Illinois

Castle Rock State Park takes part in Illinois state parks' First Day Hike event

Published

11 months ago

January 1, 2025

Castle Rock State Park takes part in Illinois state parks' First Day Hike event

(WIFR) – The Illinois Department of Natural Resources hosts First Day Hikes at Illinois state parks for people to start the new year outdoors.

The public is invited to take a family-friendly, self-guided hike Jan. 1 at Castle Rock State Park, 1365 W. Castle Rd. in Oregon.

“This was the closest state park to our area, and just decided to get some fresh air before it gets too cold and enjoy a new state park,” Beckie Maddox, hiker, says.

When asked why she enjoys hiking, Maddox gave a few reasons, saying, “Health value, outside, fresh air, seeing other hikers, people and their dogs is always fun and just kind of enjoying nature and scenery.”

All the participating parks across Illinois offer stickers and special photo opportunities for visitors.

The following parks participated in the event:

Beall Woods State Park in Wabash County
Beaver Dam State Park in Macoupin County
Cache River State Natural Area in Johnson County
Castle Rock State Park in Ogle County
Eagle Creek and Wolf Creek State Park in Shelby County
Eldon Hazlet State Recreation Area in Clinton County
Ferne Clyffe State Park in Johnson County
Fox Ridge State Park in Coles County
Giant City State Park in Jackson County
Illinois Beach State Park in Lake County
Pere Marquette State Park in Jersey County
Rock Island Trail State Park in Stark County
Sand Ridge State Forest in Mason County
Sangchris Lake State Park in Sangamon County
William Powers State Recreation Area in Cook County

Trail maps and more information are available for all the parks on the Illinois First Day Hikes website.

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Illinois

Woman convicted in Slender Man stabbing taken into custody in Illinois

Published

6 hours ago

November 24, 2025

Press Room

Woman convicted in Slender Man stabbing taken into custody in Illinois

MADISON (WLUK) — The Madison Police Department says Morgan Geyser was taken into custody Sunday night in Illinois.

Police say just after 10:30 p.m. Sunday, they received information that Geyser was located and there was no longer a need to search for her.

WMTV in Madison says Geyser was located in Posen, Illinois.

She was at a truck stop in the area with another person.

An effort to find Geyser began Saturday after police say she cut off her monitoring bracelet and left her group home.

The Madison Police Department was notified of Geyser’s disappearance on Sunday morning.

Geyser was one of two people convicted in the Slender Man stabbing of Peyton Leutner in Waukesha during a sleepover in 2014.

She pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree intentional homicide in 2018 for the incident.

She was sentenced to 40 years in a psychiatric hospital.

Geyser had been held at the Winnebago Mental Health Institute near Oshkosh before being released to the Madison group home.

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Details of the release plan are sealed, after a previous plan for her to move into a group home in Sun Prairie fell through due to community backlash.

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Illinois

Wisconsin’s win over Illinois was its most complete this season. Here’s why

Published

24 hours ago

November 23, 2025

Press Room

Wisconsin’s win over Illinois was its most complete this season. Here’s why

The Wisconsin Badgers football team defeated Illinois 27-10, marking their second win over a top-25 team in three weeks.
Running back Darrion Dupree’s 131 rushing yards and 84-yard touchdown run highlighted the offense’s most productive day against a Power Four opponent.
Wisconsin’s defense recorded five sacks and held Illinois to one touchdown on three red-zone trips.

MADISON – There is a risk when you play a schedule as tough as the one Wisconsin faced this season that it beats a team down for good.

That is where the Badgers football team appeared headed a month ago. But now, with one game left in the regular season, UW appears to be better for the experience.

The Badgers, who have had some moral victories this season, are now starting to score actual ones.

Their 27-10 win over Illinois on Nov. 22 was the best they’ve had in a while. The Badgers’ defensive front had another dominant performance, the offense had its most productive day of the season against a Power Four opponent and the special teams came up with a big play that led directly to a touchdown.

The result was Wisconsin’s second win over a team in the College Football Playoff top 25 in three weeks – Illinois was ranked No. 21 in the Week 12 ranking – and just like it’s win over then-No. 23 Washington on Nov. 8, the UW fans rushed the field after the final play to celebrate.

The Badgers (4-7, 2-6 Big Ten) have trusted the process of building their team and are starting to be rewarded.

“Coach Fickell talks about it all the time,” said outside linebacker Darryl Peterson, one of 31 players honored before the game for Senior Day. “Man, these are life lessons that we’re learning. Everything’s not going to go your way. You know part of this game is being able to fight through and be resilient. I think it’s something that we’ll take with us for the rest of our lives.”

Badgers coach Luke Fickell called the win the team’s most complete of the season. We agree. Here is why.

Running back Darrion Dupree helps offense come alive

Wisconsin finished with 301 total yards, its third-highest total of the season. Its 209 rushing yards were 44 more than its previous season high. And the offense’s five scores were UW’s most since a 42-10 win over Middle Tennessee on Sept. 6.

