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CHICAGO — Yesterday, the Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) welcomed Caleb J. Melamed as the newest member of the Board and considered a number of regulatory matters during its regularly scheduled September meeting. “Caleb brings a wealth of knowledge and extensive experience in gaming law and policy to the Board,” said Illinois Gaming Board Administrator Marcus D. Fruchter. “I have had the pleasure of working with and learning from Caleb while he was on IGB staff and look forward to continuing our work together in his new role on the Board.” Prior to his retirement, Member Melamed worked in state government for more than 45 years as a dedicated public servant. He served as the IGB’s Legislative Liaison and Legal Counsel for nearly 20 years. Before that, Member Melamed served as an Assistant Illinois Attorney General in the Opinions Unit, a Hearing Officer and Investigator for the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board, and as a Legislative Analyst

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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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Foo Fighters returned to the stage Saturday for a show the Fremont Theater in San Luis Obispo, California. It marked their first performance with new drummer Ilan Rubin, who previously played…

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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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The Missouri Senate died at 1:42 p.m. Friday afternoon when Republican leaders refused to allow debate on a measure weakening the initiative petition process, GOP state Sen. Lincoln Hough said in an interview with The Independent. A two-week special session to gerrymander Missouri’s congressional map and make it virtually impossible for voters to amend the […]

A report finds that President Trump’s flagship legislation will grant $40 billion in new subsidies to the oil and gas industry over the next decade.

The Missouri Independent’s staff won 28 awards Saturday — including 10 first place honors — in the annual Missouri Press Association Better Newspaper Contest.  The awards were handed out at the association’s annual convention, which this year was held in Wildwood. The Independent swept the “investigative reporting” category, with first place going to Allison Kite […]