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

Spread the love

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

Partial government shutdown looms after funding deal failure

Partial government shutdown looms after funding deal failure

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square The U.S. Senate failed to advance a package of the six remaining federal funding bills Thursday, leaving less than 40 hours until the federal government...
Lawmaker pushing bill to study insurance for gun owners

Lawmaker pushing bill to study insurance for gun owners

By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Gun rights advocates in Illinois are raising alarms over House Bill 43, legislation that would create...
Illinois lawmakers consider bill to restrict SNAP buys

Illinois lawmakers consider bill to restrict SNAP buys

By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois lawmakers are considering legislation to limit what recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program can...
Homan touts progress; vows Trump administration won't back down on immigration

Homan touts progress; vows Trump administration won’t back down on immigration

By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square “Progress” is being made in Minnesota, Border Czar Tom Homan said during a news conference Thursday after being on the ground since Monday evening. Homan...
WATCH: Congressional seat at stake; Pritzker on Medicaid costs, school choice, ICE

WATCH: Congressional seat at stake; Pritzker on Medicaid costs, school choice, ICE

By Greg Bishop | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – In today's edition of Illinois in Focus Daily, The Center Square's Greg Bishop continues to unpack data...
Illinois Quick Hits: Man charged with threatening ICE agents

Illinois Quick Hits: Man charged with threatening ICE agents

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – An Illinois man is charged with threatening to kill federal agents working for U.S. Immigration and Customs...
Sen. Amy Klobuchar announces run for Minnesota governor

Sen. Amy Klobuchar announces run for Minnesota governor

By Elyse ApelThe Center Square U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar announced Thursday morning that she will be running for Minnesota governor in the 2026 election cycle. This comes after current Gov....
EXCLUSIVE: Minnesota workers say leaders rejected years of fraud warnings

EXCLUSIVE: Minnesota workers say leaders rejected years of fraud warnings

By Jared StrongThe Center Square Claims from current and former Minnesota state employees that have been vetted by state lawmakers allege their bosses ignored and rebuked fraud warnings for years,...
Remote marriage license bill faces skepticism from former clerk

Remote marriage license bill faces skepticism from former clerk

By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A new Illinois proposal aimed at expanding access to marriage licenses for people with disabilities or...
Lawsuit: Illinois Dems can’t use state law to control the name ‘democrat’

Lawsuit: Illinois Dems can’t use state law to control the name ‘democrat’

By Jonathan Bilyk | Legal NewslineThe Center Square A group of Illinois Democrats who disagree with the power structure of their party on how to address transgender civil rights law...

Senators weigh American privacy risks in FBI Investigations

By Emily RodriguezThe Center Square The Senate Judiciary Committee heard testimony on Wednesday to consider the reauthorization of a surveillance tool that has improperly collected citizens' private conversations. The Foreign...
Illinois quick hits: John Deere to build in North Carolina

Illinois quick hits: John Deere to build in North Carolina

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square John Deere to build in North Carolina Illinois-based John Deere has announced that it will open new facilities in North Carolina...
State rep questions Pritzker move to 'expand and expand and expand' on abortion

State rep questions Pritzker move to ‘expand and expand and expand’ on abortion

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A member of Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration says Medicaid plays a critical role for reproductive health services...
$1,000 Trump accounts to start July 4

$1,000 Trump accounts to start July 4

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square "Trump accounts" will launch beginning July 4, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday. The "Trump account" initiative was included in the "Big Beautiful Bill" signed into...
Rubio explains reasoning behind Trump's Venezuela strikes in Senate hearing

Rubio explains reasoning behind Trump’s Venezuela strikes in Senate hearing

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square Amid congressional outcry over the Trump administration’s military actions in Venezuela, Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended the moves Wednesday and outlined future plans to...