Casey’s Proposed Budget Jumps 53% to $31 Million, Driven by Grant Opportunities
The Casey City Council has moved forward with a proposed fiscal year 2026 appropriations ordinance totaling over $31.1 million, a...
Meeting Briefs: Casey City Council for July 21, 2025
Police Department to Upgrade Radios: The City Council unanimously approved the purchase of 10 new portable radios for the police department...
Patrick Randel Simpson
Patrick Randel Simpson Jr, 67, of Casey, Illinois, passed peacefully on July 14, 2025, surrounded by loved ones. Born on...
Roy Lee Hock
Roy Lee Hock, age 68, of Casey, IL, passed away at 11 p.m. on Saturday, July 12, 2025, at Twin...
Casey Rotary Club Meeting Held
The Casey Rotary Club toured the Rock Shop on Main Street in downtown Casey on Tuesday,...
Council Increases Popcorn Festival Funding to $25,000 After Heated Budget Debate
Casey City Council approved a $25,000 donation to the annual Popcorn Festival Monday night after a lengthy and sometimes tense...
Casey Moves Forward with Hotel Feasibility Study and TIF District Analysis
Casey City Council approved two economic development initiatives Monday night aimed at increasing tourism revenue and expanding development opportunities in...
Casey City Council July 7 Meeting Briefs
Police Vehicle Purchase: Casey City Council approved the purchase of a 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe squad car for $54,864 from Mike...
Events
Education
Casey-Westfield Schools Showcase Student Success in Academics, Athletics, and Arts
Casey-Westfield School Board Meeting | October 20, 2025 Article Summary: Administrators from Monroe Elementary and the Jr./Sr. High School presented reports highlighting a wide range of student achievements, from state-level...
A Week of Warrior Pride: Homecoming at Monroe Elementary
School spirit was at an all-time high as Monroe Elementary students dove into a fun and festive homecoming week. The school’s youngest learners were made a special part of the...
Lake Land College to Invest $195,000 in Advanced Farming Equipment
Lake Land College Board of Trustees Meeting | September, 2025 Article Summary: The Lake Land College Board of Trustees has approved the purchase of a new Strip-Till Bar for $195,000 to...
Beyond the Gridiron: Warriors Celebrate Seniors and Rally for Pink-Out Night
Featured image caption: Wyatt Erickson wears a special jersey honoring Vicki Yates during Friday night's "Pink-Out" game. Before the first whistle blew in Friday night’s football game, the lights at...
Lake Land College Extends President Bullock’s Contract to 2028, Sets New Strategic Goals
Lake Land College Board of Trustees Meeting | September, 2025 Article Summary: The Lake Land College Board of Trustees unanimously approved a three-year contract extension for President Dr. Jonathan "Josh" Bullock,...
Lake Land College one of 10 national recipients of the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) Scaling Apprenticeship grant
Lake Land College was recently named one of 10 recipients of the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) Scaling Apprenticeship grant. With funding from Ascendum Education Group and in partnership...
Illinois News
High superintendent pay fuels debate over Illinois school consolidation
By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A new Illinois Policy Institute report reignites debate over how schools are run and how much...
Op-Ed: 340B needs transparency to fulfill Its mission
By TaLana Hughes | Sickle Cell Disease Association of IllinoisThe Center Square For the 5,000 people in Illinois living with sickle cell disease, access to affordable medical care and life-saving...
Critics warn Illinois’ ‘megaproject’ tax breaks shift costs to taxpayers
By Catrina Barker | The Center Square contributorThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A Springfield proposal grants major tax breaks to “megaprojects,” which critics warn could leave homeowners and...
WATCH: Pritzker creates accountability commission amid increased immigration enforcement
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 discusses the executive...
Illinois quick hits: Report: $17,300 state debt per person; Metro East crime suppression operations
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square Report: $17,300 state debt per person A new report from Reason Foundation shows that Illinois’ state government has $222 billion in...
WATCH: GOP leader calls Pritzker’s accountability commission a ‘political stunt’
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker has created a new government commission to document the conduct of federal law...
Battery storage financials remain in question as lawmakers consider energy omnibus
By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – State lawmakers are expected to include battery storage as part of an energy omnibus bill at the...
National News
Universities respond to new federal Grad PLUS loan caps
By Esther WickhamThe Center Square Santa Clara University School of Law will guarantee $16,000 annual scholarships starting next fall, fully covering tuition following the new federal Grad PLUS loan caps...
Report shows California leads in debt among all 50 states
By Madeline ShannonThe Center Square A new Reason Foundation report pegs California as the state with the nation's highest debt. The report found that the California state government carries more...
Trump plans to tell Congress about new drug war, won’t seek permission
By Brett RowlandThe Center Square President Donald Trump and his administration plan to inform Congress about using the military to target drug traffickers, but stopped short of saying they would...
U.S. aircraft carrier being deployed to Latin America
By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square As part of the Trump administration’s plan to target narco terrorists around Latin America, the Pentagon announced Friday that a U.S. aircraft carrier will be...
Federal agents arrive near San Francisco despite National Guard call-off
By Madeline ShannonThe Center Square Despite President Donald Trump calling off an impending National Guard deployment to San Francisco, federal agents arrived Thursday at Coast Guard Island in Alameda, on...
Over 100 pro-life organizations ask Congress to end forced taxpayer abortion funding
By Tate MillerThe Center Square More than 100 pro-life organizations are calling on Congress to end forced taxpayer funding of abortion that loopholes in Obamacare allow for, stating the Hyde...
Measles outbreak continues along Arizona-Utah border
By Chris WoodwardThe Center Square Health officials along the Arizona-Utah border continue to deal with measles cases. In Utah, there are 44 cases in the southwest part of the state,...
