Meet In CommonNews

Local news in and around Zion, IL

Lake and McHenry County Scanner · Zion, IL

Jury convicts 2nd man of murder in Zion home invasion, triple shooting sparked by Snapchat video of victim’s settlement cash

A man faces up to 120 years in prison after a jury convicted him of murder Tuesday in a 2018 Zion home invasion and triple shooting that prosecutors say was planned after robbers saw a victim with lawsuit settlement cash on Snapchat. Tracy Davis Jr., 36, of Minnesota, was found guilty Tuesday of one count of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder, a Class X felony, prosecutors said. Davis was indicted in January 2023 on five counts of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder. The Zion Police Department responded to the 2800 block of Edina Boulevard in Zion on February 16, 2018, for a report of a home invasion and shots fired. Officers found a man and two women, between the ages of 24 and 43, who had been shot inside the home. One of the women, Kaleah Beville, 36, of Zion, was shot multiple times and airlifted to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville where she later died. The other two victims were also taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center.

Lake and McHenry County Scanner · Beach Park, IL

Nearby: Beach Park, IL

‘Wonderful friend’: Warren Township mourns sitting clerk, a former Gurnee fire chief and Beach Park deputy chief

Warren Township’s current clerk, a fire service veteran who spent years as Gurnee’s fire chief and later served as Beach Park’s deputy chief, has died, the township announced Wednesday. Warren Township announced the death of its clerk, Fred N. Friedl III, in a statement Wednesday morning. The Illinois Fire Chiefs Association, which counted Friedl as a member for 38 years, shared news of his death and his funeral arrangements. The Village of Gurnee, where Friedl was fire chief, also announced his death Wednesday morning. None of the announcements said when or how Friedl died. Friedl had served as Warren Township clerk since he was appointed in August 2020, the township said. The township said Friedl also served as fire chief of the Gurnee Fire Department and deputy fire chief of the Beach Park Fire Department, “among many other titles and roles he held throughout the community.” “His commitment to serving others was evident in everything he did,” the township said.

Lake and McHenry County Scanner · Waukegan, IL

Nearby: Waukegan, IL

Vista Medical Center East down to 21 patients and closes a floor amid reports doctors may take over Waukegan hospital

Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan had just 21 patients Thursday morning and closed one of its floors, an employee said, amid reports that a group of the hospital’s doctors could take over running it. An employee told Lake and McHenry County Scanner that Vista Medical Center East had 21 patients on Thursday morning and that the hospital closed its fifth floor. The fifth floor had only 15 patients so the hospital moved four of them to the intensive care unit and the rest to the second floor before closing it, the employee said. American Healthcare Systems (AHS), the California-based, for-profit hospital chain that owns Vista Medical Center East, bought the hospital in July 2023. A Vista Medical Center East spokesperson said Friday that Lake and McHenry County Scanner’s questions had been shared with AHS and hospital leadership and that they were awaiting a response.

Lake and McHenry County Scanner · Waukegan, IL

Nearby: Waukegan, IL

Out-of-gas car rear-ended, resulting in 5-vehicle crash that completely shut down Waukegan Road near Waukegan

A car that ran out of gas and stopped on Waukegan Road was rear-ended, resulting in a five-vehicle crash that sent two people to the hospital and completely shut down the road near Waukegan early Monday. The Waukegan Fire Department, North Chicago Fire Department and Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded just before 5:50 a.m. Monday to Waukegan Road and Buckley Road near Waukegan for a report of a crash with injuries. An ambulance crew that arrived reported the crash was in the southbound lanes of Waukegan Road north of Buckley Road and south of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, according to fire department radio traffic. Crews reported finding four vehicles, one with heavy damage and three with moderate damage, radio traffic indicated. Firefighters requested more ambulances as they prepared to transport multiple patients and reported that Waukegan Road was completely shut down.

Lake and McHenry County Scanner · Waukegan, IL

Nearby: Waukegan, IL

‘Please don’t shoot me’: Parolee accused of threatening to shoot and stab 13-year-old boy, striking him outside Waukegan Dollar General

A parolee threatened to shoot and stab a 13-year-old boy, struck him repeatedly in the face, leaving a wound that needed stitches, and stole his phone and wallet, then robbed a woman at a bus stop the next day in Waukegan, prosecutors said. Ishmael M. Lewis, 28, of Waukegan, was indicted last week on one count of armed robbery, a Class X felony, along with two counts of aggravated robbery, a Class 1 felony, two counts of robbery, a Class 2 felony, and two counts of aggravated battery, a Class 3 felony. The Waukegan Police Department responded around 4:19 p.m. on October 20 to the 2000 block of North Lewis Avenue for a report of a robbery. A 13-year-old boy told officers he had gone to a nearby Dollar General and was walking after leaving the store when Lewis approached him, Lake County Assistant State’s Attorney Lourdes Jimenez said. The boy described him as being in his 30s with face, neck and hand tattoos and said he wore black gym shoes and carried a duffle bag across his body.

