the governor was in joliet to kick off construction on a $42 million transportation hub.ome state workers protested. they say they're not happy with pension cuts and deferred pay increases. stopped on the chicago high-speed rail line creating 400 construction jobs. he called out the protesters saying state workers have gotten a 45% pay increase in the last eight years. two decades of shuttle flights ended friday when endeavour ended at l.a.x. airport after a three-day cross-country trip. the shuttle show cased from coast-to-coast piggy backing on a boeing 74 up. crowds gathered to watch endeavour's touchdown. he launched his camera into the air with balloons to get great jobs of the city. then his idea went south literally in the case -- well, he's technically -- when the balloon and the camera got away from him. taking the camera from the bridgeport neighborhood, the wind blew it all the way to laporte county, indiana. we caught up with the man behind the balloons and the folks in the hoosier staid who found it. >> when ben jordan and his girlfriend set out to get some a

the city wants to force the owners of the evergreen terrace complex to sell it to joliet. the federal government says it's a power grab by the city to remove african-american families from the complex which sits on valuable land near harrah's casino. the city insists it's a crime- ridden blight on the community. some city officials have been quoted as calling the tenants "rats and prostitutes." the 2012 ryder cup tees-off at medinah country club. wgn's nancy loo is outside the club, where fans are thrilled to witness one of golf's greatest traditions. fans are here from all over the world to see the best golfers in the world we aren't like parcae school right across the street from the country club this has provided a unique opportunity for lots of people in this community. >>it's an international competition that has drawn colorful characters from near and far. >>this is the flag of great britain and their ryder cup of caltech manner and this is the welch flag ... on my cap there are all kinds of characters and lots of pattern trousers >>i wore this to irritate my wife >>

joliet bishop daniel conlon said church officials in rome decided that the allegation dating back to consiered a serious crime under church law at that time. "snap" officials say the decision to let ryan minister is a shocking and dangerous move by the church. bad news for the housing market here in illinois. illinois posted the highest foreclosure rate in the nation in august, with one of every 298 homes receiving a foreclosure notice, according to a report issued thursday. illinois is not alone in the high double digits. at the state of new jersey and maryland also had foreclosure rates close to 20%. they say that holmes ... >> the federal government is giving $12 million to spruce up o'hare and midway airports. the money will be used to put special signs on the airport to improve the ability. it will also help the runway to accommodate new planes. mayor emanuel said the improvements will make the airport better and provide jobs. a medical watch with a completely new heart to save a man's life. and talk about sticker shot a couple of gas stations on the east coast are selling gasol

. >> crowds cheered in the streets of joliet, illinois, after a chained drew peterson was convicted of murdering his third wife, kathleen savio. her family was in tears speaking outside the courthouse. >> finally somebody heard kathleen's cry. 12 people did the right thing. thank god, she won today. it's her victory. >> finally received justice. it has been for a very long time in coming. >> savio was found dead in her home in a dry bathtub more than eight years ago. but the prosecution considered that crime scene part of a cover-up. >> who falls into a bathtub with no water and drowns? >> her death was initially ruled as an accident. but in 2007, the case was reopened after peterson's fourth wife, stacy peterson went missing. savio's body was resumed and her death reclassified as a homicide. drew peterson was never charged in stacy's death. after more than five weeks of testimony and a day and a half of jury deliberations, the former illinois police chief was found guilty of murdering savio. >> he was a thug. he would threaten people because he had a gun and april badge. and nobody ev

know why he stopped next to deport people deep over the sergeant at john muir hospital that's where joliet goodrich's with new information. >>> as we learn more about kenny was a u.s. army reserve in the city for seven years tonight is here with family by his side fighting for his life. >>> shots fired an officer on the freeway. at the officers possibly down. a shooting that left the father of four and chp officer of seven years on my support. his family and extended family from southern california visiting throughout the evening. we hope for the vast amounts to come home. sergeant dan mcdermott says the officer is not only a co-worker he is a good friends. >>> is one of those people dead will give you the time of the day when you have a problem. the chp is making a traffic stop when the driver opened fire another officer who arrived as back up shot and wounded the suspect he then helped the injured officer until paramedics arrived. the suspect was out of hospital they've learned she'd he was driving was last registered to a person in a point registered owner couldn't afford the telling fe

