Ill State News

$5.6 million winning Lotto jackpot ticket sold in Belleville

CHICAGO, IL — Someone in Southern Illinois is celebrating a life-changing windfall after winning a $5.6 million jackpot in last night’s Lotto drawing. The winning ticket was purchased at Royals Liquor, located at 1805 N. Belt West in Belleville, Illinois. “I got a call early this morning from a customer saying we sold the winning […]

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Illinois Manufacturers’ Association hosts Food Innovation Day

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Manufacturers’ Association (IMA) will host the first Food Innovation Day at the State Capitol on Tuesday, March 24, where more than a dozen food manufacturing companies will gather to showcase their products and spotlight the sector’s vast economic contributions to the Land of Lincoln.   Illinois food manufacturers are recognized around the

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French Canyon access closed at Starved Rock State Park

SPRINGFIELD – Trail access to French Canyon at Starved Rock State Park will be closed beginning this week. The closure will last through June to accommodate the park’s ongoing trail improvement projects.    Closures include the trailhead access to the top of French Canyon, the trails from the Starved Rock Lodge parking lot, and the trail leading into

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$21 million to provide fiber-to-the-home to Southern Illinois

CHAMPAIGN, Ill.– ProTek Fiber is installing 700 miles of fiber to provide direct fiber-to-the-home service for more than 10,000 households, farms, businesses, and community anchor institutions.   ProTek Fiber secured a $21 million loan through Farmers State Bank of Alto Pass, guaranteed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, to bring fiber to rural residents in Franklin,

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Illinois spring trout season opens April 4

SPRINGFIELD, IL – The 2026 Illinois spring trout fishing season will open Saturday, April 4 at 58 ponds, lakes, and streams throughout the state including Derby Lake at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex near Sparta in Randolph County.   An early opportunity at select trout sites – the spring catch-and-release fishing season – will open

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House Minority Leader Tony McCombie challenges governor following death of eight-year-old

SPRINGFIELD, IL – Illinois House Minority Leader Tony McCombie (R-Savanna) last week asked for a moment of silence in the House chamber for Markell Pierce, an eight-year-old who died on February 6th after the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services failed him.   McCombie went on to call on the House Speaker Chris Welch

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Gov. Pritzker announces Illinois breaks film industry record with $703 million in expenditures

CHICAGO – Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), and Illinois film industry leaders have announced that film production expenditures in Illinois reached a record-breaking high of $703 million in 2025, supporting an estimated 18,000 in industry hires. This represents a 25 percent increase in film expenditures since before

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IDVA and the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center Women’s Health Department honor 25 Illinois women veteran leaders in 2026

CHICAGO, IL – The Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs (IDVA) and the USDVA Women’s Health Department at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center today announced the 25 Illinois Women Veteran Leaders in 2026 at Malcolm X College. Women veterans were nominated for their extraordinary leadership, contributions, and commitment to the women veteran community.   “It is

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IDOR alerts taxpayers to postal service changes that could impact tax filings

CHICAGO. IL- The Illinois Department of Revenue (IDOR) is alerting taxpayers that changes announced by the United States Postal Service (USPS) regarding postmarks could impact tax filings in 2026.   While the USPS postmark will still show the date of the first automated processing operation, the postmark may no longer reflect the date when the piece

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ICC shares water conservation tips for Fix-a-Leak Week

SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) is reminding Illinoisans to check their household plumbing fixtures and irrigation systems for leaks as a part of national Fix-a-Leak Week this March 16-22, 2026.    “Every year, household leaks waste approximately 1 trillion gallons of water nationwide. Chasing down leaks can help Illinoisans shave up to 10

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