Pumpkin production rises ahead of weather-challenged harvest | Illinois
(The Center Square) – Illinois pumpkin production increased in 2025, but weather brought a mixed bag for growers this year. The USDA’s Economic Research Service said Illinois produced about 533 million pounds last year, up from 485 million in 2024 and far more than any other state. Illinois also maintained its leading position in pumpkin […]
School districts shifted funds, planned for higher fuel costs for buses | Illinois
(The Center Square) – Last year, Illinois schools spent $1.86 billion on transportation to get students to and from school each day. In the wake of increased fuel prices, especially for diesel that school buses typically run on, school districts across the country began bracing for even higher costs. Noelle Ellerson Ng, chief advocacy and […]
Chicago mayor to stay involved in Bears talks | Illinois
(The Center Square) – Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson was left out of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s recent meeting with Gov. J.B. Pritzker and state lawmakers, but the mayor said his administration will remain involved with discussions over a potential stadium project for the Bears. A reporter asked the mayor on Friday if he had been […]
Prtizker calls meeting about Bears with NFL productive | Illinois
(The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker says he and leading members of the General Assembly participated in a productive meeting with National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell on Thursday. Pritzker’s office released a statement saying the governor was grateful to meet in Illinois with Goodell, Pat Ryan, Illinois House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch, state […]
Feds announce voter fraud charges | Illinois
(The Center Square) – After the Department of Justice announced charges against 10 foreign nationals for unlawful voting and registration offenses in Minnesota, an Illinois state senator said it’s hard to know about election integrity issues in the Land of Lincoln. Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the indictments at a news conference in Washington on […]
Chicago council approves parking meter sale | Illinois
(The Center Square) – The Chicago City Council has approved a modified agreement allowing the sale of the city’s parking meter system between private entities. The council voted 46 to 3 in favor of the $2.53 billion deal between Chicago Parking Meters LLC and New York-based Stonepeak on Tuesday. Alderman Red Burnett supported the agreement […]
Largest steel plant in U.S. history coming to Iowa | National
(The Center Square) – The largest steel plant in U.S. history is coming to Iowa, the White House announced Monday. Mesabi Metallics, a company headquartered in Minnesota but based in India, will be building the $15 billion mill in Lee County, Iowa, a county that sits along the Mississippi River on the western edge of […]
Exclusive: Stratton talks Trump, filibuster, the far-left as early voting begins | Illinois
(The Center Square) – With early voting in Illinois underway in most jurisdictions, Lt. Gov. Julianna Stratton – the Democrat hopeful to replace Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., in Congress – sat down with The Center Square to discuss politics, policies and goals for the seat if she wins the race. Stratton, a former state representative, […]
Orland Park shooting highlights role of concealed carry in self-defense | Illinois
(The Center Square) – The shooting of an alleged armed robber by an Illinois concealed-carry license holder at an Orland Park gas station highlights the potential role of lawfully armed citizens during violent encounters, according to John Boch of Guns Save Life. Boch said the surveillance video made the circumstances particularly clear to him. “The […]
Illinois Quick Hits: Illinois congresswomen respond to Supreme Court ruling | Illinois
(The Center Square) – Members of the Illinois congressional delegation offered partisan responses to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision temporarily allowing the Trump administration to use a federal database that verifies whether voters are eligible to participate in an election. Democratic U.S. Rep. Delia Ramirez said in a social media post it is disappointing that […]