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    <title>Illinois State News</title>
    <link>https://www.illinoisstatenews.com</link>
    <description>Breaking news, politics, and stories from across the state of Illinois</description>
    <language>en-us</language>
    <lastBuildDate>Sat, 30 May 2026 02:24:35 GMT</lastBuildDate>
    
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Decatur's $27 Million Racino Hope Rests on Sunday Legislative Deadline]]></title>
      <link>https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/decatur-s-27-million-racino-hope-rests-on-sunday-legislative-deadline</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Decatur leaders say a racino bill that could bring $27 million in annual tax revenue and 300 jobs faces a Sunday deadline in the Illinois House before the legislative session ends.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2026 09:10:44 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/decatur-s-27-million-racino-hope-rests-on-sunday-legislative-deadline</guid>
      <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daniel Hayes]]></dc:creator>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Evanston's Roycemore School Faces Existential Crisis as Enrollment Plummets and $7.67 Million Bond Looms]]></title>
      <link>https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/evanston-s-roycemore-school-faces-existential-crisis-as-enrollment-plummets-and-7-67-million-bond-looms</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Roycemore School in Evanston faces an existential financial crisis after enrollment fell 17.9% and the school breached covenants on a $7.67 million bond. Auditors issued a going-concern warning as the board launches a $2 million fundraising campaign.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2026 07:12:32 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/evanston-s-roycemore-school-faces-existential-crisis-as-enrollment-plummets-and-7-67-million-bond-looms</guid>
      <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daniel Hayes]]></dc:creator>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[2 Critically Injured After Wrong-Way Driver Flees Officer, Crashes Into SUV on Jefferson Street in Joliet]]></title>
      <link>https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/2-critically-injured-after-wrong-way-driver-flees-officer-crashes-into-suv-on-jefferson-street-in-joliet</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Two people were critically injured after a wrong-way driver fled from a Joliet police officer and crashed into an SUV on West Jefferson Street near the Will County Courthouse on Memorial Day night.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2026 05:10:36 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/2-critically-injured-after-wrong-way-driver-flees-officer-crashes-into-suv-on-jefferson-street-in-joliet</guid>
      <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daniel Hayes]]></dc:creator>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Aurora's $360 Million Hollywood Casino Opens June 24 With Celebrity Chefs, Hotel, and Live Shows]]></title>
      <link>https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/aurora-s-360-million-hollywood-casino-opens-june-24-with-celebrity-chefs-hotel-and-live-shows</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The $360 million Hollywood Casino Aurora opens June 24 with celebrity chef restaurants, a 226-room hotel, and live music. The city's $50 million investment will be repaid through a tax increment financing district.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2026 03:11:34 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/aurora-s-360-million-hollywood-casino-opens-june-24-with-celebrity-chefs-hotel-and-live-shows</guid>
      <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daniel Hayes]]></dc:creator>
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      <title><![CDATA[Naperville Native Chris Brady Makes U.S. Men's National Team Roster for 2026 World Cup]]></title>
      <link>https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/naperville-native-chris-brady-makes-u-s-men-s-national-team-roster-for-2026-world-cup</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Naperville native Chris Brady, the Chicago Fire goalkeeper, earned a spot on the U.S. Men's National Team roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The 22-year-old was signed as a Homegrown player by the Fire at age 16.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2026 01:10:33 GMT</pubDate>
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      <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daniel Hayes]]></dc:creator>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Bloomington-Normal Area Mourns: 13-Year-Old Springfield Teen Dies in McLean County Crash]]></title>
      <link>https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/bloomington-normal-area-mourns-13-year-old-springfield-teen-dies-in-mclean-county-crash</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Luke W. Peterson, 13, of Springfield was killed in a single-vehicle SUV crash on Route 136 near McLean late Sunday night. The teen was a passenger. A second occupant was hospitalized. The crash is under investigation.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 26 May 2026 23:11:33 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/bloomington-normal-area-mourns-13-year-old-springfield-teen-dies-in-mclean-county-crash</guid>
      <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daniel Hayes]]></dc:creator>
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      <title><![CDATA[Phoebe Bridgers Surprise Show Draws 400-Fan Rush in Champaign]]></title>
