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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Conservation Foundation (ICF) will host the second annual Illinois Outdoor Excellence Awards, honoring outstanding contributions to Illinois’ natural resources and outdoor heritage. The awards will be presented at the annual ICF Gala in March 2026, where winners will be recognized alongside the newest class of Illinois Outdoor Hall of Fame inductees. Nominations for the Illinois Outdoor Excellence Awards are now open and may be submitted through the ICF w ebsite . The deadline for submissions is Oct. 30. Building on last year’s successful launch, the Illinois Outdoor Excellence Awards continue to highlight the individuals, organizations, and businesses who are making a meaningful impact on conservation and outdoor recreation across the state. The 2024 awardees included Fresh Air Friendship, Park Bait owner Stacey Greene, Central Illinois Kayaking and Floating, Annie Oakley Shooters of Northern Illinois, and outdoor writer Kerry Luft.

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) met with Cook Country Board of Commissioners, Toni Preckwinkle, as well as leadership of Cook County Health to discuss Medicaid cuts in President Trump and congressional Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). They also discussed President Trump’s continued attacks on Chicago, in addition to his deployment of ICE agents to the city on Monday as part of his newly announced “Operation Midway Blitz.” “The Trump Administration, and President Trump himself, has caused fear and chaos in Cook County. Just last weekend, he posted a grotesque image on social media stating that Chicago is ‘about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR,’” said Durbin. “As the President continues to try to tear down our city, I’m glad I was able to meet with President Preckwinkle and Cook County Health Leadership to discuss ways we can push back on his cruel policies.

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) will accept sealed bids this fall for about 20 agricultural lease contracts for crop years 2026-2030. IDNR utilizes agricultural leases as a tool to support wildlife populations and recreational opportunities at sites owned or managed by the agency. The leases developed under this program will promote ecologically sound agricultural practices to improve soil health, minimize soil erosion, improve water quality, and reduce chemical impacts to benefit wildlife populations and their habitats. IDNR sites with leases open for bid will be publicly announced on the State of Illinois’ procurement site, BidBuy at bit.ly/bididnr . A non-mandatory vendor conference will be conducted for each open lease with details included in the public notice. Currently, all bidders must register with BidBuy to be eligible to enter a contract with the state. When asked for an NIGP code, enter 944-00 (Farming and Ranching) and 944-48

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today met with the Illinois Pork Producers Association who shared their top policy priorities in the pork industry. Durbin and the group discussed the effects of California’s Proposition 12 on Illinois pork production, as well as the critical role of foreign workers in keeping the Illinois pork industry strong. “Illinois pork production relies heavily on foreign workers, working on the farm, in meat packing plants, in restaurants, and in grocery stores. These are the toughest jobs in the country, it is difficult work, and we need them. These workers are an essential part of pork production,” said Durbin. “I encouraged the pork producers to speak out to their friends, neighbors, and communities, so that more downstate communities can learn about the critical importance of immigrant labor to Illinois agriculture, and for

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CHICAGO – As part of the Pritzker Administration’s commitment to expanding the health care workforce and providing needed care to the people of Illinois, the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR) today announced a new licensure process that will better enable internationally trained physicians to provide their services to the people of Illinois. International Medical Graduate physicians (IMGs) may now apply for an International Medical Graduate Limited License that allows them to practice under a supervising physician and begin the pathway to full licensure in Illinois. IMGs may now apply for this new license by going here . "Today marks a transformative step forward in the landscape of health care in Illinois,” said IDFPR Secretary Mario Treto, Jr . “This new process opens doors for skilled professionals to provide their expertise to the people of Illinois while ensuring they receive the support and supervision necessary fo

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EDWARDSVILLE - The City of Edwardsville is excited to host the Midwest Open, a beach volleyball tournament for professional volleyball teams with a $20,000 payout. On Sept. 20 and 21, 2025, community members are invited to Plummer Family Park in Edwardsville to watch the tournament for free, enjoy yard games, eat at food trucks, and celebrate the volleyball community. Nate Tingley and Sara Thomas with the Edwardsville Parks and Recreation Department expressed their excitement to bring people out and engage with the city. “I think it’s just another example of how Edwardsville is trying to really attract people, both locally and from the area, to come to Edwardsville, have a great time, and enjoy themselves,” Tingley explained. “It’s great for the community.” The volleyball tournament will kick off at 8:30 a.m. both days. There are six beach volleyball courts at Plummer Family Park. They currently have 18 teams from around the country slated

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SPRINGFIELD – The Illinois Department of Labor (IDOL) and the Office of the Illinois State Fire Marshal (OSFM) are teaming up to make sure haunted houses in Illinois are safe before doors open for the Halloween season. Haunted houses operated by not-for-profit religious, educational, or charitable organizations may apply for an exemption from IDOL inspections. Haunted house operators/owners should contact local authorities to see what requirements apply locally for haunted houses. Local authorities should be providing those inspections. For those municipalities that do not have local codes or inspectors, OSFM will perform a Fire Department Assistance inspection upon receiving a request from the local Fire Chief. “Spooky season is something many people look forward to in Illinois,” said IDOL Carnival Manager Brian Fox . “IDOL’s Amusement Ride and Attractions Safety Inspectors work to ensure that an experience at a haunted house is safe and fun by verifying

