ROMEOVILLE, Ill. (CBS) — A group of state lawmakers has blocked Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker from reinstating his mask mandate in schools after it expired over the weekend – and this latest ruling adds another layer of confusion for schools and parents when it comes to masking. As CBS 2’s Charlie De Mar reported, school districts have been in limbo all over the state when it comes to masks. The bottom line is all eyes are on the Illinois Appellate Court as it is expected to rule soon on the legality of the governor’s mask mandate. At Valley View Community Unit School District 365U in Romeoville ..read more

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. (CBS) — Interstate 55 was shut down in Romeoville late Thursday after a crash. At 6:31 p.m., Illinois State Police were called to Interstate 55 just north of Weber Road for a personal injury crash. State police did not immediately release further details about the crash. At 7:22 p.m., the southwest-bound lanes of I-55 and the northeast-bound center lanes were closed for investigation. Southbound traffic was diverted off at Weber Road, while northbound traffic was reduced to one lane. Further details were not immediately available ..read more

CHICAGO (CBS)– Calling all job seekers. A Drive-thru job fair is being held in Romeoville Wednesday afternoon. The job fair will be held at Village Hall on Romeo Road between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Participants are expected to wear masks and bring resumes.   ..read more

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. (CBS) — A serious accident snagged traffic on Interstate 55 in Will County during the afternoon rush. The two-vehicle accident involved a semi-trailer truck on I-55 in Romeoville. Illinois State Police said they were called at 4:20 p.m. to I-55 at Joliet Road. The vehicles were traveling in the left lanes when traffic began to slow down, and one rear-ended the other, state police said. A passenger in the car was taken to an area hospital with minor injuries, state police said. Around 4:39 p.m., the left and center lanes on the southbound side of I-55 were shut down. The shutdo ..read more

CHICAGO (CBS) — A suburban realtor says enough is enough – he is sick of scammers using his listings to trick people. They pose as a landlord or realtor and try to get prospective renters to send funds for a deposit or rent. CBS 2’s Tim McNicholas met one almost-victim who caught the warning signs. But not everyone is so lucky. “The rent was $800, which is extremely low,” said Ileana Montalvo. Montalvo is a college student looking for her own place for the first time. “I ended up going on Facebook – like I thought if they sell cars, furniture, stuff like that, like what’s the difference with h ..read more

CHICAGO (CBS) — There is now a $5,000 reward for information leading to the person who shot and killed a young man in Romeoville last month. Osama Ibrahim, 19, was shot outside an apartment complex on Highpoint Drive. CBS 2 spoke with his mother, who says she is desperate to know why anyone would target her son. Ibrahim’s mother says he was a smart young man who graduated high school early and had never been in trouble with the law. Also From CBS Chicago: With PlayStation 5 In High Demand, Oak Forest Brothers Learn Hard Way That Scammers Are Taking Advantage South Suburban Homeowners Hav ..read more

PLAINFIELD, Ill. (CBS) — A wild chase whipped through multiple southwest suburbs Monday before finally ending with more than one crash in Plainfield – and with three police officers injured. As CBS 2’s Charlie De Mar reported officers said they were trying to make an arrest and shot at a car that crashed into them. Nobody was hit, but several officers were injured after a chase that went on about 25 minutes before ending in a crash. From Chopper 2’s shot above, two police cars had been left almost unrecognizable. They were severely damaged after chasing a blue car through several suburbs – whi ..read more

CHICAGO (CBS) — The omnichannel commerce provider Radial plans to hire 400 new workers in Romeoville to help with increased e-commerce orders during the holiday season. Responsibilities for the entry-level roles include sorting, packing, and shipping online orders. Best of all, there will be opportunities to transition into a full-time position after the holidays. Radial also emphasized the COVID-19 precautions it is taking, including temperature checks for anyone entering its facility, a requirement to wear masks at all times, adjustments to work layouts and technology enhancements for social ..read more

JOLIET, Ill. (CBS) — Weekend plans for restaurants and bars will look drastically different in Will County, with only outdoor eating allowed after a surge in cases. On Thursday night, CBS 2 Political Investigator Dana Kozlov had a breakdown of some specific ZIP codes with major increases. The Will County Health Department said five ZIP codes in particular are seeing the biggest increase, with Plainfield as the epicenter. “It is disappointing,” said Steve Brandy, public information officer for the Will County Health Department. Will County is one of the two counties in the area now fo ..read more

CHICAGO (CBS) — Spike, the Romeoville Police Department’s K-9, has retired after eight years of service, the department said Saturday. The Belgian Malinois was originally from the Netherlands and came to the United States in 2011. When he was 19 months old in June of 2012, he was paired with Officer John Allen and sent to the K-9 academy. (Credit: Romeoville Police Department) Spike has been a part of numerous drug seizures, arrests and has even found nine guns. His biggest catch, police say, came in 2013 when he discovered 2,750 pounds of marijuana — a value of $7.3 million. He has par ..read more