USA, Illinois / USA:

— An Illinois House version of legislation to allow people to carry concealed weapons that emerged Wednesday would not let Chicago have its own set of rules and could make it easier to get a permit.    

Costs start at $85 for a standard carChicago drivers can now make their annual payment for the privilege of keeping a car in the city.    

Board votes to shut 49 grade schools, 1 high schoolMonths of argument and anguish over Mayor Rahm Emanuel's push for sweeping school closings came to a climax Wednesday as his hand-picked Board of Education voted to shut 49 elementary schools and transfer thousands of children to new classroom settings.    

'It was just a gift,' says mother of 2 Manierre studentsFor weeks that became months, parents at Garvey Elementary School protested its possible closing at community meetings, signed petitions and hoped against hope that they wouldn't have to send their children to an unfamiliar building in their Far South Side neighborhood.    

Dispute over condo became theatrical slugfest; lawyers get last digs in during closing argumentsOn paper it's a rather boring condo dispute, a mundane confrontation between a buyer and seller over clauses buried deep in documents.    

Firm owned by Catholics contends health law's requirement violates owners' religious beliefsLawyers for two Roman Catholic-owned companies in Illinois and Indiana argued before the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago on Wednesday that a law forcing them to include birth control in their employees' benefits would violate their First Amendment rights.    

Former linebacker can take his place with Bears' elite Why did it take so long for Brian Urlacher to leave the game?    

Bill Daley, a fellow Chicagoan with Washington experience, knows what she's going through With Chicago billionaire Penny Pritzker set to be grilled by senators Thursday at her Commerce secretary confirmation hearing, Bill Daley feels her pain.    

Two men were found dead inside a car Wednesday afternoon in Chicago's West Englewood neighborhood.    

— Illinois public schools that teach sex education would be required to provide students information about birth control under a measure sent to Gov. Pat Quinn on Wednesday.    

Wilmette school poised to claim Guinness record on twinsFor those wondering which school might hold the world record for most twins in one grade, look no further than Highcrest Middle School in Wilmette.    

House joins Senate in upholding utility rate increase— Lawmakers on Wednesday rejected Gov. Pat Quinn's effort to block ComEd from raising rates in exchange for promises to digitize the electrical grid.    

Schaumburg Trustee Frank Kozak and his wife, Char, survived a terrifying encounter with the Moore, Okla., tornado when the twister demolished the ranch house where they were staying, their son Steve said Wednesday.    

Officials also frustrated; FEMA opens aid centerFrustrated Glenview residents packed a village meeting this week, peppering local leaders with questions about relief in the aftermath of the floods that soaked much of the region last month.    

Question about Inner Mongolia dashes 13-year-old's championship dreamThe question that stumped Conrad Oberhaus, runner-up in the National Geographic Bee in Washington on Wednesday, wasn't exactly of the name-the-capital-of-Belgium variety. Conrad, 13, drew this doozy:    

State's attorney won't press charges if district lives up to agreementWest Aurora school officials who failed to report a suspicious incident involving a teacher later convicted of sexually abusing two students will avoid prosecution if their school district adopts and follows better reporting practices, Kane County's chief prosecutor said Wednesday.    

A McHenry County man who was pimping his pregnant wife has been sentenced to 50 years in prison for killing a man who had come to their home for sex in 2011.    

Former tool and die maker was hospice volunteer in retirementA tool and die maker for 40 years, Joseph J. Kilzer served as a school board president and president of his union local before retiring with his wife to Green Lake, Wis., and training to become a hospice volunteer.    

Officials believe victim wanted to go for a swimA woman who is believed to have jumped into the Chicago River downtown for a swim was quickly rescued by the crew of a tour boat — in the middle of their annual Coast Guard inspection, officials said.    

'These stories are as vital to our national memory as any other,' first lady says— First lady Michelle Obama, whose maternal great-great-great-grandmother was a slave, made a short trip from the White House on Wednesday to the nearby Decatur House, touring the historic former home and its adjacent slave quarters.    

Opponents fear more traffic deaths, lower fuel economyIllinois drivers soon could roll along rural interstates at 70 mph after House lawmakers Wednesday approved a higher speed limit on nonurban highways despite safety concerns and a possible veto showdown with the governor.    

Ronald Stolberg shut his eyes and covered his face with his hand Wednesday as graphic pictures from his wife's autopsy flashed across a screen during the second day of his murder trial.    

Whether departure was a firing or resignation is in disputeOne of the Lake County's highest-ranking police officers has left the sheriff's department amid controversy over his authority.    

The Naperville Area Homeowners Confederation elected a new leader for the first time in four years.    

Visitors to Naperville's annual Ribfest will be purchasing tickets to exchange for alcohol this summer instead of paying cash at beverage tents.    

The Naperville Police Department will be hiring two new officers to join the downtown beat next spring.    

Naperville City Council has paved the way for a longtime Naperville restaurateur to take over the troubled BlackFinn American Saloon.    

Two food cart vendors can continue cooking for people on the go in downtown Naperville at least until the end of the year.    

The Village of Tinley Park has settled a federal lawsuit filed by the village's K-9 handler in 2011, court records show.    

The following items were taken from police reports: