously said two cars were involved. Illinois State Police said the two people died at the scene. Autopsy results show the preliminary cause of their deaths is consistent with multiple traumatic injuries due to a motor vehicle crash. The coroner's office and state police continue to investigate the crash....

1+ mon, 2+ day ago (549+ words) CHICAGO (WLS) -- Illinois Democrats are taking a closer look at redrawing congressional maps. It comes at the request of U.S. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who came to Illinois Monday for a series of meetings. There is some urgency to the request. Jeffries met in Chicago with some state lawmakers, along with members of Congress, who would be impacted by the proposed remap. According to one state senator, it could be something brought up during the veto session this week. The meeting brought together current members of Congress whose districts could be redrawn, including Jonathan Jackson; Robin Kelly, who coordinated the meeting; Lauren Underwood; and Danny Davis. It was described as a conversation about how to respond to President Donald Trump's push to have red states remap to boost the number of Republicans in the House where they hold a razor-thin…...

2+ mon, 1+ week ago (445+ words) Pre-Trial Fairness Act is part of the SAFE-T Act CHICAGO (WLS) -- It's been two years since Illinois became the first state to eliminate bond money as a condition for pre-trial release. The anniversary comes as some Republican lawmakers are fighting to repeal or alter the Pre-Trial Fairness Act. For decades, "cash" controlled whether a person charged with a crime would sit in jail before trial or wait it out at home. "If you're a danger to the public, you shouldn't be able to buy your way out of jail like a Jeffrey Epstein type, while at the same time, if you're not a danger to the public, you do not need to be incarcerated before you're found guilty," Cook County State's Attorney Eileen O'Neill Burke said. Removing cash from the decision to detain someone is the foundation of Illinois' two-year-old…...

3+ mon, 4+ hour ago (1728+ words) Nonprofits hurt by impasse boosted budgets with federal funding - now endangered by Trump JONESBORO, Ill -- It was a bitterly cold evening on Jan. 19, 1997, when Judy Stegle and her husband, Mike, received the call that would upend their lives forever. Cortnie woke up 13 days later in a hospital in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. "She opened her eyes and she saw me, and she started crying," Judy Stegle said. "And they said, 'Well, that's great that she has emotions.'" But Cortnie had suffered extensive brain damage. She'd never speak again, or feed herself, or go to the bathroom without help. She would live, but she would need round-the-clock care for the rest of her life. A few years later, the Stegles reached out to the Delta Center, which provided respite care services. That meant even just a few hours a week where someone…...

3+ mon, 2+ day ago (244+ words) Western Illinois at No. 12 Illinois, Friday, 7:30 p.m. EDT. College Football Odds: Illinois by 45 1/2. How to watch: Peacock Overall offense: 364.8 yards per game (92nd in FBS) Passing: 211.2 yards per game (86th) Rushing: 153.6 yards per game (97th) Scoring: 28.3 points per game (64th) Overall defense: 373.2 yards allowed per game (68th in FBS) Passing: 224.8 yards allowed per game (78th) Rushing: 148.4 yards allowed per game (65th) Scoring: 21.6 points allowed per game (31st) Overall offense: 427.5 yards per game (16th in FCS) Passing: 304.3 yards per game (6th) Rushing: 123.2 yards per game (93rd) Scoring: 31.0 points per game (25th) Overall defense: 492.8 yards per game (120th in FCS) Passing: 263.4 yards per game (113th) Rushing: 229.3 yards per game (116th) Scoring: 42.9 points per game (121st) Passing: Luke Altmyer, 2,717 yards, 22 TDs, 6 INTs. Rushing: Aidan Laughery, 589 yards on 97 carries, 4 TDs. Receiving: Hank Beatty, 294 yards on 20 catches, 1 TD. Passing: Chris Irvin, 17 for 29, 174 yards, 3 TDs Rushing: Demari Davis, 33 yards on 4 carries, 1 TD Receiving: Davis, 363 yards on 19 catches, 3 TDs Illinois defeated South Carolina 21-17 at…...