Illinois quick hits: Fatal helicopter crash; Comptroller orders another extra pension payment
August 7, 2025/
Fatal helicopter crash
Two people are dead after a helicopter crashed into a barge on the Mississippi River.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the Hughes 369D with two people on board went down around 11:05 a.m. Thursday in East Alton.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
Comptroller orders another extra pension payment
Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza says she is ordering a third round of pension pre-payments.
Mendoza said more than $1.3 billion in payments to the state’s five retirement systems will include $428 million in pre-payments, allowing the pension systems to keep more money in their portfolios and earn more in returns.
Statehouse rematch shaping up
State Rep. Amy Briel, D-Ottawa, and Republican Liz Bishop are gearing up for a potential rematch in Illinois’ 76th House District.
Briel defeated Bishop by 595 votes, or 1%, in the general election last November.
Bishop will first face a primary rematch with Crystal Loughran.
Community Events
MondayDecember 8, 2025
TuesdayDecember 9, 2025
WednesdayDecember 10, 2025
Pajama Storytime with Santa (Session #1)12:30 amPajama Storytime with Santa (Session #2)1:00 amSensory-Friendly Pajama Storytime with Santa (Session #3)3:30 pm(Ages 0-2): Baby Storytime4:30 pm(Ages 0-2): Baby Storytime10:00 pmHigh School: Winter Reindeer Decoration10:15 pm(Gr. 3rd-5th) Bluestem Book Club - "Nell of Gumbling"
ThursdayDecember 11, 2025
Latest News Stories
Illinois quick hits: Elections board considers primary election petition objections
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Elections board considers primary election petition objections Gov. J.B. Pritzker has one challenger in the Democratic Party’s gubernatorial primary. Former Chicago...
193 youth in care of Illinois’ child welfare agency missing in 2025
By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – So far this calendar year, Illinois’ child welfare agency reports 193 missing youth in care, an increase...
Hemp industry advocate promises to work with Pritzker, lawmakers
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker and an advocate for the Illinois hemp industry have different views on reform after...
Will County Committee Approves Rezoning, Denies Landfill Permit for Former Joliet Beach Club Site
Will County Land Use & Development Committee Meeting | November 6, 2025 Article Summary: The Will County Land Use and Development Committee on Thursday narrowly approved rezoning the former Joliet Beach...
FAA returns to normal operations after shutdown, launches probe
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square The Federal Aviation Administration's emergency flight reductions ended Monday after Congress passed legislation funding the federal government last week, but the agency said it would...
Illinois truckers back federal pause on non-domiciled CDLs, hope state follows suit
By Catrina Baker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois truckers are applauding a federal rule and hope the state enforces a pause on non-domiciled...
WATCH: DCFS updates missing children numbers; Budget cuts EO transparency criticized
By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – In today's edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square Editor Greg Bishop shares the latest...
Supreme Court declines to hear public prayer case
By Andrew RiceThe Center Square The U.S. Supreme Court declined to decide a case about public prayer in Florida. The case, Cambridge Christian School v. Florida High School Athletic Association,...
Supreme Court to decide immigration asylum case
By Andrew RiceThe Center Square The U.S. Supreme Court will decide a case that would determine at what point an individual seeking asylum "arrives" in the United States. The Trump...
Illinois quick hits: Armed robbery charges after incident at Senate President’s office
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Armed robbery charges after incident at Senate President's office A Chicago man has been charged with armed robbery after an incident...
Michigan school board passes controversial sex ed policies
By Elyse ApelThe Center Square After weeks of public backlash, the Michigan Board of Education officially moved forward to adopt controversial new Michigan Health Education Standards Framework. The newly-adopted standards...
Everyday Economics: Jobs data returns as government reopens
By Orphe DivounguyThe Center Square With the government shutdown finally over, this week brings a double dose of good news: federal workers start receiving paychecks again, and economic data collection...
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Will County Land Use & Development Committee for November 6, 2025
Will County Land Use & Development Committee Meeting | November 6, 2025 The Will County Land Use and Development Committee navigated a series of contentious zoning cases on Thursday, November...
