News From Here And There

Thanksgiving is a peak day for home cooking fires in the U.S. Thanksgiving and the day before are the top two days in this country for the chance of a cooking fire to happen in someone’s home. Cooking causes an average of 158,400 home fires per year, which is 44% of all home fires in…

     State Senator Doris Turner backed a property tax relief package that increases property tax exemption thresholds for senior citizens in Illinois.      “Seniors worked their entire lives to build a foundation for themselves,” said Turner (D-Springfield). “By expanding the number of seniors who qualify for property tax breaks, more seniors will get to stay in the…

Golden Rule Entertainment also owns Prospect League teams, the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes and Quincy Doggy Paddlers. DECATUR, Ill. – Millikin University announced today a new partnership with Golden Rule Entertainment (GRE) and the City of Decatur to bring a Prospect League summer collegiate baseball team to Millikin’s Workman Family Baseball Field, beginning with the 2026…

  DAV (Disabled American Veterans) and RecruitMilitary® will co-host the National Virtual Veterans Career Fair, November 25 from 11:00am – 3:00pm Central. The event is free to veterans, their spouses, active-duty military personnel and members of the National Guard and Reserve. More than 67 employers actively seeking the unique talents of America’s veterans will be…

ARGENTA – On November 13, 2025 at approximately 300p the Macon County Sheriff’s Office was alerted to an accident in the 100 block of Claremont Street in Argenta, Illinois. Initial information provided that an individual who was operating a street leaf vacuum was injured. Upon arrival deputies learned that a truck was pulling a trailer…

     The City of Decatur is moving to Stage 1 Water Rationing and asks that all water customers adhere to water conservation requirements. Lake Decatur’s water level continues to drop and drought conditions persist in the Lake Decatur watershed as much of central Illinois has received below average rainfall since mid-August 2025. Lake Decatur, the primary…

The decision came after ‘a lot of prayer and reflection,’ Bailey told his supporters byBrenden Moore November 11, 2025 Darren Bailey and his wife Cindy announce that he will stay in the governor’s race in a three-minute video posted to social media. He was contemplating his next move after his son, daughter-in-law and two grandkids…

CHAMPAIGN, IL — Yesterday, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13) visited The Land Connection to discuss how the Trump Administration delay of SNAP payments is impacting access to locally grown food. The Land Connection is a non-profit organization based in Champaign, IL that offers farm and food business training, farmers markets, food access programs, and local food education. Community…

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Mary Miller (IL-15) introduced the House companion to Senator Jim Banks’ (R-IN) Promoting Classical Learning Act . This legislation would ensure America’s service academies recognize the Classic Learning Test (CLT) as a standard for academic excellence. The bill codifies Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s directive requiring the U.S. Military Academy, Naval…

DECATUR, IL… State Representative Regan Deering (R-Decatur) voted to increase the income limit for seniors to receive property tax relief. SB 642 raises the maximum annual income to be eligible for certain state property tax relief programs to $75,000 for taxable year 2026. The current annual income limit is $65,000 and has not increased since 2017.      “Illinois’…