Billy Pierce, known as one of the most powerful pitchers of the 1950s, played for the Chicago White Sox from 1949 until 1961.  During his career with the Sox, Pierce was the starting pitcher in three All-Star games and led the American League in pitching 21 complete games. Pierce also led the American League in both 1955 with a 1.97 ERA and in 1953 with 186 strikeouts.

Before playing for the White Sox, Pierce played a brief stint for the Detroit Lions from 1945 until 1949. Pierce was born and raised in suburban Detroit. After his baseball career ended, Pierce returned to Illinois, setting in Evergreen Park, a Chicago suburb.

In 2006, Pierce was initiated into the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame and a statute in his honor was placed at U.S. Cellular Field in 2007.

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Former White Sox star Billy Pierce dies at 88
Billy Pierce – Baseball Statistics

Today, National Cheesecake Day is celebrated across the country, a day to indulge in your favorite flavor of this popular dessert.

Eli’s Cheesecake, located on the far Northwest Side of Chicago, is a family-owned small business that has been making hand-decorated cheesecake desserts since 1980. In honor of National Cheesecake Day, Eli’s is offering free shipping on internet orders on all 9” cheesecakes.

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The history of Eli’s Cheesecake
National Cheesecake Day deals at The Cheesecake Factory

U.S. News and World Report recently released the findings of their 26th annual hospital scorecard, which evaluates nearly 5,000 hospitals and ranks them on a series of criteria.

Based on the study, Illinois has eight nationally ranked hospitals, including Northwestern Memorial Hospital (Chicago), Rush University Medical Center (Chicago), Loyola University Medical Center (Maywood), University of Chicago Medical Center (Chicago), Advocate Christ Medical Center (Oak Lawn), Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital (Winfield), Advocate Lutheran General Hospital (Park Ridge) and St. Alexius Medical Center (Hoffman Estates).

In addition, Northwestern Memorial Hospital was ranked 11th on the Honor Roll listing, which lists hospitals that excel in complex specialty care.

Learn more:
Best Hospitals 2015-16: an Overview

Nearly 110 million tourists visited Illinois in 2014, a nearly four percent increase from 2013. While in Illinois, those tourists generated over $2.5 billion in sales taxes for the state, which is an increase of nearly $135 million from last year.

The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity estimates more than 300,000 Illinois jobs are tied to tourism.

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Visiting Illinois? Check out the Enjoy Illinois website for attractions across the state

North America was once home to more than 60 million bison, roaming free across flat grasslands and the mountain west. The animal was nearly hunted to extinction in the early 1900s, which led to conservation efforts by Theodore Roosevelt and others. While these efforts led to a rebound in the number of bison, Illinois has not seen free-roaming bison since the 1830s.

That changed last October when 20 bison were released into the Nachusa Grasslands in Franklin Grove, located 95 miles west of Chicago. Founded by The Nature Conservancy, one of the largest environmental nonprofits in the U.S., the Nachusa Grasslands provide bison with native prairie lands to graze and live. Prairies once covered 22 million acres in Illinois alone before farming practices reduced that number dramatically.

By bringing bison back to Illinois, the Nachusa Grasslands are helping not only bison thrive but also playing an important role in restoring native prairie lands to Illinois.

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Want to see bison up close in Franklin Grove? Click here for information on visiting the Nachusa Grasslands
After a century, bison return to Illinois - Chicago Tribune