That total yardage won’t wow most teams, but it was noteworthy for a few reasons.

The Badgers opened the game with a 16-play touchdown drive – the most plays for a Wisconsin scoring drive this season – that covered 80 yards and ended with a 6-yard touchdown run by senior receiver Vinny Anthony. And in the third quarter, Darrion Dupree ripped off an 84-yard touchdown run that is the Badgers’ longest play from scrimmage this year.

Freshman quarterback Carter Smith continued his ascent, completing 9 of 11 passes for 75 yards. He didn’t have a touchdown pass but also didn’t put the ball in harm’s way.

Dupree, who got a career-high 17 carries with Dilin Jones and Gideon Ituka out due to injuries., finished with 131 yards to snap UW’s 15-game stretch without a 100-yard rusher.

His long run was just what the doctor ordered for an offense that even after Saturday’s “outburst” still ranks 133^rd out of 134 teams nationally.

“Those big plays that not only generate energy and momentum but give you a different boost and make people play in a different way,” Fickell said. “That’s just something that we’ve really struggled with, not just this year, but in the last couple years. It was really good to be able to see that.”

Darryl Peterson, defense bring heat and step up in red zone

While the defensive line has been solid at putting pressure on the quarterback, it has been finishing those plays with sacks during the last four games.

The Badgers’ five sacks against Illinois pushed their total to 19 in the last four games. Their six tackles for a loss give them 29 during that stretch.

Peterson led the charge with a career-high three sacks, two that came on third down. Senior cornerback D’Yoni Hill made a career-high eight tackles.

Illinois’ 298 total yards were its third lowest of the season behind second-ranked Indiana (161) and No. 1 Ohio State (295). But the bigger accomplishment for Wisconsin was keeping the Illini off the scoreboard.

They reached the red zone three times but got only one touchdown. The other trips resulted in field-goal attempts, a 37-yard miss with about 11 minutes left in the second quarter when UW led, 7-0, and a 24-yard make with 1 minute 23 seconds left in the third quarter that cut the Badgers’ lead to 17-10.

The second attempt came after Wisconsin faced a first-and-goal from the 9.

“Obviously the guys played well, but I give a lot of credit to the coaches, too.” Fickell said. “[Defensive coordinator] Mike Tressel and those guys had a really good game plan and recognized where we were going to need to be really successful in the red zone because that’s where they’ve been as good as anybody.

“When [Illinois quarterback Luke Altmyer] gets to the red zone, his ability to run the football, his ability to throw the football [make him dangerous]. They’re really creative down there.”

Nathanial Vakos, Charlie Jarvis helps special teams deliver boom

Senior Nathanial Vakos hit each of his field-goal attempts, a 47-yarder with 14 seconds left in the first half that gave the Badgers a 10-7 lead and a 32-yard attempt with 4:23 to play that gave the team its final margin of victory.

Redshirt freshman Sean West averaged 48.6 yards per punt and really flipped field position in the second half.

The big play came from redshirt junior Charlie Jarvis, who pounced on punter Keelan Crimmins after Crimmins mishandled a low snap in the fourth quarter. The turnover on downs gave Wisconsin a first down at the Illini 14. Four plays later Dupree took a direct snap 4 yards for a touchdown that gave UW a 24-10 edge with 8:16 to go.

By that point the game turned into a feel-good affair, one fueled by all three aspects of the game. It was the kind of peroformance that breeds confidence, and for the Badgers that showed in the body language of the players as the game wore on.

The question now is ‘Will the Badgers’ game travel? Wisconsin travels to Minnesota for the final game with a chance to not only bring home Paul Bunyan’s Axe but a 3-1 record in their final four games.

“I think any time we can celebrate, we’re going to celebrate,” Peterson said. “There’s been a lot more to celebrate these last few weeks, so I think being able to do that and show that, it’s been fun for us. And when we’re having fun, I think, you know, when you’re having fun playing football, man, there’s nothing like it.”

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Alabama Football 2025 vs Eastern Illinois: Second Half Discussion Thread

Published

2 days ago

November 22, 2025

Press Room

Alabama Football 2025 vs Eastern Illinois: Second Half Discussion Thread

It wasn’t the prettiest of first halves for the Tide, but they made it to halftime with a 28-0 lead. The Alabama defense was nearly perfect, absolutely stymieing the overmatched Panthers for -1 total rushing yards and 13 passing yards, plus the special teams got a punt block.

The Alabama offense was given a couple of short fields that they cashed in on, and they generally moved the ball well. However a Ty Simpson interception over the middle ended one drive, and another ended on a holding call that set up a chip shot field goal that Connor Talty missed to make himself the main story of the game.

Alabama’s called 22 rushing plays in this one so far, gaining 121 rushing yards (5.5 yards per carry!!). The passing game hasn’t been as good, with Simpson completing 11/16 for 147 yards and 2 picks, though one of those was a hail mary to the endzone on the last play of the half.

The Tide may give Simpson one more drive after the half, but it should be the Austin Mack and Keelon Russell show the rest of the way.

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