Senate Judiciary Committee chair U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) wanted to show his colleagues what’s being done in Illinois to ban book bans… MORE
Category Archives: State News
Former central Illinois lawmaker has died
A longtime Downstate lawmaker known for his fiery floor speeches and piercing wit has passed away.… MORE
U.S. Secretary of Education visits Springfield elementary school
A big blue bus (pictured) rolled up to Fairview Elementary School in Springfield Wednesday afternoon.… MORE
Head of Illinois Emergency Management blaming climate change for severity of weather
Whether you believe in it or not, the head of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency blames climate change for the frequency and severity of the weather the last several years.… MORE
Illinois crop progress is a touch behind the averages
There were 6.7 days suitable for field work during the week ending September 3, 2023.… MORE
Illinois’ two major cash crops are progressing right around average
There were 6.5 days suitable for field work during the week ending August 27, 2023. … MORE
1940’s Black author has been named Illinois’ favorite novelist
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – A Black man whose most famous books were published in the 1940’s has been named Illinois’ favorite author. A survey for stoicquotes.com names the favorite authors of each state. Richard Wright wrote Native Son and Black Boy, and Springfield librarian Kathryn Harris can’t argue. “The time and the stories he wrote about kind…… MORE
Illinois Republican react to conviction of Tim Mapes
Republicans were swift to react to the conviction Thursday of Tim Mapes, longtime chief of staff to then-Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan.… MORE
New book tells the story of former southern Illinois Congressman Glenn Poshard
Poshard, 77, tells the story of his life in a new book, “Son of Southern Illinois.”… MORE
Cooler conditions headline this week’s USDA crop report
There were 6.1 days suitable for field work during the week ending August 20, 2023. … 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…