(CHICAGO) Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul yesterday joined U.S. Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Director Steven Dettelbach, and federal and state law enforcement partners to announce the opening of a new Crime Gun Intelligence Center in Chicago (CGIC). The use of the state-of-the-art technology and the timely access to data regarding guns recovered in crimes has and will continue to help authorities reduce gun violence. Additional details about the CGIC in Chicago is available on the Justice Department’s website at justice.org.
(SPRINGFIELD) Advocates on both sides of the debate around gun control are using this week to promote their issues at the Illinois Statehouse. This past Tuesday, hundreds of gun control advocates from various anti-gun groups discussed their priorities during a rally in Springfield, basically calling for stricter gun control. Meanwhile, the Illinois State Rifle Association and other gun rights groups are there today as Illinois Gun Owner Lobby Day begins this morning, ending with a march to the State Capitol steps later this afternoon.
(AURORA) A longtime Chicago-land business has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Known for its ice cream stores and glass bottles of milk, Oberweis Dairy, has notified the state of 127 jobs cut at its North Aurora plant as the company employs over 1,000 people, including part-time workers at its various retail stores. Founded by Peter Oberweis in 1915, the family business became famous with the Aurora dairy farmer selling milk from the back of his horse-drawn wagon. Officials blame the Illinois economy as the main reason for the move.
(EFFINGHAM) Eight people have been arrested on suspicion of drug possession and the distribution of drugs following an FBI investigation in southern Illinois. The arrests were made by the Southern Illinois Transnational Organized Crime West, which targets large scale drug trafficking organizations. The suspects were from several Illinois cities, such as Vandalia and Centralia. Other arrests are pending as the investigation continues.