More than a month after historic flooding in McLean County, Gov. Pritzker on Friday submitted a request to the U.S. Small Business Administration seeking a disaster declaration.… MORE
Category Archives: State News
New law expands hours for ticketing for speeding in a school zone
Slow down in the school zones!… MORE
Lawmakers calling on Gov. Pritzker to make Illinois leader in cybersecurity
Everybody has had their identity stolen; the only difference is whether anybody has done anything with the information.… MORE
State reports highest daily total of COVID cases since early May
By IIS Radio SPRINGFIELD – Nearly 2,000 cases of COVID-19 were reported Thursday in Illinois, the highest one day total since early May. The latest daily total is 1,993 cases and six additional deaths. Gov. JB Pritzker says they are carefully watching the numbers. “We are constantly monitoring COVID across the state and we will…… MORE
New state law makes remote doctor visits more accessible
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – Post pandemic, one new thing which will stick around will be the virtual doctor visit. Gov. JB Pritzker Thursday signed a bill expanding access to tele-health. “Today is historic because, as we come out of this pandemic,” said the House sponsor, State Rep. Thaddeus Jones (D-Calumet City), “we have to…… MORE
Gov. Pritzker signs birth control bill intended for over-the-counter availability
Illinoisans will soon be able to get contraceptives directly from pharmacists – without a doctor’s prescription.… MORE
Illinois National Guard facing financial shortage
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – When the federal government needed the help and protection of the National Guard after the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, the National Guard was there. Now that the Guard has burned through more than $500 million since then, the thank-you may come in the form of layoffs. “The threat to the…… MORE
Raoul: Just knowing your kids’ friends isn’t enough
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – A recent kidnapping investigation – in which a Springfield sex offender allegedly met a 13-year-old girl online, then brought her to Illinois from Georgia – gives us a chance to talk about how not to be a victim. Illinois attorney general Kwame Raoul says predators can have easy access to…… MORE
Butter cow sculpting underway at Illinois State Fair
The Illinois State Fair is just around the corner, and that means the sculpting of the state fair butter cow is underway.… MORE
State is encouraging colleges to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine
By IIS Radio SPRINGFIELD – The State Board of Higher Education is releasing updated COVID-19 guidance for colleges this fall. The goal is to make it a safe transition back to class by maintaining several protocols says board executive director Ginger Ostro. “The guidance here follows the recommendations from the CDC and IDPH to urge…… MORE
Blogs
Labor Day – Expanding voting rights for all
By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year. It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …
Is federal mobilization the answer?
By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city. Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…
In these troubled times, to my fellow white Americans
By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…
Workers’ Memorial Day – Remember those whose job took their life
Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University. We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk. Going to work every day for some people means…