Illinois
Small Illinois town reeling after Nazi symbol appears in yard
A swastika mowed into a front lawn in the tiny village of Alhambra, Illinois, prompted a hate crime investigation by Madison County authorities this week, local media reported, in the latest in a series of disturbing incidents where Jews have been the target across the United States.
Jordan Payne, who has lived in the 700-person village since 1987, discovered the giant Nazi emblem while out walking over the weekend.
He told First Alert 4 that he was “very surprised to see Nazi insignia carved into the lawn with a mower.”“It’s a slap in the face, a scar on our village,” Payne said.
The property owner, construction manager Mike Eaton, denied involvement and said he cut the grass as soon as neighbors alerted him to the existence of the symbol.
Alhambra’s city attorney and local police were determining whether the act met the legal threshold for a hate crime. Nearby residents expressed shock; one told St. Louis-based Fox 2, “We don’t want to see this kind of hate in our town.”
A swastika mowed into the grass of a lawn in Alhambra is now at the center of an investigation and drawing concern from advocates across the St. Louis region. https://t.co/sG5Zndathl
— KMOV (@KMOV) June 3, 2025
Helen Turner, the director of education at the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum, said that the vandalism fits a wider pattern.
“History doesn’t repeat itself, it rhymes,” she told First Alert 4, warning that antisemitic rhetoric often “quickly escalates into violence.”
National climate of hate
The Illinois case emerged just days after an Egyptian national wielding a makeshift flamethrower wounded at least 12 people at a pro-Israel rally in Boulder, Colorado.
Federal prosecutors said the suspect shouted “free Palestine” and sought to “kill all Zionist people.”
The Anti-Defamation League’s 2024 audit recorded 8,873 antisemitic incidents nationwide, the highest number since the organization began tracking this in 1979.
Illinois alone saw a 74% jump between 2022 and 2023, with 211 cases ranging from harassment to assault.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) also denounced the lawn vandalism, calling the swastika “a symbol of hate and genocide that has no place in a civilized society.”
CAIR-Chicago executive director Ahmed Rehab urged authorities “to take the promotion of bigotry seriously and to address it whenever and wherever it occurs.”
CAIR spokesperson Ibrahim Hooper said the organization “stands in solidarity with all those challenging antisemitism, systemic anti-black racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, white supremacy, and all other forms of bigotry.”
‘We will prosecute’
Turner stressed the need for swift legal action. “It typically begins with words, but it very quickly escalates into violence. The only counter to that is for our society to say, ‘These actions have no place here. We will prosecute.’”
As Pride Month began on June 1, local LGBTQ+ advocates noted parallels between rising antisemitism and a documented 80 % spike in anti-LGBTQ+ threats since 2023, according to a new GLAAD report.
For now, investigators in Alhambra were still piecing together how the swastika came to be on the lawn.
Payne said that the hateful emblem did not reflect his hometown’s values: “This isn’t who we are.”
Illinois
Updated betting spread for Wisconsin vs. Illinois Fighting Illini
The Wisconsin Badgers are looking to end what has been a disastrous season on a high note. The team is 3-7 through 10 games, with a 1-6 mark in conference play and seven multi-score losses. It now closes vs. Illinois on Saturday, then at Minnesota on Nov. 29, badly needing two strong performances to build momentum entering 2026.
Illinois enters the first leg of that final stretch at 7-3 (4-3 Big Ten) on the year, ranked No. 21 in the AP Poll. The team is falling short of its preseason College Football Playoff expectations. However, head coach Bret Bielema continues to elevate the program’s standing, set to deliver another strong eight or nine-win finish.
Luke Fickell and his Wisconsin program are working to rise to Illinois’ current place in the conference. A big 2026 reestablishing the program’s trajectory will be key to that ascension. A strong 2026, as noted, must start with a solid stretch to close 2025.
With just over 24 hours until kickoff between the Badgers and Fighting Illini, here is the updated betting line and over/under.
Wisconsin football vs. Illinois opening betting odds, money line, over/under
Odds courtesy of FanDuel
- Point Spread: Illinois minus-8 1/2, Wisconsin plus-8 1/2
- Money Line: Illinois minus-355, Wisconsin plus-285
- Over/under: 41 1/2
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Illinois
3 Big IL Lottery Prizes Set To Expire Soon, Remain Unclaimed
Three lottery tickets purchased in the Chicago area are set to expire soon, meaning the unknown lucky winners could be out thousands of dollars if they do not step up to claim their prizes.
