Study: Illinois lost $53 million in bond sale due to poor finances
Illinois has massive pension debt and lawmakers are deadlocked over a state budget
Election officials could take up case of 3 Illinois judges
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – An election official has recommended three St. Clair County judges who opted to run for election instead of retention should stay on the ballot. The judges plan to retire in name only to avoid retention elections that require 60 percent approval rather than a simple majority. They’ve filed paperwork to retire…
Come March, budget battle to leave Chicago State broke
CHICAGO (AP) – Chicago State University says that in March it will run out of money to make payroll as it waits for long overdue state funding. The money for Chicago State and the eight other public universities is being held up by the dispute between Gov. Bruce Rauner and Democrats in the General Assembly…
Southern Illinois preparing now for 2017 eclipse tourists
CARBONDALE, Ill. (AP) – Tourism officials in southern Illinois say they’re preparing now because a solar eclipse is expected to draw thousands of visitors on Aug. 21, 2017. The (Carbondale) Southern Illinoisan reports (http://bit.ly/1llqH0v) that it will be the first total solar eclipse over the United States mainland since 1979. The eclipse is expected to…
Illinois drivers facilities closed for MLK holiday
( KTRS ) Illinois Secretary of State offices will be closed Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Junior’s birthday. All offices and agency will facilities will re-open for business on Tuesday. People can also visit the secretary of state’s website to find nearby facilities and hours of operation. They may also change addresses, register…
Illinois patients push for medical marijuana expansion
CHICAGO (AP) – A statewide coalition plans to launch a social media campaign to press Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration to expand the medical marijuana pilot program to more patients. The Cannabis Patient Advocacy Coalition says its campaign will include short video testimonials from Illinois residents. It kicks off Monday with an Iraq War veteran…
Transgender student who fought district gets locker room use
District spokesman Tom Petersen says privacy curtains were initially installed but they’ve been replaced with stalls
Illinois State Police investigating officer involved shooting.
( KTRS ) Illinois State Police are investigating an officer involved shooting which occurred Thursday afternoon. Authorities report that state police were searching for a suspect wanted in connection with a robbery of the Family Drug pharmacy in Carterville. Around 3 pm officers located the suspect at a house in Hurst,Illinois. When they attempted to…
Service to disabled will suffer under state’s OT policy
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) – Health care workers say 30,000 disabled Illinois residents who get in-home care will suffer because the state won’t pay extra for overtime. A federal rule that took effect Jan. 1 makes home care workers eligible for time-and-a-half pay for work over 40 hours. But the state Department of Human Services will…
St. Louis man gets 40-year sentence in murder, concealment
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (AP) – A St. Louis man has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for killing his girlfriend and concealing her death by dumping her body in Madison County, Illinois. Madison County Circuit Judge Kyle Napp sentenced Raamon Reed on Wednesday. Reed pleaded guilty in November to shooting Tabatha Lynae Milton-Rush to death…