Illinois Quick Hits: State spends $87M on ISU fine arts project
(The Center Square) – Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker joined officials at Illinois State University on Tuesday to break ground on the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts Transformation Project.
Pritzker said the investment of $87 million in state taxpayer funds would expand ISU’s fine arts complex to offer academic, instructional, and performance spaces through phased renovation, demolition, and new construction.
STATE POLICE REPORT
Illinois State Police say they recovered 243 stolen or hijacked vehicles, made 24 arrests and seized five firearms from October through December.
ISP targets vehicle theft, hijacking, and related crimes using grant funding from the Illinois Secretary of State Illinois Vehicle Hijacking and Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention and Insurance Verification Council.
ISP was awarded a $10 million grant for the first fiscal year, another $677,000 in June 2024 and $637,500 in July 2025.
SMALL BIZ OPTIMISM
The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index rose 0.5 points in December to 99.5 and remained above its 52-year average of 98.
The Uncertainty Index dropped 7 points to 84, the lowest reading since June 2024. NFIB Illinois State Director Noah Finley said, with federal small business tax cuts locked in, Main Street is starting the year on a more optimistic note.
Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
Latest News Stories
Senate confirms Warsh on narrow partisan lines
Illinois Senate passes bill to regulate auto insurance rates
Exclusive: GOP defends report, points to Walz administration failures on fraud
Op-Ed: The FAA’s O’Hare decision is a win for travelers – and for competition
Bill to prevent fraud on elderly, disabled opposed by financial institutions
Legislative Committee Advances Resolution Opposing Kidney Disease Treatment Delegation Act
Cooper gets $31.4M share of $111.2M spend
Appeals court freezes tariff ruling, businesses keep paying
Illinois Quick Hits: Gas tops $5 a gallon
Pretrial Fairness Act invoked as Illinois Supreme Court hears detention case
Border crisis fallout: Midwest prosecutions of SATG crime ongoing
EXCLUSIVE: Medical watchdog urges social work accreditor to remove DEI requirements
Commission Approves Massive Lake Michigan Water Infrastructure Project for Troy Township
