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oakpark.com

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Democrats, media finally see through Chris Welch’s polite posturing

“Riding high in April, shot down in May,” Frank Sinatra sang in 1966. “That’s life.” . Chris Welch can certainly relate. He was riding high last April, having just been elected to the Democratic State Central Committee, the powerful party policy making group. Two months later, he was appointed one of four Executive Vice-Chairs to Chairman and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle.

Cook County, IL · 23h
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The Center Square

partner publisher · 229.3K followers
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Proposed change in farm estate tax has broad support

(The Center Square) – Legislation to change the state’s death tax credit could help families hold on to their farms as land values rise. Illinois Farm Bureau Associate Director of State Legislation Mark Raney said farmers currently pay the estate tax on everything more than $4 million in value, which is easily exceeded by the average Illinois grain farm with 1,500 acres. “And that doesn't include the value of any of your equipment, your trucks, the value of any livestock you may have harvested, corn or soy, doesn't include barns, doesn't include your house,” Raney told The Center Square. Raney said the Family Farm Preservation Act changes the $4 million threshold and would be huge for agriculture in Illinois. “We want that number to be $6 million, however, the first 6 million is tax-free. So if your estate is $6.5 million, you are taxed on $500,000 and then we tie that $6 million to inflation,” Raney said. Raney said the bill would alleviate the discrepancy between high land values and income. State Rep. Sharon Chung, D-Bloomington, filed House Bill 4736 last March, after her previous version of the Family Farm Preservation Act failed to advance in 2025. Gov. J.B. Pritzker

Illinois · 1d

WCIA

partner publisher · 53.8K followers
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Central Illinois veteran fights to save a ‘dwindling tradition’: the final salute

ILLINOIS (WCIA) — Taps and the 21-gun salute are sounds that military families know all too well. They’re played when it’s time to honor the ones who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. However, it’s a tradition that is becoming hard to uphold. That’s why Operation Honor Guard exists. “I lost a buddy shortly […]

Illinois · 2d

The Center Square

partner publisher · 229.3K followers
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Hemp law takes effect for some; others fight rules driving business closures

(The Center Square) – A ban on the sale of intoxicating hemp products by some retailers in Illinois took effect Thursday, forcing some across the state to shut down. The law also pushes products toward more regulation and heavier taxation as hundreds of businesses challenge the ban’s legality. Hundreds of businesses won the temporary ability to continue selling the banned products in a court decision days before the law took effect. Craig Katz, president of the Illinois Healthy Alternatives Association, said the ban won’t impact the roughly 300 businesses represented in the lawsuit until at least Nov. 19 – the day the case will come before a federal judge. “We have our hearing set in federal court and the temporary restraining order on the 19th, so that's why that date was chosen,” Katz said. “If she were to take it under advisement and not rule at that time, we would certainly ask that the agreement continue until she does rule.” If the businesses lose or the temporary block isn't renewed, the products could only be sold by licensed dispensaries in the state which are more heavily taxed, making products more expensive and harder to obtain. Before the law took effect,

Illinois · 1d

We Are Rockford

partner publisher · 45.6K followers

12 Illinois Restaurants Land On OpenTable's Top 100 In America For 2026

Twelve Illinois spots landed on OpenTable's Top 100 Restaurants in America for 2026, and every one of them sits right here in Chicago.

Illinois · 2d

unearththevoyage.com

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Illinois Families Fill Their Pantries At These 8 Old-School Meat Markets Making Their Own Smoked Sausage

Some of the best food in Illinois hides behind plain storefronts with hand-painted signs and a smoky smell drifting out the door. You walk in expecting a quick errand and walk out with a cooler full of brats, sausage sticks, and summer sausage you did not plan to buy. These...

Illinois · 3d

Secret Chicago

publisher · 7.1K followers

Starting Jan. 1, 2027, Illinois landlords can’t charge more than $50 for a rental application or any fee to renew your lease

We have good news for Chicago renters: Starting Jan. 1, 2027 , Illinois landlords can’t charge more than $50 for a rental application, including a background check. They also can’t charge a fee to renew your lease. House Bill 3564, which Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed , amends the Illinois Landlord and Tenant Act (765 ILCS 705/35) and is enacted as Public Act 104-479. The rules apply to residential leases entered into on or after the effective date , including new and renewed leases. They do not cover units in an owner-occupied building with six or fewer units. The $50 cap and the first-page rule Every non-optional fee, one-time or recurring , must appear on the first page of the lease . If it doesn’t, you don’t have to pay it. A landlord can charge more than $50 for screening only if the actual third-party background-check cost is higher. The landlord must pay the provider first, then bill you with the provider’s receipts within 14 days . If the landlord misses that window, you don’t owe the fee. A landlord also can’t use an unpaid background-check fee as grounds for eviction during the first year of a lease. In Cook County,

Illinois · 2d

The Telegraph

partner publisher · 15.0K followers

Illinois high school soccer coaches honor state's top players

Marquette Catholic’s Parker Belchik and James Fischer among southwestern Illinois boys soccer players named with All-Sectional by the IHSSCA.

