Ill State News

IL Freedom Caucus: Poor business climate in Illinois makes it harder to keep companies

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Illinois Freedom Caucus is issuing the following statement on the news Stellantis is idling its Jeep Cherokee plant in Belvidere by the end of February.   “This decision impacts about 1,350 workers and will have a devastating impact on the Belvidere community. The plant is being closed for a variety of […]

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Illinois State Fire Marshal stresses holiday decoration fire safety

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Tis the season for decking the halls to celebrate the holiday season. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), more than two of every five home decoration fires occur due to decorations being placed too close to a heat source. More than one-third of home decoration fires are started by candles.

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Governor Pritzker signs historic unemployment insurance agreement

CHICAGO – Governor JB Pritzker signed the historic Unemployment Insurance (UI) Agreement last week, finalizing a bipartisan plan to pay down $1.36 billion in UI loan debt remaining from the COVID-19 pandemic. The agreement will save taxpayers an estimated $20 million in interest costs that would be due next September and preserves hundreds of millions of

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IDPH reports 74 Illinois Counties, including Randolph, are at an elevated community level for COVID-19

CHICAGO – COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses are continuing to rise across Illinois following the Thanksgiving holiday, with 74 counties in Illinois rated at an elevated level for COVID-19 by the CDC. Randolph County is shown at a medium community level.   The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) said that the anticipated post-holiday surge

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$5 million to expand homeless shelters in Illinois

CHICAGO – As the colder months approach, the demand for shelter is growing and many shelter providers are already approaching maximum capacity. The increased demand could create difficulties for shelters, putting some of the most vulnerable Illinois residents at risk. To address this concern, the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) announced today an additional

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Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs and Elks Lodge 158 Commemorate the 81st Anniversary of Pearl Harbor

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs and the Elk Lodge 158 commemorated the 81st anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor with a program featuring the symbolic wreath laying ceremony by the Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors. “We are proud to gather today to mark this important day in our

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Big temperature swings in November, which wraps up an otherwise mild fall

By Trent Ford, Illinois State Climatologist SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The preliminary statewide average November temperature was 42.3 degrees, 0.6 degrees above the 1991–2020 average and tied for 45th warmest on record going back to 1895. The preliminary statewide average total November precipitation was 1.92 inches, 1.40 inches below the 1991–2020 average and the 39th driest on record

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Governor Pritzker signs SAFE-T Act Amendment

CHICAGO – Governor Pritzker has signed HB1095, a series of amendments and clarifications to the landmark SAFE-T Act, originally passed in 2021. The bill addresses misinformation related to the Act, including clarifying the detention net, expanding processes for transitioning to cashless bail on January 1st, and specifying definitions of willful flight and dangerousness, among other changes.

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