Illinois Quick Hits: $3M in taxpayer funds go to Chicago neighborhood center

Illinois Quick Hits: $3M in taxpayer funds go to Chicago neighborhood center

April 14, 2026/Newspaper Staff/

By Jim Talamonti | The Center Square
The Center Square

(The Center Square) – Illinois taxpayers have provided $3 million for a new neighborhood center on Chicago’s Southwest Side.

Gov. J.B. Pritkzer and several state legislators attended the ribbon cutting for the Brighton Park Neighborhood Council on Monday. The governor said the council was on the front lines of the battle when the community faced the onslaught of Operation Midway Blitz.

In addition to $3 million from the state, organizers said the BPNC received $2 million from the city of Chicago.

ISP ANNOUNCES CARJACKING AND THEFT PREVENTION RESULTS

State police say grant funding from the Illinois Secretary of State Illinois Vehicle Hijacking and Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention and Insurance Verification Council led to 316 vehicle recoveries and 34 arrests during the first quarter of 2026.

After an initial $10 million grant, Illinois State Police were awarded another $677,000 in June 2024 and $637,500 in July 2025.

SPRINGFIELD BISHOP: “I STAND WITH POPE LEO”

Diocese of Springfield Bishop Thomas Paprocki says he was on a pilgrimage in Poland when he learned about President Donald Trump’s verbal attacks on Pope Leo XIV.

Paprocki said in a statement posted on social media that he is dismayed by the President’s rhetoric, and he stands with Pope Leo.

Paprocki said it is “blasphemous for President Trump to pretend he is Jesus in a now deleted Truth Social AI generated post.”

Leave a Comment





Latest News Stories

Parents sound alarm over Illinois high school voter registration bill

Parents sound alarm over Illinois high school voter registration bill

By Catrina BarkerThe Center Square A proposal backed by Illinois Democrats to expand voter registration opportunities for high school students is raising concerns among some parents and education advocates, who...
Illinois Quick Hits: Violent Crime down, arrest rates up in Chicago

Illinois Quick Hits: Violent Crime down, arrest rates up in Chicago

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – New research from the Illinois Policy Institute shows that violent crime declined in nearly 90% of Chicago’s...
Judicial manual pushes climate agenda, critics say

Judicial manual pushes climate agenda, critics say

By Emily Rodriguez and Andrew RiceThe Center Square The Federal Judicial Center, the judiciary’s research and education branch, provided a manual for judges based on policies preferential to climate activists,...
Palatine teacher fired over anti-BLM posts turns to SCOTUS

Palatine teacher fired over anti-BLM posts turns to SCOTUS

By Jonathan Bilyk | Legal NewslineThe Center Square A former Palatine High School teacher who was fired for posting anti-Black Lives Matter content to her personal Facebook page has asked...
Attorneys seek to remove prosecutors in Tyler Robinson trial

Attorneys seek to remove prosecutors in Tyler Robinson trial

By Dave MasonThe Center Square Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray stressed his decisions on defendant Tyler Robinson – including his intention to seek the death penalty if Robinson is convicted...
Plastic surgeons recommend delaying gender surgery until 19

Plastic surgeons recommend delaying gender surgery until 19

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square The American Society of Plastic Surgeons on Tuesday recommended delaying gender-related surgery for those 19 and younger, given low-quality data and emerging concerns about surgical...
Congress begins two-week battle over DHS funding bill

Congress begins two-week battle over DHS funding bill

By Thérèse BoudreauxThe Center Square U.S. lawmakers face a rocky path forward as they begin negotiations over the last remaining appropriations bill for fiscal year 2026. During the next two...
Chicago mayor defends ICE order, calls for progressive revenue from state taxpayers

Chicago mayor defends ICE order, calls for progressive revenue from state taxpayers

By Jim TalamontiThe Center Square Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has clarified his stance about the Cook County State’s Attorney’s support for his executive order directing police to refer federal immigration...
Unrealized Education Department cuts cost taxpayers up to $38 million

Unrealized Education Department cuts cost taxpayers up to $38 million

By Brett RowlandThe Center Square A watchdog report found that an unrealized plan to cut U.S. Department of Education staff cost taxpayers up to $38 million, as many workers were...
Illinois Quick Hits: Illinois to join WHO's alert network

Illinois Quick Hits: Illinois to join WHO’s alert network

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker says Illinois is joining the World Health Organization’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network....
GOP candidates for Illinois governor challenge Pritzker on state finances

GOP candidates for Illinois governor challenge Pritzker on state finances

By Jim Talamonti | The Center SquareThe Center Square (The Center Square) – Gov. J.B. Pritzker has proposed ways for Illinois to better fund pensions, but one of the governor’s...
Date set for Clintons to appear before House committee

Date set for Clintons to appear before House committee

By Sarah Roderick-FitchThe Center Square Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will appear before the House Oversight Committee later this month, after being threatened with...
Lawmaker says adopting federal ‘no tax on tips’ would help workers

Lawmaker says adopting federal ‘no tax on tips’ would help workers

By Catrina BarkerThe Center Square A growing debate over how tipped income is taxed in Illinois has resurfaced as state Rep. Regan Deering, R-Decatur, introduced legislation aiming to align Illinois...
AGs request probe into climate activists’ influence on Federal Judicial Center

AGs request probe into climate activists’ influence on Federal Judicial Center

By Tate MillerThe Center Square Twenty-two state attorneys general sent a letter to chairmen of the House and Senate Judiciary Committee, requesting that an investigation concerning improper influence on judges...
Detroit judge among four charged with exploiting vulnerable adults

Detroit judge among four charged with exploiting vulnerable adults

By Elyse ApelThe Center Square Four Michiganders, including a sitting judge, have been charged by the U.S. Department of Justice with embezzlement-related charges. All four are residents of Detroit and...