The Latest Breaking News from Cook County

Estelle Schaefer, 7, has become the subject of a bitter custody battle before Cook County Judge Stephanie Miller.

The Cook County Board approved $11.4 million Thursday for the sheriff’s office to acquire a helicopter.

“We have to broaden that appeal because we’re getting heavily outspent in all our races all across the state,” new state Senate Minority Leader John Curran said.

The fee now matches that of DuPage, Will and McHenry counties. Some attorneys said they had filed adoptions in the collar counties because it was cheaper.

The Cook County Board of Review often slashes commercial property assessments, saying it is just correcting mistakes by Assessor Fritz Kaegi’s office. But that results in higher taxes, mostly for homeowners, who deserve more transparency on the board’s operations.

CHICAGO — Two months after R. Kelly’s second federal trial concluded, there has been no apparent movement in his Cook County cases.

Dec. 13 hearing set for R&B singer convicted on federal charges related to sex with underage girls in New York, Chicago, after prosecutors seek more time to gather documents.

Unofficial election results show about two-thirds of Cook County voters approved the increase by referendum Tuesday.

Before his reelection was certain, Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison said he was saddened by Democratic dominance of the County Board. “I don’t believe that either party should ever have complete control,” he said Tuesday night. “There has to be checks and balances in government.”

The early results coming in Tuesday night had Toni Preckwinkle leading in the race for Cook County Board president and Karen Yarbrough ahead in the Cook County clerk contest.

The Boost Up campaign will run a series of ads throughout suburban Cook County, according to a statement by the Cook County Department of Public Health.