Illinois quick hits: Fatal helicopter crash; Comptroller orders another extra pension payment
Fatal helicopter crash
Two people are dead after a helicopter crashed into a barge on the Mississippi River.
The Federal Aviation Administration said the Hughes 369D with two people on board went down around 11:05 a.m. Thursday in East Alton.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.
Comptroller orders another extra pension payment
Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza says she is ordering a third round of pension pre-payments.
Mendoza said more than $1.3 billion in payments to the state’s five retirement systems will include $428 million in pre-payments, allowing the pension systems to keep more money in their portfolios and earn more in returns.
Statehouse rematch shaping up
State Rep. Amy Briel, D-Ottawa, and Republican Liz Bishop are gearing up for a potential rematch in Illinois’ 76th House District.
Briel defeated Bishop by 595 votes, or 1%, in the general election last November.
Bishop will first face a primary rematch with Crystal Loughran.
Latest News Stories
Manhattan District 114 Reviews Major Board Policy Overhaul
Green Garden Solar Farm Approved in Split Vote; Battery Storage Component Rejected
Lockport Tops Lincoln-Way West in Tight Conference Battle
Lincoln-Way East Outlasts Lincoln-Way West in 10-6 Conference Victory
Bill to expel students over sexual assault progresses in Springfield
Viral goose egg case fuels debate over abortion
Another U.S.-Canada border bust: Gun smuggling operation
More than 200 children rescued, 350 child sex offenders arrested in one month
Trump budget targets ‘valley of death’ with new military contractor accountability model
Nonprofit flies troops home for milestones they can’t afford to miss
Report: 2025 third most violent year on record for American Jews
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees for April 15, 2026
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Jackson Township Board for March 11, 2026