Officials seize counterfeit cash and goods
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers have seized $76,000 in counterfeit cash and nearly a half million dollars in fake merchandise at O’Hare airport this month.
The cash was found during an inspection of a variety of shipments from China. The counterfeit goods, which included clothing and jewelry, were found during a search of baggage being carried by a U.S. citizen arriving from Turkey.
Officials said counterfeiting and property piracy costs the U.S. economy up to $250 billion a year.
Rockford Speedway’s last race in October
The Rockford Speedway has announced that this will be the final season of racing. The owners said development in the area prompted the decision to sell the facility.
Opened in 1948, the Rockford Speedway has hosted local and national events, including NASCAR races. The speedway has a full schedule of events this year, with the final race taking place Oct. 29.
Statues bill filed
Legislation has been introduced in Springfield that would honor two U.S. presidents with ties to Illinois, Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama, with statues.
Reagan’s boyhood home was in Dixon and he later attended Eureka College. Obama was a state lawmaker and then represented Illinois as a U.S. senator before he ran for the Oval Office.
State Sen. Tom Bennett told WCIA that he is unsure where the funds for the Obama statue would come from, but said the money for a Reagan statue would come from private funding.