Articles filed under Region
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Nicor Gas agrees to lower proposed rate increase by $140 millionSep 10, 2026 10:38 am - Nicor Gas has reached a settlement with Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s office to reduce its pending rate request for next year by nearly $140 million, or 63%.
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Westfield Old Orchard in Skokie celebrates 70 years as North Shore landmarkSep 09, 2026 12:17 pm - It was the morning of Monday, Oct. 22, 1956, when the doors of a new Marshall Field & Company, the crown jewel among Chicago’s retail royalty, opened for the first time in Skokie. The gleaming three-story, 310,000-square-foot department store would serve as the anchor tenant to what would soon become the metropolis of postwar suburban shopping in Chicago’s North Shore: Old Orchard Shopping Center.
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Judge weighing arguments to halt Illinois’ ‘medical aid in dying’ law ahead of Sept. 12 startSep 08, 2026 2:14 pm - Illinois is set to become the first Midwestern state to allow terminally ill adults to take life-ending medication prescribed by physicians when the law goes into effect ...
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Want to go apple-picking? Some Illinois orchards might not open after several spring frosts killed crops.Sep 08, 2026 10:49 am - Climate change is consistently warming winter temperatures across northern Illinois, signaling earlier spring arrivals to plants. At the same time, while final spring freezes are happening earlier in the Midwest, that trend is much more variable and hard to predict. A study last year found full bloom dates for apples are expected to shift one to two weeks earlier in the spring across different Midwest climates by mid-century because of warmer winter and spring air temperatures.
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Illinois regulators propose expansion to self-exclusion program for compulsive gamblersSep 06, 2026 4:35 pm - The Illinois Gaming Board approved new rules Thursday that would expand enrollment options for its voluntary self-exclusion program. The program allows problem gamblers to ban themselves from casinos, sportsbooks and other forms of legalized betting.
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CRE deals are still getting done, they’re just not where you might expectSep 05, 2026 4:16 pm - Higher interest rates, refinancing challenges and slower development activity have driven much of the recent media coverage surrounding commercial real estate (CRE). But while those trends are real, they don't fully capture the picture of what lenders, investors and developers are seeing across the market.
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The role of a banking partner in business growthSep 05, 2026 4:16 pm - Growing a business takes more than a great idea. It requires careful planning, smart financial decisions and access to the right resources along the way. While business owners often rely on accountants, attorneys and other advisers, a strong banking partner can also play an important role in supporting long-term business growth.
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State audit finds child protection agency made progress, but was still noncompliant with 2020 lawSep 05, 2026 10:25 am - An audit found several documentation lapses by the Department of Children and Family Services, including failures to provide evidence of routine healthcare for children in state custody. DCFS was still not in compliance with a 2020 law named for 2-year-old Ta’Naja Barnes, who died of neglect after agency returned her to her mother.
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Millions of travelers descending on Chicago area over Labor Day weekendSep 04, 2026 11:41 am - Expect heavier tollway traffic and crowded airports as travelers make their way to the Chicago area for the holiday weekend.
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Travelers flocked to the ‘Middle of Everything’ last year, generating over $88 billion in economic impactSep 04, 2026 11:26 am - Illinois had a good year for tourism in 2025, with over 115 million visitors spending over $50 billion — breaking records, according to the governor's office. The total economic impact of tourism was up to $88 billion, fueled in part by the state’s “Middle of Everything” campaign.