Illinois quick hits: Bovino thanks police; fire assistance grants available

Illinois quick hits: Bovino thanks police; fire assistance grants available

December 17, 2025/
Spread the love

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

Bovino thanks police

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commander Gregory Bovino has expressed his appreciation to police officers in Chicago and Evanston.

In a social media post Wednesday, Bovino thanked the Chicago and Evanston departments and said they provided assistance in preventing “violent mobs” from assaulting CBP law enforcement officers as they conducted Title 8 immigration duties.

Fire assistance grants available

The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is accepting applications for federal Volunteer Fire Assistance grants through Feb. 16, 2026.

The federal funds are passed through IDNR to aid fire departments in the purchase of new equipment and funding for training.

In 2025, the program awarded $322,893 for 48 Illinois projects.

Deer harvest totals

Hunters in Illinois took a preliminary total of 81,225 deer during the seven-day 2025 Illinois firearm deer season that concluded Dec. 7, down from 82,496 deer harvested during the 2024 firearm season.

Adams County had by far the highest total of deer harvested in 2025 with 2,291.

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

Advocates applaud, condemn SPLC wire fraud charges

Advocates applaud, condemn SPLC wire fraud charges

By Andrew RiceThe Center Square Lawmakers and political action groups simultaneously applauded and condemned the U.S. Department of Justice’s new superseding indictment from a grand jury against the Southern Poverty...
Gallagher elected to serve rest of LaMalfa's term in Congress

Gallagher elected to serve rest of LaMalfa’s term in Congress

By Madeline ShannonThe Center Square California Assemblymember James Gallagher, R-East Nicolaus, has been elected to serve the rest of the late Republican U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa's current term. Gallagher is...
Four House Republicans rebel against Trump, help pass War Powers Resolution

Four House Republicans rebel against Trump, help pass War Powers Resolution

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square In the second congressional rebuke of the Trump administration's mission against Iran, the U.S. House passed a War Powers Resolution when four Republicans joined Democrats...
Hilton, Becerra remain ahead in California gubernatorial race

Hilton, Becerra remain ahead in California gubernatorial race

By Chris WoodwardThe Center Square It still appears that Steve Hilton and Xavier Becerra will advance out of the June 2 primary and into the Nov. 3 general election for...
Budget math undercuts Bessent's deficit reduction pledge

Budget math undercuts Bessent’s deficit reduction pledge

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square President Donald Trump's next budget projects federal deficits running more than double Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's stated target through at least 2029 while also calling...
State Police, IDOT break ground on $14M training facility

State Police, IDOT break ground on $14M training facility

By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The Illinois State Police and the Illinois Department of Transportation broke ground on a joint venture to...
Republican data privacy bill scrutinized in congressional hearing

Republican data privacy bill scrutinized in congressional hearing

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square Businesses and online privacy advocates hold diametrically opposing views on the wisdom of congressional Republicans’ plans to enact a nationwide framework for consumer data privacy...
World Cup: Economic impact equation includes displaced regular tourism

World Cup: Economic impact equation includes displaced regular tourism

By Kim JarrettThe Center Square Putting a dollar figure on the economic impact of the FIFA World Cup games scheduled for Atlanta is not an exact science, economists say. Eight...
Illinois Quick Hits: Johnson says comptroller running is 'no breaking news'

Illinois Quick Hits: Johnson says comptroller running is ‘no breaking news’

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says it’s no breaking news that Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza is running for...
Trump targets 60 economies with forced labor tariffs

Trump targets 60 economies with forced labor tariffs

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square The U.S. Trade Representative proposed tariffs of 10% to 12.5% on imports from 60 economies, including Canada, Mexico, Japan and the European Union, arguing that...
Lawmakers probe $1.2B Ohio Medicaid fraud

Lawmakers probe $1.2B Ohio Medicaid fraud

By Christine Johnson and Andrew RiceThe Center Square Federal lawmakers called for greater fraud enforcement in the Medicaid Waiver Program on Wednesday, citing concerns over recent reports of $1.2 billion...
Debt burden, pensions burden Chicago Public Schools

Debt burden, pensions burden Chicago Public Schools

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – The author of a new Civic Federation report says taking on more debt would be a death...
Nearly 100,000 Illinois Uber, Lyft drivers may soon be able to unionize

Nearly 100,000 Illinois Uber, Lyft drivers may soon be able to unionize

By Sean Reed | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – A proposal that would allow many Uber and Lyft drivers to form a sector-wide union and engage...
Michigan lawmakers spar over Rx Kids program amid oversight concerns

Michigan lawmakers spar over Rx Kids program amid oversight concerns

By Elyse ApelThe Center Square Michigan lawmakers are sparring over the future of the state's Rx Kids program, a cash-assistance initiative that has received more than $300 million in taxpayer...
UPDATED: Waters, other incumbents ahead in LA congressional races

UPDATED: Waters, other incumbents ahead in LA congressional races

By Zachery SchmidtThe Center Square Editor's note: This story has been updated with new results from Wednesday morning. Democratic incumbents topped the vote counts in Los Angeles congressional districts in...