Education services extended for special needs students
By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Students with special needs will be able to finish their last year of high school regardless of when their birthday falls on the calendar, while those who lost a year or more of in-person schooling due to the pandemic and have since aged out of special…
Read MorePritzker ‘looking at all possible mitigations;’ masks mandated at driver facilities
By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Masks will be required at driver’s license facilities in Illinois starting Monday, August 2, Secretary of State Jesse White announced Wednesday, July 28, and Gov. JB Pritzker said he is “looking at all the possible mitigations” amid another surge of COVID-19 infections. The secretary of state’s…
Read MoreFROM AFGHAN INTERPRETER TO LAND OF OPPORTUNITIES
Fahim Masoud Realizes Dream of Military Service in Illinois Army National Guard By Barbara Wilson Illinois National Guard Public Affairs Office SPRINGFIELD, Illinois – When Fahim Masoud was born in Kabul, Afghanistan in 1988, the country was at war with the Soviet Union. Fast forward 17 years, Masoud graduated from high school and faced one…
Read MoreState ‘strongly encourages’ public, private colleges to require students to get COVID-19 vaccine
University of Illinois, other schools have already issued mandates By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – The state’s higher education agencies released updated COVID-19 guidance Monday, July 19, encouraging all public and private higher education institutions in Illinois to issue mandatory vaccine policies. “Vaccination against COVID-19 is now widely available, and all persons…
Read MoreDemocratic leaders seek to dismiss redistricting lawsuits
Virtual hearing set for week after U.S. Census data is officially released By JERRY NOWICKI Capitol News Illinois jnowicki@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Lawyers for Illinois’ Democratic legislative leaders last week filed a motion to dismiss a lawsuit from Republicans and a Mexican American advocacy group regarding newly drawn legislative maps, calling the challenge “purely speculative” until…
Read MorePosters of State Championship front page available
The Freeburg Tribune has produced replica posters of the FCHS 2021 State Baseball Championship front page. Anyone wishing to purchase a poster may do so by calling 539-3320 or stopping in the office at 820 South State Street. The posters are $10 each.
Read MoreState courts prepare to resume normal operations
Supreme Court issues orders on speedy trials, social distancing requirements By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – State courts in Illinois are preparing to return to normal operations after nearly 16 months of operating under special rules brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Illinois Supreme Court on Wednesday, July 7, issued two…
Read MoreState revenues surged in previous fiscal year
Report cites federal funds, tax filing quirk, economic recovery By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD – Revenues flowing into state coffers surged in the fiscal year that ended June 30, spurred largely by an influx of federal funds, the delayed deadline for filing income tax returns last year and an economic recovery that…
Read MoreWoman freed on plea deal after serving 19 years for McHenry murder
Her murder charge was vacated with help from Illinois Innocence Project By SARAH MANSUR Capitol News Illinois smansur@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD — A woman found guilty of a McHenry County murder had her conviction vacated last week after serving 19 years of her 27-year sentence and maintaining her innocence throughout her imprisonment. With the help of the…
Read MoreFor Your Health: Helping kids lay a foundation for lifelong health
By Dr. Graham A. Colditz Siteman Cancer Center Summer officially arrives this month, and it feels especially welcome. After a very long 16 months since the pandemic started, life is beginning to return to normal, as COVID-19 vaccination gains ground and rates of infections continue to drop. And while we still have a way to…
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