The Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Division (CVED) of the Indiana State Police recently concluded its participation in “Operation Guardian.” The coordinated three-day initiative, which ran from October 26-28, 2026, brought together Indiana State Police personnel alongside state troopers from 15 other participating states. Partnering agencies included law enforcement from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas.

Operation Guardian targeted secondary and bypass routes to eliminate avenues criminals typically use to evade high-level enforcement activities on major interstate corridors.

During the three-day operational period, the Indiana State Police was responsible for the following enforcement activity:

Total Criminal Arrests: 28
Total Criminal Charges: 36 (18 felony charges, 18 misdemeanor charges)
Narcotics Seizures:
Cannabis: 124.5 pounds seized
Methamphetamine: 6.1 grams seized
Fentanyl: 1.3 grams seized
Other Illicit Substances: 4.5 grams seized
Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) Enforcement:
Total CMV Inspections: 501
Total Out-of-Service (OOS) Violations: 136
Out-of-Service Vehicles: 85
Out-of-Service Drivers: 51
English Language Proficiency OOS: 8

This highly collaborative, multi-state enforcement surge directly aligns with Governor Braun’s public safety priority to establish a comprehensive, statewide drug interdiction strategy.

“Having working smoke alarms in your home is one of the simplest and most important ways to protect yourself and your family from a home fire. When a fire starts, every second matters, and working smoke alarms provide the early warning people need to get out safely,” said Illinois State Fire Marshal Michele Pankow. “Take a few minutes to test your alarms, make sure they are less than 10 years old, and replace any alarms that are damaged or not working properly. If you need assistance, contact your local fire department. Our goal is zero fire fatalities, and making sure every Illinois home has working smoke alarms is an important step toward achieving that goal.”

According to the National Fire Protection Association, working smoke alarms reduce the risk of dying in a home fire by more than half, while the majority of civilian home fire deaths continue to occur in homes with no smoke alarms or no working alarms.

Robin, named after American Humane Society President & CEO Dr. Robin Ganzert, hatched on July 7 at the zoo.

Guests can learn more about Humboldt penguins and the Zoo’s conservation efforts while visiting Robin in the Living Coast’s Rocky Shores habitat.

She’s identified by the black and hot pink band on her left wing.

Humboldt penguins are native to Chile and Peru.

Rodent birth control maker and sustainable rat population company SenesTech Inc. introduced its Evolve Rat Birth Control to Wicker Park Bucktown Special Service Area #33 in a pilot program. The Special Service Area is a taxpayer-funded business improvement district that includes parts of Western Avenue, Damen Avenue, Ashland Avenue, Milwaukee Avenue, North Avenue, and Division Street.

SenesTech reported that over a period of a year, the program showed an 88% reduction in average rat activity intensity and an 82% reduction in the proportion of monitoring locations where rat activity was detected.

The commercial corridors in Wicker Park Bucktown SSA #33 are among the busiest in the city, and SenesTech said rats were ruining the well-maintained landscapes there. They were burrowing into landscape beds and tree pits, damaging perennial plantings, and costing thousands of dollars in landscape maintenance.

The SSA brought in Evolve into its integrated pest management program in August 2025 to deal with the problem. Unlike most pest control solutions, Evolve does not kill rats, but rather targets reproduction.

The bait is safe around pets and humans.

The SSA put out 190 Evolve bait stations across about 2 miles of the district, focusing on alleys and landscape beds where rats were seen most often. Beginning in August of last year, rat tracking tunnel surveys were conducted every two to three months, measuring rat activity intensity on a scale of 0 to 3 based on how many footprints were seen in  tunnels and how widely activity was distributed across the 190 stations.

In August of last year, rat activity was found at 74% of the monitoring stations. By July 2026, that figure had fallen to 13%.

Rat activity scores also fell from 1.76 to 0.21, with the largest reduction in flower beds and tree pits, where the scores fell from 1.97 to 0.13, SenesTech said. Activity remained low in the warmer parts of spring and the summer, SenesTech said.

Rodent-related 911 calls within the deployment area fell 36%, from 158 in the year before Evolve was deployed to 101 in the year afterward. Citywide, rat-related 911 calls increased by a faction of a percent.

CBS News Chicago covered the deployment of the program last year. Alice Howe, program director for SSA #33, said the “sausage-like” Evolve product contains cotton seed oil, which is the active ingredient that inhibits fertility in rats. Howe said this approach is being used in Baltimore and will be launching in New York and San Francisco.

