SPRINGFIELD - Before this weekend, Cole Caldwell said, half jokingly, he was known as "Olivia's little brother."Olivia Caldwell showed the grand champion steer Snuggles at the Illinois State Fair in 2017."Now I'm known as the one who won at the state fair," said Cole, who lives in Elmwood.

PEORIA - Voting as one, the Peoria City Council on Tuesday approved spending nearly $50,000 to buy tactical body armor for its firefighters and police officers.

SPRINGFIELD - The Illinois Department of Public Health says a Chicago resident in his 70s is the first confirmed human case of West Nile virus in the state this year.

PEORIA - Two pets died in a house fire Monday afternoon, the Peoria Fire Department reported. At about 12:38 p.m., firefighters were called to 5027 N.

Chicago Cubs utilityman Ben Zobrist will resume his minor-league assignment Thursday with Triple-A Iowa.