Peoria Bidding To Keep High School Basketball Tournaments PEORIA – The Peoria Civic Center placed bids to host both the IHSA Boys and Girls Basketball Tournaments for the next three years. Peoria has some competition. Champaign wants the boys tournament, and Normal is bidding to keep the girls tournament. Peoria has played host to the boys tournament…
U Of I And SIU Partner To Bring Higher Education To Springfield SPRINGFIELD – Two universities with local ties are collaborating to bring a new higher education presence to downtown Springfield. On Thursday, the University of Illinois Springfield and Southern Illinois University publicly announced their partnership to create an innovation space in close proximity to…
Durbin And Duckworth Help Pass USMCA Trade Deal SPRINGFIELD – Both U.S. Senators from Illinois voted Thursday in favor of a new United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. Lawmakers negotiated bipartisan support for the measure. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) says the plan is good for farmers, manufacturers, and working people. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) says Illinois is…
School Nurses Can Treat With CBD Now SPRINGFIELD – Illinois has distributed some 94,000 medical marijuana licenses, and about 600 of those went to children under the age of 18. A new law allows school nurses and officials to administer such medications on campus, at school activities, or even on a school bus. No school…
Pritzker Wants Says Green Energy Laws Should Move Ahead SPRINGFIELD – Governor JB Pritzker says Illinois needs to move ahead with clean-energy legislation even as one of the state’s biggest utilities remains under a cloud of federal investigation. With the disclosure of federal subpoenas to Commonwealth Edison last year, and federal raids on some of…
Sullivan Resigns Over ‘Rape’ Email SPRINGFIELD — Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s agriculture director has resigned after acknowledging that he received, but did not act on, a lobbyist’s email seven years ago which referenced an alleged rape cover-up and illegal hiring practices. The email was originally obtained by Chicago public radio station WBEZ. John Sullivan said in…
2 Soldiers Killed In Afghanistan From Illinois, Virginia KABUL, Afghanistan — The Pentagon says the two soldiers killed Saturday in Afghanistan by a roadside bomb were from Illinois and Virginia. On Sunday, military officials identified the casualties as 21-year-old Pfc. Miguel A. Villalon of Joliet, Illinois; and 29-year-old Staff Sgt. Ian P. McLaughlin of Newport…
Michael Madigan’s Friend Dodges Questions About ‘Rape’ Comment In An Email Consummate Illinois Democratic insider Michael McClain dodged questions Thursday about an email in which he sought leniency for a state worker in a disciplinary case, having argued that the man was politically loyal and had stayed silent about “the rape in Champaign.” In his…
Illinois Task Force On Property Taxes Earns Critique SPRINGFIELD – Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin says a statewide task force designed to address local property taxes has so far failed to do so. He and other House Republicans roundly criticized the group Wednesday, which was created shortly after state lawmakers approved a ballot question…
An Email From A Powerful Former State Lobbyist Hints At A Rape Cover-Up A powerful former Springfield lobbyist and close friend of House Speaker Michael Madigan once sought leniency for a state worker in a disciplinary case by arguing that the worker “kept his mouth shut” about an unspecified rape in Champaign. In the previously…
Decatur Schools, TA Union Fail To Reach Agreement In Latest Talks DECATUR – Negotiators for Decatur Public Schools and the union representing its teaching assistants met with a federal mediator for more than three hours Monday night. It was the first bargaining session between the two sides in nearly a month. A statement released by…
Chicago-Area U.S. Soldier Killed In Attack In Kenya A U.S. solider from the Chicago area was among three people killed in an attack on a military base in Kenya. The family of Henry Mayfield Jr. of Hazel Crest confirmed his death to NBC affiliate WMAQ. The 23-year-old held the rank of Army Specialist. Mayfield’s mother…
Illinois Sold More Than $3 Million In Legal Weed On First Sales Day Illinois’ recreational cannabis dispensaries made around $3.2 million in sales on New Year’s Day, according to early estimates from a state agency overseeing the now-legal industry. Customers lined up at 20 dispensaries that were open across the state and made more than…
Illinois Sees First Legal Sales Of Recreational Cannabis The sale of cannabis for recreational purposes is now legal in Illinois. The change took effect with the new year, to the delight of pot fans. Many began lining up hours early at dispensaries. The Chicago Sun-Times reports that about 500 people were outside Dispensary 33 in…
Students Serve Ex-Prof With Sexual Assault Suit Via Email URBANA – The alleged victims of a former University of Illinois associate professor turned to email to finally serve him with their federal lawsuit accusing him of sexually and emotionally exploiting them. The civil lawsuit filed by some of Gary Xu’s former students had been held…