IPR

Shifting just 10% of that purchasing to local farms could generate billions of dollars in economic growth for Illinois, according to the law. But for Illinois to move toward purchasing more local food, farmers and food processors need adequate infrastructure to ensure the food reaches consumers predictably.

Illinois Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders cautioned members of the State Board of Education Wednesday not to get their hopes up for any big increase in K-12 school funding next year.

The corporate ownership of East Peoria’s Par-A-Dice riverboat casino intends to construct a new $160 million gambling venue on the existing property, but the decision isn’t sitting well with some Peoria city leaders who believe the move violates a long-standing intergovernmental agreement.

More than 700 Illinois schools are within a quarter-mile of crop fields, yet state law doesn’t require pesticide applicators to notify them before spraying. Advocates say a new notification proposal would give educators and park staff time to move children indoors and reduce exposure.

Recent polling by Reuters found that 45% of voters list “cost of living” as their top concern heading into the 2026 election. With that in mind, the three top Democrats vying to become the party’s nominee for U.S. senator in Illinois have released proposals detailing how they plan to make life more affordable for Americans.

With work underway on the Catholic Diocese of Peoria’s project to transform the former Spalding Institute into a new facility honoring the life and legacy of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, current Bishop Louis Tylka is restoring the Sheen Foundation Advisory Board.

Peoria County Coroner Jamie Harwood is calling on Gov. JB Pritzker to veto a bill that would allow terminally ill individuals to get a prescription to end their life.

A third person has entered a guilty plea in connection with a foiled 2024 robbery in South Peoria that resulted in the fatal shooting of one of the robbers.

The conviction against former deputy sheriff Sean Grayson, who is white, carries a potential sentence of between four and 20 years.

The murder case of a white ex-cop accused of killing an unarmed Black woman in her Springfield-area home is now before a jury after lawyers on both sides presented their closing arguments Tuesday.