Shooting investigation shuts down interstate
A shooting investigation shut down several lanes of Interstate 94 in the Chicago area during the Friday morning commute.
Illinois State Police said troopers responded to the highway near the Irving Park exit about 6 a.m. for a report of a shooting. Police then shut down three lanes of traffic to conduct their investigation. No injuries were reported.
$1.5 billion in gambling revenue last year
At the Illinois Gaming Board’s first meeting of the year, it reported that the state and local governments earned more than $1.5 billion in tax revenue from Illinois’ 15 licensed casinos, more than 46,000 video gaming terminals and 13 sports wagering operators statewide in 2023.
The total amount of money wagered in the Illinois sports wagering market for 2023 was $11.6 billion. Since sports wagering launched in 2020, Illinois has had one of the highest grossing sports wagering markets in the country.
Flash index down
The U of I Flash Index for January fell to 102.5 from its 102.8 reading in December. That indicates a slowing, but still strong economy.
An index reading above 100 denotes growth. Income, corporate and sales tax receipts for the month were down slightly compared to the same month last year. The Illinois unemployment rate ticked up to 4.8% compared to 4.6% a year ago.
