Rochester
Illinois Buc-ee’s rumors have a less hopeful answer than they did a few months ago. An earlier look at why Illinois remains off the Buc-ee’s map found plenty of logical…
Some of the best mornings start with a plain little building you almost drive right past. You walk in hungry, grab a booth, and suddenly the bacon, biscuits, and coffee turn an ordinary trip into a story you keep telling. Southern Illinois is full of these quiet breakfast spots, tucked...
John Deere is making a big move in Iowa, bringing back hundreds of workers and hiring even more.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker says a vote on a Bears stadium deal could happen in the coming weeks as a new potential site is proposed. Paris Schutz reports on the latest twist in the ongoing stadium saga.
A century after Prohibition, Illinois liquor stores are preparing for another last call: This time, it's for THC drinks . The latest: A new state law aimed at cracking down on unregulated cannabis products will force many popular hemp-derived THC beverages off liquor store shelves starting Nov. 12. Why it matters: THC drinks have emerged as an alternative to alcohol, finding their way into liquor stores, bars and grocery stores. But the new law is poised to disrupt the growing beverage industry. How it works: Under the new Illinois Hemp Act, products containing more than 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container will be classified as cannabis and can only be sold by licensed cannabis dispensaries. To put that in perspective, a 5-milligram THC drink contains 12.5 times the amount allowed under the new limit, while a 10-milligram drink contains 25 times as much. State of play: Binny's Beverage Depot and other liquor stores are already clearing out their THC beverages ahead of the deadline. Retailers have until Nov. 11 to sell or otherwise dispose of affected inventory before the new restrictions take effect. Context: The legislation, signed by Gov. JB Pritzker in June, was designed to bring oversight to
Illinois landlords cannot charge more than $50 for a rental application on leases signed from Jan. 1, 2027, unless a third-party background check costs more than that and the landlord can show the actual bill. The cap covers background-check charges bundled into the application. Gov. JB Pritzker signed House Bill 3564 at the end of […] The post Illinois renters signing leases from Jan. 1, 2027 cannot be charged more than $50 to apply for an apartment unless a third-party background check actually costs more appeared first on The Money Overview .
People with individual Aetna Medicare Advantage plans should review options during the annual enrollment period, which runs through Dec. 7, 2026.
Voters in Illinois decide whether or not to separate from Cook County and form a new state
An Illinois property owner paid to replace a failed furnace and add central air conditioning to a rental house in January 2023. The furnace went in. The air conditioner stayed in its box in the garage, and the dispute eventually produced an order to return the unit and repay $2,500.
(The Center Square) – Illinois voters have rejected sales tax referendums in four Illinois counties. The margins were similar in Adams, Crawford, Lake and Tazewell counties, with between 54% and 57% of voters saying no to a 1% sales tax for school facilities. Americans for Prosperity Illinois Deputy State Director Brian Costin said the election on Tuesday was about affordability, and there is tax fatigue in Illinois. “This was an election about Trump, and it shouldn't be an invitation for Democrats to go back down to Springfield or locally to just decide that they're going to try to grab more money, pass more referendums, because in all likelihood, the voters will reject that,” Costin told The Center Square. Costin noted that Gov. J.B. Pritzker defeated Republican Darren Bailey by 36 points in Lake County, but the sales tax referendum lost 57% to 43%. “I think it's a warning for Lake County and some of these other counties as well that these referendums are not something that's palatable or shouldn't be taken for granted, that the people are just going to automatically side with tax hikes,” Costin said. With the average sales tax hovering around 9% in Illinois, Costin said both
Illinois Medicare enrollees in some Part D drug plans are facing premiums of $6 to $23 a month for 2027, up from $0, according to the Illinois Department on Aging. Free one-on-one counseling is available through the state’s Senior Health Insurance Program, known as SHIP, at 1-800-252-8966, and Medicare open enrollment closes Dec. 7. “Some […] The post Illinois Medicare enrollees whose $0 drug plans rise to $6 to $23 a month in 2027 can get free counseling before Dec. 7 appeared first on The Money Overview .
Events going on in and around Jacksonville during the week ahead.
Celebrating a magical, history-making Election Day with many firsts making history this week. Our nation got its first Muslim senator, first Latina governor, first Native-American woman governor and senators, several states got their first black governors including our neighbors in Wisconsin and (my Soror!) Keisha Lance Bottoms became the first black woman governor in the nation.
WOODSTOCK, IL – The Illinois Probation and Court Services Association (IPCSA) has named Seth Krause, Director of the McHenry County Probation Department, as the recipient of the Cheryl Meyers Excellence in Service and Innovation Award. This award recognizes an IPCSA member whose contributions reflect forward-thinking service, collaboration, leadership, and...
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (CAPITOL CITY NOW) – Almost 24 hours after a Springfield city council meeting ended in raised voices, accusations, and general chaos, the city said a communications glitch kept two people’s requests for public comment time from reaching the clerk’s office. That’s the tl;dr version of the city’s statement, issued late Thursday.
(The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker says a new quantum computer in Chicago will bring jobs to Illinois, after state taxpayers provided $25 million for the project. State and local officials joined administrators from the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign at the unveiling of the IBM Quantum System Two at Hyde Park Labs in Chicago on Friday. Pritzker said quantum means companies investing billions of dollars and creating thousands of jobs. “Scientific innovation is hugely important and the results of it are as well. It’s also really important that this is an economic boom for the state of Illinois,” the governor said. The public-private project includes a $25 million grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. In a statement to investors, IBM said it generated $67.5 billion in revenue and delivered $14.7 billion in free cash flow last year, the company’s highest free flow cash margin in reported history. Officials said the System Two would relocate to the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park when the facility opens on Chicago’s Southeast Side. Illinois, Cook County and Chicago governments have provided hundreds of millions of dollars in tax incentives for companies to operate at
(The Center Square) – Although Gov. J.B. Pritzker said last month he expected a bill regulating data centers to be ready for fall veto session, the Illinois House majority leader says lame duck session in early January is more likely. State Rep. Robyn Gabel, D-Evanston, told The Center Square she had a long meeting about the POWER Act on Thursday. “We've just begun our meetings with stakeholders, so we are hoping to get something together by lame duck, which is early in January,” Gabel said. Proponents of the legislation include the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition and the Citizens Utility Board. According to CUB , data center energy demand increases power costs for Illinois consumers. Labor unions, business groups, manufacturers and the Illinois State Association of Counties were among those who expressed opposition to the POWER Act last spring. A study released last month by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute and the Project for Middle Class Renewal at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign said Illinois data center investments are expected to generate almost $300 million per year in property tax revenues over the next decade. Gabel is the chief sponsor of House Bill 5513 , which includes provisions to prohibit cost
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.
