Illinois reports $311.1 million in alcohol sales tax revenue for 2024

Illinois collected $311.1 million from alcoholic beverage sales taxes in 2024, accounting for 0.5% of the state’s total tax revenue of $66.9 billion, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's Annual Survey of State Government Tax Collections (STC). The State Government Tax Collections (STC) survey tracks five major tax categories...

Illinois Schools Must Limit Student Phone Access From First Bell to Final Bell Starting With the 2027-28 School Year

Under SB 2427, signed July 28, 2026, Illinois districts must limit student phone access from first bell to final bell by 2027-28, with exceptions for medical needs and IEPs.

Gridiron Glory Week 12: High school football playoff scores and highlights

PADUCAH, Ky. — Check out the scores and highlights from week 12 of Gridiron Glory below, including the opening round of the playoffs in Kentucky and Tennessee, and the second round of playoffs in Illinois. For more on the Local 6 teams competing in the second round of the...

RESULTS: IHSA state cross country 2026

PEORIA, Ill. (WCIA) – Saturday saw state champions crowned at Detweiller Park in Peoria. High school cross country season came to a close in Illinois with the state meet hosting boys’ and girls’ races for 1A, 2A and 3A. Check out some top local finishers from the WCIA 3 viewing area below, and click here […]

Kentucky Coffeetree Reaches About 75 Feet With Leaves Up to 36 Inches Long, and Its 5- to 10-Inch Pods Can Hang On Through Winter, Illinois Extension's Emily Swihart Writes

Illinois Extension's Emily Swihart profiles the Kentucky coffeetree: about 75 feet tall, leaves up to 36 inches long and 5- to 10-inch pods that last through winter.

Illinois and Midwestern Farmers Are Overcharged on Crop Insurance, Say Durbin, Duckworth, Budzinski, Sorensen, Call for USDA to Recalculate and Provide Refunds

As farmers face sky-high costs, the lawmakers say USDA Risk Management Agency must rebalance premium costs and refund Illinois and Midwestern farmers SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), along with U.S. Representatives Eric Sorensen (D-IL-17) and Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13), both members of the House Agriculture Committee, today sent a letter to the Administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Risk Management Agency, calling for a review of the Federal Crop Insurance Program to rebalance payments for farmers that are routinely overcharged for federal crop insurance premiums. While the Federal Crop Insurance Act requirescrop insurance premiums to roughly equal the indemnity payouts over the long term, Illinois corn and soybean farmers have been systemically overcharged for crop insurance premiums as they rank among the lowest in the nation for crop insurance payouts. “Farmers face record costs for farm inputs, including diesel, fertilizer, seed, and equipment. As policymakers explore options for relief, we ask USDA to begin a targeted review as soon as possible of the counties and crops that have consistently been overcharged in the Federal Crop Insurance Program, and

Illinois State Police To Conduct Occupant Restraint Enforcement Patrols

Effingham, IL-(Effingham Radio)- Illinois State Police (ISP) Troop 9 Commander, Captain Bruce Waggoner, announces the ISP will conduct Occupant Restraint Enforcement Patrols (OREP) in Marion, Hamilton, Effingham, and Wabash counties during November. OREPs allow the ISP to focus on safety belt and child safety seat laws. Illinois law requires all vehicle passengers (front and back) to be buckled up!

Illinois Caps Rental Application Fees at $50 and Bans Lease Renewal Fees Starting Jan. 1

Illinois House Bill 3564 caps rental application fees at $50 and bans lease renewal fees on leases starting Jan. 1, 2027, with nine banned fee types.

Illinois E-Bikes Faster Than 28 MPH Will Need a License, Title and Insurance Starting Jan. 1

Illinois e-bikes and e-motos that can top 28 mph will need a license, title, registration and insurance from Jan. 1, 2027 under SB 3484.

IHSA Announces 24 Proposed Constitution and By-law Changes

The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) has received 24 proposals that could amend its Constitution and By-laws during the 2026-27 legislative cycle. The proposals were submitted by principals and official representatives of IHSA member schools. The IHSA Legislative Commission’s initial review was scheduled for Monday, November 2. The proposals...

