Illinois State Fair Kicks Off Today
(Springfield, IL) — The 2026 Illinois State Fair kicks off today in Springfield. Governor Pritzker and other officials unveiled the treasured Butter Cow yesterday in the Dairy Building on the Fairgrounds. Fair performers include Bailey Zimmerman, Lainey Wilson, Matchbox Twenty, 38 Special, Ziggy Marley, Wiz Khalifa, Ella Langley, The Chicks and Shinedown. The fair runs through August 23rd.
Winning Billion-Dollar Powerball Ticket Sold In Illinois
(Undated) — A winning ticket in Wednesday’s night’s billion-dollar Powerball drawing was sold in Illinois. The massive jackpot has a cash value of more than 450-million dollars. It’s the largest Powerball prize won so far this year and the eighth-largest in the game’s history.
Metro East Order Lifted After Chemical Fire
(Sauget, IL) — A shelter-in-place order was issued in parts of the Metro East Wednesday has been lifted after a chemical fire was extinguished. The blaze broke out Wednesday morning in Sauget, leading to the order in the St. Clair County village, as well as in Cahokia Heights and East St. Louis. The fire involved a chemical used to make chlorine tablets, that can cause skin and eye irritation and could be harmful if inhaled. Since it reacts with water, firefighters were forced to used sand to put out the flames. East St. Louis School District 189 cancelled Wednesday due to the earlier shelter-in-place order.
Illinois State Armory Renamed After Former Gov Jim Edgar
(Springfield, IL) — The Illinois State Armory is officially renamed in honor of former Governor Jim Edgar. Governor Pritzker and other state leaders gathered to celebrate the new Governor Jim Edgar Executive Office Building in Springfield. Once renovations are complete, the building will serve more than 870 employees across multiple state agencies. Edgar died last year at the age of 79 following a battle with pancreatic cancer. The Republican served as governor from 1991 to 1999.