State News

$12 million in grants will transform neighborhood infrastructure into active transportation options for students statewide Governor JB Pritzker and Illinois Transportation Secretary Gia Biagi announced on Friday, May 8, that $12 million in grants had been awarded for projects that will help boost the health and safety of children by making walking, biking, and rolling…

UPDATED May 19, 2026: The closures on Interstate 55/70 in St. Clair County previously scheduled to begin May 18 have been rescheduled for Monday, June 1, due to weather and anticipated Memorial Day travel. Traffic impacts and project details remain unchanged. —— The Illinois Department of Transportation is continuing multiple coordinated improvements along the Interstate 55/70 corridor…

Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) recently announced that $56 million in funding is now available for the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) for Public Infrastructure ($25 million), Housing Rehabilitation ($15 million), Community Revitalization ($13 million), and Emergency Assistance ($3 million). Grantees will be selected through a…

State Representative Kevin Schmidt (R-Millstadt) has pledged to donate the legislative pay raise he voted against to local organizations across the 114th District to help families in need. For the month of April, he donated essential food items, including sugar, brown sugar, cooking oil, and egg noodles, to the Mascoutah Food Pantry & Concerned Christians. “Helping…

State Representative Kevin Schmidt (R-Millstadt) is hosting a Tire Recycling Event and Food Drive in Smithton and encourages constituents to attend. The event takes place from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 9, at Smithton Community Park (65 Memorial Drive, Smithton, IL 62285). The event will provide residents with a safe and secure way…

Defendants are accused of committing burglaries at southern Illinois pharmacies in July 2024 EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – Four individuals from California are facing charges in a multi-defendant conspiracy accused of burglarizing pharmacies and distributing multiple controlled substances throughout southern Illinois and across the country. As of May 4, 2026, three of the four Defendants…

The Illinois Department of Transportation has announced that the outside lane of eastbound Interstate 270 from Illinois 203 to Illinois 111 will be closed beginning at 6 a.m. Friday, May 8, weather permitting, for pavement repairs. In addition, the ramp from eastbound I-270 to Illinois 111 also will be closed. Work is expected to be…

The Women’s Pro Baseball League (WPBL) has officially unveiled its schedule for its historic, inaugural 2026 season. Starting Aug. 1, 2026, at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Ill., the league’s four teams – New York, Boston, San Francisco, and Los Angeles – will take the field. The 30-game, regular-season will kick-off on Saturday, Aug. 1 and…

  State Rep. Katie Stuart (D-Edwardsville), who serves as Assistant Majority Leader and Floor Whip, recently toured the Collinsville Area Vocational Center expansion to see how construction is progressing. Her last look at the facility had been on Jan. 8, 2026, when snow was on the ground and most of the building’s steel structure was…

1 in 7 retail crime incidents involve violence; increase largely driven by repeat offenders Illinois retail workers are facing rising levels of in-store violence tied to repeat and organized offenders, according to new data from global retail crime intelligence company Auror. The data shows that one in seven retail crime incidents involve violence, weapons or…