The Homer Community is stepping up to help address a critical national blood shortage by hosting a community blood drive on September 18, from 2:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Homer United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, located at 301 S. Main Street. The timing of this blood drive comes as the […]
Author: Dani Tietz
Illinois Farmland Values Drop for First Time Since 2018
Illinois farmland values experienced their first decline since 2018, falling an average of 4.41% across central and southern counties, according to Farm Credit Illinois’s annual benchmark study. The downturn marks the end of six consecutive years of growth, during which values reached record highs in 2024. The decline affects the […]
Seventh Circuit Upholds Illinois Ban on Concealed Carry on Public Transit
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruled Tuesday that Illinois can constitutionally ban concealed carry of firearms on public transportation. In a 52-page decision authored by Judge Joshua P. Kolar, the three-judge panel found that Illinois’s prohibition on carrying firearms on buses, trains, and other forms of […]
Prairie Stories & Exhibit Grand Opening Returns to Museum of the Grand Prairie
The Museum of the Grand Prairie at Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve is set to transport visitors back to 19th-century East Central Illinois on September 13 with the return of its beloved Prairie Stories event alongside the grand opening of a new exhibit showcasing the region’s agricultural heritage. From […]
Federal Judge Rules Trump Administration’s Harvard Funding Freeze Unlawful
A federal judge in Boston delivered a victory to Harvard University on Wednesday, ruling that the Trump administration unlawfully froze more approximately $2.5 billion in federal research grants in violation of the institution’s First Amendment rights and federal law. U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs concluded that the administration “used antisemitism […]
Bats Take Center Stage at Lake of the Woods This September
The mysterious world of bats will come alive next month during Bats at the Bridge 2025, a free public program hosted by the Museum of the Grand Prairie at the Lake of the Woods Forest Preserve. The event will take place on September 12, from 6:30 to 8:15 p.m. Did you […]
Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration’s Attempted Deportation of Guatemalan Children in Emergency Ruling
A federal judge issued an emergency ruling on August 31, temporarily blocking the Trump administration’s attempt to deport hundreds of unaccompanied Guatemalan children, some of whom were already aboard planes prepared for takeoff. The lawsuit was filed in the early morning hours of August 31, at approximately 1 a.m. in […]
Pritzker Warns of Authoritarian Threat as Trump Moves to Deploy Troops in Chicago
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker delivered a scathing critique of President Donald Trump’s plans to deploy federal forces to Chicago during an exclusive interview on CBS’s “Face the Nation” on August 31. Pritzker’s appearance came just days before Trump announced on September 2 that he was “going in” to Chicago with […]
Federal Judge Rules Trump’s Military Deployment to Los Angeles Violated Federal Law
U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer found that President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth violated federal law when they deployed thousands of National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles following immigration protests in June. Judge Breyer determined that the Trump administration’s use of military personnel constituted systematic […]
Federal Appeals Court Strikes Down Trump’s Sweeping Tariff Powers
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirms that President Trump lacks authority to impose widespread tariffs under the emergency powers law. In a decisive 7-4 ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed Friday that President Donald Trump exceeded his statutory authority when he imposed […]
