Every five years, motorcycle enthusiasts from across the United States, and beyond, travel to Milwaukee to observe the birthday of Harley-Davidson. This year's 105th birthday celebration begins Wednesday and ends on Sunday. But before they roared into Wisconsin, many riders made one last stop Tuesday in Springfield, which was on one of several official routes leading to the big Harley bash.

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Hogs across America: From France to Milwaukee, Harley riders share love of an American icon

Hogs across America: Harleys mean the 'freedom of the open road'

Brad Sommer can’t think of a better way to kick off the bowling season than having everyone in the country participate in setting a record.

Saying he didn’t want to increase taxes, Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Tuesday rejected a proposal to let East Peoria and Morton raise their local hotel tax rates by a single percentage point, to 6 percent.

Gov. Rod Blagojevich is willing to turn over the former Hanna City work camp property to Peoria County for free, but he wants the state to get paid if the county ever stops using the land.

State lawmakers say they’re willing to debate Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s major changes to the ethics reform measure they approved this spring — but not in the governor’s all-or-nothing approach.

Five days after presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Barack Obama drew a monster crowd to Springfield’s Old Capitol Plaza, it remains unclear who was responsible for providing water to the sweltering attendees.

U.S. Sen. Barack Obama’s controversial former pastor has resigned from a state commission designed in part to educate people about the history of slavery in America.

A court challenge to moving 150 state transportation jobs from Springfield to southern Illinois has been postponed.

State Briefs 8/26/08

Through a children's book, a Peoria woman hopes to help other families who fight the clock each morning.

A lot of unrest simmered in the American political cauldron as the Democrats prepared for their 1968 National Convention in Chicago, causing the conflict to boil over into violence between protesters and police, local Democrats say.
 

Peoria County Jail records indicate the inmate who died Friday in his cell refused to take medication for a seizure disorder just hours before his death.

They are either homeless, disabled or intoxicated — sometimes all three — and the victims of senseless attacks. This summer, the men have been easy prey for a group of young people who batter them from dusk to dawn in the downtown area.

The firefighting unit that serves the 183rd Fighter Wing at Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport will stay where it is for at least another year. A spokeswoman for U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said this morning that Durbin and U.S. Sen. Barack Obama are still seeking a new flying mission for the unit. In the meantime, however, federal officials have approved keeping the firefighters at the airport until September 2009.

Judge James E. Shadid recused himself Tuesday from the case of alleged serial rapist Monterius Hinkle. Shadid recused himself because he made a $250 political contribution to Peoria County State's Attorney Kevin Lyons' campaign in April, a fact uncovered this morning by the Peoria Times-Observer.