An extremely rare 1792 U.S. one cent piece was auctioned off for just over $1 million in Schaumburg,  Thursday. The coin was one of the first ever struck by the U.S. Mint in 1791, and is one of only 14 surviving examples of a "silver plug" penny, which were cast with copper surrounding a small quantity of silver to add weight. This design was a prototype, called Judd 1, and was never put into circulation, but was an early version of today's penny.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker received a warm reception by members of the Lake County Republican Federation, Friday, in Lincolnshire. Not everyone in the room agreed with all aspects of Walker’s medicine for his state, but he got a loud and lengthy standing ovation when he finished his remarks as the keynote speaker of the 50^th anniversary celebration of the Federation. 

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn on Friday introduced his plan to address the state's growing pension crisis by cutting costs and -- the governor proposed -- delaying state workers' retirement age. He believes state workers should contribute 3 percent more to their retirement plans and not retire until they turn 67 in a plan that would be phased in over the coming years. The plan, the governor claims, would save the state between $65 billion and $85 billion by 2045. 

A man from the Lemont area died Friday after being electrocuted while trimming a tree in DuPage County near the village. The 32-year-old was trimming a tree at his home near Glen Road and 91st Street when his aluminum ladder came into contact with a high-voltage electrical power line overhead.