Illinois
Tuesday marks 1 final chance to see Big Boy locomotive in Illinois
Illinois residents will have one final chance to see Union Pacific’s 4014 Big Boy steam engine before the locomotive sets off for its next destination.
The classic train stopped in three Illinois communities in recent days – Sterling, Rochelle and Watseka – as part of its 10-state “Heartland of America” tour.
Ahead of its public debut in Rochelle on Sunday, extensive traffic delays and backups were reported. Photos posted on social media showed traffic backups and a number of people who attempted to beat the traffic and walk along the road to the viewing.
Big Boy was the star of the show in Watseka as crowds upon crowds waited hours to see the locomotive up-close.
According to officials, Big Boy No. 4014 is one of 25 built in the 1940s to handle the steep grades in Utah’s Wasatch Mountain Range during World War II. It is just one of eight to survive, and the only one that remains in operation today.
The classic steam engine draws everywhere it goes, including some repeat visitors.
“I think it’s pretty awesome,” one resident said. “People have been really excited for the last week and a half around here. Haven’t seen that for a while. Everybody just kind of lets life go by. This moment our population is doubled, it’s fun.”
Following its stop in Watseka on Monday night, the train was set to depart for Nokomis, approximately 50 miles southeast of Springfield. For anyone considering making the drive, Big Boy will be at the community’s Maple Street crossing for public viewing between 12:15 and 12:45 p.m. on Tuesday.
An 18-year-old man is hospitalized after he was found shot in Joliet, Illinois, on Saturday evening.
Joliet police said around 6:46 p.m., officers responded to the area of East Benton Street and Polson Place for a report of a man shot.
Upon arrival, officers found the victim suffering from gunshot wounds to his back and left arm. Police said officers immediately rendered medical aid until Joliet Fire Department paramedics arrived.
The victim was taken to Silver Cross Hospital with life-threatening injuries before later being transferred to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood for further treatment.
Spent shell casings were found after detectives canvassed the area.
Police said there is no description of a suspect and the shooting remains under active investigation.
Anyone with video footage or information related to this shooting is asked to contact the Joliet Police Department Investigations Division at 815-724-3020. Anonymous tipsters can contact Will County Crime Stoppers at 800-323-6734 or submit a tip online at crimestoppersofwillcounty.org.
YORKTOWN, Va (WAVY) — A 31-year-old Illinois man has been sentenced after pleading guilty to exploiting a York County child online.
According to the York County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, Andres Arreola pleaded guilty to enticing a minor to perform child sexual abuse acts and using a communication system to facilitate certain offenses involving a child.
The case began in April 2025 after the parent of a 9-year-old child called the York-Poquoson Sheriff’s Office about inappropriate messages they found from Arreola to the child on an online chat platform.
Investigators determined Arreola sent sexually explicit messages and images to the child and persuaded the child to send explicit images in return, knowing the victim was a 9-year-old.
Detectives were able to identify Arreola in Illinois, where he was taken into custody. He was then extradited him to York County where he remained behind bars without bond. Detectives also recovered electronic evidence supporting the charges.
A judge ultimately sentenced Arreola to 40 years in prison, suspending 31 years and six months, leaving him with an active prison sentence of eight years and six months.
After his release, Arreola will serve 20 years of supervised probation. He cannot have unsupervised contact with minors and will be required to register with Virginia’s Sex Offender and Crimes against Minors Registry.
“The exploitation of children—whether in person or online—will not be tolerated in York County,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Krystyn Reid in a statement.
Reid goes on to praise the investigators, prosecutors and the “the young victim and the victim’s family throughout this case. Anyone who seeks to harm a child, regardless of where they are located, should expect to be identified, brought before the court, prosecuted, and held accountable.”
A woman was taken into custody, accused of breaking into a home in Aurora, Illinois, on Saturday morning.
Aurora Police said around 9:14 a.m., officers responded to the 100 block of South Edgelawn Drive for a report of a residential burglary after a neighbor reported what they described as a suspicious person on the property.
Arriving officers found evidence of forced entry at the home and encountered a woman inside the residence who refused to come out.
Police said officers secured the area and members of the department’s negotiating team and Special Response Team responded to the scene. After more than an hour of negotiations, officers took the woman into custody without further incident and she was taken to an area hospital for evaluation.
No other individuals were inside the residence, and there were no injuries to officers or anyone in the area.
Investigation into the incident remains ongoing.
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