Area Breaking News

byBen Szalinski SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois Republican Party is asking the state attorney general’s office to intervene in Champaign County’s election process after the county clerk distributed hundreds of ballots that mislabeled General Assembly districts. Champaign County Clerk Aaron Ammons, a Democrat who is also fighting a federal indictment for alleged obstruction of justice, announced…

by Maggie Dougherty September 22, 2026 CHICAGO — Illinois’ eight state-run visitor information centers, located within rest areas at interstates around the state, will be closing by the end of the month. “The role of the State’s visitor information centers has evolved significantly over the past couple of decades as the ways visitors plan and…

byJourney ShortandSaluki Local Reporting Lab On a clear spring morning in southern Illinois, a group of students stands at the edge of the woods near Lake Murphysboro in rural Jackson County. They wear bright yellow fire-resistant shirts, green pants, heavy boots and helmets. Each person carries a tool, a hoe, shovel or drip torch. Everything…

byAdam GuntherandSaluki Local Reporting Lab CHESTER — Hundreds of people gathered along the riverfront Monday morning to watch the 80-year-old Chester Bridge come down. Then, in a matter of seconds, it was gone. Explosives ripped through the old bridge, sending it crashing into the Mississippi River as cheers rose from the crowd. A piece of…

By HANNAH SPANGLER FarmWeek After decades spent working in agriculture, stepping away from farming was not a decision Donnie Peterson could make overnight. “It wasn’t easy, but I realized it was time to let go,” said Peterson, who is retiring at 104. Born in 1921, Peterson grew up on his family’s farm near Aledo. He…