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Illinois lottery player wins largest-ever Fast Play jackpot

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:34 GMT

ILLINOIS — The Illinois Lottery's Fast Play winning jackpot record has been broken for a third time this year, and through the same game.One iLottery player won $1,248,040 Monday morning by playing Twenty 20s; a progressive jackpot game which begins with a $50,000 prize and grows with each ticket sold statewide until the jackpot is won. https://wgntv.com/news/wynonna-judd-announces-rosemont-stop-on-back-to-wy-tour/ This win bested an April prize of $1,000,056, which in turn bested a February win of $979,168.Fast Play games can be purchased in person at participating retail locations or online through the Illinois Lottery's website or mobile app.Fast Play was first introduced by the Illinois Lottery in Sept. 2020. At that time games had to be purchased in person. However they expanded to online play less than two years ago on Nov. 15, 2021.Currently there are 20 Fast Play games offered at various price points and game play.

15-year-old struck by semi wheel while changing tire in Northwest Indiana dies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:34 GMT

LAKE COUNTY, Ind. — A 15-year-old boy struck by a semi-truck's disengaged wheel while he was changing a tire on I-80/94 in Northwest Indiana died Friday.On Tuesday, authorities responded to eastbound lanes of the interstate near mile marker 0.4, close to the state line, on the report of a person struck by an object.The boy, later identified as William Bell, was on the shoulder helping change a tire with four other people. At the same time, a semi-truck traveling eastbound had a wheel disengage from the rear tandem due to a mechanical issue. Previous: Teen, 15, struck by disengaged wheel from semi in NW Indiana The tire, still attached to the rim, struck the barrier wall and then Bell. He was transported in serious condition to the University of Chicago Medical Center. He died of his injuries on Friday.The four other people sustained non life-threatening injuries.

CPD: Man diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar missing since last week

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:34 GMT

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Police Department is asking for the public's help in locating a missing 28-year-old man who is diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.Deon Allen, 28, was last seen by his brother, Donnell, on Wednesday, Aug 16. GoFundMe created for brothers killed while shielding three-year-old cousin from gunfire in Glenview Allen is described as 5-foot-9, weighing 250 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. He was reportedly last seen wearing a white t-shirt, black jogging pants, and red timberland boots.Allen reportedly has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. He was reported missing by his grandmother, Doris Bozeman.Anyone with information regarding Deon Allen's whereabouts are asked to contact the Chicago Police Department at 312-746-8251.

Indiana’s near-total abortion ban set to take effect as state Supreme Court denies rehearing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:34 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana’s near-total abortion ban is set to take effect within days after the Indiana Supreme Court on Monday denied a rehearing in the case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana.The denial of the rehearing means the ban will take effect once a June 30 ruling upholding the ban is certified, a procedural step expected to take just days, court spokesperson Kathryn Dolan said in an email to news media.The state’s highest court ruled June 30 that the abortion ban doesn’t violate the Indiana constitution. That removed a major hurdle to enforcing the ban Republicans approved last summer ahead of a wave of restrictions by conservative states in response to the overturning of Roe v. Wade.SEE ALSO: Battle over abortion access moves from Indiana to IllinoisIn a 4-1 decision Monday, the Supreme Court reaffirmed its order that Planned Parenthood and other health care providers “cannot show a reasonable likelihood of success” with their challenge to the abo...

Another group of former Northwestern writes a letter on recent controversies

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:34 GMT

EVANSTON, Ill. — For the second time in less than a week, a group of former Northwestern athletes has put their thoughts about the recent controversies concerning the athletic program in writing.This time, it's focused on two key leaders of the university.In a letter obtained by WGN News, over 80 former Wildcats' student-athletes expressed their displeasure with the way that head football coach Pat Fitzgerald, believing the decision lacked due process. The longtime coach of the program was fired on July 10 when more serious allegations of hazing surfaced after the completion of an investigation into whistleblower claims by former Illinois inspector general Maggie Hickey. Initially, Fitzgerald was suspended for two weeks without pay in July by President Michael Schill, but was fired four days later when more revelations surfaced."We write to express our deep dismay concerning President Michael Schill and Vice President of Athletics Derrick Gragg’s decisions and rhetoric regarding the...

