Also happening today, a West suburban gang leader is accused of sending money to ISIS; turbulence persists between Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and the Chicago Teachers Union amid the union voting on a tentative five-year contract; the former Crate & Barrel location on North Michigan Avenue has been transformed into a large Starbucks and is now open for business; and much more.

Also happening today, hopes to change this year's casino legislation to get more cash for the city fizzled; longtime Illinois Senate President John Cullerton said he is resigning; a Gary snow plow driver is facing discipline for going off the grid during Monday's snowstorm; union nurses at the University of Chicago Medical Center are threatening to go on strike again; and much more.

Also happening today, the Illinois General Assembly adjourned Thursday without making changes to the gambling bill that Mayor Lightfoot had lobbied for; longtime Democratic State lawmaker John Cullerton says he is resigning from the legislature in January; there's now word about a multimillion dollar project to stabilize the lakefront in Rogers Park; an alleged rapist is behind bars after the victim and a friend followed him when he got on a CTA bus; and much more.

Also happening today: A 9-year-old girl died after being found unresponsive in a Gage Park elementary school; Chicago police say a basement heater might have caused a church fire early this morning; legislation to clear the way for a Chicago casino has been filed and is moving forward in the Illinois House of Representatives; a funeral service was held today at a cemetery on Chicago’s South Side for people in Cook County who died unknown or had no family to bury them; these stories and more from WBBM.

Also happening today, members of the Chicago Teachers Union are voting on a tentative contract agreement reached two weeks ago; the Illinois Senate has backed off proposed legislation to further limit the use of a cancer-causing chemical used in the medical industry; two young Chicago police officers are enjoying a moment in the spotlight after saving a child trapped in a burning car; and much more.

Also happening today, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services says it is prohibiting the use of handcuffs and shackles on children in its care; a new survey describes Chicago as the most welcoming city in America for immigrants; Mayor Lightfoot is proposing raising the city's minimum wage to $15 an hour while allowing a lower level for restaurant workers and others who get tips; the Ogle County Health Department is reporting an outbreak of whopping cough at Oregon High School; the ice skating rink that has been a staple in Elgin's Civic Center for the past 19 years will not be available this year; and much more.

Also happening today: Three window washers were rescued after a scaffolding collapsed Wednesday outside a building in the West Loop; parents in the Back of the Yards neighborhood are asking Catholic Charities to re-consider shutting down three child development centers because they say closing down in the middle of the school year leaves families in the lurch; The verdict is still out on O'Hare's new "Fly Quiet Plan," more than a week after it began. These and more stories from WBBM.

Also happening today, the state says hundreds of thousands of people have already received REAL ID driver’s licenses and officials remind people there is no rush to get one; the Illinois Senate has passed a bill that would make Daylight Savings Time permanent, but sponsoring Senator Andy Manar said it's a long way from reality; some Rogers Park residents with apartments on the lake are beginning to worry about what may happen to their homes, especially after powerful waves on Monday and Tuesday; and much more.

Also happening today, people in the Chicago area are find all sorts of ways to deal with the bitter cold; the heat is back on for students at a South Side high school after a day that extra layers were needed; a Chicago cab driver who was involved in an altercation with a passenger after being caught on cell phone video watching TV while driving on an expressway is now facing criminal charges; and much more.

In other news this evening: Mayor Lightfoot has "Plan B" budget waiting in the wings; north suburban high school deals with pertussis outbreak; DuPage County relaxes ban on video gaming; and more.