Illinois quick hits: Record hotel tax revenues reported; grocer sentenced for SNAP, WIC fraud
Record hotel tax revenues reported
Illinois tourism numbers for 2024 saw an all-time high for hotel tax revenue.
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity’s Office of Tourism announced the state welcomed 113 million domestic and international visitors who spent more than $48 billion.
Total hotel tax revenue came in at $367 million, a 14% increase from the previous year.
Grocer sentenced for SNAP, WIC fraud
The owner of a Chicago grocery store has been sentenced to three and a half years in federal prison for fraudulently redeeming millions of dollars in benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.
Yousef Abu Alhawa, 50, of Lockport was also ordered to pay $8.9 million in restitution to the U.S. Treasury, the Internal Revenue Service, and the state of Illinois.
Alhawa pleaded guilty to wire fraud and tax charges last year.
Meth dealers sentenced
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois has announced sentences for eight methamphetamine dealers in Effingham County and indictments for three other individuals accused of drug distribution.
Prison sentences of those convicted range from 60 to 144 months.
Latest News Stories
Lawmaker criticizes $500 student board scholarships amid lowered K‑12 standards
Illinois news in brief: Work begins on $1.5 billion O’Hare expansion; Police catch man accused of road rage, shooting
Executive Committee Details Spending of $134 Million in Pandemic Relief Funds
Facing Budget Crisis, Peotone Committee Questions Athletic Field Project
Committee Summary and Briefs: Peotone Board of Education Committee of the Whole
Soaring utility bills, solar federal tax credit cuts dominate Illinois energy debate
Illinois quick hits: Pritzker signs crypto regulations
Trucking industry leader: New law may drive business out of Illinois
Executive Committee Considers $12,000 Strategic Planning Initiative with University of St. Francis
Executive Committee Members Decry Roadside Litter, Call for Action Against Garbage Haulers
Will County Updates Solid Waste Ordinance, Increases Fines and Reporting to Landfill Committee
Citing Liability Concerns, Will County Committee Postpones Vote on Septic System Ordinance