Lake and McHenry County Scanner · Green Oaks, IL

Nearby: Green Oaks, IL

Coroner releases identity of 29-year-old Waukegan man who died after SUV hit concrete barrier in Green Oaks

The coroner has released the identity of a 29-year-old Waukegan man who died after his SUV drifted onto the center median and struck a concrete barrier in Green Oaks early Sunday morning. Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek identified the driver on Monday as Fernando Alvarado-Reyes, 29, of Waukegan. An autopsy was completed and preliminary results indicate Alvarado-Reyes died from blunt force injuries as a result of the crash, Banek said. The Libertyville Fire Department and Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 4:10 a.m. Sunday to the area of Route 137, also known as Buckley Road, just east of Interstate 94 in Green Oaks for a report of a single-vehicle crash with injuries. Fire department radio traffic indicated the crash was in the westbound lanes of Buckley Road at the ramp to northbound Interstate 94.

Williamson Reporter · Antioch, IL

Nearby: Antioch, IL

Illinois pizza chain Antioch Pizza Shop plans Hutto restaurant

Antioch Pizza Shop, an Illinois chain known for its double-decker pizza, plans to open in Hutto’s Co-Op District. It’s the only Texas location listed on the company’s website. The pizzeria is planned for the ground floor of the four-story office building at 199 Co-Op Blvd., Suite 103. Work on the restaurant space is expected to begin in December and finish by the end of March 2027. The company lists the location as coming soon and has yet to announce an opening date. The chain got its start in Antioch, Illinois, in 1977. Its signature double-decker stacks two layers of pizza with mozzarella. The chain’s menu also includes crispy thin-crust and Chicago-style stuffed pizzas, Italian beef sandwiches and wings. The Co-Op District is a 35-acre mixed-use development along U.S. 79 that also houses Hutto City Hall and the public library.

Lake and McHenry County Scanner · Antioch, IL

Nearby: Antioch, IL

Coroner says no foul play suspected after Wisconsin woman found dead in bathtub during well-being check at Antioch hotel

There was no evidence of foul play in the death of a Wisconsin woman who was found dead and submerged in a bathtub during a well-being check at an Antioch hotel Saturday evening, the coroner’s office said as it released new details. Lake County Chief Deputy Coroner Steve Newton said Wednesday the victim was a 54-year-old resident of Trevor, Wisconsin. Newton said there was evidence of drowning but the woman’s final cause of death is pending toxicology testing, as there was also evidence of a possible overdose. The Antioch Police Department responded around 9:43 p.m. Saturday to Antioch Hotel and Suites, 350 West Route 173 in Antioch, for a well-being check. Antioch Police Department Patrol Commander Jared Brussaly said officers were requested to check on the woman. Officers arrived and made entry into the room where they found her submerged in the bathtub and “obviously deceased,” Brussaly said. The Antioch Fire Department was dispatched to the hotel around 10:41 p.m.

Lake and McHenry County Scanner · Antioch, IL

Nearby: Antioch, IL

Granddaughter of Antioch, Woodstock car dealerships’ owner apologizes for mimicking monkey in viral Ring video

An 18-year-old Ole Miss student whose grandfather owns Kunes Auto Group, with dealerships in Antioch and Woodstock, apologized for mimicking a monkey at Black students’ door in a viral video and said she and her family got death threats. Alaina Kunes, 18, a freshman at the University of Mississippi, apologized in a statement released Tuesday through her attorneys at Gardiner Koch Weisberg & Wrona. A spokesperson for Kunes confirmed to TMJ4 News that she is the daughter of Scott Kunes, the former chief operating officer of Kunes Auto Group, and that she has withdrawn from the university. Scott Kunes left the COO role in February and has no ownership stake in the company, which is owned by his father — Alaina Kunes’ grandfather — Gregg Kunes, the law firm said.

Lake and McHenry County Scanner · Antioch, IL

Nearby: Antioch, IL

Woman dies days after smoking in bed on oxygen started fire near Antioch, coroner releases identity

A 62-year-old woman has died and been identified by the coroner after authorities say she started a fire while smoking in bed on oxygen, which a family member put out before starting CPR near Antioch. Lake County Coroner Jennifer Banek identified the victim on Tuesday as Kristi Roberts, 62, of Antioch. Banek said a preliminary investigation by the coroner’s office indicates Roberts’ death is consistent with burns she suffered in the fire. The Antioch Fire Department and Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded around 6:55 a.m. Thursday to the 26500 block of West Wilmot Road in unincorporated Antioch for a report of a small fire and an unresponsive woman. Lake County Sheriff’s Office Chief Christopher Covelli said the caller reported that Roberts, who lived at the home, was unconscious and not breathing. The caller was able to put out the fire by pouring coffee on it, Covelli said.

Reliable News · Kenosha, WI

Nearby: Kenosha, WI

Food Stamps Shut Down 2025: How SNAP Changed

Food stamps and the 2025 shutdown became linked in public debate when a government shutdown dragged into late October 2025 and the Agriculture Secretary appeared at a news conference on SNAP food aid benefits during it, per The Christian Science Monitor. But the shutdown itself was not the main force changing the program. The larger shift came from a 2025 tax and spending law, signed on July 4, 2025, that is rewriting who qualifies, who pays and how many people receive benefits. The record so far: national SNAP enrollment fell 13% between July 2025 and June 2026, with every state except Alaska seeing some decline, according to reporting by The Christian Science Monitor. The unemployment rate stayed steady over that period, which implies the drop was not driven by more people finding work. An analysis by the Food Research & Action Center, an anti-hunger advocacy group, put the number of Americans who lost benefits since the law was enacted at about 5.2 million, per CBS News.