      <link>https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/phoebe-bridgers-surprise-show-draws-400-fan-rush-in-champaign</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Phoebe Bridgers drew hundreds of fans to The Orpheum in Champaign for a surprise Memorial Day concert. Lines formed by 8 a.m. and 400 people were waiting by noon when wristbands went on sale.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 26 May 2026 21:10:53 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/phoebe-bridgers-surprise-show-draws-400-fan-rush-in-champaign</guid>
      <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daniel Hayes]]></dc:creator>
    </item>
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      <title><![CDATA[Shots Fired at Family Cookout in Peoria's Glen Oak Park, Suspects Flee]]></title>
      <link>https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/shots-fired-at-family-cookout-in-peoria-s-glen-oak-park-suspects-flee</link>
      <description><![CDATA[A family was shot at during a Memorial Day cookout at Glen Oak Park in Peoria. No one was injured. Suspects fled the scene and remain at large.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 26 May 2026 19:10:11 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/shots-fired-at-family-cookout-in-peoria-s-glen-oak-park-suspects-flee</guid>
      <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daniel Hayes]]></dc:creator>
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      <title><![CDATA[Rockford Marks 156 Years of Memorial Day Tradition as County Honors 554 Fallen Veterans]]></title>
      <link>https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/rockford-marks-156-years-of-memorial-day-tradition-as-county-honors-554-fallen-veterans</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Rockford celebrated its 156th Memorial Day parade as Winnebago County honored 554 fallen veterans. A Vietnam War veteran spoke of discrimination against women in the military, and the Navy Club held its 104th 'Sinking of the Ship' ceremony.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 26 May 2026 17:11:22 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/rockford-marks-156-years-of-memorial-day-tradition-as-county-honors-554-fallen-veterans</guid>
      <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daniel Hayes]]></dc:creator>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Springfield Showdown: Pritzker’s $250 Million Housing Plan Faces Local Control Fight Before Session Ends]]></title>
      <link>https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/springfield-showdown-pritzker-s-250-million-housing-plan-faces-local-control-fight-before-session-ends</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Governor J.B. Pritzker's $250 million BUILD housing plan faces opposition from House Republicans in Springfield who say it strips local zoning control. The legislative session ends May 31.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 26 May 2026 15:11:11 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/springfield-showdown-pritzker-s-250-million-housing-plan-faces-local-control-fight-before-session-ends</guid>
      <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daniel Hayes]]></dc:creator>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Chicago's Memorial Day Weekend: 26 Shot, Toddler Killed in Accidental Shooting]]></title>
      <link>https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/chicago-s-memorial-day-weekend-26-shot-toddler-killed-in-accidental-shooting</link>
      <description><![CDATA[At least 26 people were shot and a 2-year-old boy died in an accidental shooting during Memorial Day weekend in Chicago. The holiday marked the city's fewest fatal shootings in over a decade.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 26 May 2026 13:10:45 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/chicago-s-memorial-day-weekend-26-shot-toddler-killed-in-accidental-shooting</guid>
      <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daniel Hayes]]></dc:creator>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[South Elgin Manufacturer Hoffer Plastics Names Dan Clark As Director of Manufacturing]]></title>
      <link>https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/south-elgin-manufacturer-hoffer-plastics-names-dan-clark-as-director-of-manufacturing</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Hoffer Plastics, a South Elgin custom injection molder, has created and filled a new director of manufacturing role with Dan Clark, a veteran with more than 30 years of experience.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 26 May 2026 11:10:23 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/south-elgin-manufacturer-hoffer-plastics-names-dan-clark-as-director-of-manufacturing</guid>
      <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daniel Hayes]]></dc:creator>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Waukegan Mother Maria Conchita Perez, 35, Dies in I-94 Crash After Friend Allegedly Drove Drunk]]></title>
      <link>https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/waukegan-mother-maria-conchita-perez-35-dies-in-i-94-crash-after-friend-allegedly-drove-drunk</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Maria Conchita Perez, 35, of Waukegan, died Saturday after her friend allegedly drove drunk and crashed into a semi-truck on I-94 near Gurnee. The driver, Priscilla Martinez, 29, was arrested and charged with aggravated DUI causing death.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 26 May 2026 09:10:27 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/waukegan-mother-maria-conchita-perez-35-dies-in-i-94-crash-after-friend-allegedly-drove-drunk</guid>
      <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daniel Hayes]]></dc:creator>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[DeKalb: NIU Baseball Heads to NCAA Tournament for First Time in 54 Years]]></title>
