Downstate Illinois

A voter feeds her ballot into a voting machine on Election Day at Isabelle C. O’Keeffe School in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood, April 4.

Elections

Ballot bypass? Illinois sees lowest presidential primary voter turnout in decades

The statewide voter turnout of 19.07% is the lowest for a presidential primary election since at least 1960, according to Illinois State Board of Elections figures.

By Sun-Times staff

"Stony Island" director Andrew Davis discusses the Chicago-made film on Thursday at Ebertfest in Champaign.

Movies and TV

Ebertfest in Champaign a time for discovery and rediscovery

25th anniversary event presents ‘Star 80,’ ‘Stony Island’ and other under-the-radar movies, often hearing from the artists who made them.

By Nell Minow | For the Sun-Times

Prisoners' rights advocates demonstrate at a press conference outside 77 W. Jackson Blvd on Monday, April 15, 2024. Advocates delivered a legal petition asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to address unsafe drinking water in Illinois prisons. | Zubaer Khan/Sun-Times

Environment

Rancid, unsafe water at Illinois prisons threatens health, violates human rights, groups allege

Advocates for the incarcerated filed a petition with the U.S. EPA, asking the environmental agency to step in and fix a crisis they say Gov. Pritzker is not addressing.

By Brett Chase

Transportation

‘Supply chain backlog’ causes several Amtrak cancellations across Illinois

At least seven trains departing from or heading to Chicago were called off — four scheduled to run Friday and three more scheduled to leave Saturday.

By Kade Heather

Downstate Illinois

Family of Lyft driver killed in 2022 shooting awarded $44 million in wrongful death lawsuit

Kristian Philpotts, 29, was driving for Lyft in Urbana and accepted a ride request on Jan. 12, 2022. During the ride, Philpotts was shot by the passenger, Tyjohn Williams of Champaign.

By Cindy Hernandez

Starved Rock State Park’s southern entrance.

Politics

New name for Starved Rock State Park? State officials 'willing to open discussions'

Leaders at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources said this week there are “no immediate plans” to rebrand Starved Rock State Park in La Salle County, but officials are open to discussing a potential name change if Native American groups push for it.

By Mitchell Armentrout

Crime

Berwyn woman charged with stealing $250,000 from state treasurer’s unclaimed property

Maria Michaud, 37, is accused of using four other people’s names to make claims for $247,760.29 from the treasurer’s office’s unclaimed property program in 2019 and 2020.

By Kade Heather

Transportation

Heavy traffic fails to cast shadow over eclipse travel experience: 'It was 100% worth the trip'

A few hours after the total eclipse brought thousands of spectators to downstate Illinois, traffic remained heavy on some interstates.

By Katie Anthony

Duane Short, wearing a blue shirt, views the beginning of the eclipse through his eclipse glasses next to a camera and tripod set to take photos and a blooming dogwood at War Bluff Valley Wildlife Sanctuary.

Outdoors

Nature dared not disappoint as southern Illinois experiences its second recent solar eclipse

As darkness descended Monday in the path of totality, the air cooled, a bullfrog hummed a bass line and birds of all kinds called out to mark the occasion.

By Dale Bowman

Environment

Sky high: Solar eclipse ‘holiday’ sparks exhilaration and emotions across Chicago, southern Illinois

With sunny skies and a high of 71 degrees, students, workers and families across Chicago took a break from their daily routines to marvel at the partial eclipse. Tinley Park resident made the trip downstate to view the total eclipse. “I don’t know how to describe it other than just the word ‘wow,’” King said.

By Kade Heather, Jessica Ma, and 2 more

Total Solar Eclipse BusinessesFILE - Viewers use special glasses to watch from San Antonio, as the moon moves in front of the sun during an annular solar eclipse, or ring of fire, Oct. 14, 2023. The total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024 may be weeks away but businesses are ready for the celestial event with oodles of special eclipse glasses for sale, along with T-shirts and other souvenirs. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File) ORG XMIT: NYPM508

News

Want to see the solar eclipse in Chicago? Here's what to know, where to go

The Chicago area will experience a partial eclipse on April 8. Downstate, Carbondale will be in the path of totality, in which the view of the moon completely blocks the sun, for the second time in 10 years.

By Emmanuel Camarillo

Eliana Samson, 11, who is on vacation with her family from Toronto, looks up at the sun through binoculars at Adler Planetarium’s Eclipse Fest during the solar eclipse, Aug. 21, 2017. | Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times

News

Stars align for clear skies in Chicago for Monday's solar eclipse

Monday’s forecast for Chicago is “looking to be really good,” the National Weather Service said, with mostly sunny skies and a high near 66 degrees. Downstate Carbondale, in the eclipse’s path of totality, should have good visibility as well, meteorologists said.

By Emmanuel Camarillo

Columnists

Skip the eclipse (or don't)

With the media chorus urging you in close harmony to ogle Monday’s solar eclipse, here’s some rare official permission to ignore the whole thing.

By Neil Steinberg

Technology

Use these tips to photograph the eclipse and avoid damaging your phone or camera

Most phone cameras automatically adjust exposure, making eclipse photography difficult with only 4 minutes. Taking more test shots in the days before the eclipse will save time.

By Vanessa Lopez

News

Cloudy skies in Chicago area could impede view of the solar eclipse

A storm is expected to move from the southern Rockies to the Midwest Sunday and may leave some lingering clouds Monday.

By Cindy Hernandez

News

Chicago-area solar eclipse hunters plan trek south to take in totality: ‘You have to experience it’

An estimated 100,000 to 200,000 people are expected to descend on southern Illinois, where the eclipse’s path of totality will pass early Monday afternoon. Southern Illinois University is holding a four-day party.

By Kade Heather

Politics

After Jayden Perkins' killing, state Senate Republicans want a parole board overhaul

Senate Republicans are pushing for reforms at the Illinois Prisoner Review Board, including requirements for appointees to have served at least 20 cumulative years in the criminal justice system. The board is under fire following its controversial decision to release a convicted felon who then allegedly stabbed his ex-girlfriend and her 11-year-old son.

By Tina Sfondeles

Community members gather at a vigil to remember victims of a recent deadly stabbing attack on Thursday, March 28, 2024 in Rockford, one day after four people were killed and seven others injured, including a US postal worker.

Crime

Rockford man charged with stabbings that left a friend and three others dead, seven wounded

Murder charges have been filed against suspect Christian I. Soto, 22. Investigators haven’t determined a motive for the attacks, but they say Soto had been smoking marijuana before the rampage.

By Associated Press

Health

Staring at solar eclipse can damage your eyes for months if you don't use protection, Chicago doctors say

Doctors say looking at the April 8 eclipse without approved solar glasses — which are many times darker than sunglasses — can lead to retinal burns and can result in blind spots and permanent vision loss.

By Emmanuel Camarillo

News

Cookie closer — Girl Scout sells her 100,000th box of cookies in Chicago

Any Girl Scout could do the same, 12-year-old Bristol Sjostrom says. All it takes is hard work. She often works 12 to 14 hours a day going door-to-door or selling from tables.

By David Struett