Illinois seniors face fewer Medicare Advantage choices this open enrollment season

On a gray October morning in a bungalow on the Southwest Side, the stack of envelopes looked thicker than the coffee mug beside it. A retired bus driver spread the letters across the table and tried to match last year’s doctors to this year’s list. Somewhere in that paper pile sat a narrower set of choices than the one he remembered. Across the state, Medicare Advantage Illinois has become a story less about glossy television promises and more about what disappears when an insurer leaves a county. For people who built their retirement around a familiar clinic, a preferred pharmacy, and a premium they could recite from memory, the season feels less like shopping and more like triage.

US Beauty Award Reveals Its October 2026 Verified TOP Salon Winners

UNITED STATES - November 7, 2026 - The US Beauty Award announces three Verified TOP Salon recipients for October 2026, recognizing outstanding beauty establishments in Texas, California, and Illinois for their dedication to craftsmanship, professional excellence, and exceptional client experiences. Texas: A Journey of Passion and Resilience. Nice Nail Spa,...

Illinois Farm Bureau Collegiate Discussion Meet Winner and Place Holders

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Sidney Stiers, of Williamsfield, took first place in Illinois Farm Bureau’s Collegiate Discussion Meet, held on Oct. 30. Stiers, a sophomore at the University of Illinois, is a member of the Knox County Farm Bureau and the University of Illinois Collegiate Farm Bureau chapter. She will go on to represent Illinois in the national Collegiate Discussion Meet at the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Young Farmers and Ranchers Conference March 12-15, 2027, in New Orleans.

Nikki Budzinski Crushes GOP Challenger in Illinois 13th, Wins Third Term

Democratic Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski has won reelection to Illinois' 13th Congressional District, defeating Republican challenger Jeff Wilson in a race called by the Associated Press on Election Day. Budzinski faced Wilson as her only opponent on the ballot, and the result extends her hold on a sprawling downstate district that covers portions of seven counties.

Illinois drivers pay a frozen 48.3-cent-a-gallon state gas tax through Dec. 31 after lawmakers suspended the July inflation increase, the state revenue department says

Illinois drivers pay a state gas tax of 48.3 cents a gallon through Dec. 31, the same rate as before July 1, after lawmakers suspended the automatic inflation increase. The Illinois Department of Revenue says Public Act 104-0468, signed June 16, suspended the scheduled July 1 adjustment for six months. The department’s rate bulletin lists... The post Illinois drivers pay a frozen 48.3-cent-a-gallon state gas tax through Dec. 31 after lawmakers suspended the July inflation increase, the state revenue department says appeared first on The Financial Wire .

Health Care Service Corp. is leaving 498 Medicare Advantage drug-plan counties for 2027 and entering none, and its Illinois reach falls from 100 counties to eight

Health Care Service Corp., the Chicago-based parent of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois and the Blues plans in several other states, is leaving 498 counties for its Medicare Advantage drug plans in 2027 and entering none. The count comes from KFF’s county-level review of the 2027 plan landscape. Members in those counties have […] The post Health Care Service Corp. is leaving 498 Medicare Advantage drug-plan counties for 2027 and entering none, and its Illinois reach falls from 100 counties to eight appeared first on The Money Overview .

Illinois Parents Alert: Stop Sign Challenge Raises Winter Road Fears

Reported stop-sign challenge raises concerns as Illinois prepares for icy roads, snow and earlier darkness.

Teenagers who blamed Snapchat's design for addiction and depression reach settlements

Jury selection was underway in Los Angeles when settlements ended the proceedings against Snapchat's parent company, Snap Inc., after two young women accused the company of designing the platform to encourage compulsive use. Depression, anxiety, and eating disorders were among the mental health problems the plaintiffs attributed to the platform's...

Boys and Girls Cross Country Head to State Championship Meet

The boys and girls cross country teams qualified for the Illinois High School Association’s state championship meet after standout performances throughout the fall and at Sectionals. Parents, teammates, and friends gathered in the lobby on Friday morning, holding signs with words of encouragement as the athletes boarded the bus....

Katin Houser Connects With Jordan Anderson For 5-Yard TD, Giving Illinois Lead Over Nebraska