Illinois

AAA gives Illinois drivers safety tips as kids go back to school

Published

2 years ago

August 12, 2024

AAA gives Illinois drivers safety tips as kids go back to school

ILLINOIS (WIFR) – As students prepare for school, AAA reminds drivers to give themselves extra time and avoid unnecessary risks on their commute.

According to a survey from AAA, more than half of people in Illinois drive through a school zone or pass a bus stop on their normal commute. 39% of people admitted to speeding in an active school zone, and 30% admitted to using their hand-held cell phone while driving in an active school zone.

“Get ready for heavier traffic than normal, especially at first, since a lot of parents like to drive their kids to campus during the first few days back,” says Molly Hart, spokeswoman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “It would be a good idea to budget an extra half hour for your morning commute because drivers who are running late are more likely to speed and take unnecessary risks while behind the wheel. That endangers everyone on the roadway.”

18% of people admit to driving around a school bus while it’s stop sign is extended, according to the survey. Illinois law requires motorists to stop when a school bus has its lights flashing and stop arms extended. The only exception is on a divided highway with a raised divider.

AAA provides tips for pedestrians and parents of young pedestrians:

Avoid wearing headphones in order to hear traffic
Use sidewalks when available or walk against the direction of traffic so you can see oncoming vehicles
Wear bright-colored or reflective clothing to be seen more easily
Don’t assume drivers see you, make sure they stop before crossing the street, and make eye contact with the driver to ensure they saw you

For bicyclists, AAA recommends:

Wear a helmet
Wear bright-colored clothes
Ride in the same direction as traffic and use bike lanes when possible
Don’t wear headphones so you can hear traffic
Cross the street at intersections and do not pull into the street from between parked cars

For students at a bus stop:

Arrive at least five minutes before the bus is scheduled to arrive
Stay five steps away from the curb
Wait until the bus comes to a complete stop and the bus driver signals for you to board

For more information, download the AAA mobile app, or visit their website.

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Illinois

U.S. Supreme Court rejects effort to end birthright citizenship; Illinois advocates relieved

Published

4 hours ago

June 30, 2026

Press Room

U.S. Supreme Court rejects effort to end birthright citizenship; Illinois advocates relieved

In a 6-3 ruling Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down White House efforts to restrict birthright citizenship, which It grants citizenship to anyone born in the country regardless of their parents’ immigration status. Political Reporter Chris Tye reports.

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Illinois

Serial Springfield Township sex offender faces public indecency charge

Published

14 hours ago

June 30, 2026

Press Room

Serial Springfield Township sex offender faces public indecency charge

A Springfield Township man on parole is facing new public indecency charges.
Police said Leon D. Sims was seen masturbating at a Barnes and Noble in Fairfield Township.
Sims is a registered sex offender with a history of similar offenses and other federal convictions.

A Springfield Township man who was on parole for engaging in a sex act during a Facetime call with two children is now facing public indecency charges, police said.

Police said Leon D. Sims, 44, was seen masturbating June 25 at the Barnes and Noble at the Bridgewater Falls Shopping Center in Fairfield Township.

Sims has a history of similar offenses and is listed on the National Sex Offender registry.

He was charged with public indecency in 2011 after being accused of exposing his genitals to a library employee in Cincinnati.

In 2016, Sims was arrested for masturbating in a public place in Cincinnati. Three years later, he was accused of similar conduct in front of children near a Franklin County high school.

His most recent parole violation is related to a 2021 offense, in which he masturbated in front of two young girls, 9 and 15, over a Facetime call. One of the victims realized what was happening and recorded the call, which was later used as evidence.

Sims also recently spent time in federal prison for coercing a woman into prostitution and transporting her to Ohio, Kentucky and California, according to court documents. Prosecutors said that Sims forced the woman into prostitution “countless times” over a period of months between 2020 and 2021.

In a sentencing memorandum from the 2021 case involving the Facetime call, prosecutors said it was “well within the realm of possibility” that Sims had committed the crime to groom the 9-year-old girl into prostitution. They added that he was operating his sex trafficking business two weeks before he exposed himself on Facetime in front of the two girls.

According to prison records, Sims was no longer in federal prison custody as of September 2024.

Sims was convicted in Hamilton County in February 2025 of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles in the Facetime case. He was paroled from state prison in November 2025.

Sims had no attorney listed in court documents at the time this story was published.

This story may be updated.

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Illinois

HSHS St. John’s, RMHC open Ronald McDonald House Family Room

Published

1 day ago

June 30, 2026

Press Room

HSHS St. John’s, RMHC open Ronald McDonald House Family Room

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) – HSHS St. John’s Children’s Hospital in Springfield and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Illinois have teamed up for a new room to help support local families.

The Ronald McDonald House Family Room will be a centralized space located near the pediatric intensive care unit.

According to HSHS, the Family Room will have a bathroom with a shower, a refrigerator, a washer, a dryer, a microwave, along with free food items and other snacks.

RMHC will operate the Family Room through the partnership.

“The Ronald McDonald House Family Room offers parents a place to step away for just a moment to rest, enjoy a meal, or simply take a breath, knowing they remain only steps away from their child,” said RMHC of Central Illinois Chief Executive Officer Amber Kaylor in a statement.

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