Gov. J.B. Pritzker is setting aside a controversial proposal to reduce the state’s payment to its severely underfunded pension plans for the coming budget year after tax revenue collected last month far exceeded expectations.

Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.

The Illinois Department of Transportation is hoping that some personal stories get people to be safer on the roads before hitting the highways this summer.

Here’s a link to the story at Illinois News Network.

Some Illinois State Police troopers clocked in Monday wearing hardhats instead of uniforms as part of an operation to catch drivers speeding through construction zones.

Here’s a link to the story at Illinois News Network.

CHRISTOPHER — From the time he was in middle school, Kody Vanfossan was fascinated by firefighting.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

CARBONDALE — Two pillars of the Carbondale and SIU communities died over the weekend — Harvey Welch and Seymour Bryson.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

The city of Rockford is ramping up its efforts to land a new casino.

Here’s a link to the story at Illinois News Network.

A Department of Children and Family Services worker who had in-home interaction with Andrew “A.J.” Freund and the worker’s supervisor have been placed on administrative duties as the state agency investigates what it could have done differently to prevent the 5-year-old boy’s death. That’s according to Acting DCFS Director Marc Smith, who was grilled during a legislative hearing Friday afternoon in Chicago, just two days after Freund’s body was found and his parents were charged with the boy’s murder.

Here’s a link to the story at Illinois News Network.

A man who fatally shot a would-be carjacker in the Loop has been cleared through investigation and will not be charged with a crime, Chicago police said Sunday morning.

Here’s a link to the story at the Chicago Tribune.

Lawmakers return to Springfield on Tuesday facing a five-week deadline to resolve a host of controversial issues that form the centerpiece of new Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s agenda and first state budget

Here’s a link to the story in the Chicago Tribune.

The Illinois State Police say there is a disturbing trend in crashes, and deadly crashes, in the state.

Here’s a link to the story at Illinois News Network.