Welcome to Morton, Illinois — the bite-sized town that produces a whole lot of canned pumpkin
The pumpkin pie Americans enjoy each Thanksgiving often comes from pumpkins grown near Morton, Illinois.
Tag: Illinois
‘Political comeback for the ages’: Illinois GOP, Democratic politicians react to Trump’s victory
As the nation adjusts to the idea of another Trump presidency, prominent politicians from Illinois are also reacting to the election results. With a win in the key swing states of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Georgia, Trump cleared the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the presidency. Governor J.B. Pritzker criticized the last time Donald Trump
Illinois faces a $3 billion shortfall in 2026, a new report shows
If the projections hold true, Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker could face difficult financial decisions, from increasing taxes to cutting spending. The relative financial calm that has marked Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker’s six years in office may soon be coming to a close as his administration Friday forecast a more than $3 billion budget shortfall for the
Community honors 170th anniversary of Lincoln’s Urbana anti-slavery speech
Before he was elected president, Abraham Lincoln spoke in Urbana on Oct. 24, 1854, to denounce a law that allowed for the expansion of slavery. On Thursday, one hundred and seventy years later, a commemoration was held at the Champaign County Courthouse. Around 50 community members gathered to hear the history behind those remarks.
Illinois launches push to combat distracted driving
Brenda Protz lost her 14-year-old daughter in November 2019 in a distracted-driving crash. Jenna and a friend were riding home from a football game with Jenna’s paternal grandparents when their car was struck by a distracted driver. Jenna and the others in her car died; the other driver survived. “Jenna’s life was cut short,” said
Whooping cough cases in Illinois nearly five times higher than last year, CDC reports
As of Sept. 21, 1,058 cases of the highly contagious respiratory disease have been reported in the state this year, nearly five times higher than the 230 cases reported in 2023. Cases of whooping cough spike in the fall, alongside RSV and COVID-19, experts say. Whooping cough cases are up in Illinois and across
Illinois celebrates dispensary openings while manufacturers face significant challenges
State touts diversity report, but most specialty cannabis businesses have not become operational While Illinois’ cannabis market is booming and the state has made progress in diversifying new licensees, significant hurdles remain for businesses hoping to enter the expanding market, according to an independent review of the industry. Celebratory news releases have marked several
University of Illinois says dining and custodial workers may strike as soon as Sunday
The university said they have scheduled six more bargaining sessions.
A year after end of cash bail, early research shows impact less than many hoped or feared
Jail populations down, no change in failure to appear rate, analysis shows SPRINGFIELD – One year after Illinois became the first state in the nation to eliminate the use of cash bail, the impact on the state’s criminal justice system appears to have been far less dramatic than people on either side of the
Testimony continues in 2nd Amendment challenge to Illinois’ assault weapons ban
The case is being heard in federal district court in East St. Louis EAST ST. LOUIS – An engineer who spent decades designing weapons for one of the world’s leading gun manufacturers testified Tuesday that the assault-style weapons now banned in Illinois are intended only for civilian use and cannot be easily converted into military-grade
Percentage of underrepresented freshmen slightly up at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign despite end of affirmative action
URBANA — The University of Illinois published its 10-day enrollment numbers Wednesday. It’s a first look at how much of an impact the end of affirmative action has on diversity at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. “We tried to do a number of things in the wake of the Supreme Court decision to improve
Illinoisans can submit design ideas for new state flag
The commission will select 10 designs based on how they reflect the identity of Illinois and will host an online public survey for the public to vote on their favorites.
Before killing Sonya Massey, Sean Grayson had a case thrown out after bringing charges with no evidence. Departments kept hiring him
Sean Grayson had a history of credibility issues. It didn’t stop him from being hired at police departments in Central Illinois.
Pritzker signs law allowing digital driver’s licenses among hundreds of other bills
Gov. JB Pritzker on Monday signed a measure designating the “giant puffball” as the state’s mushroom after signing hundreds of bills on Friday, completing action on legislation sent to him by lawmakers this spring. Pritzker has now signed more than 460 bills without issuing any vetoes. Below is a recap of some of the more
High schoolers in rural, western Illinois learn the history of why their town is white
“My students want to ask about lynchings in the area,” said Cuba High School history teacher Joe Brewer. “It’s difficult for folks to talk about still, but those are the exact questions my students want to address.”