Illinois | featured news

Andre Irizarry is haunted by questions every day of his life.

Why would his 18-year-old daughter take her own life? What made her feel so hopeless? Could he have done something to prevent the suicide? Were there warning signs that he missed? The list goes on and on.

Sometimes the guilt and sadness seem unbearable for Andre, 50, of New Baden, and his wife, Christina. Their beloved Sydney has been gone a year and nine months. They miss taking her on hunting trips and watching her play volleyball.

A winter storm is on track to continue to progress over the next few hours in McHenry, Lake and Kane Counties with heavy and patchy blowing snow starting late afternoon into the evening, according to the National Weather Service.

Snow is expected to accumulate to 3-6 inches Saturday night.

Over the next few hours, expect mixed flurries, light ice through mid afternoon, transitioning into heavy snow in the evening. Ice accumulation up to one tenth of an inch is possible with sleet accumulation possible as well.

Photos provided by Alex Vucha, for Shaw Media. Icy roads caused several problems on the roads in McHenry County on Saturday. This semitruck slid off the icy road on a curve just south of Hebron along Rt. 47. The driver was not hurt. The McHenry County Sheriff's Office has been advising drivers all day to avoid traveling if possible.

Rural county roads have been experiencing refreezing even after several passes by salt trucks.

Waves of ice and ice have moved out of the area and a developing secondary snow storm is moving in quickly, according to the National Weather Service in Romeoville.

Snow is expected to accumulate to 4-5 inches in McHenry, Lake and Kane Counties. Periods of moderate to occasionally heavy snow is expected from 7-11 p.m. Saturday.

Freezing rain overnight has resulted in icy roads throughout McHenry County, with several officials recommending motorist not travel unless absolutely necessary.

"There has been reports of several car accidents this morning," McHenry Mayor Wayne Jett posted on Facebook. "We ask everyone to please not drive unless it’s a true emergency. Road crews are in the process of salting all major roads but may take some time to get the subdivision streets.

SPRINGFIELD — Production of Illinois’ two most valuable crops fell by roughly one-fifth last year, according to final crop yield numbers released Friday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Corn and soybean growers saw production drop 18.6 percent and 20.4 percent respectively compared to 2018.

Farmers harvested just over 1.8 billion bushels of corn, down from more than 2.2 billion the year before.

CHICAGO (AP) — A winter storm threatening the Chicago area with ice and snow prompted the cancellation of about 1,000 flights Saturday from Chicago’s two main airports.

The Chicago Department of Aviation’s online flight-tracking website showed that as of 10:30 a.m.

WASHINGTON (AP) — It was wonderful news: Researchers reported this past week the largest-ever one-year decline in the U.S. cancer death rate during 2017. And President Donald Trump didn’t miss the chance to take a bow.

Trump tweeted: “U.S. Cancer Death Rate Lowest In Recorded History!

SPRINGFIELD — In year two, Gov. J.B. Pritzker will focus on ending cash bail, reforming low-level drug crime sentencing and reducing mandatory minimum sentences, he announced in Chicago Thursday.

Pritzker and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton, both Democrats, laid out their plan at a news conference at Kennedy-King College.

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's Revolutionary Guard on Saturday acknowledged that it accidentally shot down the Ukrainian jetliner that crashed earlier this week, killing all 176 people aboard, after the government had repeatedly denied Western accusations and mounting evidence that it was responsible.

The plane was shot down early Wednesday, hours after Iran launched a ballistic missile attack on two military bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq in retaliation for the killing of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in an American airstrike in Baghdad.