MURPHYSBORO — After a being cancelled in 2020, Praise The Lard – Murphysboro Barbecue Cook-Off drew nearly 100 teams from 14 states to compete for prizes totaling $27,500.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

The Eurma C. Hayes Center is a mess today due to construction, but Bob Wills, executive director of the center, says the mess is necessary to renovate and bring services to Carbondale’s Northeast community.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

Amid all the focus on COVID-19 vaccinations, U.S. health experts have another plea: Don’t skip your flu shot.

Here’s the link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

Ten teachers in the Metro East who refuse to comply with statewide vaccine and mask mandates are suing their school districts over the policies.

Here’s a link to the story at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Reproductive rights activists are hosting marches and rallies across Illinois on Saturday to support abortion access nationwide and protest recent restrictions in Texas, which have all but banned the procedure there.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.

A possible state role in the Chicago Bears’ potential move from the lakefront to the northwest suburbs has yet to be formally discussed, but any request from the team for financial assistance would likely prove a tough sell as Illinois emerges from the coronavirus pandemic and continues to grapple with chronic fiscal ills.

Here’s a link to the story at the Southern Illinoisan.