Hours after the governor announced coronavirus cases in three downstate counties, Sangamon County officials added their county to that list.… MORE
Gov. Pritzker announces fourteen new cases of COVID-19
Gov. JB Pritzker has changed his mind and ordered K-12 schools in the state to close for two weeks. How did he do a 180 on this since Thursday.… MORE
Pritzker: Illinois K-12 schools to close through March 30 due to coronavirus pandemic
Illinois schools will be closed through March 30 as a preventative measure to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The closures will start March 17.… MORE
Illinois primary election still on for Tuesday
Don’t forget – there is a primary election Tuesday! … MORE
McLean County Law and Justice Center announce new restrictions to prevent COVID-19
To protect individuals from spreading COVID-19, Chief Judge Mark Fellheimer has announced new public restrictions at the McLean County Law and Justice Center.… MORE
Kroger limiting number of sanitary items per order during coronavirus concerns
Out of concerns surrounding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Kroger has instituted a policy limiting the number of sanitary, cold and flu products a customer can buy per order.… MORE
Unit 5 announces non-attendance day to prepare for e-Learning
To prepare for e-Learning in the event it is needed in the future, Unit 5 has announced Monday, March 16, will be a day of non-attendance for students.… MORE
New bill would limit use of solitary confinement in Illinois prisons
The harrowing story of a man who spent more than two decades in solitary confinement is now the call to arms for advocates looking to limit how Illinois prisons can use the practice. … MORE
Splitting Illinois into to two, ending alcohol prohibition and pot among measures local voters could decide
Voters throughout Illinois will be deciding on a variety of local measures Tuesday, from a binding referendum to end alcohol prohibition, to non-binding questions about splitting Chicago from the rest of the state and more.… MORE
Pritzker mandates large events canceled, requests small events do same
Gov. J.B. Pritzker announced the state’s most ambitious social controls yet in an effort to control the spread of the coronavirus. … 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…