Northern Illinois chefs get creative with ‘Copi cakes’

Northern Illinois chefs get creative with ‘Copi cakes’

ROCKFORD — Copi is the new name for an old problem in Illinois waterways. Now chefs around the state are taking a stab at making the fish formerly known as “Asian Carp” taste good. https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s528/audio/2022/06/0630copif-mixdown.mp3 Listen to this story here. Dining on Copi Dom Romano is heating up the grill at The Norwegian, a west…

What did $50 million buy Ken Griffin in Illinois’ primary? Not much.
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What did $50 million buy Ken Griffin in Illinois’ primary? Not much.

Griffin, who was the state’s richest man, reaped a weak return on his millions. But packaging magnate Dick Uihlein’s support for gubernatorial candidate Darren Bailey paid off. CHICAGO — A big chunk of money from the state’s richest man could not buy much Republican primary love for conservative businessman Ken Griffin’s slate of candidates in…

At Trump rally for Miller, Illinois Republicans tout ending Roe

At Trump rally for Miller, Illinois Republicans tout ending Roe

MENDON, Ill. — Former President Donald Trump spent part of a rally Saturday night for Illinois Republican Congresswoman Mary Miller praising the U.S. Supreme Court for overturning Roe v. Wade. “Your boundless love, sacrifice and devotion has finally been rewarded in full,” Trump said at the rally near Quincy attended by several thousand. “As a…

Trump endorses Darren Bailey for Illinois governor
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Trump endorses Darren Bailey for Illinois governor

QUINCY – Former President Donald Trump came to west-central Illinois Saturday to deliver his “complete and total endorsement” for state Sen. Darren Bailey, giving the ultraconservative downstate lawmaker gold-plated momentum heading into Tuesday’s six-way gubernatorial primary. Trump also reiterated his stamp of approval for “ultra-MAGA” downstate Republican U.S. Rep. Mary Miller in her closely watched primary against…

Norman Rockwell inspires Princeton art exhibit through a modern lens

Norman Rockwell inspires Princeton art exhibit through a modern lens

PRINCETON, Ill. — For the past few weeks, discussions that centered around an exhibit inspired by artist Norman Rockwell have taken place in Princeton, Illinois. The final one took place June 12 at the Freedom House. https://cpa.ds.npr.org/s528/audio/2022/06/0616fourf.mp3 Listen to this story here. Some participants enjoyed a thick slice of apple pie as they waited to…

Mary Miller and Rodney Davis square off in heated GOP primary to return to Congress
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Mary Miller and Rodney Davis square off in heated GOP primary to return to Congress

Donald Trump’s endorsement could end up being a big factor in the bitter primary fight for reelection between Miller and Davis. Two Illinois Republican U.S. Representatives are trying to convince voters that they have the right conservative credentials to represent a large geographic portion of Illinois in Washington in what has turned into a hotly…

Pritzker: Federal gun control package is ‘not enough’
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Pritzker: Federal gun control package is ‘not enough’

BLOOMINGTON — Gov. JB Pritzker said Monday a new gun control measure that a bipartisan group of U.S. senators has agreed to is a good start in response to recent mass shootings, but he wants to see more done. “It’s been an awfully long time since Congress acted on gun safety. So I’m glad to…

A new poll shows Illinois GOP voters still back Trump
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A new poll shows Illinois GOP voters still back Trump

Former President Donald Trump wields a powerful spell over Illinois Republicans with a majority declaring him as their top choice for the White House in 2024 and even more believing legally he should still be there. More than two-thirds of the state’s GOP voters believe Trump actually won the 2020 election. And nearly nine out…

‘They don’t need lectures, they need to be interactive’: new learning model re-invigorates Rockford 8th graders

‘They don’t need lectures, they need to be interactive’: new learning model re-invigorates Rockford 8th graders

ROCKFORD — Last fall, Cara Wolfe and Aubrey Barnett started their first year teaching English Language Arts (ELA) at Flinn Middle School in Rockford ready to change things up. In 2020, standardized test scores at the school were in the lowest-performing 5% of Illinois. Now add a few years of COVID disruption on top of…

GOP candidates for Illinois governor target Irvin in first full public debate
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GOP candidates for Illinois governor target Irvin in first full public debate

CHICAGO — Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin, the Republican with the most money and best polling position so far, served as a political pinata Thursday for his five GOP rivals for Illinois governor during their first public debate with him on the same televised stage. Topics during the hourlong WLS-TV/Illinois League of Women Voters/Univision debate ran…

Bilingual education helped this 2nd grade classroom thrive after pandemic setbacks

Bilingual education helped this 2nd grade classroom thrive after pandemic setbacks

Leer este reporte en español. OVERLAND, Mo. — On a recent morning in teacher Geri Ross’s classroom at Marion Elementary School, second graders sat at clusters of desks, singing songs and reading stories in Spanish. The walls were decorated with colorful posters depicting letter sounds, math concepts and vocabulary in both English and Spanish. After…

How to recycle a 150-foot wind turbine blade? Haul it to Louisiana, MO
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How to recycle a 150-foot wind turbine blade? Haul it to Louisiana, MO

LOUISIANA, Mo. — In the small community of Louisiana, Missouri, it’s not uncommon to see what looks like massive white wings traveling down the road, strapped to flatbed tractor-trailers. Once a bustling commercial port, the historic Mississippi River town 90 miles north of St. Louis has become a hub for an unusual commodity: used wind…

IL GOP lawmakers condemn Texas shooting; defend gun rights
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IL GOP lawmakers condemn Texas shooting; defend gun rights

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Republican lawmakers in Washington have condemned the mass shooting in Texas but they’re defending gun rights. US Representative Rodney Davis issued a statement calling Tuesday’s shooting “pure evil,” but says taking guns away from law-abiding citizens won’t stop the violence. He proposes strengthening school security, investing in resource officers, and gun safety…

Illinois Democrats in Congress call for action after Texas school shooting

Illinois Democrats in Congress call for action after Texas school shooting

WASHINGTON — In the wake of the 27th school shooting of 2022, Democrats in Congress are asking for more than thoughts and prayers. After the death of 19 children in Uvalde, Texas, today’s discussions on Capitol Hill centered around the need for bipartisan action to curb gun violence. U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, whose 17th Congressional…

‘Jelani Day’ missing persons bill signed into law
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‘Jelani Day’ missing persons bill signed into law

SPRINGFIELD — Gov. JB Pritzker has signed the “Jelani Day” bill into law, amending the Missing Persons Identification Act in hopes of preventing a repeat of what the Day family experienced last year. When Jelani Day went missing, his body was not found for nearly two weeks. Once found, Day’s remains went unidentified for three…