Clay County resident, Darren Bailey will remain in the Illinois governor’s race after a helicopter crash took the lives of four of his family members last month. The Republican candidate announced the decision on social media, saying President Trump called him and told him to keep fighting and don’t back down. Bailey’s son, Zachary, daughter-in-law Kelsey, and grandchildren, 12-year-old Vada Rose and seven-year-old Samuel, died in the crash in Montana on October 22nd. The former Illinois House member launched his second campaign in September to unseat Governor Pritzker. Bailey lost to Pritzker in the governor’s race in 2022.
The Illinois EPA has announced an Electric Vehicle Charging Notice of Funding Opportunity for the purchase and installation of new Direct Current Fast Charging EV charging stations and alternating current charging stations at publicly accessible sites in Illinois. The taxpayer funds are being made available through the Rebuild Illinois capital program. The Illinois EPA will begin accepting applications next Monday, November 17th.
The Get Covered Illinois division of the Illinois Department of Insurance says statewide residents enrolling in state-based health coverage can expect an average 78% increase in monthly premiums for 2026, with higher price hikes expected in southern Illinois. Nearly 466,000 residents purchased health coverage from the state during the open enrollment in 2024, a 17% increase from the previous year. For coverage starting January 1st, 2026, customers must enroll by December 15th. For more, logon at GetCoveredIllinois.gov.