Illinois
Springtime is fishing time: get your Illinois 2026 fishing license now
By Tribune Staff • SPRINGFIELD – Illinois fishing licenses – among the most affordable in the nation – are now on sale for the 2026 season. Illinois fishing licenses and stamps for 2026 are available for purchase online and at department-authorized vendors. A standard, non-discounted resident fishing license costs $15. Licenses for the 2025 season…
Read MoreApplicants urged to act quickly as Local Food Infrastructure Grant enrollment continues
SPRINGFIELD — Illinois farmers, food businesses, cooperatives and community organizations interested in strengthening the state’s local food supply chain are being urged to begin the application process immediately for the Fiscal Year 2026 Local Food Infrastructure Grant (LFIG) program. The enrollment period for the program opened Feb. 18 and runs through March 27. However, advocates…
Read MoreNew Illinois Liquor Control, compliance portal launched
By Tribune Staff • The Illinois Liquor Control Commission is pleased to introduce its new Licensing and Compliance Portal, a modern, unified system designed to streamline application, renewal and compliance management for licensees statewide. As we begin implementation, licensees may notice temporary adjustments to workflows and processing timelines during the first 90 days. This transition…
Read MorePenny shortage causes headaches for retailers in Land of Lincoln
by Erika Tulfo and Medill Illinois News Bureau • SPRINGFIELD — At the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield, visitors can shop for sweatshirts, pillows, jewelry and chocolates using coins bearing the face of perhaps the most-famous Illinoisian, Abraham Lincoln. But even here, pennies are growing scarce at the cash register. The museum…
Read MoreIllinois sees 10% increase in H-2A workers
By TAMMIE SLOUP FarmWeek Demand for agricultural labor through the H-2A temporary visa program in Illinois and the nation continues to rise. During fiscal year 2025, 559 more positions were certified in Illinois over fiscal 2024, bringing the total to 5,757, according to an American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) Market Intel report. Nationwide, 398,258 positions…
Read MoreProposed 45Z biofuel rule positive step forward
By TAMMIE SLOUP FarmWeek • Newly released proposed 45Z guidelines include key details on how biofuels and other companies can qualify and potentially set up farmers to benefit from the tax credits by factoring in feedstocks’ carbon intensity. The Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service on Feb. 3 issued proposed regulations for domestic producers of…
Read MoreBearish USDA estimates alter marketing plans
By RHIANNON BRANCH FarmWeek USDA’s January crop production estimates cast a long shadow over the grain markets. Bearish news of a 17-billion-bushel U.S. corn crop sent shockwaves through the markets since Jan. 12 and threw a wrench in many farmers’ marketing plans to start the year. Marion County Farm Bureau President Steve Brummel said he…
Read MoreUnemployment rate up in majority of metro areas for November; Chicago sees continued job growth
Chicago Hits Record Number of November Jobs, 17 Consecutive Months of Year-Over-Year Growth By Tribune Staff • SPRINGFIELD – Over-the-year, total non-farm jobs decreased in 8 metropolitan areas and increased in 4, leading to consecutive months with year-over-year growth in Chicago (17 consecutive months) and Lake (6 consecutive months). Over-the-year, the unemployment rate increased in…
Read MoreIllinois Treasurer Frerichs reminds people to check for missing money during National Unclaimed Property Day
Visit the ICash Website Feb. 1, find out if money is waiting for you National Unclaimed Property Day is this weekend, and Illinois State Treasurer Michael Frerichs is encouraging people to visit the ICash missing money website to see if they have money or other unclaimed property waiting for them. “This Sunday, February 1, is…
Read MoreUnemployment rate up in majority of metro areas for November; Chicago sees continued job growth
Chicago Hits Record Number of November Jobs, 17 Consecutive Months of Year-Over-Year Growth SPRINGFIELD – Over-the-year, total non-farm jobs decreased in 8 metropolitan areas and increased in 4, leading to consecutive months with year-over-year growth in Chicago (17 consecutive months) and Lake (6 consecutive months). Over-the-year, the unemployment rate increased in 10 metro areas and…
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