To help remember veterans and honor their service this Veterans Day, local legislators are encouraging constituents to submit a tribute and photo to be displayed on the annual Veterans Day “Wall of Honor” in the Illinois Capitol.

Maria Peterson, a Democrat from North Barrington, announced Monday she will run for the 26th District state Senate seat currently held by Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie of Hawthorn Woods.

The move was inspired by a plan issued earlier this month by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, to add the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of inoculations required to attend school in-person once it receives full FDA approval for middle and high school students.

A survey launched by state Sen. Craig Wilcox seeks “greater insight into the opinions and priorities” of the residents living in the McHenry Republican’s district.

As for symptoms, mostly “I just had congestion,” Senate Republican Leader Dan McConchie said. Although “at one point it felt like I was breathing through pinholes.”

“I am very grateful to have been vaccinated and experiencing only mild symptoms,” State Senator Dan McConchie said in a statement.

Four months after reaching out to the Illinois Department of Employment Security for help collecting unemployment benefits, Lakewood resident Joel Jones is still waiting for help from the agency as he struggles to find a job.

A former Illinois state representative has released a book recounting her “misadventures” during her early 20s as a Peace Corps volunteer in southern Belize.

A health alert has been issued about a recent outbreak of E. coli that is possibly linked to Portillo’s in Glendale Heights, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health Friday.