News

New student loan repayment program offered for IDOT engineers

SPRINGFIELD – In an effort to address a nationwide shortage of people entering the profession and attract young talent, the Illinois Department of Transportation has announced a hiring initiative that will pay $15,000 of eligible student loan debt annually for up to 50 new civil engineers who graduated from Illinois schools. Payments will be capped at

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Mo joins 23-state coalition asking Supreme Court to uphold abortion drug stay

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway joined a coalition of 23 state attorneys general in asking the Supreme Court to leave in place a lower court’s stay of a federal regulation that removed the longstanding in-person dispensing requirement for the chemical abortion drug mifepristone. The stayed rule, issued in 2023 by the Biden-era

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Memorial Hospital opens applications for healthcare scholarships

CHESTER – Memorial Hospital has opened applications for its healthcare scholarships, offering financial support to Randolph County residents preparing to enter the nursing and healthcare workforce.   The Mullins Nursing Scholarship and the Memorial Hospital Auxiliary Healthcare Scholarship provide financial assistance to students at various stages of their education, with the goal of encouraging compassionate,

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Illinois Department on Aging urges stronger protections against financial exploitation

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Illinois Department on Aging (IDoA) Director Mary Killough is joining state lawmakers to call for the passage of legislation that would protect older adults from financial exploitation by giving financial institutions the tools they need to stop suspicious transactions before seniors lose their life savings.    Killough was scheduled to join House Assistant

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GRAMMY-nominated The Avett Brothers bring folk rock to Illinois State Fair Grandstand on August 20

SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Illinois State Fair is bringing a night of heartfelt lyrics and high-energy folk rock to the Illinois Lottery Grandstand Stage, as four-time GRAMMY Award nominees The Avett Brothers perform on Thursday, August 20, 2026.   Known for their raw emotion, tight harmonies, and genre-blending sound, The Avett Brothers have built a loyal following across

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Governor Pritzker announces $2.5 million in grant funding available for Economic Empowerment Centers across Illinois

CHICAGO – Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) has announced $2.5 million in funding is available for the second round of the Economic Empowerment Centers (EEC) Grant Program. Grantees will be selected through a competitive Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) process.    “As Governor, I’m committed to building a

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Brittany Casarez receives DAISY Award at Memorial Hospital

CHESTER – Memorial Hospital’s DAISY Award Honoree for the first half of 2026 is Brittany Casarez. Brittany was recognized recently for saving a patients life.   After a year of unresolved headaches and nausea and multiple doctor visits with no answers, the family came to the ER expecting the same outcomes. Brittany advocated for the

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SIU’s Paul Simon Institute awards four Simon Democracy Prizes

CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute announced today (May 11) four recipients of the 2026 Paul Simon Democracy Prize. The institute is awarding four $5,000 prizes to current students at Illinois colleges and universities for designing and implementing projects aimed at revitalizing democracy in their communities. The winners are: Miguel Alvarez from

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