Danny Connolly

Illinois

Digital Producer at WCIA-TV (Champaign, IL)

Featured in: Favicon

fox2now.com Favicon

8newsnow.com Favicon

kron4.com + 98 more

Articles

World’s largest air-supported sports dome inflated in Springfield

1 week ago | wcia.com | Danny Connolly

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Springfield is now home to the world’s largest air supported sports dome. Workers spent the past two days inflating the dome. It’s located outside of the new Scheels Sports Park, and is scheduled to open next year. The dome is 715 feet long and 275 feet wide. It’s designed to hold several games at once — including basketball, soccer and volleyball. Progress on the new dome also means young athletes in Springfield will get more practice time on the field.
Future Champions Sports Complex fields in Morgan Co. damaged from heavy winds

1 week ago | wcia.com | Danny Connolly

JACKSONVILLE, Ill. (WCIA) — The Future Champions Sports Complex in Jacksonville suffered major damage from severe weather on Wednesday. Kristin Jamison, whose family owns Future Champions, estimates that four of the six baseball fields need major repairs. “We live and breathe this ballpark, you know we are here 30-40 weekends per year throughout the entire summer and into the fall,” she said. “So, this is a family run complex, privately owned.
‘Illinois has always been kind of a transactional state’: Political science professor weighs in on Madigan sentencing

2 weeks ago | yahoo.com | Danny Connolly

CHICAGO (WCIA) — Michael Madigan, the longest-serving state Speaker of the House in American history, will serve seven and a half years in prison. A federal jury convicted Madigan of 10 charges back in February, including bribery, conspiracy and wire fraud. On Friday, Judge John Blakey handed down that sentence.
Bill banning AI therapy bots in Illinois awaits signature

2 weeks ago | wcia.com | Danny Connolly

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Illinois could soon require humans to be in charge of all therapy sessions. The Illinois Legislature passed a bill to the governor’s desk that would ban the use of therapy offered by Artificial Intelligence. Mental health professionals would also only be able to use AI transcriptions of sessions if the patient consents to it.
Durbin pushes to pass DACA bill ahead of 13th anniversary

2 weeks ago | wcia.com | Danny Connolly

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Sunday is the 13th anniversary of the DACA program. Senator Dick Durbin is spearheading the movement to turn the executive order into law. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals allows undocumented immigrants who entered the country as children protection from deportation. The program has helped more than 800,000 young people.
Illinois bill ending scam gym membership tactic heads to governor’s desk

2 weeks ago | wcia.com | Danny Connolly

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — Illinois legislators have worked to end a common scam with gym memberships. A bill that passed out of the capitol last month would stop fitness centers from deceptive lifetime memberships. It would require owners to be transparent about any changes in prices or benefits. One gym owner in Springfield told WCIA that being honest with his patrons is the right thing to do.
Proposal lifting age requirement for senior drivers in Illinois passes both chambers

2 weeks ago | wcia.com | Danny Connolly

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — A bill on the governor’s desk would raise the age for a requirement seniors face at driving facilities. Right now, Illinois drivers 79 or older need to pass a road test in order to renew their license. The proposal would raise that age to 87. Immediate family members would also be allowed to submit reports to the secretary of state to look into retesting if their loved one is starting to face cognitive decline.
Illinois bill on governor’s desk would require law enforcement to work with federal gun tracing database

3 weeks ago | wcia.com | Danny Connolly

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — When law enforcement finds a gun while investigating a crime scene, they can track its history on a national database called eTrace. A bill that passed both chambers of the statehouse would require all law enforcement agencies to use it. Illinois law enforcement agencies have been encouraged to partner with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ software in the past. But now a bill on the governor’s desk would make that mandatory.
Illinois bill to use gun-tracing database advances

3 weeks ago | ourquadcities.com | Danny Connolly |Brian Weckerly

by: Danny Connolly, Brian Weckerly Posted: Jun 3, 2025 / 09:08 PM CDT Updated: Jun 3, 2025 / 09:08 PM CDT When law enforcement finds a gun while investigating a crime scene, they can track its history on a national database called eTrace. HB1373, a bill advancing in Illinois, would require all law enforcement agencies to use it. Our Quad Cities News correspondent Danny Connolly explains.
Illinois bill to use gun-tracing database advances

3 weeks ago | yahoo.com | Danny Connolly

When law enforcement finds a gun while investigating a crime scene, they can track its history on a national database called eTrace. HB1373, a bill advancing in Illinois, would require all law enforcement agencies to use it. Our Quad Cities News correspondent Danny Connolly explains. For more information, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.