Jacob Allen Morley is wanted by the Tennessee Department of Correction and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation after escaping from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Lake County, Tennessee. He has also been added to Tennessee’s Most Wanted list and should be considered dangerous.

The TBI said Morley allegedly stole the truck around 1 a.m. Monday from the 400 block of Keystone Drive in Lake County. The theft was captured on video, authorities said. Authorities said locating Morley is “an urgent priority for law enforcement.”

The McRib, the Chicago-based burger giant’s seasoned boneless pork dipped in its own signature sauce, will be available in select cities beginning Tuesday. McDonald’s has confirmed its return to TODAY.com.

While fans hoping to find it nationwide may be disappointed, Chicagoans will have a chance to get their hands on it.

This year, the McRib will only return in certain regions, rolling out to menus in cities including Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Dallas.

Wonder if you’ll be able to find the McRib near you?

There’s an online McRib Locator, an unofficial website run by people unaffiliated with McDonald’s that allows fans to flag locations where the popular sandwich has been spotted.

Featuring slivered onion and dill pickles on a toasted homestyle bun, the sandwich, which debuted more than 40 years ago, typically returns on menus in the fall or winter. Its fate was up in the air in 2022, when McDonald’s called the sandwich’s appearance a “farewell tour.”

But it has come back every year since. And while McDonald’s hasn’t indicated 2026 will be its final appearance, fans will have to wait and see if the McRib is resurrected yet again next year.

A series of rallies took place across the Chicago area over the weekend, culminating with participants heading to early voting sites.

In the Roseland community, voters emerged from an early voting site while union leaders associated with employees at Roseland Hospital gathered residents for a rally.

“We’re going to take action and mobilize against big corporations,” said Margaret Haywood-Smith, an SEIU member.

Many of the union members said they are concerned about cuts to funding for the hospital. Roseland Hospital has announced it is eliminating labor and delivery services. Following the rally, participants marched several blocks to the early voting site at Palmer Park.

“The election is important because we want change for our families, our communities, we want better for our children,” said Stacy Kincaid, an SEIU member.

Similar rallies were held in other communities during the weekend, when more voters were available to participate.

At the Humboldt Park Library early voting site, voter Adam Corona said he chose to cast his ballot ahead of Election Day.

“Just to get it out of the way. Election day gets real busy. Time is limited, especially if you gotta work,” Corona said.

A group led by 26th Ward Ald. Jessie Fuentes rallied near the library before marching to the polling location to vote. Among the issues motivating many voters in the Humboldt Park community is the crackdown on immigrants.

“This community is saying we’re not gonna be shuttered into our homes out of fear. We’re going to come out and vote,” Fuentes said.

Early voting continues through Nov. 3. On Election Day, voters must cast their ballots at their assigned precincts.

Meanwhile, the Department of Justice is planning to send federal election monitors to Indiana during next month’s midterm elections. The ABC affiliate in Indianapolis reported that monitors will be deployed to Lake County in northwest Indiana and Marion County, where Indianapolis is located. Those two counties are heavily Democratic. The Department of Justice has not yet responded to a request for additional information.

The owners of the Salt Shed, at 1357 N. Elston Ave., want to build a large outdoor venue next door. To do so, Blue Star Properties aims to buy four lots on Magnolia Avenue between Blackhawk and Le Moyne streets.

In that area, Magnolia Avenue runs on a northeast-southwest slant going south from North Avenue to meet Elston Avenue at an angle. It runs closer to the North Branch of the river than Elston Avenue itself does.

Currently, the Salt Shed complex is composed of an indoor concert venue with a capacity of 3,600, the Goose Island Salt Shed Pub at 1221 W. Blackhawk St., and The Fairgrounds outdoor amphitheater with a capacity of 5,500.

The new amphitheater would be located north of Blackhawk Street, and would have grass seating backing up to the street and an artist green room.

Crain’s Chicago Business reported the land that Blue Star Properties wants to buy and use for the expansion is currently owned by the Labkon family, which operated the since-closed General Iron metal recycling plant in the Clybourn Corridor.

The project requires a zoning change and needs to be approved by the Chicago Planning Commission.

The Salt Shed occupies a former Morton Salt production, packaging, and distribution facility that still has prominent Morton Salt branding with the famous “Umbrella Girl” logo facing the nearby Kennedy Expressway. Barges with tons of salt traveled down the Chicago River to deliver salt to the Morton factory throughout much of the 20th century, the Chicago Architecture Foundation said.

