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CHICAGO — The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) approved measures to allow the extension of gambling operations at the Chicago and Waukegan temporary casinos, while the permanent Bally’s Chicago and American Place Casino facilities are under construction. In addition, the IGB shared an update about its ongoing, data-based review of its voluntary Self-Exclusion Program with an announcement about significant enhancements and initiatives forthcoming. The IGB’s approval of the extensions

Intoxicating Hemp: Refers to products such as Delta-8, THC-P, and HHC that are currently unregulated and sold outside of the state’s regulated adult-use cannabis market. Adult-use cannabis sold in licensed Illinois dispensaries is only available to people who are 21 years or older. CHICAGO — Today, Governor JB Pritzker signed SB 3222 – landmark hemp legislation that strengthens social equity and medical access, reduces regulatory burdens, strengthens oversight,

CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul today joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general in urging congressional leaders to restore Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and eligibility protections in the upcoming Farm Bill and reject efforts to reduce food assistance. In a letter to Senate leadership and the leaders of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Attorney General Raoul and the coalition warned that recent federal SNAP cuts –

GODFREY - Community members can reflect on race in America during a special collaborative theater performance by local actors. The show starts at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, at Hatheway Hall at Lewis and Clark Community College. Written by Leah Becoat with 3 Purple Coats Productions, the one-act play — called “A Day in the Life” — came together after several workshops with the actors and encourages conversations about race. “Do I believe that, with a

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years and is a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), successfully secured several important provisions to support Illinoisans, servicemembers, Veterans and our state’s economy that passed SASC this week. Among the provisions Duckworth secured are measures to protect jobs at the Rock Island Arsenal, invest in Illinois military bases and infrastructure,

COLLINSVILLE - The World’s Largest Catsup Bottle Festival will return to Collinsville on Saturday, June 20, from 2 to 7 p.m. at Old Herald Square, with this year’s event marking the 100th anniversary of Route 66 and the 77th birthday of the World’s Largest Catsup Bottle historic landmark. The festival will feature the Giant Idaho Potato Truck Tour and the Great Race Route 66 Road Rally. Organizers said the event will include activities such as the Princess Tomato and Sir Catsup

WASHINGTON, D.C. – After Donald Trump signed a bill that gifts $70 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today highlighted a list of ways this money could be used to lower costs and improve lives of Illinoisans instead. Duckworth and Durbin have repeatedly opposed any more funding for ICE and Border Patrol in their push for commonsense

ST. LOUIS - A sinkhole near Interstate 44 and North Broadway in downtown St. Louis continued to disrupt traffic Sunday, June 14, 2026, as the City of St. Louis and partner agencies, including the Missouri Department of Transportation, responded ahead of the Monday morning commute. In an update issued June 14, 2026, city officials said the sinkhole site has been contained and secured, while multiple street and highway closures remain in place in the area. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources

CHICAGO – Today, Governor JB Pritzker, the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), and the Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA) announced $24.7 million in funding for 434 entities through the Illinois Pharmacy Support Program, an initiative to strengthen access to pharmacy services across Illinois. The program was designed to assist pharmacies around the state most at risk of closure or financial strain, particularly those serving in rural areas,

BELLEVILLE – Designed for rising students in grades 10 to 12, the Crime Scene to Court program introduces students to the investigation of a possible crime, the processing of forensic evidence, and using the analysis of that evidence at a mock trial. Students will process a mock crime scene where they will learn through experience as they collect evidence. They will complete laboratory analyses on some of the evidence acquired and conclude with legal training, to prepare as witnesses

GLEN CARBON - Lyla Hickam was a freshman for the girls soccer team at Father McGivney Catholic High School this season and made key contributions to the Griffins' IHSA Class 1A state championship season as a defender, which ended with a 3-0 win over Pleasant Plains in the final on June 6, 2026, at North Central College in Naperville. During the season, Hickam also scored one goal and had two assists for four points, providing a lift of energy throughout the season as a freshman starter. She

A couple posts an engagement photo, and within minutes the comments fill up: hearts, jokes, blessings, advice, and sometimes even tears from people far away. Love may begin between two people, but it rarely stays private for long. People have a strong urge to make love visible, and that urge says something important about how we live together. Love is personal, but public celebration gives it social meaning. A wedding, an anniversary dinner, a hand held in the street, a Valentine card on a desk

On June 13, 1525, the German reformer Martin Luther married Katharina von Bora, a former nun, in Wittenberg. At the time, the marriage mattered far beyond their household. Luther was already one of the central figures of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that challenged the authority and practices of the Roman Catholic Church. By marrying, he made a public statement about religion, family life, and the role of clergy in Christian society. The event still matters today because it helped reshape

ALTON, Ill. — A person was found dead inside a burning pickup truck after a crash late Sunday in Alton, authorities said. Officers with the Alton Police Department were dispatched at about 11:22 p.m. Sunday, June 14, 2026, to the 2200 block of State Street for a traffic crash involving a vehicle on fire. When officers arrived, they found a pickup truck fully engulfed in flames in the front yard of a residence. A preliminary investigation indicates the vehicle was traveling northbound

On June 15, 1215, King John of England agreed to the Magna Carta at Runnymede, a meadow beside the River Thames. At the time, it was meant to settle a crisis between the king and a group of rebel barons who were angry about heavy taxes, failed wars, and what they saw as arbitrary rule. The agreement did not create democracy in the modern sense, and it did not immediately bring peace. Even so, it mattered because it put into writing the idea that a ruler’s power could be limited by law.

ALTON — Emergency crews responded to a traffic crash late Sunday night in the 2200 block of State Street after a truck reportedly struck several parked vehicles before coming to rest in the front yard of a residence. The crash occurred just before midnight, prompting a response from the Alton Police Department and Alton Fire Department. According to initial reports from the scene, the truck traveled along State Street, hitting multiple parked cars before leaving the roadway and stopping

ST. LOUIS COUNTY - St. Louis County Police have identified the man killed in a shooting Friday night in the 10100 block of Winkler Drive as Grady Rhodes, 44, of the 10200 block of Green Valley Drive in St. Louis, Missouri 63136. The St. Louis County Police Department said in a release dated June 13, 2026, that Bureau of Crimes Against Persons detectives are investigating the shooting, which resulted in the death of an adult male. Officers from the St. Louis County Police North County Precinct

EAST ST. LOUIS - Illinois State Police said Sunday, June 14, 2026, that officers arrested 24 people and filed 40 criminal charges during a violent crime suppression detail conducted June 11-12, 2026, in St. Clair and Madison counties, with a focus on East St. Louis and nearby Metro East communities. The operation, announced in a June 14, 2026, release, targeted what state police described as known high-crime areas, violent offenders, and structured criminal groups. Illinois State Police

GRANITE CITY – A Granite City woman accused of bringing over 100 grams of meth into Illinois from out of state faces major felony charges. Stephanie D. Mills, 49, of Granite City, was charged with one count each of methamphetamine trafficking and unlawful possession with the intent to deliver methamphetamine, both Class X felonies. Mills is accused of knowingly bringing over 100 grams of methamphetamine into the State of Illinois for the purpose of delivering the controlled substance

ST. LOUIS - No injuries were reported after multiple water main breaks triggered sinkholes near Interstate 70 and The Dome at America’s Center in St. Louis on Saturday, June 13, 2026, prompting major road closures downtown and in the near-north area, according to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Missouri Department of Transportation. The collapses emerged near the Broadway and Biddle Street/Cass Avenue exits, blocking lanes and disrupting traffic on I-70