Study: Chicagoans spend $300 million yearly on unused data for cellphones

Chicagoans pay nearly $300 million every year on unused data for their cellphones, according to a new report.

The study, from the Citizens Utilities Board and Texas-based wireless research firm Validas, said that Illinoisans each spend about $30 a year on unused data on wireless …

Report: 9 percent of Illinois’ bridges ‘structurally deficient’

Nearly 9 percent of Illinois’ bridges are “structurally deficient” and in need of serious maintenance or replacement -- an uptick of 1 percent from two years ago, a new report on the state of the nation’s bridges indicates.

Two arrested in River Forest home burglary

RIVER FOREST — Police investigating several recent burglaries arrested two men in Maywood after the car they were driving matched the description of a car used in the previous crimes.

Jeremy Seaton, 20, of Lombard, and Christopher Lukes, 22, of Bellwood are charged with residential …

Lake Zurich hosts inaugural Iron Girl triathlon

LAKE ZURICH — Allison Zimmerman pulled her blue-framed swim goggles over her matching cap and chatted excitedly with fellow sprint triathlon contestant Colleen Cox.

Gurnee looks ahead to digital streaming

Libraries long ago stocked more than books as they evolved with modern media, adding vinyl record albums, cassette tapes, laser discs, and then CDs and DVDs.

Checking out the future: Libraries look beyond the shelves

Jeff Weisensel doesn’t have a job, not for the past 14 months anyway, since Kraft Foods restructured him out the door after 22 years. But he does have a library — the $28 million Glenview Public Library, opened in 2011 — whose inviting lobby is part art gallery, part cafeteria — patrons are welcome to eat and drink there ­­— and part social center.

Immigration reform discussed at Oak Park library panel

OAK PARK — Stephanie Zavala was brought by her parents from Mexico to the United States when she was two years old. Like other children her age, she went to a U.S. school through high school, seemingly without a hitch.

Metra cops will be spending more time on trains, platforms talking with riders

The new safety initiative merely redeploys the existing 100-person Metra police force and is not a response to a specific crime concern, Metra officials said.

River Forest officials hope stronger poles, wires reduce outages

RIVER FOREST — Work underway by a Commonwealth Edison sub-contractor in River Forest should lessen both the number and duration of power outages caused by violent storms, Village Administrator Eric Palm said Wednesday.

A line of 11 large vehicles took up most of one side …

River Forest, Oak Park brace for winds, rain, hail

RIVER FOREST — Public works crews are on alert in River Forest and Oak Park as the National Weather Service is warning of heavy rain and “damaging winds” up to 75 miles per hour, along with the possibility of baseball-sized hail.

River Forest Public Works …

Former North Riverside police chief takes own life

LA GRANGE — West suburban police chiefs are mourning the loss of a colleague and friend, Tony Garvey, former chief of North Riverside.

Garvey served as chief of the North Riverside Police Department for eight years until a change in village leadership in May and …

Hockey shop praises Blackhawks’ success for bringing business back

The Chicago Blackhawks are on a historic run, and that success is helping businesses like Gunzo’s Sports Center rebound from a financially devastating lockout that shortened this 2012-13 season.

No retiring from emergencies for River Forest expert

RIVER FOREST — “Plan for the worst, hope for the best,” was a mantra drilled into Ron Sherman during his 28 years with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

River Forest teen seeks donations of old bikes, parts for Eagle Scout project

RIVER FOREST — Declan McInerney figures most families have an old bike or two in their garages.

He also figures a lot of those families wouldn’t mind donating those bikes for a good cause.

From 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 22, used bikes and …

14-year-old found stabbed in bed, 2 women ‘semi-conscious’

A 14-year-old “severely autistic” River Grove boy was found stabbed to death inside the family’s locked apartment — while the teen’s mother and a female caretaker also were located “semi-conscious” inside the home, police said Monday.