SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – The No. 18-ranked Illinois State Redbirds snuck out a 21-13 win Saturday afternoon in a top-25 clash with South Dakota on Military Appreciation Day at the DakotaDome Saturday afternoon. L.J. Phillips Jr. notched his fifth 100-yard rushing game of the season in the effort, while Will Leyland hits a pair of field goals.

South Dakota falls to 5-4 (3-2 MVFC) after the defeat this afternoon, snapping the 11-game home win streak. Illinois State improves to 5-3 (2-2 MVFC) with the win as it marks back-to-back road Valley wins for the Redbirds.

The offense got the ball to start the day and pushed into Redbird territory. Will Leyland hit a 37-yard field goal to open the scoring, giving USD the quick 3-0 lead. The defense did their job, forcing an Illinois State three-and-out on their first possession to get the ball back to the offense.

The defenses would trade stops into the second quarter with South Dakota holding the 3-0 advantage. The Redbirds would drive deep into Coyote territory in the second quarter and the Yote defense would get them to a fourth and short. Tommy Rittenhouse would roll out to his right and score the game’s first touchdown, making it 7-3 Illinois State.

On South Dakota’s first possession of the second half, Carson Fletcher got the offense going with 30+ yards on the drive as South Dakota responded with a touchdown of their own when Aidan Bouman found Jesse Miller all alone in the end zone to take the 10-7 lead.

Illinois State would push the ball deep into USD territory again on their first drive of the second half. As the Redbirds were driving DeJuan Lewis would get his hands on the ball as Rittenhouse was headed for the end zone and punch it out, then jumping on the ball to keep the score at 14-10 ISU. South Dakota, though, would be unable to get points on the ensuing drive as the Redbirds would again get the ball back and drive into Coyote territory.

Illinois State would get a touchdown in the third quarter to extend their lead up to 21-10 which would stand well into the fourth quarter. With under five minutes to play, the Yotes would drive into Redbird territory and Leyland would hit his second field goal of the day, moving him into a tie for the MVFC lead, with his 10th made field goal, as he cuts the ISU lead to just one score (21-13).

Illinois State would work to melt the rest of the clock as South Dakota got the ball back with under a minute left. But it would not leave enough time for the Yotes as Illinois State leaves Vermillion with the 21-13 victory.

Bouman etched a new career-best with his 38 pass attempts on the day, completing 21 passes on the day for 173 yards and the one touchdown. Miller brought in his first touchdown reception of his Coyote career, and Phillips Jr. had 129 yards on 26 carries. Fletcher saw a career-best 10 carries on 54 yards with a long of 17 yards.

Defensively, Nate Ewell again led the way with his nine tackles, while Caden Crawford had eight. Nathan Laperi posted his third sack of the season, while Lewis and Laperi both forced a fumble in the contest.

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CHICAGO (WLS) — An Illinois Lottery player won $1 million on a scratch off ticket bought in Chicago.

“It’s all so unbelievable!” exclaimed the anonymous winner, nicknamed ‘Papa.’ “I didn’t even realize it was a winning ticket until I scanned it at the store, just to double check. When the prize amount popped up on the screen, I turned as white as a ghost! I tucked the ticket safely inside my coat and immediately sprinted home.

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He bought the winning Jumbo Bucks ticket at P&S Liquor, located at 7319 Irving Park Road on the Northwest Side.

“When I got home, I told my wife, ‘We just won $1 million!’” Papa recalled with a laugh. “Even she couldn’t believe it. She stared at me wide-eyed and just kept saying, ‘What? Are you sure?’”

Papa and his wife are both retired and they plan to support their family and take a vacation abroad.

“I’ve never been to Europe, but our families are Irish and Italian,” said Papa. “You better believe we’re going overseas for a nice trip!”

The store that sold the winning ticket will get a $10,000 bonus.

Illinois officials have issued a warning to federal immigration agents that tampering with or swapping license plates is against state law and will not be tolerated.

On Wednesday, Illinois secretary of state Alexi Giannoulias unveiled a new initiative called the “Plate Watch” hotline, encouraging residents to report cases in which law enforcement vehicles appear to be using invalid or altered plates to evade identification during federal immigration raids.

In a video statement online, Giannoulias pointed to a viral video in which a federal immigration officer can be seen telling a protester next to his car that he can record him all he wants since “we change the plates out everyday”.

“I have a big problem with that … Swapping out Illinois license plates on Illinois registered vehicles is illegal and as secretary of state, I have zero tolerance for this type of illegal activity. We are investigating these allegations as we speak,” Giannoulias said.

“No one, including federal agents, is above the law, and we intend to hold them accountable, especially while driving on our roadways. This is a matter of public safety and protecting the wellbeing of our communities,” he added.

Under Illinois state law, penalties for displaying an unauthorized license plate, obscuring or modifying license plates in any way include fines and potential jail time. The Illinois secretary of state’s office also has the authority to suspend or revoke the vehicle’s license plates in such instances.

Additionally, Illinois registered vehicles must display license plates in both the front and the back. Vehicles registered in other states may only require a rear license plate and all vehicles driving on Illinois roads must have proper licensing in accordance with laws of their state, the Illinois secretary of state’s office said.

Earlier this month, a US district judge ordered federal immigration officers in the Chicago area to wear body cameras following repeated deployments of pepper balls, smoke grenades, tear gas against protestors and even local police.

As the Trump administration ramps up federal immigration raids – drawing widespread opposition from the public, Democratic lawmakers and civil rights groups, several states are moving to block immigration officers from hiding their identities. The push follows instances of agents using unmarked vehicles to detain people on the streets without identifying themselves or presenting warrants.

In September, California passed a bill to ban masks for most law enforcement officers from concealing their faces while carrying out their operations.

Earlier this summer, Democratic senators introduced legislation that would require federal immigration officers to visibly display their agency name and either their own name or badge number, ensuring that tactical gear or clothing does not obscure it. The bill would also ban non-medical face coverings that conceal an officer’s identity.

The Guardian has reached out to the homeland security department for comment.