In Illinois, new legislation is designed to keep the cannabis market safe and growing.

Senate Bill 3222 prohibits the sale of certain intoxicating hemp products to anyone under 21.
Beginning in November, some products will be required to have child-proof packaging.
Misleading marketing and packaging will be banned. The law also allows all Illinois cannabis retailers to register as medical dispensaries and allows curbside and drive-thru pickup until 2:00 a.m. for all customers. The law also expands conditions to qualify for a medical card, which can now be certified through telehealth.

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Celebrations around the country recall not only the events leading up to the adoption of the Declaration of Independence by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, but also look forward and aim to make the 4th of July weekend a massive, multigenerational cultural moment focused on community connections and charitable giving.

America’s Block Party, an unprecedented coast-to-coast initiative, is one of the signature events of America 250, the congressionally chartered nonprofit overseeing the semiquincentennial celebration.

A Times Square Ball Drop, a rolling series of ball drops, timed to occur at midnight on July 3 in every U.S. time zone from Guam to American Samoa, is part of the “Giving 4th Broadcast Benefit Show,” creating a nearly 24-hour celebration of the 250th anniversary. It’s part of the broader “Giving 4th” initiative that aims to make and establish Independence Day the biggest annual day of giving.

A time capsule will be buried in Philadelphia to be opened in 2276 on July 4. It contains a carefully curated collection of letters and artifacts reflecting the leadership, institutions, and communities that shape the country today. It will include contributions from all three branches of the U.S. federal government and submissions from each of the 50 states, Washington D.C., and five territories.

Separately, the White House’s Freedom 250’s biggest spectacles are the Great American State Fair on the National Mall, running June 25 to July 10; the July 4 Salute to America Fireworks, also on the National Mall; “Sail 4th 250,” billed as the largest-ever flotilla of tall ships from around the world in New York Harbor; and Rushmore 250, an iconic 4th of July fireworks on July 3 alongside military concerts and live presidential reenactors.

ILLINOIS – A severed arm with a distinctive Green Bay Packers tattoo led investigators to identify a Plainfield man whose remains were recovered from Lake Mattoon, and two people have now been charged in the case, including the man’s mother, Illinois State Police said.

James Adams, 26, and Robin Turner, 62, are each charged with concealment of a homicidal death, a Class 3 felony, and dismembering a human body, a Class X felony. 

The backstory:

Boaters found part of a human arm floating in Lake Mattoon on the evening of June 28, according to Illinois State Police. The arm had several distinctive tattoos, including a skeleton holding a Green Bay Packers helmet and an unidentified letter or number.

Severed arm found in Illinois lake belonged to Plainfield man, police say (Illinois State Police)

Authorities searched the lake and recovered additional human remains. The victim was later identified as 38-year-old Dalewayne Turner of Plainfield.

Investigators executed a search warrant Wednesday at a home in the 2400 block of Ruth Fitzgerald Drive in Plainfield, where Adams and Robin Turner were taken into custody, state police said. Robin is reportedly Dalewayne’s mother. 

Police said investigators also recovered additional evidence from the home but have not disclosed what was found.

What’s next:

Illinois State Police presented the case Thursday to the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office, which approved the charges.

Adams and Turner remain in custody as the investigation continues. State police said additional charges are expected.