Category Archives: Local News
Hundsdorfer: Longtime Chicago friend describes first American pope as 'very dedicated'
The Rev. Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, hails from Chicago's South Side By BETH HUNDSDORFER Capitol News Illinois bhundsdorfer@capitolnewsillinois.com As the red velvet curtains at the Vatican part...
May 09, 2025 St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City. (Credit: Simone Savoldi via Unsplash)
Hancock: Immigrant health care programs boosted hospital bottom lines, study suggests
Pritzker proposing to end one program to help balance state budget By PETER HANCOCK Capitol News Illinois phancock@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD - Two state-run health care programs that extend ...
May 09, 2025 Demonstrators outside the Illinois Statehouse rally for immigrant rights during the 15th annual Latino Unity Day on Thursday, May 8, 2025. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Peter Hancock)
Aubrey: Pritzker signs order to protect personal autism data in response to federal action
HHS wants to create database using data gathered from state agencies By JADE AUBREY Capitol News Illinois jaubrey@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD - Gov. JB Pritzker issued an executive order Wedne...
May 09, 2025 Gov. JB Pritzker is pictured in his Springfield office. He issued an executive order this week that bars state agencies from collecting and disclosing data about autism to the federal government unless it's medically or legally necessary. (Capitol News Illinois file photo)
Szalinski: Illinois state parks draw highest number of visitors in more than a decade
State has recently completed major renovations at some state parks By BEN SZALINSKI Capitol News Illinois bszalinski@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD - Illinois state parks saw more visitors in 202...
May 09, 2025 The state spent more than $70 million installing breakwaters at the Illinois State Beach Park near Zion to protect the park’s beaches. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Andrew Adams)
Pope Leo XIV administers first mass as head of Catholic Church; Springfield Bishop Paprocki comments further on new pontiff
A cardinal from Chicago who spent much of his career as a missionary in Peru has become the first pope from the United States. Robert Prevost celebrated his first Mass as Pope Leo XIV today in Vatican...
May 09, 2025
Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield issues statement in response to Thursday's papal election of Pope Leo XIV
Bishop Thomas John Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois issued the following statement on Thursday afternoon in response to the election of Pope XIV. "With profound joy and deep gratitud...
May 08, 2025 Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Credit: Wikipedia)
U.S. Department of Justice announces results of nationwide "Operation Restore Justice" child exploitation crackdown, three charged in Central Illinois
On this past Wednesday, May 7, the U.S. Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. T...
May 08, 2025
Lincoln Land English professor awarded by national community college association
Dr. Deborah Brothers of Springfield, a professor of English at Lincoln Land Community College, has been recognized as a 2025 Dale P. Parnell Distinguished Faculty Award winner by the American Associat...
May 08, 2025
Sangamon County State's Attorney's Office announces Missouri man found guilty of crimes against children, faces minimum of 27 years in prison
The Sangamon County State's Attorney's Office announced on Wednesday that on that day, May 7, 2025, a Sangamon County Jury found Ricardo A. Black, of Florissant, Missouri, guilty of four counts of Pre...
May 07, 2025
Szalinski & Aubrey: DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's Illinois stop on immigration laws called 'publicity stunt'
Noem invokes murder of local activist while bashing Pritzker during 2-hour visit By BEN SZALINSKI & JADE AUBREY Capitol News Illinois news@capitolnewsillinois.com SPRINGFIELD - Two hours in the st...
May 07, 2025 DHS Secretary Kristi Noem speaks in front of a house in the neighborhood where progressive activist Emma Shafer was murdered in 2023. Noem holds a binder full of pictures of people she said are “still at large” af