Wildlife officials confirm wolf was hit and killed by vehicle in Grundy County

If it looks like a wolf, then it’s probably a wolf.

An animal found dead last month north of Interstate 80 in Morris has been confirmed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to be a wolf. Wildlife officials say the female grey wolf likely died after being hit by a car. The wolf came from the Great Lakes Population.

Gray wolves are a protected species in Illinois.

Trucker ticketed but uninjured after rollover near Princeton

A Chicago trucker was behind the crash that snarled traffic for several hours near Princeton.

State troopers say Tauhaun Mason was heading west on Interstate 80 around 6 Thursday morning when he lost control. His semi overturned and blocked both lanes of westbound traffic. For a short time troopers diverted traffic off of I-80 and onto Interstate 180 because of the crashed semi.

Mason wasn’t hurt but was ticketed for improper lane use.

Convicted sexual predator found hiding out in Newark

A manhunt for a convicted sexual predator ends in Newark.

Back in January, a warrant was issued for Shawn Lipsey of Plano who skipped out on his sentencing for six counts of predatory criminal sexual assault of a child and two counts of indecent solicitation of a child. With the help of U.S. Marshalls, Kendall County deputies say they found Lipsey Tuesday hiding out with his wife in Newark.

Investigators say Lipsey was found in a hidden room and arrested without incident. He’ll be sentenced Friday.

Lipsey’s wife Raissa Jarosz-Lipsey was arrested for felony obstructing justice, aiding a fugitive and filing a false police report. She was taken to the Kendall County Jail with bond set at $500,000.

State jobless rate starts on a high note for the new year

Know anyone who is unemployed and looking for work? Illinois’ latest unemployment numbers are trending in a positive direction.

The state’s newest jobless rate is 6.1 percent, down from 6.2 percent in December. The unemployment rate is a full two percentage points lower than what it was a year ago. Still the state’s jobless rate is higher than the national unemployment rate. A breakdown of county unemployment rates for January will come out later this month.

The unemployment rate only covers people who are actively looking for work.

Two families displaced after Streator apartment fire

Two families were displaced after a fire at their apartment complex in Streator.

The fire call came in just before 8 Wednesday night for a fire in the basement of an apartment complex on South Park Street. A total of 12 people were able to get out okay but are now getting help from the Red Cross and Salvation Army.

The fire was contained to the basement of the apartments. The cause is unknown and the state fire marshal’s office has been called to investigate.

Grand Ridge and Reading Fire Departments provided help to Streator firefighters.

Peoria bishop drops by St. Bede Academy

There was a special guest at morning mass Wednesday at St. Bede Academy.

Bishop Daniel Jenky of the Catholic Diocese of Peoria was at the academy for mass and then stuck around to have lunch with students and staff.

The school marked the occasion by taking collection for Lenten charities.