State News

Due to expected inclement weather, the full closure of the Illinois 157 and Illinois 162 intersection originally scheduled for Feb. 26, 2026, has been postponed to Monday, March 16. As previously announced, traffic will not be permitted on Illinois 157 and Illinois 162 at the intersection during the closure. Both eastbound and westbound Illinois 162…

  Can’t sleep? Up early? You’ll be ready for the total lunar eclipse observation at Southern Illinois University Carbondale at 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 3. The live view is at the SIU University Farms Astronomy Observation Area, 2 miles west of the main campus. Can’t make it? The SIU Astrophotography Team will livestream the celestial event. The livestream…

Illinois American Water invested more than $280 million in upgrades and improvements to water and wastewater systems in 2025 throughout its service area across Illinois, “demonstrating its ongoing commitment to high-quality service,” an official announcement noted. “Delivering safe, clean and reliable water and wastewater service requires consistent, proactive investment in our systems,” said Rebecca Losli,…

The Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA) has announced the launch of the Illinois Retail Leaders Apprenticeship Program, which provides retail education, real-world training, and industry exposure to aspiring retailers. The first program of its kind in the state of Illinois, the curriculum is designed to cultivate the next generation of leaders in the evolving retail industry,…

The Convention of States Action (CoS Action) is hosting a rally in the Rotunda of the State Capitol in Springfield from 12 Noon to 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, to continue to build support for an Article V Convention of States in Illinois. The event will bring together citizens, volunteers, and bi-partisan leaders…

Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13) announced on Friday, Feb. 20, 2026, that she will host Laura Petty, a constituent from Alton, Ill. whose family has been impacted by rising healthcare costs, as her guest to President Trump’s State of the Union on Tuesday, Feb. 24. “I am honored to bring Laura as my guest to highlight…

State Representative Kevin Schmidt (R-Millstadt) has pledged to donate the legislative pay raise he voted against to different local organizations throughout his district to help families in need. This month he donated laundry detergent to the Freeburg Food and Clothing Bank. “Our team was more than happy to help the Freeburg Food and Clothing Bank…

On Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13) met with students at Riverbend Head Start and Family Services in Alton to highlight the importance of Head Start programs. Budzinski also discussed her work earlier this year to secure delayed federal funding that had been allocated to the Alton facility for renovations. “Head Start services are…

A bipartisan poll conducted in January shows that 72 percent of Illinoisans strongly support the idea of paying college students as they complete the mandatory student teaching portion of their education.  A poll of 1,000 Illinoisans conducted by Normington Petts and Associates and Next Generation Strategies in late January asked: “As you may know, student…

  By MELISSA CROCKETT MESKE Managing Editor, Illinois Business Journal [email protected] On Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, Teklab Inc. cut the ribbon on a new 36,500-square-foot laboratory in Collinsville, marking a $10 million investment that state and local leaders say reinforces the Metro East’s role in Illinois’ broader economic development strategy. With its new facility, the…