a joliet priest accused of sexual abuse has been reinstated ... the reverent f. lee ryan had been accused of sexually molesting a boy in the 1970's his relationship with a 14 year- old did not meet the criteria of a crime during in church law during that period of time in the '70s ... he will minister to homebound parishioners ... coming up next public reaction to the new i-phone ... >>and another security breach in yemen at the american embassy ... ot sfilodour you know what i love about this country? trick question. i love everything about this country! including prilosec otc. you know one pill each morning treats your frequent heartburn so you can enjoy all this great land of ours has to offer like demolition derbies. and drive thru weddings. so if you're one of those people who gets heartburn and then treats day after day block the acid with prilosec otc and don't get heartburn in the first place. [ male announcer ] one pill each morning. 24 hours. zero heartburn. protesters took to the streets again today outside several u.s. embassies in the middle east. hu

and finally there is an intruder at the nascar qualifier in joliet.at is the news for this friday night we are happy you shared your time with us. have a great weekend everybody. ot sfilodour la nota

wgn's tonya francisco is live at the courthouse in joliet with our top story. within the first hour they sent a note to the judge requesting the transcript for the weekend of kathleen savio step of the phone records between drew peterson and his fourth wife stacey ... they wanted more information on the testimony of the divorce lawyer ... the judge denied that particular request and then he received another note ... the transcript on the discussion about the police report where it was reported drew peterson threaten the life of his third wife ... >>it doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out who did this >>the sister kathleen savio is certain that drew peterson is guilty but it's up to the jury to decide ... he was to march with two counts of first-degree murder in the what death of his third wife of kathleen savio ... the case got reopened in 2007 after the fourth wife stacy peterson disappeared new autopsies' after the body was exhumed determined that she had been indeed murdered ... prosecutors presented a mountain of circumstantial and forensic evidence .

wgn's julian crews is live in joliet with the latest.his gut wrenching four week trial slowly nearing its conclusion closing arguments conceivably could come at the end of the day certainly by tomorrow with the jurors likely getting the case by thursday christopher vaughn is accused of murdering his wife and his three children in 2007 prosecutors say that he drove his family to a remote and secluded area off the interstate 55 allegedly shooting his 34 year-old wife kimberly and the couple's children he then shot himself in the thigh and the wrists and concocted a story that his wife was the culprit shooting him and the children before turning a handgun at on herself defense attorneys are casting doubt on the investigation calling a crime scene expert to the stand saying that forensic specialists failed to test the blood on the wife's thumb ... christopher vaughn says his wife was suicidal taking medication for severe migraines and she was distraught over fractures in the couple's marriage but the defense attorneys have a steep hill to cl

w-g-n's tonya francisco is live at the courthouse in joliet with details. >>the prosecution is coming out pretty strong ... " he said i'm going to kill you " and the prosecutor pointed to drew peterson and said it was clear that he killed kathleen savio ... the defense is promising an equally powerful closing argument. >>it will be one for the books. joe will be informative and entertaining and it will be compelling all free ... joe lopez is one of the defense attorneys he will make closing arguments that his co counselors say will lay it all out for the jurors ... >>they will understand why the witnesses aren't believable and that really was an accident >>five different well-respected pathologists were presented to the jury three for the prosecution to for the defense they have laid out their theories as to how kathleen savio died ... drew peterson is charged with drowning her in 2004 and was initially ruled an accident until stacy peterson the fourth wife disappeared in 2007 officials reopened the investigation into the death of kathleen savio exhuming he

wgn's nancy loo is live at the courthouse in joliet with our top story. we are now in the 11th hour of deliberations no verdict yet ... we just got word that the jury has have lunch delivered behind me is defense attorney joel brodsky addressing the media the family of kathleen savio earlier told us that they are nervous and wish her death was ruled a homicide back in 2004 ... >>if the panel had it right the first time we would've been done with this here we are eight years later suffering and greeting it's very nerve wracking and hard on the family ... the judge warned against reading into these jury requests from yesterday there was no comment this morning about deliberations from the prosecutor's office ... the jurors had asked for transcripts of hearsay testimony of the divorce attorney harry smith and the pastor for stacy peterson ... they talked about conversations with stacy peterson before she went missing and the blunt talk by drew peterson about kathleen savio is death before stacy peterson went missing ... were thinking maybe the jurors have gi

