It’s the saga that won’t die.

A list of the governor’s proposed budget cuts was circulating among state legislators last week.

Every year when the legislature arrives at mid-May, it’s always tempting to look around, see the absence of real bicameral movement on legislation and conclude that nothing’s gonna happen in time for the scheduled May 31 adjournment.

Across our region, industries are struggling to find the qualified workers they need. The roles they are trying to fill require bachelor’s degrees because of the complexity in manufacturing, technology, healthcare, engineering or skilled technical fields.

Megaprojects developers would negotiate with local governments what “special payments” they’ll pay on top of property taxes based on frozen assessments.

We hope the stories in this special edition serve as a reminder that heroism doesn’t have to be extraordinary to matter.

Illinois faces a structural budget crisis: tax hikes, not economic growth, are keeping the state solvent – and that strategy is running out of runway.

The top picks of last week’s NFL Draft were all taken for their considerable talents on the football field. One by one, many of those young men showed what’s carried them off the field, expressing their faith on center stage.

As the Bears stadium bill advances in the Illinois House, state Rep. Kam Buckner faces pushback from the governor's office and Senate Democrats over surprise changes to the deal.

The Driving Change legislation would move Illinois toward a fairer, more affordable system that prioritizes what should matter most: a driver’s record behind the wheel.

After a pause for the start of the spring season, it’s time for a look at the next all-Hieronymus sports team, taking a look at the top grapplers on the mats dating back to the 1986-87 season.

When Jim Nugent became women’s basketball coach at Sauk Valley in May 2025, the outlook for even having a season was bleak. The 2024-25 season was canceled after just six games. One recruit led to another and the Skyhawks not only had enough to compete, but to win 11 games.

State revenues are up sharply this quarter, but federal budget cuts and tax law changes could erase those gains — and shift massive costs to states.

BCR Sports Editor Kevin Hieronymus writes about his experience traveling to the NIT semifinals at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse at Butler University for the NIT semifinals.

The poll was released as Gov. JB Pritzker and others are pushing a plan to build “missing middle” residences, including multi-family developments and “granny flats” throughout the state.

The trend in special elections across the country over the past several months has shown spiking Democratic turnout and tanking Republican turnout.

As billionaire Gov. JB Pritzker told me in a post-election interview, “a whole bunch of money does not a good candidate make.”

Total spending, including the race for the open state comptroller position, was at $5.5 million for the calendar year.