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
Health & Safety Committee: Opioid Overdose Deaths Drop to Zero in January as Behavioral Health Department Expands Role
State of the College: JJC Announces Plans for New Campus in Grundy County
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Manhattan Village Board for Feb. 3, 2026
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Public Works & Transportation Committee for February 3, 2026
Health & Safety Committee: District 3 Board Member Pushes for Expanded Animal Control Services in Monee, Crete
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Will County Capital Improvements & IT Committee for Jan. 6, 2026
Legislative Committee: Lobbyists Report on Federal Shutdown and Legislative Outlook
County Authorizes Financial Study of Homer Glen Law Enforcement Contract
Meeting Summary and Briefs: Joliet Junior College Board of Trustees Workshop for January 28, 2026
IDOT Implementing Speed Limit Changes in Manhattan
Will County Public Works Debates Future Bridge Needs as 159th Street Closure Looms
Capital Imp Committee: Veterans Assistance Commission Set to Move into New Facility