Illinois · 2d

everafterinthewoods.com

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8 Unassuming Illinois Diners Where Pie Cases Still Look Like 1965

One Illinois cafe sells lemon meringue pie with meringue piled so high that the menu calls it a foot-high pie. That’s not a typo. It’s a dessert that needs its own zip code. I love that small-town diners in Illinois still treat pie like the main event. Some...

Illinois · 23h

everafterinthewoods.com

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Step Inside This Illinois Toy And Collectibles Shop Where Old Lunchboxes And Action Figures Bring Your Childhood Right Back

“May the toys be with you.” That’s the cheerful sign-off one Illinois collectibles shop uses whenever it thanks a customer for stopping by. I love that line, because it tells you exactly what kind of happy, slightly obsessed place this is. Its shelves hold Star Wars figures, Marvel Legends, Transformers, Funko Pops, model kits, and stacks of comics.

Wheaton, IL · 2d

Only In Your State

partner publisher · 18.2K followers

The Most Popular Thanksgiving Pie and Side Dish in Illinois

Thanksgiving in Illinois comes with strong opinions, and everyone has a hill they’re willing to die on when it comes to the table. Maybe it’s the one side dish your aunt brings every single year, or the pie that vanishes before the coffee even brews. But when you look at the whole state, the consensus […]

Illinois · 18h

Public News Service

partner publisher · 2.6K followers

Rural voters send message on farm policy, economic pressures

Economic pressures facing small communities are reshaping what rural voters expect from their elected leaders. Rising production costs and pressure on agricultural exports are among top concerns for Illinois communities. Michael Happ, program associate at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, pointed to a county-level analysis, which found the state's 80 rural counties moved an average of 6.5 percentage points toward Democrats compared with the 2024 presidential election. Happ thinks the results send a clear message. "I see these results as a rebuke of status quo farm policy. There are a lot of people who are commodity farmers that are reliant on exports, and this administration has been chipping away a lot of the pillars of that kind of agriculture without providing alternatives," Happ explained. University of Illinois researchers found fertilizer costs were 37% higher in 2025 compared to five years earlier. And despite some improvement, the average return to farmers' labor and management remained in the red by more than $23,000. Happ pointed out tariffs on agricultural exports and rising input costs have put additional pressure on farmers who depend on international markets. He added the concerns rural voters are weighing can look very different from one community

Illinois · 21h

wvik.org

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Unionized legal services staff protest planned Illinois layoffs

About two dozen people met Tuesday in downtown Moline to protest actions of Prairie State Legal Services (PSLS), which has proposed to cut 17 employees this Friday, Nov. 13. Union members, including unionized staff of PSLS’s office at 1515 5th Ave., Moline, carried signs, chanted, and encouraged motorists to honk at the intersection of 15th Street and 5th Avenue.

Moline, IL · 3d

everafterinthewoods.com

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Old Italian Grocers Still Slice Mortadella At These 6 Illinois Markets

A single log of mortadella can weigh more than a toddler, and somebody still slices it by hand. That old ritual lives on behind a handful of no-frills Illinois deli counters that still do things the slow way. I find that oddly thrilling, like discovering your favorite song still plays...

Illinois · 2d

everafterinthewoods.com

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This Unassuming Illinois Spot Piles Pizzas High With Toppings And Serves Wings Worth Licking Your Fingers For

Sixteen first-place wins at Chicago’s WingFest is a lot of hardware for one modest neighborhood grill. Add four Best of Fest awards, and that shelf starts looking crowded. The place doesn’t stop at wings, either. Homemade tavern-style thin crust pizza comes out of the same kitchen, along with garlic buffalo wings that seem to have their own fan club.

Palatine, IL · 2d

everafterinthewoods.com

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Most Illinois Families Have Never Heard Of These 6 Small-Town Museums That Charge Nothing To Enter

A 1926 Ford dealership in Illinois now shows off old farm equipment right next to fancy dresses. Nobody at the door asks you to buy a ticket, either. That one detail sent me hunting for more free museums in small Illinois towns. I found a tiny farming hamlet with a dazzling gem and fossil collection, plus a restored French fort near the Mississippi River.

Illinois · 1d

CBS News

partner publisher · 2.4M followers

Lake-effect snow transitioning into wet snow Friday

Illinois · 12h

Country Herald

publisher · 13.6K followers

Illinois Winter Thanksgiving Travel: Even Salted I-55 Can Freeze

Chicago, Joliet, Bloomington and Springfield drivers face a hidden danger when pavement temperatures plunge.

Illinois · 2d

Combat Rated

partner publisher · 62.4K followers

Pritzker Says His Father And Grandfather Helped Americans “Wake Up In A Free Country Every Day” — Honors Veterans And Their Families On Veterans Day

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker marked Veterans Day on November 11 by honoring generations of American veterans, including members of his own family who served in the United States Navy. His statement connected his family’s military history to the freedoms Americans experience today while highlighting the responsibility to continue improving the country for future generations. Pritzker […]

Illinois · 1d

Q985

partner publisher · 3.8K followers

Illinois Dad Turns $50 Lottery Ticket Into $1 Million

An Illinois father won $1 million and plans to treat his family to some special sporting events.

Freeport, IL · 6h