Among the cash prizes are two tickets valued at $100,000 each that will expire in March and another with a $200,000 payout, which will expire next week, according to Illinois Lottery officials. The $200,000 Powerball winner was purchased at a Citgo at 44 E. Sibley Avenue in Dolton on Nov. 30.
The other two tickets that have winners that have not claimed prizes include:
- A $100,000 Powerball ticket bought on March 12 at the Speedway, 110 Arrowhead Drive, Hampshire
- A $100,000 Powerball ticket bought on March 19 at the Shell, 4900 S. Cicero Avenue, Chicago.
Winners have one year from the draw date to claim their prize, according to the Illinois Lottery.
The Illinois Lottery is urging players to check their tickets as the deadline approaches to claim a $200,000 winning Powerball ticket purchased nearly a year ago in Dolton, Illinois. The ticket will expire in two weeks if not claimed.
The Illinois Lottery encourages the ticket holder to sign the back of their winning ticket immediately and store it in a safe place until they are ready to claim their prize.
A full list of unclaimed prizes can be found on the Illinois Lottery’s website.
Illinois
Illinois vs. Alabama Prediction, How to Watch, Odds, Channel
The No. 8 Illinois Fighting Illini (4-0) will attempt to extend a four-game home win streak when they take on the No. 11 Alabama Crimson Tide (2-1) on Wednesday, November 19, 2025 at United Center. The matchup airs at 9 p.m. ET on FS1.
The Fighting Illini, who are favored by 2.5 points, are set to take on the Crimson Tide. The matchup’s over/under is set at 180.5.
Continue scrolling to get everything you need to know ahead of betting on the Illinois-Alabama contest.
Illinois vs. Alabama How to Watch & Odds
- When: Wednesday, November 19, 2025 at 9 p.m. ET
- Where: United Center in Chicago, Illinois
- TV: FS1
- Streaming: FOXSports.com, FOX Sports App and FOX One (Try free for 7 days)
- Odds: Illinois is favored to win the game. Check out the latest odds.
This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports.
Illinois vs. Alabama Prediction
Take the Illini to take down Alabama tonight. Illinois is riding high on their 4-0 record and has shown impressive defensive prowess, limiting opponents to just 66.8 points per game. Their frontcourt, led by players like David Mirkovic, could prove to be a significant matchup advantage against Alabama.
Alabama, on the other hand, is coming off a tough loss to Purdue, where they were outrebounded by 24 and struggled from three-point range, going 16-for-43. However, they’ve shown they can score, averaging 91.3 points per game. Labaron Philon Jr. is having a standout season, averaging 19.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 6 assists per game.
- Pick ATS: Illinois (-2.5)
- Pick OU: Under (180.5)
- Prediction: Illinois 86, Alabama 83
Prediction provided by FOX Sports’ Sports AI. Download the FOX Sports App for free access to Sports AI.
Illinois vs. Alabama Betting Insights
Betting Line Implied Predictions
- Per the spread and over/under, the implied score for the game is Fighting Illini 92, Crimson Tide 89.
- The Fighting Illini have a 60.5% chance to collect the win in this matchup per the moneyline’s implied probability.
- The Crimson Tide have a 43.9% implied probability to come out on top.
Key Spread Facts
- Illinois won 18 games against the spread last season, while failing to cover 17 times.
- Alabama covered 21 times in 37 games with a spread last year.
- Illinois had an ATS record of 15-12 when playing as at least a 2.5-point favorite last season.
- Alabama was an underdog by 2.5 points or more six times last year, and covered the spread in four of those matchups.
Key Total Facts
- Four times last year, the Fighting Illini and their opponent combined to score more than 180.5 points.
- Last year, 15 Crimson Tide games featured more than 180.5 points scored.
- Last year’s combined scoring average for these two teams (174.3 points per game) is 6.2 fewer than the total for this contest.
Key Moneyline Facts
- Illinois went 19-7 in games it was listed as the moneyline favorite last season (winning 73.1% of those games).
- Last season, Alabama was the underdog nine times and won five of those games.
- Illinois had a record of 19-6 in games it played as a moneyline favorite with odds of -153 or shorter last year (76%).
- Alabama had a record of 2-3 when it was set as the underdog by +128 or more by sportsbooks last season.
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