Illinois
Illinois Lottery player wins $650K after buying ticket from Chicago Mariano's: 'Still so shocked'
CHICAGO – An Illinois Lottery player is $650,000 richer!
The Chicago winner, who goes by the name Big Money D, revealed that his winning numbers were inspired by his late wife.
“I typically play Pick 4, but that day, I noticed that the Lucky Day Lotto jackpot was pretty high so I decided to switch it up and try something new,” said Big Money D. “I picked numbers related to my late wife—when I won, it felt like it was a message from her.”
Big Money D purchased the ticket for the Nov. 16 evening drawing at Mariano’s, located at 5201 N. Sheridan Road in Chicago’s Edgewater neighborhood.
Matching all five numbers—9, 11, 12, 13, and 17—he landed the $650,000 jackpot prize.
The emotional win left him overwhelmed with joy.
“I’m still so shocked and excited about the win, I have barely been able to sleep!” said Big Money D.
The jackpot will allow Big Money D to fulfill a long-standing dream.
“I’m already looking at houses, and can’t wait to purchase my dream home for myself and my kids—it truly is a dream come true,” he said.
Mariano’s, the store where the winning ticket was purchased, will receive a $6,500 bonus, equal to one percent of the prize amount.
There were more than 27,600 winning Lucky Day Lotto tickets purchased for the Nov. 16 evening drawing, netting Illinois Lottery players over $724,000 in prizes.
Illinois
Illinois high school football playoffs expanding in 2026
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (KWQC) – The IHSA football playoffs will be expanding by 50 percent in 2026.
IHSA member schools approved an amendment to expand the playoffs from 32 teams per class to 48.
There will still be 8 classifications increasing the total number of playoff teams from 256 to 384.
As a result of the change, the start of the season will be moved up by a week in August to allow the season to still finish with State Championship games the week of Thanksgiving.
Copyright 2025 KWQC. All rights reserved.
Illinois
Woman found dead near Schamburg, Illinois shopping center, man in custody
A woman was found dead near a shopping center in Schaumburg, Illinois early Tuesday, and a man was taken into police custody.
Around 5:25 a.m., Schaumburg police were called to the 100 block of South Roselle Road. They found a woman dead at the scene.
Police said a man was taken into custody at the scene.
The investigation so far indicates that the incident was domestic, and the man and woman knew each other.
Police said the incident was isolated and there was no threat to the public. But there was a large police presence at the scene, and alternate routes were advised.
Illinois
Illinois officials investigating death connected to Rock Co. homicide
PRINCETON, Ill. (WMTV) – The Illinois State Patrol is investigating a death after officials found a suspect’s vehicle wanted in connection to a Wisconsin homicide, Illinois State Police reported.
Just before 10 p.m. on December 10, ISP troopers and several other agencies attempted to pull a vehicle over in Princeton, Illinois, that was wanted in a Rock County homicide.
Officials did not specify which Rock Co. case this incident is connected to.
Princeton is about an hour and 45 minutes away from Rock County, Wisconsin.
After the driver did not pull over, police chased the vehicle into the Great Sauk Trail Rest Area on I-80 westbound.
When officers went up to the vehicle, authorities stated the driver was found dead with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Authorities did not identify the driver.
ISP is working with the Bureau County State’s Attorney’s Office in this investigation.
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Copyright 2025 WMTV. All rights reserved.
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