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CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced a new online portal and updated database created to help charitable organizations more easily comply with state law and to improve potential donors’ access to information about charitable organization before making donations. The new system will allow charitable organizations to fill out and submit required forms to the Attorney General’s Charitable Trust Bureau, request filing extensions if needed and pay required fees electronically. Potential donors will be able to better search for charitable organizations’ registration and financial information using the office’s newly updated Charitable Trust Database . “The new online filing system will greatly improve the ability of charitable organizations to interact with my office’s Charitable Trust Bureau, making it easy for organizations to comply with Illinois law,” Raoul said. “Potential donors in Illinois have a right to kno

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Representative Sean Casten (D-IL-06) today reintroduced legislation to expand the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to cover 2.7 million education support professionals (ESPs) who are currently blocked from accessing FMLA benefits. The FMLA guarantees a segment of the workforce the ability to take unpaid leave to care for their newborns and sick loved ones without fear of losing their jobs. However, as a result of their schedules and the limited school year, many ESPs—including clerical support professionals, maintenance workers, janitorial staff, food service employees, bus drivers and others—fail to meet the 1,250-hour threshold needed to qualify for unpaid leave under the FMLA. Duckworth and Casten’s ESP, Paraprofessional, and Education Support Staff Family Leave Act would correct this by finally updating the FMLA to close this gap in federal law. “No one should ever have to choose between

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O’FALLON – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced ramp closures on westbound I nterstate 64 at Highway 50 in St. Clair County. Starting at 9 a.m. Monday, Sept. 15, the following ramps will close for road construction: Westbound I-64 entrance ramp from Highway 50 Westbound I-64 exit ramp to Highway 50 (Exit 14) The ramps are expected to reopen by 6 a.m. Monday, Sept. 22. Motorists should expect delays and are encouraged to use alternate routes during this closure. Drivers are urged to reduce speed, be alert for changing conditions, obey all construction signage, and refrain from using mobile devices while approaching and traveling through the work zone. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on the social media platform X at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com .

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CHICAGO - Today, Governor JB Pritzker participated in a roundtable with leadership from the Illinois Office of Firearm Violence Prevention (OFVP) recipient organizations in the Austin neighborhood to discuss the progress of their programs in reducing crime and violence across Chicago’s West Side. Hosted by the Institute for Non-Violence and together with Westside Health Authority, Together Chicago, and BUILD , the roundtable discussion comes as local organizations are having to divert their resources and energy from crime reduction efforts to preparing for the increase of federal officers to our communities. The Trump Administration continues to threaten the use of the National Guard and increased immigration enforcement as a justification to fight crime, despite freezing $158 million for violence prevention programs and rescinding more than $800 million in anti-violence and crime reduction grants nationwide that were working in Chicago. “If the Trump Administration

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) met with leaders from the Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB), Illinois Pork Producers and Illinois Farmers Union this week to discuss the support needed for our state’s agriculture industry and our farmers. Duckworth and the members discussed the importance of supporting our family farmers by expanding the biofuels market, increasing agricultural exports and protecting and improving farm safety net programs as our American farmers are being decimated by Donald Trump’s erratic trade wars and continued gutting of critical federal agricultural programs. Photos from the Illinois Farm Bureau (IFB) and Illinois Pork Producers meetings can be found on the Senator’s website. “America has always depended on our nation’s farmers to grow the food and fuel we need, and I’m proud to advocate for them on both the national and international stage,” Duckworth said. “The work of Illinois’s

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CHICAGO - Today, Governor JB Pritzker visited Illinois-based manufacturing companies on the show floor at the FABTECH exposition — which is the largest metal forming, fabricating, welding, and finishing exposition in North America. FABTECH 2025 attracted 50,000 attendees and over 1,700 exhibitors at Chicago’s McCormick Place — the largest convention center in North America. “As a manufacturing powerhouse, Illinois is a natural choice to host 50,000 visitors for FABTECH 2025 — the nation’s premier metal fabrication conference,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “Despite escalating federal deployment by the Trump administration, Chicago’s role as a premier global destination is on full display, not just for manufacturing and business, but also for large-scale conventions and tourism.” Illinois remains greatly concerned about the effects of escalating federal deployments on our people and businesses — especially combined with

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BELLEVILLE – Caritas Family Solutions and Human Support Services (HSS) are pleased to announce that the two organizations will be merging, uniting their missions and programs under the Caritas Family Solutions umbrella to better serve communities across Southern Illinois and the Metro East. Caritas Family Solutions currently supports more than 6,300 individuals annually through programs including foster care, adoption, senior living services, homes for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and family support initiatives. HSS provides services to more than 1,200 annually, with a strong legacy in mental health and substance use treatment, residential supports, and services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Boards of Directors for both Caritas and HSS have carefully and thoughtfully decided to join forces to expand their collective impact and ensure sustainable, high-quality services for the future. To help offset the operational

