Illinois
Controversial 'overdose prevention sites' get $18 million in Illinois funding
A state board Thursday approved up to $18 million in funding for controversial “overdose prevention sites” that would allow people to use drugs in a public space where clinicians could make sure they’re safe.
The money would come from the state’s growing $235 million opioid settlement fund.
The fund is generated by Illinois’ share of settlements from lawsuits that states have filed against drug manufacturers and retailers. The fund is expected to rise to least $795 million in Illinois.
New York City and Vancouver, Canada are among the cities that have overdose prevention sites. State Rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago, has previously introduced legislation that would make such sites legal in Illinois.
On Thursday, the Illinois Opioid Remediation Advisory Board voted 8-3 to approve funding for up to three overdose prevention sites, each of which would annually get up to $2 million over a three-year pilot program, for a total of $18 million.
Dr. Miao Jenny Hua, a board member and Chicago’s interim deputy commissioner of behavioral health, was among those who voted for it. Board member Chelsea Laliberte Barnes said there’s “35 to 40 years of global evidence as to why this proposal is critical.”
Details of the pilot program haven’t been worked out, including where the sites would go. But the priority will be given to communities with the highest number of fatal and non-fatal overdoses. Chicago’s West Side has the worst overdose problem in the state.
The opioid settlement board acknowledged the pilot program may need accompanying legislation to protect drug users and clinicians from getting prosecuted under state drug laws.
Last year, the Illinois ACLU and AIDS Foundation of Chicago supported Ford’s proposed legislation to allow the sites. But the bill failed because opponents instead favored a measure to supply jails, hospitals and other institutions with fentanyl test strips.
The board’s funding approval is expected to give a boost to new legislation Ford plans to file in the General Assembly to allow overdose prevention sites to operate legally in the state.
“Living in an area that is probably one of the highest fatal overdose communities, I think this is monumental and it’s actually going to save lives,” Ford, who represents the West Side, said after the board’s vote.
The vote, in his opinion, will be one of the best recommendations to come out of the Illinois Opioid Remediation Advisory Board. Members at Thursday’s meeting echoed Ford’s sentiments, describing it as historic.
“Many people think that this is just about people going into the site to use drugs,” Ford said, adding that the locations are expected to provide other services to address medical issues and job placement. “These sites will be about a safe place where people will have a chance at life and they will have a chance for recovery.”
On Thursday, the opioid settlement board also approved $20 million in one-time statewide housing for people recovering from drug addiction.
One person is dead after a fire inside a condo complex in south suburban Glenwood on Saturday evening.
It happened around 5 p.m. in the 900 block of 194th Street.
Glenwood fire officials said that crews responded to a second-floor unit inside the three-story building that was engulfed with flames.
It was confirmed that one person died in the fire. Their identity was not released.
Neighbors in adjoining condos were displaced. The Red Cross was working to provide further assistance to those affected.
Glenwood fire said they are working with the state fire marshal to investigate what led up to the blaze.
The 2025-26 FCS playoffs consist of a 24-team bracket with play starting on Saturday, Nov. 29 and concluding on Monday, Jan. 5. The top 16 teams seeded and the top eight seeds receive automatic byes to the second round, while the rest of the 24-team field (the remaining 16 teams) play in the first round.
Here’s everything you need to know for the Division I Football Championship postseason.
FCS championship bracket
Click or tap here to view the bracket
FCS championship schedule
All times Eastern
Quarterfinals
- Friday, December 12
- Saturday, December 13
Semifinals
- Saturday, December 20
- Semifinal 1 | 4 p.m. ET | ABC
- Semifinal 2 | 7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN2
National Championship
FCS championship rounds, dates
- Selection show: 12 p.m. ET Sunday, Nov. 23 on ESPNU
- First round: Saturday, Nov. 29
- Second round: Saturday, Dec. 6
- Quarterfinals: Friday, Dec. 12 through Saturday, Dec. 13
- Semifinals: Saturday, Dec. 20
- National championship: Monday, Jan. 5 on ESPN at 7:30 p.m. ET
FCS selections
The bracket selections for the 2025-26 FCS Championship was on Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025. The bracket was be revealed via a selection show on ESPNU at 12 p.m. ET and a selections release.
Eleven conferences (or conference partnerships/alliances) earn automatic bids to the playoffs. The FCS Championship Committee selects the remaining 13 at-large bids.
AUTOMATIC BIDS: Click or tap here to see all 11 of the clinched auto-bids
FCS championship history
North Dakota Dakota State is the reigning national champion, winning its 10 title in 2024 with a 35-32 win over Montana State. Here’s every FCS champion and runner-up from the past decade:
| Year | Champion | Coach | Score | Runner-Up | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | North Dakota State | Tim Polasek | 35-32 | Montana State | Frisco, Texas |
| 2023 | South Dakota State | Jimmy Rogers | 23-3 | Montana | Frisco, Texas |
| 2022 | South Dakota State | John Stiegelmeier | 45-21 | North Dakota State | Frisco, Texas |
| 2021 | North Dakota State | Matt Entz | 38-10 | Montana State | Frisco, Texas |
| 2020 | Sam Houston | K.C. Keeler | 23-21 | South Dakota State | Frisco, Texas |
| 2019 | North Dakota State | Matt Entz | 28-20 | James Madison | Frisco, Texas |
| 2018 | North Dakota State | Chris Klieman | 38-24 | Eastern Washington | Frisco, Texas |
| 2017 | North Dakota State | Chris Klieman | 17-13 | James Madison | Frisco, Texas |
| 2016 | James Madison | Mike Houston | 28-14 | Youngstown State | Frisco, Texas |
| 2015 | North Dakota State | Chris Klieman | 37-10 | Jacksonville State | Frisco, Texas |
Click here for a full list of every champion since 1978.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WICS) — After a brief lull in the weather on Friday, now another winter storm is setting its sights on central Illinois. Come Saturday, our next round of Winter is set to arrive. A new weather maker sweeps across the Upper Midwest, causing more snow to develop by mid-morning on Saturday. A Winter Weather Advisory has been issued from 7AM Saturday through 8 PM Saturday evening. The snow will pick up intensity by late-morning and last through the afternoon into the early evening hours before ending. This new weather system will follow a path very similar to the previous storm system and spread a swath of moderate to locally heavy snow. Before the snow wraps up Saturday evening, expect another 2″-4″ for much of central Illinois, with afternoon high temperatures bitterly cold in the mid-teens.
But the worst blast of cold air comes in Saturday evening into Sunday. Frigid Arctic air surges down from Canada causing temperatures to really tumble, driving in the coldest weather we’ve had in a long time and certainly the coldest so far this season. A Cold Weather Advisory is issued from 8 PM Saturday through Noon on Sunday. Sunday morning will be dangerously cold with wind chills around 20 to 25 BELOW ZERO. With wind chills this extreme, it doesn’t take long to suffer from frostbite or hypothermia. Please stay inside to keep warm, but if you do need to venture out, limit the time you spend outdoors, and make sure to cover up all exposed skin by wearing a hat, scarf, and gloves. Sunday afternoon features lots of sunshine, but despite the sunshine, temperatures will be brutally cold and frigid with high temperatures stuck in the low single numbers while wind chills remain well below zero.
Expect more extremely chilly weather on Monday with wind chills still ranging from 5 to 15 BELOW ZERO in the morning and afternoon highs only reaching into the 20s. Then temperatures will finally start to warm up, and we should climb out of the deep freeze with highs in the mid to upper 30s on Tuesday.
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