Articles filed under Illinois
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Want to go apple-picking? Some Illinois orchards might not open after several spring frosts killed crops.Sep 08, 2026 10:49 am - Climate change is consistently warming winter temperatures across northern Illinois, signaling earlier spring arrivals to plants. At the same time, while final spring freezes are happening earlier in the Midwest, that trend is much more variable and hard to predict. A study last year found full bloom dates for apples are expected to shift one to two weeks earlier in the spring across different Midwest climates by mid-century because of warmer winter and spring air temperatures.
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Illinois regulators propose expansion to self-exclusion program for compulsive gamblersSep 06, 2026 4:35 pm - The Illinois Gaming Board approved new rules Thursday that would expand enrollment options for its voluntary self-exclusion program. The program allows problem gamblers to ban themselves from casinos, sportsbooks and other forms of legalized betting.
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State audit finds child protection agency made progress, but was still noncompliant with 2020 lawSep 05, 2026 10:25 am - An audit found several documentation lapses by the Department of Children and Family Services, including failures to provide evidence of routine healthcare for children in state custody. DCFS was still not in compliance with a 2020 law named for 2-year-old Ta’Naja Barnes, who died of neglect after agency returned her to her mother.
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Travelers flocked to the ‘Middle of Everything’ last year, generating over $88 billion in economic impactSep 04, 2026 11:26 am - Illinois had a good year for tourism in 2025, with over 115 million visitors spending over $50 billion — breaking records, according to the governor's office. The total economic impact of tourism was up to $88 billion, fueled in part by the state’s “Middle of Everything” campaign.
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Applications now open for Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship ProgramSep 04, 2026 5:57 am - Applications are now open for the sixth round of the Illinois Works Pre-Apprenticeship Program.
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Batavia club to host Viking lawn game state tournamentSep 02, 2026 10:57 am - The Energy City Kubb club is hosting a state championship Saturday for the Viking lawn game called kubb, and invites newcomers to learn how to play.
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A 104-year-old farmer’s $183,000 tractor sale tests a farm recoveryAug 31, 2026 2:07 pm - America’s aging farmers have been holding on to machinery for longer than usual as low crop prices and rising costs squeezed their finances.
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New state law takes social media restrictions further than Meta settlementAug 30, 2026 11:50 am - Illinois will receive up to $768 million from a multi-state $17.1 billion settlement with social media giant Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram — the culm...
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Pritzker, Bailey offer different visions for Illinois educationAug 26, 2026 6:14 am - In appearances during the Illinois State Fair, Gov. JB Pritzker and his Republican challenger Darren Bailey offered different visions for how to improve public education in Illinois.
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Former sheriff’s deputy convicted of killing Sonya Massey dies, attorney saysAug 23, 2026 6:36 pm - Sean Grayson, the former Sangamon County sheriff’s deputy who was convicted and sentenced for murdering Sonya Massey inside her home, died Sunday, his attorney said. He w...