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ALTON - A local author has taken her work to new heights with the release of a coloring book. Amoriah Gray, 10, is no stranger to writing and publishing her story. Her first book, “Amoriah’s Magic Afro Puffs,” debuted when she was just 7 years old. Now, she’s helping other kids to work out their feelings and tell their stories with “Amoriah’s Social Emotional Learning Coloring Book.” “I hope they get positive thoughts and creative minds,” Amoriah said when asked what kids should take away from the book. The coloring book features affirmations, mindfulness techniques, and other social emotional coping skills. The aim is to empower kids and teach them basic emotional regulation skills through interactive crosswords, games and coloring pages. Angela, Amoriah’s mother, serves as a school social worker. The mother-daughter duo collaborated to come up with the book’s contents. “We were looking for how

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EAST ALTON – Another individual has been charged with calling in terrorist threats to local businesses for nearly a month. Jarrett M. Maki, 25, of Detroit, was charged on Sept. 8, 2025 with 11 Class X felony counts of making a terrorist threat. The case against Maki was filed just four days after a similar case against Austin H. Blair , 25, of East Alton, who was charged on Sept. 4, 2025 with 11 counts of making a terrorist threat, each Class X felonies. The charges against Maki mirror those filed against Blair. Both individuals are charged with threatening to commit a terrorist act or creating the impression that a terrorist act was about to be committed on 11 different occasions from July 28 to Aug. 27, 2025. Both individuals are accused of making phone calls to several local businesses, including various fast food restaurants, a convenience store, and a local bar. According to charging documents, Maki made the same threats against the same businesses on the same dates

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CHICAGO – Landmarks Illinois has awarded $43,000 in grant funding to 10 preservation projects across the state through three grant programs: the Preservation Heritage Fund, Barbara C. and Thomas E. Donnelley II Preservation Fund for Illinois and the Timuel D. Black, Jr. Grant Fund for Chicago’s South Side. These grants provide critical seed funding to nonprofits, congregations and community groups working to restore culturally and historically significant sites in the Illinois communities of Chicago, Galesburg, Greenup, Kampsville, Naperville and Peoria. Read below for more information on our grant programs and our latest grant recipients. Grant applications for the next round of funding through all three of Landmarks Illinois' grant programs are due October 1. Eligible organizations and entities are encouraged to apply. PRESERVATION HERITAGE FUND GRANT RECIPIENTS Landmarks Illinois’ Preservation Heritage Fund grants provide monetary assistance to significan

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O'FALLON - O'Fallon Police Department partnered with the Illinois Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics Illinois in a fundraising event held Thursday evening, Sept. 11, 2025, at the O'Fallon Police Department. The third annual "Let's Go to Jail for Special Olympics Illinois" event brought together community members, local athletes, and their families to raise money for the organization. During the event, four local athletes and their families shared their personal stories, while participants, referred to as "inmates," competed to raise the most "bail" money. The effort resulted in a record-breaking total of more than $37,000 raised for Special Olympics Illinois. A significant portion of the funds came from local schools, whose administrators raised a combined $17,470. Notably, Principal Ybarra of St. Clare Catholic School and Superintendent Hruby of O'Fallon Community Consolidated School District #90 each raised over $6,000. The top individual fundraiser was Brad

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GLEN CARBON — The community is invited to attend A Choral Flourish, a series of concerts marking the 25th anniversary of a local singing group. The concerts will take place over three days this fall at different venues in the Metro East area. The first concert is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 17, at 7 p.m. at New Bethel United Methodist Church, located at 131 N. Main St. in Glen Carbon. The group will continue its performances on Saturday, Oct. 18, at 3 p.m. at Lovejoy Presbyterian Church, 2550 Rockhill Rd. in Wood River, followed by a final concert on Sunday, Oct. 19, at 3 p.m. at Godfrey First United Methodist Church, 1100 Airport Rd. in Godfrey. The singing group has been performing together for 25 years, focusing on music appreciation and community engagement through choral music. According to Bev Schultz, a representative of the group, “We have been singing together for 25 years, sharing music appreciation with our community, and enjoying the blessings that come with singing.&rdquo

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MADISON – The Illinois Department of Transportation today announced that maintenance on westbound Interstate 55/70 between Illinois 203 and Exchange Avenue in St. Clair County will require lane closures starting, weather permitting, at 5 a.m. Monday, Sept. 15. Two lanes will be closed to perform necessary bridge maintenance. All lanes are expected to reopen by 6 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 25. Motorists should expect long delays and are encouraged to use alternate routes during the closure. Drivers are urged to reduce speed, be alert for changing conditions, obey all construction signage, and refrain from using mobile devices while approaching and traveling through the work zone. For IDOT District 8 updates, follow us on the social media platform X at @IDOTDistrict8 or view area construction details on IDOT’s traveler information map on GettingAroundIllinois.com.

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