Legislature called back for one-day session next week The House and Senate will be back in session for what is scheduled to be a one-day session next Tuesday, August 31….

On Monday the federal Small Business Administration approved Ford County and all neighboring counties for disaster assistance following the destructive flooding which struck on August 12. Three different types of…

Census results confirm Illinois’ population decline The U.S. Census Bureau has released the results of the 2020 Census, and the news is not good for Illinois. The official figures confirm…

Early report indicates state revenue is not keeping up with spending This spring the legislature passed an unbalanced budget, which Governor Pritzker then signed into law. The warnings about state…

Statewide Mask Mandate for Schools Governor JB Pritzker has issued a statewide mask mandate for K-12 students in all Illinois public and private schools. The Governor’s new order, announced Wednesday,…

Governor Pritzker’s new executive order imposing a statewide mandatory mask mandate for all Illinois schoolchildren usurps the rights of parents, and local school officials, state Representative Tom Bennett said today….

New recommendations call for wearing masks again As coronavirus has started spreading once again in some parts of the state, the Illinois Department of Public Health has announced that it…

Unemployment increases by small amount in June Illinois’ unemployment rate went up by 0.1% in June, now standing at 7.2%. Gains continued to be made in the Leisure and Hospitality…

CDC, ISBE issue re-opening guidance for schools; resolution calls for local control Last Friday the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued long-awaited guidance for schools nationwide which…

Residents asking if students must wear masks in school this fall One question which is on the minds of many people in our area and throughout the state is whether…