The Morton Salt Company left the factory behind in 2015. The building was reimagined as a concert venue and opened as the Salt Shed in August 2022.

The Goose Island Brewpub moved to the Salt Shed location in 2023 from its original home at 1800 N. Clybourn Ave., where it opened in 1988 as part of the 1800 Clybourn mall — the rest of which opened the following year. The mall closed after only five years and most of the former factory complex that housed it was torn down, but Goose Island remained for nearly another 30. The Clybourn Avenue site is again being reimagined, and the old Goose Island brewpub on the site was itself recently torn down.

Williams passed for 308 yards and two touchdowns, and the Bears cooled off Drake Maye and the New England Patriots with a 30-24 victory Thursday night.

It was the second meeting between the young quarterbacks since they were part of the 2024 NFL draft. Maye, who was selected by New England at No. 3, directed the Patriots to a 19-3 victory over Williams and the Bears when the longtime friends were rookies.

But Williams, the No. 1 overall pick, leaned on Luther Burden and Colston Loveland while outlasting Maye and the Patriots in the rematch. Williams connected on 22 of 33 passes in his second game back after being sidelined by a right hamstring injury.

“These nights are awesome,” Williams said. “You play against another good team on a primetime game in a short week, these games are awesome because you get to see who you are as a team. That’s who we are. We’re a smashmouth football team, an innovative team. And when things happen and things don’t go our way and the water is rocky, we stay steady.”

Maye was 24 for 31 for 321 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a 7-yard run for New England’s first TD with 11:33 left in the first half.

But Maye also was intercepted by Bears linebacker D’Marco Jackson in the end zone on a pass intended for rookie tight end Eli Raridon late in the second quarter.

“It’s those plays, I talk about it all the time,” Maye said. “You know those plays that can swing the game, can impact the game and that was definitely one of them right there. Yeah, I wish I definitely had that one back.”

New England (4-3) had won three consecutive games behind Maye, who threw 10 TD passes and one interception during the win streak.

“He gave us a chance,” Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said. “He competed and I know he’d like to have that throw back to Eli, but I thought he really competed. Whether that was running around and scrambling or finding good places to go with the football. He gave us a chance. … I’m glad he’s ours.”

Burden had four catches for 130 yards for Chicago (5-2), and Loveland had a 12-yard touchdown reception. Cairo Santos kicked a 58-yard field goal with 1:34 left, a career long and matching the franchise record, after he missed a 53-yard attempt earlier in the final quarter.

Williams became the first Bears quarterback to throw for more than 300 yards in consecutive games since Mitch Trubisky had a three-game run in 2018.

“I think he did a pretty good job throughout the night,” Bears coach Ben Johnson said. “I know he had a number of explosive plays. He found some of those guys at the second level that were huge for us.”

After Santos’ long field goal, Maye drove New England into range for Andy Borregales’ 47-yarder with 37 seconds to go. But Chicago recovered the ensuing onside kick.

Rhamondre Stevenson had five catches for 93 yards and a touchdown for the Patriots. Raridon had a 30-yard TD catch in the third quarter.

“We did some good things,” Vrabel said. “But again, didn’t do enough.”

It was Chicago’s first home game since Mike Ditka died on Oct. 9. The Bears saluted the Hall of Fame tight end and longtime coach with a pregame moment of silence, and they also handed out fake mustaches to the crowd of 60,520 at Soldier Field.

Ditka’s No. 89 jersey dotted the stands, and fans also donned Bears sweaters in a callback to what he wore on the sideline as a coach.

Chicago opened a 20-7 lead on Burden’s 24-yard touchdown with 14 seconds left in the first half. Burden got the ball on a screen on third-and-17, and Loveland, Kalif Raymond and Darnell Wright helped clear the way for his second TD reception of the season.

“The whole calvary came … and it was like a wave carrying him through there,” Johnson said. “He saw a little crease and hit the jets.”

Set to receive the second-half kickoff, the Bears were in position to pull away. But the Patriots responded with Stevenson’s 48-yard touchdown reception on the final play of the period.

Stevenson slipped out of the backfield and Maye lobbed the ball over the head of Bears safety Cam Lewis. Stevenson ran away from Lewis and got a downfield block from DeMario Douglas before cutting past Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson on his way to the end zone.

CB Malik Muhammad left in the third quarter with a toe injury. … TE Cole Kmet hurt his right knee on a reception with 5:34 left. “We’ll know more tomorrow, but I don’t think it looked very good,” Johnson said.

Up next

Bears: At Seattle for a Monday night game Nov. 2.