Illinois quick hits: Mine manager pleads guilty; Johnson issues food executive order

Illinois quick hits: Mine manager pleads guilty; Johnson issues food executive order

August 29, 2025/
Spread the love

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

Mine manager pleads guilty

A former Franklin County mine manager has pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration in relation to an underground fire in August 2021.

Prosecutors say Timothy Brandon Parsons, 38, of Louisa, Kentucky, and co-conspirators agreed not to evacuate miners over the course of three shifts or notify MSHA, even though gas detectors alarmed for the presence of more than 10 parts per million of carbon monoxide. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 18.

Johnson issues food executive order

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has signed an executive order establishing nutrition standards for foods and beverages sold or served on city-owned property.

The order aims to ensure that low fat, low sugar, culturally-appropriate food options are available in city facilities.

Johnson said all city agencies will be subject to mandatory purchasing guidelines for any food sold or served on city property.

Bluegrass music at Lincoln’s New Salem

The Traditional Music Festival and Bluegrass Concerts are coming to Lincoln’s New Salem State Historic Site in Menard County.

The annual event takes place Sept. 5 through Sept. 7.

Performers from all over the Midwest play music with instruments like mountain and hammer dulcimers, autoharps, fiddles, banjos and more.

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

WATCH: Illinois continues work to reduce state’s high SNAP error rate

WATCH: Illinois continues work to reduce state’s high SNAP error rate

By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – State agency officials continue to address the error rate with Illinois’ handling of federal food subsidies. During...
Border Patrol agents arrest illegal CDL drivers in upstate New York

Border Patrol agents arrest illegal CDL drivers in upstate New York

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square Despite the sanctuary policies of New York, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol officers are cracking down on commercial truck drivers to ensure...
ACA premiums projected to rise 26% in 2026, far above U.S. inflation

ACA premiums projected to rise 26% in 2026, far above U.S. inflation

By Tom JoyceThe Center Square Affordable Care Act health insurance premiums are expected to rise about 26% in 2026, the biggest increase in eight years and much higher than overall...
Michigan law firm sued over alleged racial bias in diversity scholarships

Michigan law firm sued over alleged racial bias in diversity scholarships

By Elyse ApelThe Center Square Two groups have sued a Michigan law firm for operating scholarships they allege are “racially discriminatory.” Do No Harm, a national anti-DEI policy advocacy group,...

WATCH: Libertarian concerns persist as IL Sec of State announces IDs for Apple Wallet

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Digital IDs have gone live in Illinois, but libertarians say the move makes it easier for governments...
Screenshot 2025-11-19 at 9.29.37 AM

Will County Executive Committee Delays Vote on School Choice Referendum

Will County Board Executive Committee Meeting | November 13, 2025 Article Summary: The Will County Board’s Executive Committee on Thursday, November 13, 2025, postponed a decision on whether to place an...
Illinois quick hits: Pritzkers meets the Pope; Broadview to close street outside ICE facility

Illinois quick hits: Pritzkers meets the Pope; Broadview to close street outside ICE facility

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Pritzkers meets the Pope Gov. J.B. Pritzker says it was an honor for he and the first lady to meet with...
DHS launches new initiative to crack down on student visa fraud

DHS launches new initiative to crack down on student visa fraud

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has launched a new initiative to crack down on student visa fraud. It’s launched a new online tool through...
'Ghost projects' haunt power grid planners and taxpayers

‘Ghost projects’ haunt power grid planners and taxpayers

By Lauren Jessop | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – As the country braces for a surge in electricity demand driven by large energy users like...
WATCH: $10M campaign finance fine dropped; Digital ID unveiled, Chicagoans speak up

WATCH: $10M campaign finance fine dropped; Digital ID unveiled, Chicagoans speak up

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 reviews actions taken...
ICE, Border Patrol agents experience historic surge of vehicular attacks this year

ICE, Border Patrol agents experience historic surge of vehicular attacks this year

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square A surge in targeted vehicular attacks against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol officers have occurred this year “driven by hateful rhetoric from...
Poll: Americans support eliminating Department of Education

Poll: Americans support eliminating Department of Education

By Esther WickhamThe Center Square A new national poll reveals strong American voter support for eliminating the U.S. Department of Education. The survey by the nonprofit Yes. Every Kid Foundation,...
Exclusive: Nonprofit leader urges fight against 'woke capitalism'

Exclusive: Nonprofit leader urges fight against ‘woke capitalism’

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square A bill designed to protect the United States' court system from foreign influence is too broad, according to Trent England, director of the nonprofit Save...
As pennies disappear, businesses turn to hoarding, rounding

As pennies disappear, businesses turn to hoarding, rounding

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square Americans can continue to spend pennies, but few businesses are giving them back as the coin's 232-year run comes to an end. Some businesses have...
Chicago tax proposals draw concern over legality, 'economic death spiral'

Chicago tax proposals draw concern over legality, ‘economic death spiral’

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson’s allies have launched a seven-figure campaign to support his 2026 budget proposal, but...