Melissa Espana is a Digital Content Producer at WGN-TV.
Before joining WGN in June 2017, she worked as a web producer at ABC7 Chicago. She also produced at KTIV News in Sioux City, Iowa.
Melissa graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a bachelor’s in broadcast journalism.
MONMOUTH, Ill. — Two people are dead after a plane crashed in Monmouth Sunday afternoon, according to officials. The Warren County Sheriff’s Department said an aircraft was reported to have crashed around 11 a.m. about a mile north east of Monmouth Municipal Airport on Sunday. Officials said witnesses directed first responders to a brush area where a fire crew extinguished the burning aircraft. Two people were found on board the plane and were pronounced dead at the scene. The names […]
CHICAGO – Rock star Roger Daltrey from The Who donated nearly $500,000 to Northwestern Memorial Hospital on Friday. Daltrey personally presented the hospital with a check from his Teen Cancer American organization. The money will be used to help the hospital expand its cancer care efforts. The Who front man founded the charity along with band mate Pete Townshend. Their goal is to fund the development of specialized cancer treatment facilities focusing on the unique needs of kids and young […]
SAN FRANCISCO – A video appearing to show a woman calling the police on a young girl selling water in San Francisco is going viral. In a video posted to Instagram on Sunday, a white woman is seen allegedly calling the police on an 8-year-old black girl for “illegally” selling water on Friday. The woman who took the video, who said she is the child’s mother, referred to the woman as Permit Patty. In the video, she is heard saying, […]
CHICAGO – Chicago police found over 1,500 pounds of marijuana during a traffic stop. The police department posted photos of the massive drug bust on their Facebook page. Officers in the narcotics unit found the marijuana during a recent traffic stop of a vehicle suspected of narcotics trafficking. A police K-9 alerted to the scent of the drugs and a search of the vehicle led officers to finding the marijuana. Police said the drugs have a street value of over […]
CROWN POINT, Ind. – A fire broke out at an Indiana townhouse Wednesday evening. A viewer sent in cellphone video of the fire that broke out in the Hamilton Square subdivision around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. The fire started in a garage then spread to some nearby town homes. The viewer who took the video, said it may have been caused by wood varnish and a finishing product that were on some rags left in the garage and that those items […]
Former WWE legend Vader had died after a battle with congestive heart failure at 63, TMZ reports. Vader, whose real name is Leon White, died Monday night, TMZ said. The wrestler’s son posted on social media saying he “fought extremely hard” and was making progress, however, his heart “had enough and it was his time.” According to WWE, Vader joined the roster in 1996 when he squared off against Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker. Vader retired from the NFL due […]
CHICAGO — The Chicago police officer who shot and killed Quintonio LeGrier, 19, took the stand to testify on Tuesday afternoon at a wrongful death civil trial. Officer Robert Rialmo testified Tuesday and it was the first time the jury was able to see him. He has not been in court because his attorney said he doesn’t want the jury misinterpreting his client’s body language. Rialmo looked nervous and annoyed at times when answering questions. He gave short one-word answers […]
CHICAGO — A hot dog restaurant in Lincoln Park got political with its sign and has commented on the Trump administration’s immigration policy of separating children from their families at the U.S./Mexico border. The Wieners Circle posted a photo on Facebook Monday of their sign which read, “Tiny hands. Tiny wiener. Tiny heart. Free the kids.” The caption on the post said, “If we’re gonna cage kids, let’s start with don jr, Ivanka & Eric,” in reference to President Donald […]
VALPARAISO, Ind. — A 28-year-old woman is accused of dragging a nail salon employee with her car after walking out of a salon without paying because she was unhappy with her nails, according to The Times of Northwest Indiana. Charley Fowler was at the Diamond Nails & Spa on the 2500 block of LaPorte Avenue in Valparaiso around noon on Saturday when the incident occurred. Employees at the salon said Fowler was unhappy with the work done on her nails […]
Monday’s Cubs game was postponed due to a “limited power outage in the ballpark” and the forecast for continued rain. The Cubs tweeted that the game will be made up Tuesday at 12:05 p.m. followed by the regularly scheduled night game at 7:05 p.m. The Cubs said tickets to Monday’s game will be honored Tuesday. No ticket exchange is necessary. Tonight’s game has been postponed due to a limited power outage in the ballpark affecting the operation of lights in […]
