August 7, 2025/

Illinois quick hits: Fatal helicopter crash; Comptroller orders another extra pension payment

Spread the love

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

Fatal helicopter crash

Two people are dead after a helicopter crashed into a barge on the Mississippi River.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the Hughes 369D with two people on board went down around 11:05 a.m. Thursday in East Alton.

The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

Comptroller orders another extra pension payment

Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza says she is ordering a third round of pension pre-payments.

Mendoza said more than $1.3 billion in payments to the state’s five retirement systems will include $428 million in pre-payments, allowing the pension systems to keep more money in their portfolios and earn more in returns.

Statehouse rematch shaping up

State Rep. Amy Briel, D-Ottawa, and Republican Liz Bishop are gearing up for a potential rematch in Illinois’ 76th House District.

Briel defeated Bishop by 595 votes, or 1%, in the general election last November.

Bishop will first face a primary rematch with Crystal Loughran.

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

Foundation Receives One of its Largest Gifts of all Time.1

Foundation Receives One of its Largest Gifts of all Time

Featured photo caption: Dan Icenogle and Debbie Kramer, the cousins of Randolph “Randy” Adkins, present Lake Land College with the second-largest cash gift in the history of the College’s Foundation....
Expert: Illinois’ outdated tax law leaves homeowners, taxpayers on the hook

Expert: Illinois’ outdated tax law leaves homeowners, taxpayers on the hook

By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois remains the only state that hasn’t reformed its property tax sale system after the U.S....
Illinois quick hits: Midway Blitz nabs nine drunk drivers; Madigan prosecutor to depart

Illinois quick hits: Midway Blitz nabs nine drunk drivers; Madigan prosecutor to depart

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Midway Blitz nabs nine drunk drivers The Department of Homeland Security has released the names of nine foreign nationals arrested during...
Lawmakers divided after federal complaint targets student mental health screening law

Lawmakers divided after federal complaint targets student mental health screening law

By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois lawmakers are responding after America First Legal (AFL) filed a federal complaint urging the U.S....
Normal, IL fire and EMS challenges highlight need for statewide task force

Normal, IL fire and EMS challenges highlight need for statewide task force

By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A planned relocation of Normal’s Fire Station 2 sparks statewide concern over slow emergency response times,...
Analysis: Chicago among worst cities to drive in

Analysis: Chicago among worst cities to drive in

By Glenn Minnis | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (THE Center Square) – Republican Illinois state Sen. Steve McClure is speeding up the pace in his quest to make...
First lawsuit filed against Camp Mystic by parents of five campers, two counselors

First lawsuit filed against Camp Mystic by parents of five campers, two counselors

By Bethany BlankleyThe Center Square The first lawsuit was filed Monday against Camp Mystic by parents whose daughters were killed on July 4 when a flash flood ripped through two...
Senate votes to reopen government, sending funding bills to House

Senate votes to reopen government, sending funding bills to House

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square After spending nearly seven weeks in a political deadlock, U.S. senators finally passed legislation to end the record-long government shutdown. Eight senators in the Democratic...
Illinois quick hits: Bailey to stay in governor's race

Illinois quick hits: Bailey to stay in governor’s race

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Bailey to stay in governor's race Republican candidate Darren Bailey has decided to stay in the race for Illinois governor. In...
Airlines warn flight reductions could cost U.S. economy

Airlines warn flight reductions could cost U.S. economy

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square Flight delays and cancelations are frustrating Americans and could be costing the U.S. economy millions of dollars each day, according to a new report from...
Report: Less than half of CPS students performing at grade level

Report: Less than half of CPS students performing at grade level

By Glenn Minnis | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois Policy Institute policy analyst Hannah Schmid is sounding the alarm about the state’s dimming prospects...

WATCH: IL comptroller candidates focus on transparency, timely reporting

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Transparency is a key talking point for Illinois comptroller candidates. One Republican and five Democrats have filed...
With shutdown ending, debate on Obamacare subsidies to begin

With shutdown ending, debate on Obamacare subsidies to begin

By Tom JoyceThe Center Square As Congress moves to reopen the federal government this week, debate is shifting toward how to pay for the federal health care programs that helped...
Democratic senators under fire explain why they supported GOP bill to end shutdown

Democratic senators under fire explain why they supported GOP bill to end shutdown

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square After breaking from the rest of the Democratic Caucus to help Republicans advance a deal that would end the government shutdown, the eight U.S. senators...
FDA to remove ‘black box’ warnings on menopausal hormone therapies

FDA to remove ‘black box’ warnings on menopausal hormone therapies

By Morgan SweeneyThe Center Square The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is removing the “black box” warnings from hormone replacement therapy products for menopause, health administration officials announced Monday. A...