Local Business Headlines
Bank of Springfield celebrates 60 years
Bank of Springfield (BOS) will mark its 60th anniversary on Oct. 29, 2025 Bank of Springfield was founded in 1965 by Jack A. Marantz and a group of local businesspeople in Springfield, Ill. Marantz’s vision when opening the first branch was to provide the community with exceptional banking products and services through excellence and…
Read MoreHoffman, Giannoulias, other officials highlight state grants to combat carjackings, vehicle theft
Building on efforts to combat carjackings and auto theft, State Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Swansea) welcomed Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias to the Metro East last week to announce over $2.6 million in grants to support the Metro East Auto Theft Task Force (MEATTF) and St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department. “We’re continuing to direct significant…
Read More‘From print upstart to daily digital’: The Illinois Business Journal turns 25
By DENNIS GRUBAUGH and MELISSA CROCKETT MESKE Twenty-five years ago, October 2000, a newspaper was born. That it survives still in the digital age is a story that the paper itself might have printed – something of a media miracle. “It truly is a David and Goliath story of a little publication that could and…
Read More[Op-Ed:] Head Start is more than a line item, it’s a lifeline
By HOLLY KIM Treasurer, Lake County, Ill. It wasn’t part of the plan when I became pregnant at 22. I was in college, balancing a full-time job and figuring out my future. Suddenly, I had to learn how to care for a child too. Like many young parents, I found myself navigating a system I…
Read MorePublic meeting today on proposed Illinois 13 improvements in St. Clair County
The Illinois Department of Transportation will hold a public meeting later today (Wednesday, Oct. 29) to discuss a study for the proposed improvements on Illinois 13 from Illinois 157 to South 23rd Street in St. Clair County. The meeting will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Southwestern Illinois Justice & Workforce Development…
Read MoreBudzinski, Quigley slam upcoming SNAP changes due to ‘Big, Ugly Bill’
In a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, they urged the administration to clarify implementation guidance for states Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) and Congressman Mike Quigley (IL-05) led every Democratic member of the Illinois congressional delegation in a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins expressing concerns with the implementation of Supplemental Nutrition…
Read MoreLunchbox Café brings fresh start, homemade flavor to Madison County’s halls
What began as a quick stop for a soda turned into a new business venture for Collinsville baker and entrepreneur Jeanetta Mitchem. While taking a class at the Regional Office of Education, Mitchem wandered down to the Madison County Administration Building cafeteria and noticed the space was empty. Her entrepreneurial instincts immediately sparked. “My crazy…
Read MoreIllinois joins lawsuit to force federal government not to pause SNAP benefits
Nearly 2M Illinoisans could lose benefits as federal shutdown continues By BEN SZALINSKI Capitol News Illinois Article Summary Illinois is one of 25 states suing the U.S. Department of Agriculture over plans to pause benefits for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program on Saturday. The USDA has said November SNAP benefits will not be paid if…
Read MoreSenator Erica Harriss honors local heroes at First Responders Appreciation Event
State Senator Erica Harriss (R-56th–Glen Carbon) welcomed more than 60 first responders from across the Metro East region to her first annual First Responders Appreciation Event held on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, at her Edwardsville district office. “This event was all about saying thank you,” said Senator Harriss. “Every day, these brave men and women…
Read MoreSpectrum donates $5,000 to The Salvation Army of St. Clair County
Spectrum presented The Salvation Army of St. Clair County with a $5,000 donation on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, accompanied by State Rep. Jay Hoffman (D-Swansea). The donation, accepted on behalf of the organization by The Salvation Army of St. Clair County Captains Kenneth and Samantha Jones, will help the organization provide critical resources to…
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