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 and Cook County officials are beefing up government services to help more residents obtain REAL IDs, and avoid a new $45 penalty that will be instituted next year for air travelers without the updated identification.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced Wednesday that his office has extended the lease at its Loop Supercenter site that offers walk-in REAL ID services at 191 N. Clark St.
State officials are partnering with Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon’s office to streamline processes to obtain birth certificates, marriage licenses and the other additional personal documents needed to get a REAL ID.
Clerk’s offices will have designated cashiers for REAL ID-related requests, as well as a new appointment system.
“Don’t wait — get your REAL ID today and avoid the expensive and unnecessary federal upcharge,” Giannoulias said.
Earlier this week, the Transportation Security Administration announced $45 fees starting Feb. 1, 2026, for travelers without REAL IDs. They’ve been required since May but most travelers without them have only faced additional screenings and warnings.
The fees will be able to be paid online before arriving at the airport. Travelers can also pay online at the airport before entering the security line, but officials said the process may take up to 30 minutes.
Help from the clerk’s office is available at (312) 603-6278 or Clerk.RealID@cookcountyil.gov. The secretary of state’s help line is (800) 252-8980.
REAL IDs can be obtained at any DMV. Most in the Chicago area require an appointment, which can be made at ilsos.gov.
Contributing: Associated Press
CHICAGO – A Chicago suburb is Illinois’ biggest “boomtown,” according to a new analysis of economic and population growth across the country.
What we know:
The GOBankingRates study looked at U.S. Census American Community Survey data from 2015 to 2023, taking into account cities with populations between 25,000 and 500,000.
Plainfield, a southwest suburb of Chicago, topped the list for Illinois after its population grew nearly 12% over eight years, reaching 45,705 in 2023. The community also saw a 43% jump in per-capita income during that period.
Next door, Indiana’s biggest boomtown is Westfield, which logged a 51.5% population increase and a nearly 57% rise in per-capita income.
Big picture view:
Nationally, Fulshear, Texas, earned the No. 1 spot after expanding its population by 736% from 2015 to 2023.
Other top-ranked boomtowns include Fort Mill, South Carolina; Queen Creek, Arizona; Herriman, Utah; and Windsor, Colorado.
What you can do:
The GOBankingRates study examined 49 states, excluding Hawaii. To learn more, click HERE.
The Source: The information in this news story came from GOBankingRates.
If you purchase a product through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.
The stage is set for an all-Chicago Catholic League showdown as the Brother Rice Crusaders (12-1) and St. Rita Mustangs (9-4) will battle for the IHSA Class 7A state championship Wednesday afternoon at Hancock Stadium in Normal.
Both powerhouse programs enter the final riding impressive seven-game winning streaks, with the Crusaders coming off a dominant 45-17 semifinal victory over Downers Grove North, while the Mustangs earned their title shot by outgunning Batavia 54-34.
This championship matchup adds another chapter to a storied rivalry, with Brother Rice holding the early-season advantage after defeating St. Rita 28-10 in mid-September. Now, with the state title at stake, the question remains whether the Crusaders can complete the season sweep or if the surging Mustangs can flip the script when it matters most.
Opening kickoff is set for 3 p.m. CT on Wednesday, December 3 with a live TV broadcast on NFHS Network.
• WATCH: Brother Rice vs. St. Rita football is livestreaming on NFHS Network
High school football championships on NFHS Network
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How to watch Brother Rice vs. St. Rita football livestream
What: Brother Rice, St. Rita set for IHSA 7A title showdown
When: Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. CT on Wednesday, December 3
Where: Hancock Stadium | Normal, Illinois
Watch live: Watch Brother Rice vs. St. Rita live on the NFHS Network
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