Former state senator sentenced
Former state Sen. Terry Link was sentenced to three years probation Wednesday on tax evasion charges in connection with the use of campaign funds for personal use.
The Democrat from Vernon Hills pleaded guilty in 2020 to failing to report income on his tax returns to the IRS and spending more than $73,000 in campaign funds on personal expenses.
Link cooperated in a sting operation against State Rep. Luis Arroyo, who was later convicted of bribery.
Stellantis expanding in Brazil
Carmaker Stellantis, which is retooling a plant in Belvidere, plans to invest $6 billion in Brazil starting next year. The company announced that it is aiming to introduce hybrid-flex vehicles in Latin America’s largest economy.
Stellantis has committed nearly $5 billion into the Belvidere Assembly Plant for new production, which includes a midsize pickup truck, beginning in 2027. The Belvidere plant opened as a Chrysler factory in 1965, manufacturing the Plymouth Fury.
Private school to stay open thanks to grant
An Illinois Catholic school that announced it was closing because the Invest in Kids school choice scholarship program came to an end will now stay open.
The Saint Frances of Rome School in Cicero was scheduled to close in June, but will stay open thanks to a grant from the Big Shoulders Fund. More than half of the school’s students relied on the Invest in Kids scholarship program.
The CEO of the Big Shoulders Fund said the school is a critical part of the Cicero community.