See it: Home made almost entirely of foam being constructed in Texas

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:34 GMT

JONESTOWN, Texas (KXAN) -- With a breathtaking view overlooking central Texas' Lake Travis, a new home being built in Jonestown is drawing some attention from neighbors. The nearly 7,500-square-foot house has zero wood, brick, or insulation. It is completely made of foam. "I think the neighbors might have thought I was crazy when they saw the truckloads of foam pull up," Aaron Rowsell, the homeowner of the three-story house in Jonestown, explained. Rowsell, a former contractor himself, first heard of homes being built with foam about 20 years ago. He said if he ever was going to build his dream home, foam was the material he wanted to use. Strata International Group Inc. is the Phoenix-based company that developed this groundbreaking building technique. It is known as SABS, or Saebi Alternative Building System, named after its creator Dr. Nasser Saebi. How does it work? The company creates large blocks of foam, which are made up of 98% air, that can be shaped and glued together to c...

Biden campaign targets battleground states with $25M ad campaign

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:34 GMT

President Biden's campaign is launching a $25 million advertising campaign focused on several key battleground states, ramping up its messaging early in the election cycle.The campaign on Sunday announced the 16-week campaign, which marks the third major ad buy since Biden officially announced he would seek a second term.The campaign will air television ads in major markets in Arizona, Michigan, Georgia, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. It is also running targeted ads focused on Hispanic voters in Florida."The buy includes both the largest and earliest media buy for a reelection campaign into constituency media ever, as well as the largest overall buy for a reelection campaign at this point in time ever, ensuring that President Biden’s message is heard throughout this year’s Republican primary," the campaign said in a statement.The states targeted by the ad campaign are all battlegrounds Biden won in 2020, with the exceptions of North Carolina, which he lost by fe...

Candidates face tricky balancing act on Trump at first GOP debate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:34 GMT

Republican candidates attending the first GOP presidential debate Wednesday will face the challenge of having to separate themselves from former President Trump while also not alienating his devoted supporters.Trump said Sunday he won’t attend the debate, giving his rivals a chance to make the case for their respective candidacies without having to compete for attention with the former president.But the situation poses a conundrum for candidates such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott (R), who must be careful not to cross Trump’s supporters while also winning over at least a portion of them."If I were thinking of it as a strategic matter, I'd like to be able to emerge from this debate as the principal non-Trump alternative,” said Scott Jennings, a Republican strategist who worked on former President George W. Bush’s campaigns.Throughout much of the 2024 race so far, the Republican candidates have largely avoided direct cr...

Trump says he won't attend first GOP presidential debate

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:34 GMT

Former President Trump confirmed Sunday that he will not attend the first Republican presidential debate next week and left open the possibility that he would skip future primary debates, citing his sizable lead in national polls as a primary reason.In a post on Truth Social, Trump cited a CBS News poll released earlier Sunday that showed him leading the next closest candidate by 46 percentage points."The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had, with Energy Independence, Strong Borders & Military, Biggest EVER Tax & Regulation Cuts, No Inflation, Strongest Economy in History, & much more," Trump wrote. "I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!"Trump’s announcement, which capped months of speculation about whether he would participate, comes days after it was reported that the former president planned to sit for a pre-taped interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson instead of attending Wednesday's debate in Milwaukee.The fo...

How many hurricanes and tropical storms have made landfall in Texas?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 10:47:34 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — When you think of hurricanes in Texas, there are probably a few that come to mind: Harvey. Ike. Even the 1900 Galveston hurricane.Since 1850, more than 50 hurricanes have made landfall in the Lone Star State, and that's not including more than 50 tropical storms and depressions.According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 109 tropical systems have made landfall in Texas since 1850. The most recent was Hurricane Nicholas, a Category 1 hurricane that came ashore in Matagorda County in 2021.Nineteen major hurricanes — those Category 3 or higher — have made landfall in the state. Ten of those were Category 3, while nine were Category 4. Texas has never had a hurricane make landfall in the state while at Category 5 strength.Hurricane Harvey was the most recent major hurricane to hit, striking near Rockport in 2017.The map below shows the location of each tropical landfall in Texas since 1850. You can toggle the data on and off by clicking on the color...