Get the latest news from around Illinois.
NBC 5 Chicago: What Still Needs to Happen for Illinois and Chicago to Lift Their Mask Mandates?
Illinois’ indoor mask mandate could soon be lifted, but experts say the state isn’t quite ready yet.
“Make no mistake Illinois, today is not the day to stop the mask mandate,” Dr. Emily Landon, an infectious disease specialist for the University of Chicago Medicine, said during a press conference with Gov. J.B. Pritzker this week. “And that’s why it’s not happening today.”
The Center Square: Many Illinois students experienced ‘normal’ school without masks this week, others did not
Many students across the state are choosing to go to school maskless despite the governor saying his mandate is still in place after a judge halted it. Other students are being punished for going maskless. It’s unclear if mask-optional districts will be punished.
Video posted on Twitter Friday shows students being kept out of one Illinois school while protesting outside the door with a sign that says “follow the law.”
Rockford Register Star: Rockford Mayor McNamara to Illinois: 'I still want our money back'
Mayor Tom McNamara on Friday renewed his call for the restoration of a funding source he says the state has “stolen.”
A day after Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker visited Rockford to discuss tax relief measures in his $45.4 billion proposed 2023 budget, McNamara urged passage of legislation that would restore a portion of the Local Government Distributive Fund.
FOX 32 Chicago: 2 new Illinois retailers approved for SNAP recipients
Gov. JB Pritzker announced Thursday that Illinois SNAP recipients can begin purchasing goods online from Sam’s Club and Meijer.
With these two stores included, LINK card users can now purchase groceries through 11 retail chains across Illinois.
The Center Square: Standardized tests no longer required for Illinois public college admissions
Illinois public colleges and universities have dropped the requirements for SAT and ACT college board tests.
The Higher Education Fair Admissions Act passed the Illinois Legislature last year and took effect Jan. 1. The law makes it easier and cheaper for Illinois students to apply to college. State Sen. Christopher Belt, D-Swansea, sponsored the bill, saying that a high school record is a better predictor of success in college than a one-time test.