      <link>https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/dekalb-niu-baseball-heads-to-ncaa-tournament-for-first-time-in-54-years</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Northern Illinois University baseball has qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1972, ending a 54-year drought after winning the MAC Championship.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 26 May 2026 07:11:12 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/dekalb-niu-baseball-heads-to-ncaa-tournament-for-first-time-in-54-years</guid>
      <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daniel Hayes]]></dc:creator>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Quad Cities Boaters Face 2.5 Hour Waits as Army Corps Closes Auxiliary Lock at Dam 14]]></title>
      <link>https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/quad-cities-boaters-face-2-5-hour-waits-as-army-corps-closes-auxiliary-lock-at-dam-14</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is closing the auxiliary lock at Lock and Dam 14 this summer due to staffing shortages. Quad Cities recreational boaters now face waits of up to 2.5 hours to pass through the main commercial lock.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 26 May 2026 05:11:04 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/quad-cities-boaters-face-2-5-hour-waits-as-army-corps-closes-auxiliary-lock-at-dam-14</guid>
      <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daniel Hayes]]></dc:creator>
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      <title><![CDATA[Carbondale Opens $13.4 Million Aquatics Center After Two Years Without a Public Pool]]></title>
      <link>https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/carbondale-opens-13-4-million-aquatics-center-after-two-years-without-a-public-pool</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The $13.4 million Carbondale Aquatics Center opened Saturday, ending two summer seasons without a public pool. The facility replaces the John M. Fleet Pool, which served the town from 1979 to 2023.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 26 May 2026 03:10:16 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/carbondale-opens-13-4-million-aquatics-center-after-two-years-without-a-public-pool</guid>
      <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daniel Hayes]]></dc:creator>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Decatur Man Arrested in First Degree Murder After 23-Year-Old Killed in Shooting]]></title>
      <link>https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/decatur-man-arrested-in-first-degree-murder-after-23-year-old-killed-in-shooting</link>
      <description><![CDATA[A 21-year-old Decatur man has been arrested for First Degree Murder after 23-year-old Deamontae L. Weaver was shot and killed at a Decatur home on May 22.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 26 May 2026 01:10:37 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/decatur-man-arrested-in-first-degree-murder-after-23-year-old-killed-in-shooting</guid>
      <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daniel Hayes]]></dc:creator>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Evanston Landscaper Jesús Eugenio Castro Detained by ICE at Routine Check-In, Leaving Wife and Two Young Children Behind]]></title>
      <link>https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/evanston-landscaper-jes-s-eugenio-castro-detained-by-ice-at-routine-check-in-leaving-wife-and-two-young-children-behind</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Evanston landscaper Jesús Eugenio Castro was detained by ICE during a routine check-in appointment, leaving his wife and two young children behind. Castro is being held in Kentucky ahead of a June 1 court date.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 25 May 2026 23:10:43 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/evanston-landscaper-jes-s-eugenio-castro-detained-by-ice-at-routine-check-in-leaving-wife-and-two-young-children-behind</guid>
      <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daniel Hayes]]></dc:creator>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[1 Dead, 1 Injured After Wrong-Way Driver Crashes Into Semi on I-80 in Joliet]]></title>
      <link>https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/1-dead-1-injured-after-wrong-way-driver-crashes-into-semi-on-i-80-in-joliet</link>
      <description><![CDATA[One person died and another was hospitalized after a wrong-way driver collided with a semi-truck on westbound I-80 near Briggs Street in Joliet Monday morning, Illinois State Police said.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 25 May 2026 21:10:42 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/1-dead-1-injured-after-wrong-way-driver-crashes-into-semi-on-i-80-in-joliet</guid>
      <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daniel Hayes]]></dc:creator>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title><![CDATA[Aurora City Council to Vote on 54-Unit Senior Housing Expansion as Demand Outpaces Supply]]></title>
      <link>https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/aurora-city-council-to-vote-on-54-unit-senior-housing-expansion-as-demand-outpaces-supply</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The Aurora Housing Authority is asking the city council to approve 54 new affordable senior housing units in phase two of 1449 Senior Estates, following overwhelming demand from a waitlist that drew 900 applications in three days.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 25 May 2026 19:10:28 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.illinoisstatenews.com/news/aurora-city-council-to-vote-on-54-unit-senior-housing-expansion-as-demand-outpaces-supply</guid>
      <dc:creator><![CDATA[Daniel Hayes]]></dc:creator>
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