News

Health expenses are booming and insured consumers could feel the full force of those rising costs in 2026 as premium tax credits that made health insurance plans affordable for millions of Americans are set to expire. Open enrollment ends Jan. 15, though “Illinoisans who want their coverage to begin Jan. 1 must enroll by the […]

A publicly traded company wants to build a large-scale data center in rural Logan County near Latham, about 30 miles northeast of Springfield, while local residents scramble to find out more details and delay what could be a mid-January vote on a zoning change that’s needed for the plan to proceed. “There’s a huge lack […]

A newly formed commission heard sobering testimony about federal agents’ excessive use of force, just days after Border Patrol chief Gregory Bovino was spotted back in the city. The Illinois Accountability Commission held its first public meeting Dec. 18 in the city’s Little Village neighborhood to compile an official public record of misconduct by federal agents during […]

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced a settlement this week with Menards to resolve a suit Raoul and nine other attorneys general filed claiming the home improvement chain violated consumer fraud laws by deceptively marketing its 11% rebate program as a way for customers to save money when they were really receiving future store credit. […]

Larry Criscione has it pretty good by most people’s standards. He’s a nuclear engineer who paid off his house many years ago. The Springfield resident owns 17 rental properties in the area and, at the age of 57, recently took an early retirement pension package from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission at $3,350 a month. That […]

Gov. JB Pritzker’s decision to more than double state funding for programs designed to reduce homelessness in Sangamon County will help the community make meaningful progress and blunt a potential reduction in federal funding from the Trump administration, Springfield officials say. “We’re just not used to this type of investment,” Josh Sabo, executive director of […]

Illinois lawmakers vowed to keep fighting for protections against artificial intelligence after President Donald Trump signed an executive order Dec. 11 to shield tech companies from state laws. Trump’s order targets state regulations, including several in Illinois, that he said are inconsistent with national policy on AI. Critics said Illinois will not be swayed by the influence […]

The future of the Town & Country Shopping Center on MacArthur Boulevard is unclear after the aging strip mall failed to sell at auction this month, but the owner of the property says he remains hopeful it will be redeveloped. “I’m always optimistic because as a real estate developer, you have to be optimistic,” David […]

Gov. JB Pritzker signed a law Dec. 12 that will allow terminally ill adults in Illinois to take life-ending medication prescribed by physicians. The controversial bill overcame strong opposition from religious groups and some disability rights advocates who feared it could endanger Illinoisians with disabilities. Critics call the practice “assisted suicide,” while those who support the law […]

The city of Springfield has hired Suraksha Bhandari as its new professional planner, bringing a blend of international experience, architectural training and research-driven urban planning to city hall.  Bhandari comes to Springfield from Salt Lake City, where she completed a master’s degree in city and metropolitan planning at the University of Utah and worked in […]