our correspondent is live on the scene in joliet, illinois. the reading of the verdict was quickly. >>reporter: yes. murder one. the stiffer of the two charges facing drew peterson, a maximum sentence of 60 years in prison. a june -- jubilant scene where supporters of the family and folk whose have been watching this unfold over the course of the last eight years in the savio case and five years in the stacey peterson case have finally in their view got something to celebrate. someone is responsible for a murder which if it were not for the disappearance of stacey peterson i don't know we would be standing here today. keep in mind, savio was found dead in her bathtub, and it was found "accidental," and the only reason why there was pressure publicly and from law enforcement agencies to reexamine that was that stacey peterson was missing the she is still missing. we told that attorneys for peterson have been talking to peterson in the days leading up to the final arguments and the jury deliberations and that peterson was ready to accept whatever verdict came down which sounded at lea

. >> the scene here at the will county courthouse in joliet, illinois is much quieter.o more jeers or cheering but to the family members of kathleen savio it was her voice that spoke the loudest. >> she spoke from the grave. she came alive again. she came back and said look, this man did it to me. >> never believing aunt kitty drown after a fall in her tub, march 2004 charlie dolman watched as his frustrated mother and other relatives tried in vain to convince authorities to investigate kathleen savio's death. >> nobody wanted to listen. >> tragically it wasn't until the highly publicized disappearance of drew's fourth wife stacy peterson three years last the fact that authorities began to listen. >> in the begining that we said and we showed you guys my mom had that she tried to show anybody and everybody and nobody wanted to see it. >> do you think that she knew what was coming? that she knew that her life was at risk? >> most definitely. she said it many, many, many times to many, many, many people. she knew. she didn't know when, where or how but you she knew. >> it

. >> this week, 12 people from all walks of life in the small town of joliet, illinois, reaffirmed our faith in the criminal justice system. a faith shaken by verdicts like casey anthony. the csi mentality of dna and quick fixes couldn't compare to the centuries old motive, means and opportunity. and in spite of fractured and whittled down evidence that the judge created this jury connected the dots and make no mistake, circumstancial evidence is powerful. it has been used in this country to get convictions for 200 years. it has no motive to lie. no family members. no poor eye sight. no bias and no hostility. it speaks for itself. the wheels of justice are not always swift. they move slowly. they always have. sometimes they need a little grease. sometimes a push. sometimes even a fourth wife gone missing. with us tonight is one of the 12 jurors who helped move the wheels of justice in the drew peterson case, juror ron sipolo. ron, thanks for being with us this evening. how are you? >> good, judge. good to see you again. >> and we have looked at each other for many weeks in that courtro

." >> when angel began her correspondence with gilbert, she was living in joliet, illinois.on, niko, was only 15 at the time. >> at first, i was very worried about her emotional safety, because i wasn't sure how it would end up. >> but what had begun as just a pen pal relationship quickly became something more serious. >> on a sunday evening at 8:00 at night, my son brought me the phone, and he said there's a collect call on there, and i thought perhaps it was from sherman, and it was him. it was bobby. and i've communicated with him every day since. >> my mom, she was glowing, she was happy, and it was really nice to see her like that. >> i started feeling something for bobby. i was falling in love with him, and it's an emotion that you can't control. it just happens. >> and after four months of calls and letters, angel decided to make the 700-mile trip from illinois to alabama, and she visited bobby for the first time. >> it was only three hours, and it was very special. he was sitting next to me, and i could see bobby out of the corner of my eye just grinning and staring

steve brown is live outside the courthouse in joliet, illinois.what does the case against peterson hinge on? >> reporter: essentially it is hearsay. the prosecution can put kathleen savio dead in her bathtub in 2004. they have a medical expert said after exhuming the body, after initial finding her death was an accident, can make this or can create an argument that her death was a homicide. but in terms of pinning this all on drew peterson, a lot of it is going to have to deal or depend on the jury buying into secondhand accounts. >> you told so many people in so many ways, he would kill kathleen and make a look like an accident. that is what the jury will hear when they go back to the courtroom. she is dead. looked like an accident. drew is only one that could have done it. he had a motive. >> reporter: all of this goes back to illinois's hearsay evidence law which allows statements told to other people to be brought into as testimony, even though normally those kind of statements are not permitted. martha? martha: boy, still a lot to think about