Ill State News

SPRINGFIELD – Parents who don’t use all the money in their Illinois 529 College Savings Accounts (Bright Start and Bright Directions) are now able to roll over the funds into a Roth IRA under Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs’ plan that was signed into law.   “This will give parents another option when deciding what to do with the […]

SPRINGFIELD – To help ensure those who are prohibited by law from having a firearm, and who pose a threat, do not have guns in their possession, the Illinois State Police (ISP) conducted numerous firearm enforcement details in counties across the state from June 24 through July 19, 2024. ​ The enforcement details focused on individuals

SPRINGFIELD – Illinois is marking Child Support Awareness Month this August, and celebrating the recent launch of a pair of new initiatives that will benefit children and parents across the state.   Child Support Services (CSS), a division of the Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) recently launched Family Resource Connections, a groundbreaking initiative that supports

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Illinois AFL-CIO wrapped up its 46th Constitutional Convention last week at the Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare in Rosemont.    400 delegates asserted their trust in the leadership of IL AFL-CIO President Tim Drea and Secretary-Treasurer Pat Devaney by voting to re-elect President Drea, Secretary-Treasurer Devaney, and the Executive Board to a four-year

COLUMBIA, Ill. – The Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation Trafficking Enforcement Bureau arrested five individuals during a two-day human trafficking enforcement operation in the Columbia, Ill. area of Monroe County Wednesday, July 31 and Thursday, August 1, 2024.   The operation focused on identifying individuals seeking to engage in commercial sex acts.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Gordon Lightfoot’s song ‘The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald’ depicts the Midwest’s waterways simultaneously as a robust economic and recreational force and a terrifying force of nature.   As beautiful as the rivers and lakes of Illinois are, any body of water can become dangerous and deadly when mixing boating and alcohol.

SPRINGFIELD – The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 and the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children ages 5 to 14.   In 2023, 20 Illinois children lost their lives to accidental drowning: eight in pools,

SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) wants fairgoers to know that Help is Here. The annual Illinois State Fair will highlight a range of human services programs this year, offering attendees the opportunity to learn about and access important human services at the IDHS tent. The annual fair, which will take place from August

CHICAGO – This August, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is celebrating National Black Business Month. Through the Office of Minority Economic Empowerment (OMEE), DCEO will host a series of virtual and in-person events highlighting Black businesses, organizations, and community leaders while also providing resources to Black businesses and entrepreneurs.   This monthlong

SPRINGFIELD — Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) Interim Director James Jennings today announced the opening of the first four electric vehicle (EV) charging sites under the Illinois EPA’s Driving a Cleaner Illinois program. The sixteen charging ports at four charging sites are located at gas stations in Beach Park (Lake County), Le Roy (McLean