PepsiCo shuts down Chicago facility • John Travolta visits rural Illinois • Gas station collapses
CHICAGO - Dozens of people lost their jobs after PepsiCo shut down its facility in Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood; John Travolta surprised fans when he grabbed a bite to eat at a restaurant in rural Illinois; and a Shell gas station in Crystal Lake collapsed, crushing two cars.
These are the top stories on Fox 32's Week in Review.
PepsiCo abruptly shuts down Chicago facility, leaving 79 workers jobless
PepsiCo has abruptly closed its facility in Chicago's Back of the Yards neighborhood, leaving approximately 79 Teamsters Local 727 union workers without jobs.
The company sent the union a letter early Monday morning informing them of the immediate closure of the facility located at 650 W 51st Street. The union claims Pepsi bypassed the required 60-day notice under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act.
John Travolta drops in at rural Illinois restaurant, leaving fans buzzing
A restaurant in rural Illinois had quite an unexpected guest dine with them last weekend, leaving customers reeling.
Renowned actor John Travolta visited Uptown Grill, located in La Salle, Ill.
Gas station canopy collapses onto cars in Crystal Lake
The canopy of a gas station collapsed onto two cars Thursday night in suburban Crystal Lake.
Around 8:37 p.m., the entire canopy of a Shell gas station fell down over the gas pump area at 220 W. Virginia St., according to police.
Toys 'R' Us opens new standalone store in Chicago suburb
Toys "R" Us has officially opened a new standalone store in the Chicago suburb of Norridge.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place Saturday at the new 10,000-square-foot location in Harlem Irving Plaza, offering a range of popular toys and brands, including Lego, Barbie and Hot Wheels.
Walgreens lays off hundreds of employees, mostly in Chicago
Walgreens announced Tuesday that it is laying off 256 workers, mostly in Chicago, and eliminating 215 open roles as part of a strategy to streamline its focus on core pharmacy services.
The company's restructuring is expected to affect roles in its corporate support center.
In a statement, a Walgreens spokesperson acknowledged the difficulty of the decision but emphasized that the layoffs are part of broader "turnaround efforts" to adjust to a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape.
Woman shot, killed after crash during funeral procession in Dixmoor: police
A woman was shot and later died after her vehicle crashed into a home in Dixmoor while part of a funeral procession, according to police.
The incident happened just after noon on Saturday at the intersection of 147th and Seeley Street.
When officers arrived, they found a white Jaguar SUV had collided with a home.
Threets, Sprouts, Boatman, and Glass | CPD
Four Chicagoans attacked, robbed woman on CTA bus: police
Four Chicago residents have been charged with robbery and mob action in connection with an assault and theft on a CTA bus earlier this week.
The suspects, identified as Devon Glass, 24, Nigah Threets, 23, Jayda Boatman, 22, and Jaylen Sprouts, 20, were arrested on Tuesday after allegedly robbing a 32-year-old woman on the Southwest Side.
Nakeisha Andrews
Woman tried smuggling heroin and fentanyl-soaked paper into Cook County Jail: sheriff
A Country Club Hills woman is accused of trying to smuggle paper soaked with heroin and fentanyl into the Cook County Jail.
On Aug. 29, investigators became aware that 47-year-old Nakeisha Andrews might attempt to bring drug-soaked paper during a jail visit. When she arrived, officers conducted a pat-down search and found an 8-by-10-inch piece of paper wrapped in plastic hidden in her shirt.
Limited water access hinders firefighters battling massive blaze at Joliet scrapyard
A massive fire broke out Friday afternoon at a Joliet scrapyard, where firefighters faced challenges due to a limited water supply.
The incident was reported around 2:17 p.m. at BL Duke – Joliet Public Scrap Metal Recycling Yard, located at 2 Genstar Lane.
Fire officials said a large scrap pile, containing metal, wood and possibly some plastic caught fire. No hazardous materials were involved.
Illinois state senator asked to resign after 'Islamophobic' social media posts
An Illinois state senator is in hot water for social media posts that faith groups have called Islamophobic.
State Sen. Sara Feigenholtz replied to a post on X last week that referred to Westerners who praised Islam as "bootlickers" and suggested "They move to an Islamic country and stick their heads in the dirt multiple times a day for enlightenment."
Feigenholtz replied "You are a [bad***] truth teller" to the post.