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SPRINGFIELD, IL. – Governor JB Pritzker delivered his annual Budget/State of the State Address Wednesday to a joint session of the Illinois General Assembly. Governor Pritzker’s proposed Fiscal Year 2027 Budget is a record-high $56 billion, nearly a billion dollars more than last year’s enacted budget. Pritzker’s spending plan relies on $728 million in new revenue, including new taxes on social media platforms and higher gaming taxes. Assistant Republican Leader

SPRINGFIELD, IL - Illinois Governor JB Pritzker presented his annual Budget Address and State of the State to the General Assembly today. State Representative Amy Elik (R-Alton), House Republicans’ Deputy Budgeteer, issued the following statement after the governor’s budget proposal: “The Governor’s budget proposes another increase in state spending, making this another record amount, financed by more targeted taxes and fees. The speech today was short on details

ST. LOUIS - A Belleville man admitted in federal court on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, to choking and assaulting a woman on the grounds of Gateway Arch National Park, according to a plea agreement detailing an incident that began during an argument in Belleville, Illinois, and ended on a service road in St. Louis. Darrion Lamont Evans, 20, of Belleville, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of assault by strangulation and two counts of interstate domestic violence. In

SPRINGFIELD – State Senator Erica Harriss (56th-Glen Carbon) released the following statement after Governor Pritzker’s State of the State and Budget Address: “As a working parent in a family of five, I know affordability is not a slogan. It is about whether families can pay their bills, plan for the future, and feel secure in their homes. The same is true for seniors living on fixed incomes. Right now, too many Illinoisans are watching property taxes, utility bills,

WOOD RIVER – Wood River will soon be home to a new hub for esports and film production. At their Feb. 17, 2026 meeting , City Council members voted unanimously to authorize the sale of city-owned surplus real estate to WR Farm Investments LLC, the company behind the purchase and development of Hollywood River Studios . Also approved was a redevelopment agreement for a related TIF project between the city and WR Farm Investments LLC. The company has agreed to pay $1 million to purchase

Belt reacts to FY 27 budget proposal SPRINGFIELD – After hearing the governor’s budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2027, State Senator Christopher Belt (D-Swansea) released the following statement: “Even though the federal government has put funding for many Illinois programs on the chopping block, Illinois families and small businesses cannot afford any new taxes. Democrats and Republicans have to work together over the next several months to pass a balanced budget, because

SPRINGFIELD – Today, Governor JB Pritzker unveiled his eighth balanced budget proposal — a fiscally responsible plan centered on making Illinois more affordable for working families while protecting the state’s long-term financial stability. At a time when families are facing higher costs driven by national economic uncertainty, the FY27 budget prioritizes affordability without raising taxes on working people. The Governor’s budget builds on seven years of restored

ST. LOUIS — Boeing said Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, it is relocating its Defense, Space & Security business back to the St. Louis area, a move the aerospace and defense contractor framed as a way to place leadership closer to a major production hub. The business, known as BDS, was previously headquartered in Berkeley, a St. Louis suburb, from 1997 to January 2017, when it relocated to Arlington, Virginia. Boeing’s statement did not say when the move would be

COLLINSVILLE - The Collinsville, Illinois, Police Department has named Officer Guiseppi Coppotelli its January Officer of the Month after he made 13 arrests during the month, all stemming from self-initiated activity, the department said. In a statement, the department said Coppotelli’s arrests came during “a month of cold and snow” as he focused on “those seeking to commit crime in Collinsville.” The department said the arrests were the result of

EDWARDSVILLE – Every year, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) honors educators across the state, and this year, Edwardsville Community Unit School District 7 instructional technology coach Shanyra Cox is among the 2026 recipients. The awards program is divided into two categories – the “Illinois Teacher of the Year” cohort and the “Those Who Excel” awards. Within “Those Who Excel” are three different awards: the Award of Excellence,

EDWARDSVILLE — A 24-year-old man was killed late Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026, after Illinois State Police said a pursuit ended in a crash involving a pickup truck that struck a downtown Edwardsville building. Illinois State Police on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, identified the driver in the fatal accident as 24-year-old Ryan C. Drew of Hamel, Illinois, Trooper Shafer McKune said in a statement. The crash happened a little after midnight at the intersection of South Main and East Vandalia streets,

ALTON - Community members can enjoy a day of free activities, crafts, demonstrations and recreational fun at the National Great Rivers Museum. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 21, 2026, the National Great Rivers Museum (NGRM) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will host their fifth annual Ice Jam at the Dam. This event encourages people of all ages to visit with different organizations, complete activities, and learn more about winter recreation and safety. “It’s

EDWARDSVILLE — Madison County State’s Attorney Tom Haine has appointed Assistant State’s Attorney Ali Foley as First Assistant State’s Attorney. Foley joined the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office in 2010 as a legal intern and began her career as an Assistant State’s Attorney in 2011. In 2021, she was named Chief of the Children’s Justice Division, where her focus has been the prosecution of cases involving crimes against children, working

JERSEYVILLE – Residents of Jerseyville and the JEM Fire Protection District are asked to hold off on burning until 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. The U.S. National Weather Service Saint Louis Missouri announced on the afternoon of Feb. 17 that any fire started north of I-70 could experience “erratic fire behavior” due to a combination of low humidity and gusty southwest winds, especially in dry grassy areas and agricultural fields with dry crop debris. According to

ALTON - As parishioners filed into St. Mary’s Catholic Church for their Ash Wednesday Mass, Father Nathan Marzonie, OMV, reflected on what the church means to the community. On Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, community members gathered at St. Mary’s at several times during the day to worship and receive ashes ahead of the Lenten season. Fr. Marzonie noted that Lent is also known as “the season of grace,” and he encourages people to reflect on their faith. “I really

FERGUSON - A 16-year-old boy has been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of Shannon O’Brien, a 28-year-old woman who was found with at least one apparent gunshot injury in Ferguson, Mo., St. Louis County police said on Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026. O'Brien was a graduate of Edwardsville High School and has family in the Edwardsville area. O’Brien was identified Feb. 2, 2026, as the woman killed in the shooting, police said. She lived in the 4300 block of De Tonty Street in

If you’re at a doctor’s appointment and the provider says “spine disorder,” you might stop in your tracks. But you don’t have to, says Sohail Syed, MD , an OSF HealthCare neurosurgeon. He says to think of spine problems as a spectrum. “You can be a little outside normal, and it’s not going to be a major problem. You’re probably never going to know. Or you can be in the in-between. You have some symptoms, but it’s not that bad. Maybe we don’

GILLESPIE - Two Gillespie High School seniors interested in veterinary medicine toured the Animal Medical Center of Litchfield recently, speaking with clinic staff about careers in the field, according to a message from Jordan Bartok, the school district’s Gear Up district coordinator. Ava Segarra and Ceanna Bearden (shown left to right above) visited the clinic in Litchfield, where they “were able to tour the clinic and spend time talking with one of the doctors,”

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined a coalition of 18 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in Miot, et al. v. Trump in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, opposing the Trump administration’s effort to overturn a lower court’s decision to postpone the termination of Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status (TPS) designation while litigation on the termination continues. “Ending the vital protections provided by TPS would risk

SPRINGFIELD – A bipartisan poll conducted in January shows that 72% 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 teaching is often a full-time position, yet many student teachers do not get paid for their work. Do you favor or oppose