Illinois quick hits: Primary election ballot certified; indictments increased in 2025

January 8, 2026/

Spread the love

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

Primary election ballot certified

The Illinois State Board of Elections certified the March 2026 primary ballot this week, removing several Republican candidates for governor after upholding petition challenges.

Remaining on the GOP gubernatorial ballot is Darren Bailey, Ted Dabrowski, James Mendrick and Rick Heidner. Gov. J.B. Pritzker will be unchallenged in the Democrats’ primary March 17.

For U.S. Senate Candidates, Democrats will have 10 to choose from, Republicans six.

Indictments increased in 2025

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois says it cracked down on crime and implemented new policies in 2025.

Statistics the office released show indictments were up 34% compared to the previous year.

The office also touts more focus on mass transit safety, health care fraud investigations and immigration enforcement efforts.

Unemployment rate forecast

The Chicago Fed Real-Time Unemployment Rate Forecast is estimating the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics monthly unemployment rate at 4.56% for December, matching the actual BLS unemployment rate for November.

The December 2024 unemployment rate was 4.09%.

Latest News Stories

Will County Board Gets Back to Basics with Robert’s Rules of Order Training

Article Summary: The Will County Board Committee of the Whole received a detailed training session on Robert's Rules of Order from parliamentary expert Matthew Prochaska to clarify procedures for conducting...

Executive Committee Approves Amended Houbolt Bridge Agreement to Settle Litigation

Article Summary: The Will County Executive Committee has approved an amendment to the Houbolt Road Toll Bridge agreement, formalizing a settlement between the bridge operators and the City of Joliet....

Meeting Summary and Briefs: Will County Board Committee of the Whole for August 12, 2025

The Will County Board’s Committee of the Whole dedicated its August 12 meeting to an in-depth training session on Robert’s Rules of Order, aiming to foster more efficient and orderly...

Meeting Summary and Briefs: Will County Ad-Hoc Ordinance Review Committee for August 12, 2025

The Will County Ad-Hoc Ordinance Review Committee advanced several updated chapters of the county’s public works code during its August 12 meeting, addressing topics from solid waste to waste hauler...

Monee Board Approves $1.7 Million Payment for Critical Water Main Redundancy

Village of Monee Board Meeting | August 13, 2025 Article Summary: The Monee Village Board authorized a substantial payment of over $1.7 million to Iroquois Paving for the Ridgeland and...

Report Finding Few Trucks Littering Sparks Debate on Cleanup Responsibility

Article Summary: A Will County report found that a very small percentage of waste-hauling trucks are the source of litter on roadways near the county landfill, sparking a debate among...

Crete-Monee Spotlights Summer School Success with STEM, Arts, and Academic Gains

Article Summary: The Crete-Monee school district’s 2025 summer school program was a major success, serving nearly 500 students with a blend of academic support and hands-on enrichment activities, including robotics,...

Crete-Monee School Board Tables Vote on Arming Security Director Amid Debate

Article Summary: A proposal to allow Crete-Monee 201-U’s Director of Safety and Security to carry a firearm on school grounds was tabled by the Board of Education following a lengthy...

Will County Receives Detailed Update on Landfill Expansion Investigation

Article Summary: The Will County Landfill Committee received a comprehensive technical update on the site investigation for the planned horizontal expansion of the county landfill, confirming the project remains on...

Meeting Summary and Briefs: Will County Landfill Committee for August 7, 2025

The Will County Landfill Committee on Thursday heard a detailed technical update on the ongoing investigation for the county landfill expansion, confirming that the complex project remains on schedule. Consultants...

Crete-Monee 201-U Board Reviews Tentative Budget with Projected $722,000 Deficit

Article Summary: The Crete-Monee School District 201-U Board of Education reviewed a tentative 2025-2026 budget that projects a $722,209 operating deficit, driven largely by a nearly $2.75 million reduction in...

Green Garden Township Moves Forward with New Town Hall Plans, Awaits Grant Approval

ARTICLE SUMMARY: Green Garden Township is advancing with preliminary work for a new town hall, having met with architects and a civil engineer, while awaiting Will County's final approval to...

Township Board Approves Budget Transfers to Fund Assessor’s Staff and Correct Rent Payment

ARTICLE SUMMARY: The Green Garden Township Board approved Resolution 2025-005, which reallocates a total of $25,200 within the town fund to provide necessary staffing funds for the assessor's office and to...

solar panels photovoltaics in solar farm

County Rep Cites Solar Lawsuits, Grant Shortfalls as Key Issues Facing Will County

ARTICLE SUMMARY: Will County Board member Sherry Newquist reported that the county is navigating lawsuits related to solar farm approvals and anticipating budget challenges from the loss of federal grant money....

Assessor’s Office Hires Staff to Handle Workload After 6% Multiplier Hits Property Owners

ARTICLE SUMMARY: Following the application of a 6% property assessment multiplier across Green Garden Township, the assessor's office has hired a new staff member to help manage the increased workload and...

« Previous
1
…
109
110
111
112
113
…
126
Next »