Exotic cat dead after escaping enclosure in Vernon Hills A serval is dead after escaping its enclosure in suburban Vernon Hills over the weekend. VERNON HILLS, Ill. - A serval is dead after escaping its enclosure in suburban Vernon Hills over the weekend. At about 7:16 p.m. Saturday, Vernon Hills police responded to an address in the Grosse Point subdivision for a report of what was believed to be a bobcat on the loose.

Illinois prepares for possible armed protests at the Capitol The FBI is warning of plans for armed protests at all 50 state capitals and in Washington, D.C., in the days leading up to President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration, stoking fears of more bloodshed after last week’s deadly siege at the U.S. Capitol. WASHINGTON - The FBI is warning of plans for armed protests at all 50 state capitals and in Washington, D.

DuPAGE COUNTY, Ill. - The first mosquitoes to test positive for West Nile Virus in Illinois this year have been detected in Roselle, state health officials said Thursday. The DuPage County Health Department collected a positive batch on Tuesday. No human cases of the virus have been reported so far this year. "This is the time of year when West Nile virus make its annual appearance," said IDPH Acting Director Amaal Tokars.

The wait is almost over. This week, Marie Kondo's new show, Sparking Joy, launches on Netflix, and of course, we're very excited. Naturally, this launch week seems like a fitting occasion to celebrate Marie Kondo, or more specifically, her decluttering method – focused around sparking joy. But what does sparking joy actually mean? According to Marie Kondo's Japanese organizing technique, you determine how your feel about an item if you select a piece individually and quietly ask yourself if it sparks joy.

article niXerKG / Flickr CHICAGO (STMW) - The Illinois Commerce Commission voted Wednesday to open formal investigation into Peoples Gas’ project to replace aging gas mains in Chicago, the Sun-Times is reporting. The commission said it will investigate whether Peoples Gas, Integrys Energy Group or Wisconsin Energy Co. “knowingly misrepresented facts or withheld information” about the long-term cost of the Accelerated Main Replacement Program. An audit for the commission by Liberty Consulting Group found that the main replacement program could cost consumers $8 billion.

When a fire erupted inside the coal mine in Centralia, residents thought it would quickly burn out on its own. But the blaze is still going six decades later and the state has given up on trying to fight it.Peter & Laila/FlickrThe underground fire in Centralia, Pennsylvania has been burning for 60 years, turning this once-vibrant community into a ghost town. Centralia, Pennsylvania once boasted 14 active coal mines and 2,500 residents in the early 20th century.

When John F. Kennedy’s torpedo boat was sunk by a Japanese destroyer in 1943, he saved his crew in dramatic fashion, earning both the Navy and Marine Corps Medal and the Purple Heart.John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and MuseumFuture president John F. Kennedy in the Navy, where he served in World War II. John F. Kennedy always shrugged off suggestions that he’d been a hero in World War II after his vessel was hit and he helped save the lives of his crew.

Experts believe that at least 25 million people died in the Pacific Theater during World War II, with some of the grisliest deaths befalling Chinese civilians who were systematically tortured by the Imperial Japanese Army.Many historical narratives of World War II focus on Europe. There, Nazis brought destruction across the continent, massacring millions of people. But Japanese war crimes were just as atrocious. In the Pacific Theater, the Imperial Army of Japan terrorized people everywhere it went.

LOS ANGELES - August is a stargazer’s dream, with simultaneous meteor showers occurring at the beginning of the month — one of which, the Perseids, is widely considered the best and brightest of the year — two full moons, and some epic opportunities to view planets, such as Jupiter and Saturn, which will both align with the moon in the night sky this weekend. The moon and Jupiter will be in very close proximity on Friday night, and can be seen together in the southern night sky after the sun goes down.

Judge dismisses suits to keep ICE detention center agreements A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by McHenry and Kankakee Counties to keep a contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). ILLINOIS - A lawsuit filed by McHenry and Kankakee Counties to stop the implementation of the Illinois Way Forward Act was dismissed on Monday.  The Act bans law enforcement agencies from around the state from stopping, arresting, searching, detaining or continuing to detain a person solely based on an individual's citizenship or immigration status.