State & Local News Headlines

Part I in two-part series about upcoming forums for both major parties QUINCY — The League of Women Voters of Adams County will hold a Republican U.S. Congressional District 15 Candidate Forum at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12, at the First Christian Church, 1415 Maine. This will be followed by a session with the…

Remember the national uproar last November when U.S. Rep. Chuy Garcia bowed out of his reelection race at the last minute and quietly passed petitions to put his chief of staff Patty Garcia on the ballot? We saw a lesser, but still quite palpable mass grumbling when state Rep. Marty Moylan (D-Des Plaines) did the…

Board also approves new gaming machine ordinance, labor contracts QUINCY — The Adams County Board’s Legislative and Judicial Committee heard from supporters of an initiative to place a non-binding referendum on the November ballot that would allow voters to voice their opinion on whether Adams County should be part of a new state separate from…

The Illinois Department of Public Health has released a study about alcohol consumption in the Land of Lincoln, which provided some insight into how people interact with alcohol. “This report provides the most detailed picture to date of how alcohol use and misuse affect the health and safety of Illinois residents,” Illinois Department of Public Health…

QUINCY — I have never written a Letter to the Editor in my life. I’ve read many. Agreed with some and disagreed with others. I have always appreciated that people took the time and made the effort to express their opinions. Today is a first for me. I have known Chris Pratt for many years.…

The lawsuit was initially filed in October of last year, when ongoing protests were active outside the Broadview facility. A federal judge then granted a temporary restraining order against the facility, requiring better conditions for sleeping, eating, hygiene and access to medicine.

King’s marching orders from the mayor are to devise a policy plan tailor-made to “strengthen protections and opportunities” for LGBTQ+ Chicagoans. It will tackle everything from eliminating health disparities to providing support and resources to “business owners within the LGBTQ+ community who have sometimes felt ignored or not as visible [to] previous administrations,” King said.

During a recorded interrogation, Juan Espinoza Martinez admitted to sending a Snapchat message to a friend with a picture of Bovino. It read, “2k on info when they catch him. 10-k if you take him down.” Espinoza Martinez’s defense attorney says her client had no means, no ability, no money and that the messages sent […]

HR 622 calls for an independent investigation into U.S. Department of Homeland Security-involved shootings, killings and deaths in custody, as well as the appointment of independent counsel to prosecute agents, administrators, and political appointees found to have committed, directed or covered up such acts. It is not known if the resolution carries any taxpayer cost.

Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie said a lot more than $481 million went to people who are in the country illegally. “We have 550,000 people that have come here, that is, we spent over $2 billion on health care, education and housing for illegal immigrants,” McCombie said.

The coalition of 21 attorneys general asserts that barring international students from attending Harvard threatens states’ academic institutions, economic prosperity and global leadership in education and scientific innovation.

During Public Comment, several speakers noted that the Board voted in September 2025 to hold a day of remembrance in honor of Charlie Kirk.

The union “elected to omit” activities of the Chicago Teachers Union Foundation and the Children and Teachers Foundation of the Chicago Teachers Union. As a result, the auditor found the combined financial statements “do not represent fairly the financial position of the Chicago Teachers Union.”

The false reporting of police-involved shootings — and “police-related stabbings” — is not limited to 2026. Previous years in the paper’s homicide tracker show the outlet blaming CPD for murders that its contemporaneous reporting indicates did not involve the police.