Alternate jurors still needed for Madigan trial
A fifth day of jury selection is underway in the bribery and racketeering trial of former Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan and co-defendant Michael McClain.
Judge John Robert Blakey opened proceedings at 8:57 a.m. Wednesday at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in downtown Chicago. The first prospective juror called Wednesday spent more than 40 minutes answering attorneys’ questions, as the trial’s slow pace of questioning continued. Eleven members of the jury have been seated. One more juror and six alternates are needed for the trial to proceed.
Madigan is facing 23 counts of bribery, racketeering and official misconduct.
Cicadas impact apple orchards
Apple orchards felt the effect of the massive cicada emergence this year.
In addition to the early bloom, many trees were damaged by the influx of cicadas this summer. One apple orchard farmer in central Illinois said his yield dropped by about 60% compared to last year.
Cicadas laid their eggs on branches that apples grow on, so the trees were unable to provide the necessary nutrients for the apples to thrive.
Unclaimed lottery ticket holder sought
The Illinois Lottery is seeking the owner of an unclaimed $250,000 winning Lucky Day Lotto ticket purchased in Chicago last October.
The lucky winner has just over a week left to claim the prize. The winning Lucky Day Lotto ticket was purchased for the Oct. 29, 2023 drawing, at Fairplay Finer Foods.
The unclaimed Lotto ticket is one of seven Illinois lottery prizes currently unclaimed, all totaling nearly $4.5 million.
