By Jerry Nowicki The Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has the ability to test for the 2019 novel coronavirus in-state, which means shorter wait times for test results for those showing symptoms of the virus and meeting certain criteria. IDPH said in a news release Tuesday that Illinois is
By Rebecca Anzel Illinois Supreme Court Justice Robert Thomas, a former placekicker with the Chicago Bears, will retire from his seat on the bench effective February 29. He plans to join the Chicago-based Power Rogers law firm, which successfully represented him in a defamation suit against the Kane County Chronicle
There are 61 national parks. California has nine. Illinois has none. In the past couple of years, the Arch in St. Louie and the Dunes in northwestern Indiana both have been designated as national parks. Illinois had better rattle its tin cup in Washington, D.C., because it appears to be
By Peter Hancock A task force formed to study ways to reduce property tax burden on Illinois residents is calling for consolidation of school districts and other units of government and a boost in the State’s share of funding for K-12 education. Those and other recommendations are part of a
By Peter Hancock One year ago, January 14, 2019, Democratic Party governor, JB Pritzker, was sworn into office. A billionaire businessman from Chicago with no prior experience as an elected official, he took the reins of a State government that was on the brink of insolvency. A massive pension debt
By Capitol News Illinois The State’s minimum wage will increase by $1 hourly, recreational marijuana will go on sale to those over 21 years of age, and some State taxes and licensing fees will increase this year. The changes are among hundreds resulting from laws passed during a busy legislative
By Rebecca Anzel The office of Illinois’ top lawyer has released its annual safe-shopping guide prior to the holiday shopping season to alert families about recalled-children’s toys, clothing, and furniture. The report includes information about goods that are a safety hazard and have been linked to infant deaths. Some of
By Peter Hancock A plan to consolidate 649 downstate municipal police and firefighter pension funds into just two unified systems hit an unexpected snag Tuesday, but officials on both sides of the disagreement vowed to continue talking in hopes of reaching an agreement. Just hours before the bill was scheduled
By Jerry Nowicki Sterigenics, a medical supply sterilization company linked to increased cancer risk in the DuPage County area, said Monday it plans to “exit its ethylene oxide sterilization operations in Willowbrook.” According to the U.S. Department of Labor, chronic exposure to ethylene oxide, used in some medical supply sterilization
