Gun registry opens
Illinoisans who owned guns the state had labeled “assault weapons” before a sales ban went into effect can now register them so they can legally keep them.
Following a decision in August by the Illinois Supreme Court that upheld the ban, Illinois State Police are now accepting endorsement affidavits for the guns and their attachments.
Owners of the grandfathered weapons must register them before Jan. 1 or face penalties. Challenges to the law are still pending in federal court.
Five dead after ammonia truck crash
Authorities have resumed their investigation of a central Illinois truck crash that resulted in the deaths of five people and prompted the evacuation of hundreds of residents Friday night.
Effingham County Coroner Kim Rhodes said the five dead included three from the same family, including two children. A preliminary investigation shows all five victims died from exposure to the ammonia that escaped the truck.
The tanker truck was drained and moved to a secure location for a National Transportation Safety Board investigation.
Frustrations mount in migrant crisis
As buses full of migrants continue to arrive in Chicago from the southern border, both aldermen and Chicagoans are expressing frustration over the way the city is handling the influx.
During a hearing on the crisis, officials revealed that the city has spent up to $363 million to provide services for the migrants. Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced Friday that a total of $41 million in grants would be given to local governments welcoming asylum seekers.
