State & Local News Headlines

William Kirk: “I have never seen a state with more corruption baked into it than Illinois.” QUINCY–Defense attorney and host of a popular YoTube show on gun rights, William Kirk, was in Quincy Thursday evening with a warning to gun owners. “Gun control is not about the gun, it’s about the control,” Kirk said. “It’s…

Quincy, IL – Adams County Clerk Ryan A. Niekamp has announced that the Adams County Clerk’s Office will be open for early voting on Saturday, March 14, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to Noon for the upcoming General Primary Election. “Early voting is quick, convenient, and secure,” said Niekamp. “As this is a primary election, voters…

Here is the consolidated ballot for next Tuesday’s primary election.

Publisher’s note: Muddy River News will not accept or publish letters to the editor pertaining to the Tuesday, March 17 primary after noon on Friday, March 13. JRG QUINCY — I am writing this letter to fully endorse Tim Bass for Judge of the Eighth Judicial Circuit of Illinois. I note that many members of…

Skipping debates, failure to fundraise, the list goes on and on Illinois Republicans have a remarkable talent for self-destruction, but they just might outdo themselves in the March 17 primary election. Darren Bailey, who squandered a fortune only to be obliterated by Governor J.B. Pritzker in 2022, still has name recognition which could be sufficient…

Dear Editor: My wife Margaret & I are friends with Tim & Nancy Bass. However, friendship alone does not explain my enthusiasm for Tim becoming an Eighth Judicial Circuit Judge.  Like Tim, I grew up on a farm in Western Illinois. While practicing law in Adams County for over 40 years, I served three years as an…

Unless you’ve been under a rock, you likely know that former US President Bill Clinton seemed to say that he flew on Jeffrey Epstein’s private jet with JB Pritzker and his spouse – after saying that it was likely that Epstein as well as his notorious co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell were passengers on every flight he…

Gov. JB Pritzker signed an executive order Friday that establishes a new state group that will work with experts to analyze the state’s changing labor market and workforce needs. Right now, around 57 percent of Illinois adults have a postsecondary degree or credential.

"Some wonder whether this primary race spending is just a test, and whether gigantic companies like DraftKings and Meta will eventually unleash on incumbents during future contests. Meta has pledged to stay positive. But that could change."

State Sen. Sue Rezin believes Illinois should eliminate plea deals for people charged with involuntary sexual servitude of a minor, trafficking involving a minor, or grooming. Her bill could also charge child sex offenders with a Class 4 felony if they work, volunteer or knowingly visit facilities that exclusively provide entertainment for minors.

The move follows the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, banning race-based admissions, amid concerns that some universities still use racial proxies like diversity statements.

The proposed 2027 budget would allocate an additional $50 million to the program. The plan is for the state to support the housing market through incentives for new construction and financial assistance to home buyers, reallocating funds from previous programs and bond proceeds.

CTU is joining a national resistance movement called “May Day Strong,” whose organizers say 500,000 workers and families will walk out that day, supposedly sticking it to billionaires while really just affecting the services middle-class families need. It’s the same type of progressive activism that drew criticism in 2024 when CTU took kids out of school […]

By actuary Mary Pat Campbell.

With a few days left until the 2026 Primary Election, the Bailey/Del Mar campaign bus made a stop in Metropolis on Thursday, March 12. While Darren Bailey, a Republican candidate for the office of Illinois governor, was unable to attend due to family matters, his lieutenant governor running mate Aaron Del Mar met with voters […]

"By far, what is most disquieting about (Secretary of State Alexi) Giannoulias’ baggage train of scandals is the recent revelation his Secretary of State office had illegally issued non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs). According to an annual review carried out by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, it was discovered 20 percent of non-domiciled CDLs […]

"CTU is also encouraging students to join in their protest and calling upon the Board of Education and Mayor Brandon Johnson to allow middle and high school students an excused absence to do so. That shifts this event from a labor action by teachers to something closer to a school-wide political mobilization."