Skokie Firefighters Respond to Blaze at Church and Crawford

More than a dozen firefighters were on scene as they put out a two story fire near the intersection of Church Street and Crawford Avenue on Wednesday around 4:45 p.m.

Johnson Shino walked into Anuyu Hair Studio, 4015 Church St., expecting to get a haircut. Instead, he saw a lot of smoke and a whole lot of firefighters. "There was no 'boom,'" Shino said making a gesture with his hands. "Only smoke. It was very quiet" At about 4:45 p.m., Wednesday, smoke from a first floor business caused an entire building to be shutdown and evacuated. Windows of a second floor apartment unit were busted out and the smell of smoke was faint in the air. An office next to the hair salon showcased wet carpet from the water used to put out the blaze above. There were at least four firetrucks on scene.  A Skokie Fire Department official said there were no serious injuries. He also added that no one was transported to the …

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Daily PatchCast: Teacher Misconduct Investigation & Local Dog Sled Winner

A roundup of the region's major developments for Tuesday March 15.

Here's what's going on in Patch sites around you: Investor Wins $2 Million And Auto Dealership in Fraud Suit. New Trier Removes Teacher From School Pending Misconduct Investigation. Muslim School Eyes Leasing Deal With Catholic Church Local Musher Wins Russian Dogsled Race.

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State Senate Passes Historic Civil Union Bill

Supporters await governor's signature for right to become law in Illinois.

The Illinois Senate took a historical vote Wednesday afternoon in passing legislation to recognize civil unions among gay and lesbian couples. With Gov. Pat Quinn already on board, it's just a matter of time before he makes it official by signing the bill. The civil union legislation passed on a 32-24-1 vote. Under the bill, heterosexual couples also would be able to enter into civil unions. The measure does not permit same-sex marriages, and same-sex couples do not receive federal benefits anywhere in the U.S. Cook County Clerk David Orr said he was very pleased that Illinois finally took this "crucial step" toward equality. "While religions function under their own rules, government cannot and should not discriminate against any group of…