Former jail guard charged
A former female corrections officer at Chicago’s Metropolitan Correctional Center is facing charges, accused of sexually abusing four women who were inmates.
The indictment charges Brittany Hall, 31, with five counts of sexual abuse and three counts of abusive sexual contact.
Collectively, the charges carry a possible sentence of more than 80 years. Hall resigned from the agency last year.
Tri-State Tornado item on display
A unique item is on display as part of the 100th anniversary of the Tri-State Tornado that hit southern Illinois in March 1925.
The Jackson County Historical Society is displaying a maple tree with a 2X4 piece of wood driven through it which occurred during the F5 tornado. The tornado created havoc and traveled over 200 miles across Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.
The National Weather Service said the tornado possibly had winds of more than 300 mph, killing 695 people in its path.
Check smoke alarms with time change
The Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal reminds Illinoisans to test, inspect and replace broken or expired smoke and CO alarms in their homes with new 10-year sealed battery alarms while they change the clocks this weekend. Daylight Saving Time begins at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 9.
The National Fire Protection Association reports almost three out of every five home fire deaths in the U.S. resulted from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or non-working smoke alarms.