Illinois quick hits: Bovino thanks police; fire assistance grants available

Illinois quick hits: Bovino thanks police; fire assistance grants available

December 17, 2025/
Spread the love

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

Bovino thanks police

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commander Gregory Bovino has expressed his appreciation to police officers in Chicago and Evanston.

In a social media post Wednesday, Bovino thanked the Chicago and Evanston departments and said they provided assistance in preventing “violent mobs” from assaulting CBP law enforcement officers as they conducted Title 8 immigration duties.

Fire assistance grants available

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is accepting applications for federal Volunteer Fire Assistance grants through Feb. 16, 2026.

The federal funds are passed through IDNR to aid fire departments in the purchase of new equipment and funding for training.

In 2025, the program awarded $322,893 for 48 Illinois projects.

Deer harvest totals

Hunters in Illinois took a preliminary total of 81,225 deer during the seven-day 2025 Illinois firearm deer season that concluded Dec. 7, down from 82,496 deer harvested during the 2024 firearm season.

Adams County had by far the highest total of deer harvested in 2025 with 2,291.

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

IL legislator credits Trump for U.S. Steel announcement

IL legislator credits Trump for U.S. Steel announcement

By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – An Illinois state legislator from the Metro East says it’s a Christmas miracle that U.S. Steel is...
Debate over AI heats up as GOP scraps moratorium in annual Defense bill

Debate over AI heats up as GOP scraps moratorium in annual Defense bill

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square Lawmakers are becoming increasingly concerned about the rapid expansion of AI technology and its impacts on cybersecurity, the power grid, and online safety. While the...
Evers vetoes 9 bills, including block on illlegal BadgerCare enrollment

Evers vetoes 9 bills, including block on illlegal BadgerCare enrollment

By Jon StyfThe Center Square Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers vetoed nine bills Friday, including a much-debated bill that would prevent tax money from going toward the health care of undocumented...
Bull Moose Project criticizes Sen. Lummis over stalled crypto legislation

Bull Moose Project criticizes Sen. Lummis over stalled crypto legislation

By Tom JoyceThe Center Square A conservative advocacy group is pressuring U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., over her handling of a major digital asset bill, arguing that she slowed progress...
Polis calls on U.S. Treasury to extend free tax filing service

Polis calls on U.S. Treasury to extend free tax filing service

By Elyse ApelThe Center Square Colorado Gov. Jared Polis sent a letter this week to the U.S. Treasury Department calling on it to undo its suspension of the IRS Direct...
Screenshot 2025-12-05 at 11.56.48 AM

Tensions Flare as Board Members Clash Over Budget Process and Protocol

Will County Board Meeting | December 4, 2025 Article Summary: A special meeting intended to fix a budget error turned contentious as board members traded accusations regarding transparency, meeting conduct,...
Screenshot 2025-12-05 at 11.57.25 AM

Will County Board Approves $2.7 Million Reserve Draw to Finalize 0% Tax Levy

Will County Board Meeting | December 4, 2025 Article Summary: The Will County Board unanimously voted to transfer approximately $2.78 million from cash reserves to balance the fiscal year 2026...
Netflix buys Burbank-based Warner Bros. for $72 billion

Netflix buys Burbank-based Warner Bros. for $72 billion

By Dave MasonThe Center Square The multibillion dollar question of who’s buying Warner Bros. was answered Friday when Netflix announced its purchase of the iconic Burbank studio. After a weeks-long...

IL Sec of State criticizes TSA fee option, extends REAL ID facility lease

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias is criticizing the federal government’s plan to offer travelers without proper...
Illinois quick hits: US Steel reopening Granite City furnace; unemployment down slightly

Illinois quick hits: US Steel reopening Granite City furnace; unemployment down slightly

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square US Steel reopening Granite City furnace U.S. Steel says customer demand has driven the company to begin the process of restarting...
WATCH: Gun ban with SCOTUS; ICE enforcement pushback; End of life options bill with gov

WATCH: Gun ban with SCOTUS; ICE enforcement pushback; End of life options bill with gov

By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – In today's edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square Editor Greg Bishop reviews the status...
Meeting Briefs

Meeting Summary and Briefs: Crete-Monee School District 201-U for November 2025

Crete-Monee School District 201-U Meeting | November 2025 The Crete-Monee School District 201-U Board of Education met on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, for a meeting that balanced celebration with serious...
U.S. Supreme Court takes up Michigan foreclosure case

U.S. Supreme Court takes up Michigan foreclosure case

By Elyse ApelThe Center Square A Michigan family’s decades-long fight over a property seizure will soon be before the U.S. Supreme Court, marking the latest high-stakes challenge to how counties...
Grand jury declines to re-indict Letitia James

Grand jury declines to re-indict Letitia James

By Chris WadeThe Center Square The Justice Department has reportedly failed to secure a new indictment against New York Attorney General Letitia James in a blow to the Trump administration's...
U.S. Supreme Court upholds Texas' new congressional maps

U.S. Supreme Court upholds Texas’ new congressional maps

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday handed Texas a win in a challenge to its new congressional redistricting maps, granting a stay of a lower...