Brad Palmer

Lt. Governor Sheila Simon is urging rural communities to apply for grants from a new public health program before the end of the week.

Authorities are investigating a fatal accident in western Jackson County.

It's Asthma Awareness Month and the Illinois Department of Public Health is urging those affected to make sure they take steps to manage their condition.

Local government, education and business leaders say Illinois needs to reduce frivolous lawsuits to help spur economic growth.

The Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability has voted to reject Governor Pat Quinn's proposed closure of the Murray Developmental Center in Centralia.

A southwestern Illinois native is the new president of John A. Logan College.

A Johnson County woman is dead after a one-car crash in Union County.

A southern Illinois lawmaker says raising the cigarette tax to help the state's Medicaid program should be taken off the table.

A southern Illinois lawmaker is pushing legislation that would give the Department of Corrections more notice when an inmate or parolee is the subject of an order of protection.

A Carbondale man is accused of firing a gun that damaged two apartment units.

The head of Southern Illinois Healthcare says the American people can help improve our healthcare system and reduce the Medicaid burden.

A bi-partisan legislative commission is hearing testimony Friday on the governor's proposed closure of the Murray Developmental Center in Centralia.

Southern Illinois University Carbondale officials broke ground Monday on a new Student Services building.

The Illinois House has approved a bill aimed at helping victims of natural disasters.

Southern Illinois University President Glenn Poshard says the Board of Trustees is getting tired of the bullying tactics of two of its members.

One death is being reported in Jefferson County as a result of Friday's severe weather.

Democratic State Representative Derrick Smith may have won his primary election Tuesday, but it could be a short-lived victory.

In the 59th State Senate Race, Democrat Gary Forby has been declared the winner over his primary challenger Fred Kondritz.  Incumbent democrat Gary Forby with 78% of the vote easily defeated his primary challenger Fred Kondritz for the nomination. On the republican side of the ticket Mark Minor and Ken Burzynski ran a close race trading counties all evening long. Burzynski carried Williamson, Union, and Jackson Counties… while Minor held on in Franklin, Saline, and Alexander Counties to defeat Burzynski 55% to 45%. Minor advances to the November election against Gary Forby.

Authorities are still investigating a mysterious envelope sent to the Carbondale office of State Representative Mike Bost.

Southern Illinois University Carbondale is advising university employees of a possible breech of personal information.

Two state lawmakers from southern Illinois have started an online petition in support of three state facilities Governor Pat Quinn says he wants to close.

State Senator Gary Forby from Benton and State Representative Brandon Phelps of Harrisburg announced the ``Save State Jobs Now'' petition in a joint news release. Their website asks people to sign to keep open the Supermax Prison in Tamms, the Illinois Youth Center in Murphysboro and the Murray Developmental Center in Centralia.

Federal authorities say an Illinois state legislator has been arrested on bribery charges.
 
A news release from the U.S. attorney's office in Chicago says State Representative Derrick Smith (pictured) was arrested Tuesday.

The prosecutor's office accuses the 48-year-old Chicago democrat of accepting a $7,000 cash bribe to write an official letter of support for a daycare center he believed was seeking a state grant. He is charged with one count of accepting a bribe.

The state of Illinois is increasing the cost for military veterans to live in its nursing homes.

The Pantagraph in Bloomington reports the Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs has notified residents of the increase. It's the first time the state has raised monthly fees for residents since 1979. Costs will rise starting July 1st, going from about $930 per resident a month to about $1,430.

Union County State's Attorney Tyler Edmonds (pictured)  is alerting the public regarding identity theft and tax refund fraud associated with April's tax filing deadline.

He says tax refund fraud commonly occurs when stolen identity information is used to file a tax return in the victim's name and the thief then obtains the refund that would be due to the victim.

Tax refund fraud was reported last year in Union County and the State's Attorney's Office urges the public to protect identifying documents and information as the tax deadline approaches.

A former Ohio man who spent three years on the run after escaping from a federal prison camp in southern Illinois has been ordered to spend an additional two years behind bars.

Thirty-eight-year-old Devant Geter pleaded guilty in November to a charge of escape linked to his walking away from the federal prison camp in Marion in September 2008.

At the time of his escape, Geter was serving a 14-year sentence for cocaine possession with plans to deal the drug and being a felon with a firearm.

Illinois is still waiting to hear about a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind Act.