• Rockford will be getting some help in demolishing abandoned homes. The Illinois Housing Development Authority Board has approved a $250,000 grant to the city. The money will be used to bring down approximately 30 more properties within the next year. The forest city was one of just 53 communities to receive a grant from the state.
  • A doctor from Chicago has been killed in Afghanistan. Dr. Jerry Umanos was among three Americans killed when a security guard opened fire this morning at a Kabul hospital. A family member said he was doing what he loved before he was killed, helping poor children. Dr. Umanos was a pediatrician who worked at the Lawndale Christian Health Center in Chicago for more than 16 years before he moved to Afghanistan in 2005.
  • Illinois GOP leaders have proposed putting a cap on how long lawmakers can serve. The amendment would limit state constitutional officers to a pair of four year terms, eventually allowing them to be re-elected only once. Final approval of the bill will be decided by voters, however. If the General Assembly passes it by May 4, the proposal will be placed on the November Ballet.
  • Republican challenger Bruce Rauner says Governor Pat Quinn should release dozens of documents about hiring at the Illinois Department of Transportation. A complaint filed this week says Quinn's administration has held back the information. It cites a government watchdog's report claiming hires at the agency were based more on political connections than ability.
  • Young people who smoke weed may be putting themselves at risk for heart disease. Researchers at the American Heart Association say from 2006 to 2010 they found 35 reports of patients who experienced heart complications after using marijuana. They also found that all but one of these patients were under the age of 50. Officials say these findings don’t show the level of risk, but indicate a link between weed and heart disease.
  • The Illinois Hospital Association is supporting an extension of the state's temporary income tax increase. The hospital group says the current tax rates should be maintained to avoid cuts to health care and other services. The association represents more than 200 hospitals and nearly 50 health systems throughout the state.
  • May is Mental Health Awareness Month with May 22 being Suicide Prevention Day. Officials say suicide is the third leading cause of death for people aged 10 to 24. Nearly 5,000 young people take their lives yearly. More people survive suicide attempts, however, than die and are treated for self-inflicted injuries in emergency units. A statewide suicide prevention conference is set for Friday in Springfield.

More From Rockford's New Country Q98.5