By Dave Dahl EDWARDSVILLE – Gov. JB Pritzker joined Edwardsville officials Saturday evening, a day after a tornado hit the Amazon warehouse there, killing six people. “We’re continuing to search the site for evidence of life,” said Edwardsville fire chief James Whiteford, “and will continue recovery operations until all personnel are accounted for. At this…… MORE
There’s always a project going on somewhere on the state’s Capitol Complex in downtown Springfield, and the one about to commence is a doozy.… MORE
Deer numbers from the 2021 firearm deer harvest in Illinois are down from 2020 – about 5,500 for the seven-day season and more than 8000 comparing the second weekends.… MORE
– Illinois’ Senior Senator says historic investments made under President Biden’s Administration allow Americans to be more prepared when it comes to the new COVID-19 variant Omicron.… MORE
On the heels of the vote, a central Illinois Republican is touting a victory in the National Defense Authorization Act that provides pay raises to military members.… MORE
By IIS Radio SPRINGFIELD – The state is launching a new $42 million water assistance program for low-income Illinoisans. The effort is for those facing disconnection or who have $250 or more in overdue water and sewer bills. Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity Acting Director Sylvia Garcia says to qualify, applicants need to…… MORE
By Dave Dahl SPRINGFIELD – Denying someone their job because of their vaccination status is discrimination, according to State Rep. Adam Niemerg (R-Dieterich). His “Freedom Act” would outlaw it. Shouldn’t people go to work with the assurance everyone around them is vaccinated? “Well, shouldn’t everybody that has the right to go to work understand that…… MORE
By IIS Radio WESTMONT – Gov. JB Pritzker says he’s not planning to institute a new COVID-19 vaccine mandate like the one in New York City. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio is enacting a mandate for private sector workers. Pritzker was asked if that’s something we could see in Illinois. “That again is not…… MORE
Illinois’ annual Pearl Harbor observance, which the Department of Veterans’ Affairs puts on at Lake Springfield, included the traditional wreath-tossing into the lake. And a story of some good luck.… MORE
By IIS Radio CHICAGO – Gov. JB Pritzker is thanking state tourism leaders for their perseverance during the pandemic. Speaking at a tourism and travel conference in Chicago, the governor noted that the last 20 months have been very tough for the hospitality industry. “This has been an unprecedented health emergency, and yet you’ve stepped…… MORE
By Mike Matejka Because of COVID, there is no Labor Day Parade this year. It’s always a great event for our everyday workers to march proudly down the street and enjoys the festive crowd. If there had been a parade, this year’s Labor Day theme was to be “150 years of struggle: your right to vote.” …
By Mike Matejka As President Donald Trump threatens to send federal marshals into Chicago, over the objections of Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, recall another Illinois Governor who protested the incursion of armed federal personnel into the city. Those federal troops, rather than calming, escalated the situation, leading to deaths and violence. Illinois poet Vachel Lindsay…
By Mike Matejka Our nation is at a unique watershed in human relations. African-Americans have been killed too many times in the past before George Floyd, but the response to this man’s death is international and all-encompassing. I was a grade-schooler during the Civil Rights 1960s. I watched Birmingham demonstrators hosed and the Selma – Montgomery…
Looking around our community, when we say employer, most will respond to State Farm, Country, or Illinois State University. We too often forget those who are building our roads, serving our food, or our public employees. COVID-19 has made us more aware of the risk. Going to work every day for some people means…